The Future of Geek In the Stacks

Friends, this week I launched my new blog, Shift Your Mind, which I am really excited about. My new blog will focus on personal growth and change, especially around productivity and leadership. Please stop by and check it out, and if you like what you see subscribe to it.

Once I get Shift Your Mind rolling along, I hope to resurrect this site (probably hosted somewhere else) with a focus on IT and Libraries, two things I am really passionate about.

So again, please swing by Shift Your Mind. Also, don’t hesitate to give me a shout on Twitter

Thanks for reading!

Where Have I Been?

Just to alleviate any fears…I am alive and intend to resume blogging.  Since writing my last post, I have been working on several things:

• First off, I had the worse bout of flu earlier this month.  I was stuck in bed for 96 hours, no lie!  What was unfortunate it that it killed my motivation to work on a lot of things for about 3 weeks.  It has admittedly been a struggle to get back on track.
• I have spent a lot of time working on my new blog.  Since it will be a hosted WordPress site, I have had to learn a lot about creating and maintaing a WordPress site.  Additionally, I have been brainstorming on a lot of topics so I have a backlog of things to post.
• Finally, I have been spending a lot of time just thinking.  Values, peer relationships, finances, and many other topics.  There is a lot I need to accomplish!

Be on the lookout for my new blog announcement later this week.  After that time, I will no longer be posting to this site and will probably delete it soon after.

GeekInTheStacks, version 2.0

It’s been a little over 90 days since I resumed blogging.  My original blog yielded about 10 posts in 5 months.  This will be my 20th post in 3 months on a wide variety of topics ranging from writing effective emails to movies about the Macintosh community.  Time to think about what is next for GeekInTheStacks!

9 Tips to Keep Your Sanity at the Office

 

courtesy of monkeyrivertown

Like most people, I make my fortune working in an office everyday.  I have the luxury of working  with a great organization filled with the best people.  But there are many times when my sanity is tested, which is bound to happen when you are around people all day.

 

Since I see my co-workers more then my family during the week, I want to be sure I maximize the time with my family.  The last thing I want to do is bring home work stress to the family.   I also want to maintain professional, friendly relationships with my co-workers so we can help each other achieve our goals.

What I Hope to Gain Using Twitter

I started using Twitter about 6 months ago (you can follow me here.)  In fact, I was using Twitter well ahead of signing up for Facebook.  Twitter, for those of you who who have never used it, is a micro-blogging tool which people follow.  In less then 140 characters, you can provide a quick update on what you are doing, send links, and even post pictures.  Twitter is one of the fastest growing social networking services on the internet, although some question it’s long term sustainibility

Like many people, at first I just didn’t “get it.”  Why would I use this tool if I had email and instant messaging?  Is this tool any good if I only have a few followers? Finally, wouldn’t it be cool if I had 15,000 followers!

Starting Fresh – Back on the GTD Wagon

 

Photo courtesy of Raphs

One of my habits to change in 2009 was to become more organized, especially when it comes to managing my time.  Like most people, I am juggling a dozen or more projects, am constantly inundated with phone calls/emails/people who want a piece of my time, and have a task list a mile long.  
 

Those if you who know me well, know that I am Getting Things Done (GTD) advocate.  I picked up the book almost 2 years ago to the day, after a cross-country trek in a moving truck.  It has helped me in countless ways by reducing stress, bringing focus to my work, and allowing me the freedom to enjoy the things I love.

Like most GTDers, including David Allen himself, every so often you “fall of the wagon.”  For me, it was about 3 months ago.  I stopped using my trusted system to keep track of things, I tried to remember all my tasks in my head, and stopped reviewing my tasks for the week.  The end result…productivity suffered and stress went up.  

Book Review: The Power of Less

As I mentioned last week, I eagerly picked up a copy of Leo Babauta’s The Power of Less.  All in all, it’s a great framework for how to simplify your life personally and professionally.  Long time readers of Leo’s popular Zen Habits blog (one of my personal favorites) will not pick up much new information, although the book does a nice job of presenting a lot of his content in one place. However, for those who are unfamiliar with Leo’s work, there is a wealth of knowledge on topics such as maintaing focus, setting priorities, creating new habits, and managing time.

Although it’s a scant 150 pages, resulting in a very quick read, there is a lot of thought provoking content that is augmented well by Leo’s blog and the companion website thepowerofless.com

Adam Savage and the Art of Obsession

I am a big fan of Mythbusters.  So when a buddy of mine forwarded a video from a speaking engagement by Adam Savage, I was eager to watch.  It wasn’t quite what I expected though.  In it, Adam discusses his “art of obsession” on a wide range of topics ranging from making his own Dodo skeleton (yes, the extinct bird,) to a replica of the Maltese Falcon.

Check it out:

What really struck me about this was Adam’s perseverance.  He has amassed 20gb of data on his obsessions that he keeps in a folder called “creative projects” (I keep a folder called @New Ideas which I drop my crazy ideas into.) Although his obsession with the Dodo could be considered “weird,” his end result is hard to argue with.  Goes to show: you put your mind to it and you can accomplish about anything.

Two New Books Out Today

Two new books hit the shelves today, which I am looking forward to picking up.

Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life by David Allen, is his 3rd book.  In this book, the author of Getting Things Done and Ready for Anything, provides further insight into how to effectively manage day-to-day tasks.  Getting Things Done (or GTD) has a “cult-like” following on the internet and has provided me a wealth of ideas to increase my productivity.  David’s concepts are common sense, but it helps to have someone explain the “why” not just the “how,” which he does very well.

Even more exciting, is the release of Leo Babauta’s Power of Less, The: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential…in Business and in Life. Leo, creator of the popular ZenHabits website (one of my absolute favorites,) is well known for his productivity, de-cluttering, and simplicity guides.  Leo has a way of taking the complex, such as how to approach the start of a new day, and breaking it down into simple, more manageable tasks.  Leo has written several short ebooks, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, so I can’t wait to pick this title up.  

Leo and David are both quick reads, so during my upcoming vacation I hope to get both titles read.  Reviews will be forthcoming!

My Habits to Change in 2009

As I look back on 2008, I made strides in habits that I set out to change including waking up early, eating healthier, increasing my awareness, and de-cluttering.  I have admittedly regressed in several of these throughout the year.  However, they are certainly still on my “radar” to keep working at.  

So with the New Year quickly approaching, I thought I’d share what I intend to work on 2009.