How We Work 2015: Thorin Klosovski’s Equipment and Productivity Tips
Every week we ask famous people how they work. This week we are taking this look at our navel. Today is my turn, so here are some of my favorite apps, gimmicks, and everything I do to get there.
Location: Seattle, Washington. Current Work: Posted by Lifehacker, 549.55 GB available space. One word that best describes how you work: Spazzy Current mobile device: iPhone 5S Current computer: 2009 iMac 27-inch 2013 MacBook Air
What apps / programs / tools can’t you live without? Why?
At the end of last year I wrote a book (more on this in a couple of months), so Ulysses and Ward were my assistants. Otherwise, everything is about the same as last year and a year earlier . That is, Simplenote , Google Docs and – since Seattle is very similar to Seattle – Dark Sky are my day-to-day applications. I’m a big Instagram fan , but mostly because it makes me look for weird things every day. And also Leatherman Wave , because everyone needs a good multitool.
How is your workplace arranged?
I try to keep things minimal and my desk is as simple as I can make it. In this case, I mean literally. I built this table last year, and somehow it still stands, although the iMac has a 10-pound copy of Shakespeare’s collected works, so my cheap Home Depot timber won’t split in half.
On the table itself is a pair of Audyssey Lower East Side Media speakers , Audio Technica noise canceling headphones , a Blue Yeti USB microphone , 3DS, and my Tetsuo tabletop factory. Behind the iMac is the TwelveSouth backpack with my MacBook. Inside the table are various notepads, notepads and cutting boards. Armchair from Herman Miller Aeron .
What’s your best time-saving shortcut / life hack?
I sleep in the shower so I don’t have to get up in the morning. No, wait, that would be absurd, although it would save me time. In fact, I just strive for simplicity in everything. I outsource everything I can , use the same basic tools, and rarely update my gadgets. But perhaps most importantly, I allowed myself to get bored and distracted . I used to pack my days with too many things to never get bored, which was bad for my brain. Boredom gives me time to come up with new ideas for posts and other creative ideas, so I often force myself to go for a walk without headphones to try to maintain this creative understanding.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
For now, mostly just Simplenote and my brain. Though I’ll be using Calendars 5 on iOS and Fantastical on Mac to keep track of anything tough due dates.
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
Probably most importantly, my Kindle . Also my Roland SH-201 , otherwise I would be stuck composing music on a * shudder * laptop. I’m a big fan of the Logitech UE Boom Mini Bluetooth Speaker because it makes cooking in the kitchen / boat parties even more enjoyable.
My backpack and cycling equipment probably fall into this category too. Is coffee a gadget? I hate it when all of Katie attacks you , but I also can’t live without it. I break the Lifehacker coffee lover’s main rule and use a Bonavita drip coffee maker . Why? Because while I love the AeroPress, I’m not going to brew every cup of coffee this way every morning.
What are some of your best everyday activities? What’s your secret?
Asking questions to make it seem like I’m interested (and I’m usually interested), already knowledgeable (which I often don’t) and enjoyable (which is debatable). At some point, I realized that the easiest way to please people is to ask questions, and since then this has been my general rule for small talk.
What do you listen to while you work?
For better or worse, I’ve been listening to the same Spotify playlist for the past three years. I made this mix for Spotify mostly instrumental music of different genres and added to it from time to time. If I am not writing, I have been on a nostalgic journey through the different (and often terrible ) music of my youth.
What are you reading now?
Right now , David Mitchell’s Bone Watch . I also just got Scott McCloud’s The Sculptor , but haven’t gotten into it yet, although Understanding Comics is one of my favorite books of all time (and useful for anyone who creates anything, not just comics).
What has changed since you started, and what are you doing differently?
Well, since I first started our staff has grown. There has also been a changing of the guard since I started and the launch of several verticals . That is, a lot has changed, and doing something differently usually means thinking even more outside the box than usual. In the three years since I started, we’ve all gotten a lot better at technology, and while it sometimes seems like we’ve reached the peak of inspiration, it also seems like big changes are brewing. Whether it’s the silly-named Internet of Things, wearables, or whatever, I’m curious to see where this all goes, what’s next, and how to get the most out of it. As for what to do differently, I guess it really means just looking at different trends and paying attention to a wider range of news.
Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
I never know how to answer this question correctly. On the one hand, I definitely get tired when I spend too much time with people , but in general I prefer hanging out with friends than sitting alone in my apartment. My general rule of thumb these days is to say yes to any plan as long as it doesn’t contradict something else. I also love talking to strangers about pretty much everything, and it seems like the older I get, the more I enjoy doing it.
What is your sleep routine?
In bed, anywhere from 23:00 to 01:00, in any case, get up at 7:30. Sometimes on weekends my brain makes me wake up at 5 am, which is as awful as it sounds.
Fill in the blank: I would like _________ to answer these same questions.
Right shark. Whoever it was knew exactly what they were doing, and they are overshadowed by a bum .
What’s the best advice you’ve heard this year?
After a bit of an embarrassment late last year, a friend accidentally spawned an existential crisis when she told me, “You are not who you were.” The general gist of what she was saying was pretty simple: many of the expectations I placed on myself were based on who I was before, not who I am. More often than not, these expectations were completely wrong. It was a nice wake-up call.