The Way We Work 2015: Patrick Allan’s Gear and Productivity Tips
Every week, we share shortcuts, workspaces, and productivity tips from our favorite experts. Today we get the rare opportunity to see the wild writer Lifehacker. Approach carefully, offer me some treats, and you will see my favorite equipment, tricks and everything that I use to achieve my goal.
- Location: La La Land, Cal-i-forn-ia
- Current Job: Writer for Lifehacker and host of a botanical podcast called Let’s Roll, where my friends and I talk about botanical stuff for fans.
- One word that best describes the way you work: boomshakalaka.
- Current mobile device: iPhone 5s … but I don’t know where I will update to in the fall. Help?
- Current PC: Frankenstein’s rig-shaped monster that was accidentally rebuilt and revived over and over again inside a shattered Dell crate. You can’t call it a computer anymore … I also have a mobile desktop – not a laptop due to its sheer size and ridiculously poor battery life – that’s the Asus G73jh .
What apps / programs / tools can’t you live without? Why?
I always need at least one Windows computer. Windows just turns me on. Plus, I’m gripped by an amazing set of Google: Google Docs (which I love so much), Drive, Google Maps, Calendar, YouTube. I really love HabitRPG to keep track of how cool (or sucky) I am and I need Spotify in my life . I listen to music while driving, walking and working (sometimes).
In terms of tools, I always have a decent pocket knife on hand wherever I go and use the SOG Powerlock multi-tool.
How is your workplace arranged?
Until last Christmas, I worked at a fold-out card table (I had just moved to Los Angeles and getting a new table was the last step in the move). I now have this cute black desk from Techni Mobili with a retractable keyboard and space for a second monitor – as soon as I find the one I really need.
To the left of my desk, I have a Target brand bookshelf (I seriously love them) and am still trying to figure out what to store. There are other bookshelves in my apartment that hold most of my other books. This is a good place to store the things I’m currently working on.
What’s your best time-saving shortcut / life hack?
Just start doing what you need to do. Even if you promise yourself that you will only do it for a couple of minutes. This initial push is the hardest for me to overcome, and once I do, I become a productivity machine. If you want to save time, be patient, bite the bullet and get started. I’ve always had a Nike attitude towards things: just do it.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
Sticky notes. I write whatever I need to do on stickers so I can stick them anywhere I need to in order to see them. I even wrote myself notes to remind myself to drink water after a night of drinking. I stick one on the cabinet where I know I’ll be looking for snacks and put one right on top of my pillow. No more hangover.
I also have my favorite notebook – Mead, 3 Subject, College Ruled, Spiral Notebook, 9.5 x 6 , perfect size – which I always carry with me (always with my favorite pen – Pilot G2 attached). You will be surprised how much more you want to write using your favorite tools. Internally, I write thoughts, ideas, notes, sketches, and I have a whole section that is simply called the List. This is exactly what it sounds like: a huge list of everything I need to do in all aspects of my life. I’ve always loved pen and paper.
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
My iPad (4th generation). I use it to read articles on the Internet when I wake up in the morning. I’m looking for things to write about while I’m out of my mind and still waking up. I also read most – not all – comics on my iPad. I also really like my Kindle, although I want to upgrade to a Paperwhite soon. I now have the original Kindle Touch and it’s nasty.
I also need coffee or apple juice in the morning to keep my brain working as fast as I like. For coffee, I use a simple French press with freshly ground beans, usually Kenyan.
What are some of your best everyday activities? What’s your secret?
I’m a chameleon. I can fit into any band or any work environment and I’ve worked in a wide variety of concerts. I like to think of myself as a jack of all trades, and while many people disapprove of this approach (you have to specialize ), it’s perfect for a life hacker, isn’t it? Also, I would rather be a multitool than a hammer. I know enough about everything that I could do well almost anywhere.
What do you listen to while you work?
It usually depends on my mood. If I feel a little distant, I prefer silence. If I need to cheer myself up, I listen to trance or my epic 80s playlist with radical brilliance (simply titled “The Next Level”). If I’m in a neutral mood, I listen to one of my many hipster indie playlists, which sounds so cute. If my mind is moving at a million miles an hour and I need to deal with it, I use Soft Mumbling to make it sound like it’s raining or like I’m on the beach.
What are you reading now?
I just started Mark Z. Danilewski’s House of Leaves , and so far it’s amazing (I can’t believe I haven’t read it yet). As for the comics, I read Saga and Locke & Kay . I also read the Shadowrun 5th Edition Basic Rulebook (for the game), the Star Wars: Edge of the Empire rulebook (I’m writing my own campaign) and the Call of Cthulhu 6th Edition Rulebook over and over again because RPGs are amazing .
Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
Introvert – until I have time to read you well. Once I know what drives you and what doesn’t, I can find common ground that will help both of us get to know each other better. Over time, I just morphed into that stupid guy you know, Patrick.
Of course, if I’m in a situation where I know I just need to be outgoing and outgoing, I can look extroverted. This is similar to starting Patrick OS in Safe Mode (with network enabled).
What is your sleep pattern?
I really appreciate my sleep and grab onto it when I can. I usually go to bed at 11 or 12, read or watch Netflix. And by “watching” I mean falling asleep to a show I’ve watched a million times. I try to get up no later than 7 in the morning, unless I need to move by car (which turns me on a little earlier).
Fill in the blank: I would like _______ to answer these same questions.
David Bowie, Colin Meloy, Stan Lee, Hunter Pence, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Ray Bradbury and my father … You know what? I think I’ll ask him.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
I love baseball, so I think baseball metaphors are great. So, here’s one of the best tips I’ve ever heard:
Hit the ball on the ground and everything will be fine.
Not every beat of the beat needs to be home to keep you moving forward. Make contact, hit the earthling, and you may find a hole – or someone else gets messed up and you move forward anyway. There are no guarantees, but if you keep hitting the ground, you will eventually make progress.