How We Work, 2015: Equipment and Tricks by Melanie Pinola
Every week we interview famous people to explore their secrets to productivity and attitudes. As we answer our own questions this week, it’s my turn to share the tools and tricks that fuel my days and help me get the job done.
Many things have remained the same for me since then, as in the previous years, I have written posts “ How we work” , so I’ll try to be brief in these parts, and add a few new items and parts for the novelty, and perhaps for a deeper dive. …
Location : Long Island, New York (about a stone’s throw from the New York City border, in an area that Claritas says is mostly filled with American Dream homes . Obviously, this means a lot of SUVs and absurd taxes on own). Current Concert: Writer for Hire One word that best describes the way you work: by fluke. Also smooth. (This is a draw.) Current mobile device: Phones: Nexus 5 and iPhone 5. Tablets: Nexus 7 and iPad 2. I think you can spot a pattern here. Current computer: ThinkPad Helix laptop (I like to use the stylus pen in Windows 8) and iMac (2010), whose hard drive and graphics card will keel on me any day. To throw in your backpack before your trip, ASUS Chromebook C300.
This year I am going to buy a new computer, depending on the results of my tax return (although I am not very optimistic). But which one? …
What apps / programs / tools can’t you live without? Why?
I still rely on the Pocket, Evernote, Trello, and OneNote workflow. Since I mentioned this in detail last year , I will not bore you with the same explanations. This is essentially the same system that Jamie Todd Rubin uses (this is his illustration above), with the addition of Trello for scheduling my weekly posts ( and everything else ) and OneNote for brainstorming / mind mapping and actual writing.
However, I have a few notes after using this system for over a year for anyone who might be interested:
- The best thing about using Pocket as a dumping ground for anything I need to write or think about is that Pocket integrates with just about every app – Feedly newsreader, mobile Chrome, IFTTT and everything else – so it’s just a quick click or tap or two to save articles. When you amass tons of possible sources and try to nimbly browse your feeds, this is a godsend. It only takes a second to archive articles – and it’s a pleasure to mark them as done. But Pocket’s search is far from the best. If you want to keep the articles for more permanent use, it is better to move the article from Pocket to another application. (I’m using the IFTTT recipe to submit flagged articles from Pocket to Evernote.)
- However, Evernote can easily get unwieldy. Its search is light-years better than Pocket and most other apps (regular Google searches show your Evernote notes if you have the option turned on), but keeping all your notes and saved articles can be a hassle. This is one of those apps that you need to be optimally tuned before you can use it to its fullest. So my next project is to reduce the number of notebooks I have and rely on a more advanced tagging system like this five notebook system that Thomas Honeyman describes on Medium .
- I just got started with this nifty thing in OneNote by inserting reference material like quotes and links into separate text boxes next to the main draft text box. This is one of the nicest things about OneNote — you can add text boxes, a picture, or anything else anywhere on the page. It’s like writing like scrapbooking.
Apart from these apps, I use TweetDeck to distract myself, using Twitter and 1Password to manage my passwords. (However, I’m thinking about moving to Dashlane because they added one feature that I think every password manager should have – bulk password change – and 1Password still doesn’t. Nudge nudge, AgileBits.)
Yes, and Quicken for managing my huge bank and investment accounts. When I was mainly using OS X, Quicken was the main reason I installed Parallels or used Boot Camp. I’ll do OS workarounds for you, Quicken.
How is your workplace arranged?
I still use my DIY standing desk, but I’ve moved the dying iMac to another desk in my office so that sometimes I can give my poor ankles a rest and sit down (while I’m forever waiting for the rainbow wheel to stop spinning).
I almost wish my mindset was so obviously far removed from minimalism, but the truth is, I like to surround myself with things that inspire me – books, quotes, and pictures of polar bears. I get an absurd amount of joy from everyday objects. It might look horribly cluttered, but the table is actually organized with the system in mind, and while I work, I focus pretty well, like in a trance, only on the main screen.
My best new addition to the workspace is the Coolermaster Quickfire TK Mechanical Keyboard. Enjoy tactile clicks and blue lighting all day long!
I also added a glue board to my desk’s slide-out insert because I was tired of wasting paper writing temporary snippets of information. However, sometimes I find that my daughter wrote / drew something there for me. It must be some kind of Zen training: I have to erase what she left there in order to write something more fleeting, but necessary at that moment.
What’s your best time-saving shortcut / life hack?
The best thing I’ve ever done to increase my productivity was to plan my ideal day based on my “ good hours ” and the kinds of tasks I need to work on. It’s only recently that I put together a perfect schedule for myself, taking into account every hour (or ideal 90 minutes of focused work time). I say this as someone who has always hated schedules and even just thought about timing.
Even though I can’t always keep track of my schedule, just blocking my days made me more relaxed and, in my opinion, more efficient. I always know what I’m doing, or at least should be doing next. This is a frame.
(I ran out of index cards! Otherwise I would have rewritten this.)
I also try very hard to start my day off on the right foot . By that, I don’t mean getting up early, exercising and writing before the rest of the world gets on its feet (I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of hearing that you need to be a morning person to be successful) But rather, tune in correctly before getting out of bed. I often hit the snooze button, which is awful if you’re trying to get some sleep, but I use those few minutes to practice gratitude – while my daughter is still snuggling against me, her little hand hugs me warmly. neck – and maybe even meditate.
I also love making lists. Don’t laugh, but I am known to make lists.
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
I’ve confessed my love for the Bonavita coffee maker and electric kettle in previous posts and I’m running out of beverage gadgets to share. This Oster Electric Wine Opener may be the latest such recommendation. No more wine corks!
However, my favorite new gadget is the Kindle Paperwhite, which replaced my first generation Kindle after the screen died. I love that I can read at night in bed without disturbing my husband’s sleep, and that the battery lasts for several days. So far, a Kindle Unlimited subscription justifies the purchase. (Pro tip: When you’re arguing with Amazon customer service about replacing a dead Kindle, it’s easier to use the “Could you give me a better deal since I’m your # 1 customer” IM card.)
What has changed since you started, and what are you doing differently now?
When I first started writing for Lifehacker four (!) Years ago, I was relatively green when it came to blogging. I’m used to writing things like marketing presentations and IT proposals for business clients, so I almost never used a personal self.
After a few months, I turned a corner. I remember Adam Pash, the editor-in-chief at the time, noticed that I found a new thread in my articles. I told him, “Yes, I decided to stop writing like a robot.” It really was a deliberate decision.
Lately, I think the whole team has broadened our understanding of what we can solve here and how – we have expanded so much. Some of my favorite and perhaps best pieces are those in which I am painfully honest and most vulnerable in trying to accomplish what Hemingway advised: “Write firmly and clearly about what hurts.” (I’m working on it.) Not out of touchiness, but because I try to write like I’m talking to a good friend and hopefully I’ll be helpful in the process, my work will be meaningful, if only in a small way. What else is there?
This does not mean that I only want to write deeper posts, and they become tedious and less effective if I do it too often. I could write about hacking eggs and hard drives every day, and I would be happy too. I just don’t keep words at arm’s length anymore, if you know what I mean.
What do you listen to while you work?
During school holidays, My Little Pony or (someone save me) weird British sounding guys describing Minecraft mods on YouTube in the background. On days when my husband is not working, NBA 2k15 documentaries or (please help) Rush are shown in the background. Every other day, just a noisy fan of my laptop.
What are you reading now?
I usually write at least one science book and one fiction book at the same time. I just finished Marie Kondo’s Life-Changing Cleaning-up Magic: The Japanese Art of Clearing Clutter and Organization . This is unusual and over the top, even for someone like me, who has more books on how to organize work than I can admit. But it also helped release some of the grip that the objects in my home hold over me – even the bookcases of books that have followed me everywhere. I also just finished Cary Elvis’ Whatever You Want . If you love The Princess Bride movie and book as much as I do, I think you will love this nostalgic, heartbreaking mini-memoir.
So now, in addition to reading another book by William Goldman, Marathon Runner , I also dive into Mark Strand’s poetry collection and begin Choose Yourself by James Altucher. The main idea of the latter, as I’ve read so far, is that the world of work has changed radically, and now we all need to be entrepreneurs. I think about it.
What is your sleep pattern?
One day I wish I could answer that question “perfect,” but that day probably won’t come until I can wake up when I want to wake up. I am an owl, so at two in the morning I feel more energetic and alive. Sometimes I sabotage myself and postpone sleep , knowing full well that I will pay for it in the morning when I need to take my equally weak daughter to school.
I’ve been pondering the idea of teaching her to pack up and go to school (it’s literally three minutes walk), but I’m not ready to let go of those three minutes holding hands yet.
How do you balance your personal life and work?
I have learned to accept the fact that there is no complete balance at any given time. The past month, for example, was a whirlwind for me: holidays (during which my family was hit by the flu), a continuous trip to Disneyland, an already pushed deadline for my second book, a surprise visit from relatives for the weekend, and four important new freelance assignments. (The hardest part for a freelancer is giving up the job.)
However, this month was much more relaxed. In fact, right now I am doing something solely for pure selfish pleasure, like painting and writing bad poetry. Doing something just for yourself may seem like a guilty pleasure when you have a lot of responsibilities, but I think this is the most rejuvenating thing. I can easily get lost in both work and family, so even considering a personal project is like hitting the reset button.
This is all to say that I believe that in general, everything balances out – as long as we don’t neglect one area for too long. I try to savor every moment and not bite off more than I can chew. So far, I’ve managed not to burn out by putting aside about 20% of my time on a new job or new entertainment – and constantly asking myself, “ Why the hell am I going to do this? “.
Is there anything else you would like to add that might be of interest to your readers / fans?
Out of the current writing team, I’m the second longest here after Whitson, but it’s still not outdated for me. This is partly a potpourri of posts that we can write about (so I think my advice to anyone in any field is to look for a job that allows you to stretch all kinds of muscles). Another important part is the quality of the comments.
Please don’t feel like I’m getting sucked into saying this, but Lifehacker has the best commentators on the web. (Except for those who sarcastically begin their comments with “Or, you know, you could just …” or say, “Well, I fixed that for you.” I know comments can be much, much worse, but rudeness just makes me look glazed.) Not rude commentators to all, though, seriously, thanks. You make my day even if I don’t have time to respond to every comment to show it. You even convinced me to change my plans for Valentine’s Day (for the better).
Finally, to finish the other questions that I haven’t answered, I’m a very sensitive introvert who: uses Trello and pen and paper to make to-do lists, would love to have these questions answered by Neil Gaiman and John Stewart, which is very good. when constantly shifting gears.
Best advice I’ve ever received (but not personally): Desiderata by Max Ehrmann in 1927. That says it all.