Good Video!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Some reflections on writing - especially dissertations
Although this is more on PhD writing, I still find it interesting because of his experiences and useful tips.
Notes;
*Be connected with people ; attend seminars, discuss, find people with similar interest.
You work while you socialize.
*Always bring a small notebook to jot down any ideas that may come anytime
*Choose the right time and place you work best; Lock up in a quiet room alone with just your work and
Try to avoid distractions: people around you, emails, wear earplugs etc
*He suggest 3 hours per day of writing for at least 2000 - 4000 words, another 2- 3 hours of reading or checking what you wrote or attend seminar...whereby the rest of the hour you do your leisure activities ; walk, movies, movies, music
*Try to read loudly what you wrote for several times then you can identify what can be improve.
*Don't delay writing. If you have difficulty starting, try to write small pieces at a time.
*Treat Writing as a creative exploration, not as report writing.
For more,
I recommend you to watch this interview
=)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Turning Procrastination Into Motivation
Found another article that will help me boost up my motivation to complete my work
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Procrastination is something many people suffer from daily. Fortunately, it’s also something that is purely mind over matter to overcome.
Typical procrastination excuses we tell ourselves
- I’ll do this tomorrow, there’s not enough time to do this today.
- I work better under pressure, I’ll wait until it’s almost due and then the work will be even better.
- This is such a huge project, I don’t even want to think about it yet, I’ll put it off for one more day.
- I don’t really need to do this yet; it can wait until sometime in the future.
Unfortunately all of these lead to the inevitable day when you must actually complete the task. And while most people actually do get it done under that time pressure, working that way does not always produce the best results, and allows less time to proof and make it perfect.
The causes of procrastination:
Perhaps procrastination is a part of the human condition, having an extended period of time to accomplish something makes us put it off into the future, even if we can begin it now. Perhaps it is modern society, which often times seems to focus on immediate and instant results, rather than something carefully crafted and refined over a longer period of time.
Part of the modern business world for most of us also involves a constant connectivity. Cell phones, office phones, email, Blackberries, etc. are constantly ringing, buzzing and updating interrupting us with communications. Our friends, parents, co-workers, bosses, managers, etc. all are vying for our attention for sometimes trivial and sometimes important messages.
While these are all part of modern life, and we have learned to function efficiently with them, they can be a hindrance when in the midst of a project which requires complete focus. There is absolutely nothing wrong with staying in touch and being friendly/social with your peers, co-workers and friends, and giving proper attention to your loved ones – in fact I encourage all of those things. But there is a time and a place, and unfortunately being distracted can sometimes make you lose focus and motivation with the task at hand.
6 ways to minimalize procrastination and maximize motivation:
- To be the most proficient, successful and happy at whatever it is you do in life, especially if you are producing intellectual products; you need to have a distraction-free environment. This will guarantee your mind is completely focused on the task at hand and you’ll always get the best results.
- Start projects immediately if you have idle time. Once you actually start something and get into the flow of it, you’d be surprised how easy it is. Don’t think about starting something, act. You can always tweak the project and make changes as you go along. Getting that first start is vital.
- Remove all distractions from your environment. Anything that will make you lose focus is something that will potentially set you up for procrastination and destroy your motivation.
- Eat well, sleep well and get exercise. From personal experience, a healthy mind and body is less likely to procrastinate. You’ll feel better, you’ll be more upbeat and active, and more optimistic about accomplishing your goals sooner rather than later. If you’re tired or hungover, you’ll be less productive and more likely to procrastinate a task until the next day.
- Mix up your projects and assignments so you’re not simply doing the same exact thing every day. If you keep things fresh they will be more interesting and compelling for you to work on, and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate them.
- Keep your thoughts positive, and recognize when you’re entering a cycle of procrastination. Here is where you will need to address mind over matter. Start by just getting into it and doing step one of whatever your task is and go from there. Sit down and break the project up into consumable parts that are less daunting.
Overcome Writer's Block
I'm currently facing 'Writer's block', so I searched the Internet on how to overcome it.
Hence, found this interesting tips.
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HOW TO OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK - 15 TIPS
As someone who spends a majority of my professional and leisure time writing (strategic communications by day, blogging by night and music on the weekends) I have battled the elusive writer’s block on more than one occasion.
Now more often than not, I am quite productive – In my free time during the last year, I’ve written 179 posts here, more than 15 new songs, and created a countless amount of content for clients during the work week.
But there are times when all creatives, even the productive types, find themselves stuck.
I thought today I’d share a few tips/tricks I use to overcome writer’s block, as I know many of you reading this are also writers:
1) Get your blood moving
As I wrote previously: finding balance is vital for workers in the information economy. That post focused on the importance of exercise and balancing the sedentary nature of working in the information economy with an active lifestyle. Exercise is really good at getting blood moving through your brain and getting your creative juices flowing. Take a walk around your building, go the gym, do something active and when you return to your writing, you’ll find your head will be much clearer.
2) Change your surroundings
If you’ve got a laptop, take it to the roof of your building (if you’re able) or outside to a park and you may find swapping surroundings works wonders. It is very possible to become too distracted in your office or home to get good writing done. For your best writing, you need focus, and if you go somewhere with the sole intention of getting one piece of writing done, you’ll be productive as you’ll leave the distractions such as your phone or email (don’t bring your iPhone) at your usual place of work.
3) Unplug the Internet
This is similar to step two but applies when you can’t get away from your desk but need focus. The web is a big distraction when you want to get good writing done – close Facebook, turn off Twitter and stop checking your site analytics. In fact, just unplug the ethernet cable or turn off your wifi altogether and you’ll really start to focus. I am more connected than any person should be, but good writing or beating writer’s block requires you to disconnect.
4) Listen to some music
This may not work at the office, but if you’re a blogger and you work on the weekend the right music is highly inspriational. I recommend electronic/jazz/classical music, nothing with overt vocals to distract your thoughts — just some nice creative instrumentals to push you along in a good direction (I highly recommend Tycho orUlrich Schnauss).
5) Start what you’re stuck on first thing in the morning
Open what you are stuck on first thing in the morning just as you’re getting to work. Don’t start reading emails/checking voicemail and go into reaction mode – be proactive in tackling your writing. You can actually get you best work done if you start with the most complex and work your way to the easier stuff.
6) File it for later
If it’s not due soon, sometimes the best thing to do is to work on other things and ponder your approach. The angle you’d like to take may hit you in the middle of the night and your block on that project may end itself naturally, before you get frustrated.
7) Get some coffee
This is a quick solution if you don’t have time to exercise. Despite what they say, caffeine is a great boost and will stir your mind. Just make sure what you’re working on is the only thing open while you sip your coffee so you actually work on that project (many people tend to multi-task after coffee).
8) Outline it
Don’t have anything down yet? No worries – just write the main points. Outlining your writing will break it up into easily manageable chunks. If you decide a section doesn’t work, you can always kill it later. It’s always easy to fill in the missing parts than stare at a blank screen.
9) Stop thinking about it and just start writing
In many cases, the best way to beat writer’s block is just to start writing. The first graph or even the first sentence is sometimes the hardest. The more you get down, the easier it will be to continue…just be sure to edit later.
10) Don’t force it
Just like you when you have insomnia you shouldn’t try and force sleep, don’t try to force writing when you’re truly stuck. The outcome is the same in both cases – frustration. If you really can’t get writing and you’ve tried everything it may just not be your day. And that’s okay, no one can be successful with creative tasksevery day…it may be a day to focus on a more techincal project.
11) Read some blogs/articles/books outside the scope of what you normally write
Reading material in the genre of what you’re planning to write can actually make writers block worse, as it gives you the feeling everything has already been said. What helps more is to read content from people/subjects not in your field, as they see the world from a different perspective and will help you get inspired to write something unique.
12) Keep a digital or analog notebook with you 24/7
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Coming up with compelling ideas to write about is sometimes the hardest challenge of all. But, if you’ve got an “idea pad” with you at all times, you can build up a reserve of good topics to draw upon as you need them. You’re working proactively to prevent idea blocks in your writing. Inspiration usually strikes when you’re not near your desk or actively working on things anyway, all creatives need to carry a digital or analog method of jotting down ideas.
13) Keep writer’s block away by writing daily
Just like someone who is out of shape could not run a mile in a respectable amount of time, someone who doesn’t write frequently will not be able to produce successful writing in a timely manner. You have to train your body to run, just like you must train your brain to write. And you become a faster runner and more proficient writer through repeated practice and perseverance.
14) Eat healthy food and snacks
Your brain requires proper nourishment to function at optimial levels. I actually notice my mental output is directly proportional to how healthy I am eating for the week. Load up on protein, foods rich in antioxidants, juices, fresh fruits and nuts, vegetables, and smoothies – you’ll not only feel better, your writing will be stronger as that generally reflects your mood (whether you’re conscious of it or not).
15) Try taking a nap
If you’re tired, you’re more likely to suffer writer’s block than if you’re well rested. Seven hours of sleep a night is minimum in my mind for optimum levels of successful brain-processing, however if you need to get through your writer’s block ASAP sometimes a quick nap will reset your brain. Try the caffeine nap – it is scientifically proven to work (and from experience, it actually is quite effective).
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Note:
The Caffeine Nap
Sleep researchers at the University of Britain at Loughborough did several tests on fatigued drivers to compare the effects of different methods for a driver can use to stay awake. They put the volunteers in driving simulators while they were sleepy and let them drive. Some of the tests included rolling down windows for cold exposure, blasting the radio and slapping oneself in the face to try to stay awake. But what researchers found worked the best was a Caffeine Nap.
The Caffeine Nap is simple: you drink a cup of coffee and immediately take a 15-20 minute nap. Researchers found coffee helps clear your system of adenosine, a chemical which makes you sleepy. The combination of a cup of coffee with an immediate nap chaser provided the most alertness for the longest period of time in tests. The recommendation was to nap only 15 minutes, no more or less and you must sleep immediately after the coffee.
Most adult Americans drink coffee, and caffeine is possibly the most widely used and longest self-administered drug in mankind. Caffeine is a stimulant and is often used when people want to stay awake. The caffeine nap is an example of the paradoxical effect of many substances in the body.
Source
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