Week 7
Joensuu, Finland
Mikko invited me to look at the video embedded in the article Secret Lab: It’s OK to abandon your project.
When I started to look the video it automatically remind me to the workshop we gave in Vietnam last year.
Getting really interested to play with different types of open data from Mexico, Finland…..
Let’s see what will come. Meanwhile enjoy the video:
Week 6
Joensuu, Finland
Ooooh My! In this week, I almost did not cross items from my TO DO list. Instead, the list got more items. What does this mean? Because according to toggle this week I worked over 47hrs, then what did I do? Probably, my more honest answer is: thinking takes time.
Thinking is critical to whatever we do. I have several students who are impatient, and when I push them to think I can see how painful is for them. Well, in this era we are mainly consumers and my impression is that we are always in the rush. How was in early XX century or XIX century, no idea, but my assumption is that it might have been more relax because at least the influx of information was not as massive at it is nowadays.
Today, at least in the worlds I live in (academia and entrepreneurship) the sentence one listens often is: it is for yesterday. E.g. we need to submit the application tomorrow, the publication must be submitted today, you need to send over the specification for the development now, publish in social media, respond emails, remember we need to be the first ones doing this, ….
* Sight * I might be old fashion, but things need time. Additionally, I get blocked when I feel overwhelm.
To my students I often tell them: knowledge is for our brain as food is for our stomach, it requires digestion time to get into our system. Once you read something it does not mean you will understand it all, you will need to work through it, let it settle in your head, questioning it, recall, etc. and one day you will understand it and you will be able to use that information and build upon it. Growing takes time, and it is a painful process (in my humble opinion). It takes time for a seed to germinate, for a baby to learn to walk or to grow her teeth. The time when apparently nothing happens, is a time where we must nurture ourselves the most so we are ready for the blossom time.
In my case, some decision can be painfully “slow” to take. I do not have all the answers, then I need to think. However, I must be aware to do not freeze myself and do not move. One MUST do something at some moment.
Then, I heard about planning fallacy, first proposed by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky and it let me thinking. Planning fallacy is a problem of our human race. Examples are plenty as we can read in this article. In Spanish we said: mal de muchos consuelo de todos ( English equivalent might be: Two in distress makes sorrow less).
However I want to do something about this. That is balance a natural optimistic nature with a my memory of how much it takes to do stuff. I insist thinking takes time!!! [as it does writing 🙂 ]
(Note: I start to write the post on 2.2. but it was finalized and published until 16.2.)
Week 5
Joensuu, Finland
Since 2001 we, Kai and I, create a motto for the starting year. Usually this motto is related to our current present and dreams. This year’s motto is: Discipline to Focus.
2016 motto’s is really a NEED to achieve for myself. Thus, in this year I am actively monitoring how I am getting DISCIPLINE. It is CHALLENGING for me!!! but let’s do it!
Also, in this 2016 I start to follow the youtube channel of Santiago Zavala. I got the recommendation to see this channel from Jorge Zavala, who I met at the Red Global meeting last October. It turns out that yesterday Santiago also stressed on reviewing the month’s goals.
Honestly, my personal process is not as structured yet to have clear monthly goals. No idea if it will reach that level of structure one day. Nevertheless, I do have a “wishing list” or “dreams”, and within my control chaos eventually everything will be processed as monthly goals. Lets be honest, to organize my natural chaos requires a conscientious effort, and simultaneously I want to keep being myself. I do not want to get that disconnected as when I finalize my PhD. So, one step at the time.
So, what happen in January:
– I start new habits, e.g. cleaning up. Look my work computer, first time EVER is that clean!!! (note for the files: only exception of this level of cleanness is when a computer is new)
Desktop
– At the moment what it needs a HUGE lift is my efficiency. I am using toggl to track my time. (note for the files: toggl is a recommended tool to use) It is important to know: how do I invest my time? Because one thing is to have a “feeling” or “believe” about how one uses one’s time, and other completely different how the time is used.
So in January I recorded that I worked: 146 hrs. That is OK!
But the efficiency of those hours are in doubt. This is a clear goal of improvement in February.
At the moment it feels back as being at PhD student.
To grow up is PAINFUL!