Something I have tried to consciously achieve this year is a calmer approach to the work day. I often have things scheduled back-to-back, leaving little to no room for walking between buildings, getting food/drink, or even using the toilet! It is a terrible way to work because I always feel rushed and just a step behind things. I have tried to create discrete transition periods from one task to another, even if it is just five minutes, so that I am never racing between scheduled events. It is amazing what a difference this makes. In addition to ensuring I am actually hydrated and fed (!), it also gives me a chance to think. I can finish thinking about topic A, pause, and then begin thinking about topic B. There is a little space to reflect, even if just to reflect on what I need to do at a later time to return to topic A more completely, or to reflect on what internal shift I need to make to be prepared to engage with topic B.
I also journal every day, and I have changed the pattern of this so that I write a longer entry first thing in the morning (similar to Julia Cameron’s practice of morning pages) and then a short entry just before bed. This is also an opportunity for reflection. The morning one is about whatever is on my mind; the evening one makes use of a prompt (e.g., from Suleika Jaouad’s ‘The Book of Alchemy’). For whatever reason, I find that this approach works better for me than what I used to do, which was write a review-style entry at the end of each day. What I write about may or may not be related to whatever I capture in the webcomic that I also produce daily. I like having options for how/where/what I express.
Those are just a couple of (probably very silly) things that I do to support reflection more generally. In terms of PKM, I think the main thing I would like to work on over the coming year is building a more consistent habit. As these two examples show, I have found that even little tweaks to an existing practice can really help make something more accessible, useful, and sustainable. I capture lots of little tidbits that I leave sitting for a long time before returning to review, process, and use in some way; I’d like to find a routine that is more timely — something that facilitates reflection closer to the moment that I first experience the ‘critical incident’, when it is still fresh in my mind.
I liked the PKM Quest Checklist. I think I score pretty well. I force myself to walk and take public transportation so I have time to think and reflect on my learning and capture my ideas. I also set aside time for this and find partners. I plan personal projects with concrete deliverables to reflect on my ideas and concerns…
Something I have tried to consciously achieve this year is a calmer approach to the work day. I often have things scheduled back-to-back, leaving little to no room for walking between buildings, getting food/drink, or even using the toilet! It is a terrible way to work because I always feel rushed and just a step behind things. I have tried to create discrete transition periods from one task to another, even if it is just five minutes, so that I am never racing between scheduled events. It is amazing what a difference this makes. In addition to ensuring I am actually hydrated and fed (!), it also gives me a chance to think. I can finish thinking about topic A, pause, and then begin thinking about topic B. There is a little space to reflect, even if just to reflect on what I need to do at a later time to return to topic A more completely, or to reflect on what internal shift I need to make to be prepared to engage with topic B.
I also journal every day, and I have changed the pattern of this so that I write a longer entry first thing in the morning (similar to Julia Cameron’s practice of morning pages) and then a short entry just before bed. This is also an opportunity for reflection. The morning one is about whatever is on my mind; the evening one makes use of a prompt (e.g., from Suleika Jaouad’s ‘The Book of Alchemy’). For whatever reason, I find that this approach works better for me than what I used to do, which was write a review-style entry at the end of each day. What I write about may or may not be related to whatever I capture in the webcomic that I also produce daily. I like having options for how/where/what I express.
Those are just a couple of (probably very silly) things that I do to support reflection more generally. In terms of PKM, I think the main thing I would like to work on over the coming year is building a more consistent habit. As these two examples show, I have found that even little tweaks to an existing practice can really help make something more accessible, useful, and sustainable. I capture lots of little tidbits that I leave sitting for a long time before returning to review, process, and use in some way; I’d like to find a routine that is more timely — something that facilitates reflection closer to the moment that I first experience the ‘critical incident’, when it is still fresh in my mind.
I liked the PKM Quest Checklist. I think I score pretty well. I force myself to walk and take public transportation so I have time to think and reflect on my learning and capture my ideas. I also set aside time for this and find partners. I plan personal projects with concrete deliverables to reflect on my ideas and concerns…