News

How to Focus

[Oct 28, 2009]

The workday is filled with countless distractions (meetings, email, phone, etc.) Let me quickly share one technique I use to focus and be productive against this constant battle of attention thieves.

” The Pomodoro Technique was created with the aim of using time as a valuable ally to accomplish what we want to do the way we want to do it, and to empower us to continually improve our work or study processes.” - Francesco Cirillo

This technique personally has helped me in three primary ways…. to lower anxiety, be more productive, and focus.

Its simple; why not just jump in and give it a try:

Simple Instructions
1.) Grab a timer. this can be a watch, egg timer, or I use the following simple application. Just don’t use a cell phone/pda as that is a source of many distractions.

2.) Set a timer for 25 minutes. Now for those 25 minutes… commit to focusing completely on 1 task/project. Shut down you email, ignore your phone, no surfing around the internet. I promise you will survive, just focus!

3.) Bing! 25 minutes are up, how productive were you? Now take a 5-8 minute break to reward yourself by checking emailing, reading the news, etc.

4.) Rinse and repeat folks! Do this throughout the day, and let me know if you end the day feeling like you really were able to focus and accomplish a lot more. I know I do.

There is more you can read on the Pomodoro Technique. Just follow this article link to a great paper on the technique [recommended reading].

But for now… get focusing.

Change Mgt and Windows 7

[Oct 23, 2009]

While preparing to install Windows 7 on 2 of my machines, I noted a great amount of emphasis by Microsoft, CNET, and other major sources of information stressing backing up all data prior to performing the upgrade.

So what?

Well it reminded me of many organizations I have seen which do not follow similar procedures for changes to their own systems (whether Windows server or other). Preventing problems… its quite a bit easier to walk forwards through a formal change management process than find yourself backpedaling when a change has caused a “oh sh**” moment. Excuse the language, but we have all been there.

Interesting: Cryptography from 1777

[Oct 19, 2009]

Even in 1777 the need for communication and information to be passed privately and securely was important; especially during the Revolutionary War.

Follow this LINK to see a method of cryptography, specifically steganography, used during that time. Do you find this interesting? Let me know.