Finding the "get up and go" to get up and go

If any of you out there are anything like me, it takes almost all of my willpower and a great deal of effort to get anything important done. Completing homework is such a grind, and leaving the house for errands seem like such a bother.

So you may now be asking "Bradley, if you're this lazy, how do you possibly get anything done, you slacker?". Wow, rude. Well, to that I present you this: The Slacker's Guide to Getting S*** Done:

1. If you're going to get work done, do it in the morning.
This is a bit of a strange one, but I find if you have a task to do, get up early and do it then. You'll find there are less distractions, mainly because nothing interesting happens before 10am. This is s trick that I can attest to, mainly because I find that I have more focus and energy in the morning.

2. Don't work where you play.
This is a huge one. The idea behind this one is to get away from distractions, especially if you work on the same computer you use for gaming or other entertainment. My favourite place to work at is the local coffee shop. I feel just comfortable enough to enjoy a coffee and soak in the environment, and  just uncomfortable enough to want to get my work done and leave, and

As a bonus tip: If you're working less than 4 hours, don't bring a power adapter for your laptop. It'll discourage you from wasting precious battery life on anything other than your work.

3.  Procrastination is your greatest enemy.
Being stuck in the vicious loop of procrastination is like being stuck in a burning building and refusing to leave because it's warm. This might seem obvious, but if you catch yourself putting off your work, you need to break free of that cycle. Say you're marathoning your favourite television show on Netflix, and you know you have an important project to work on, it's a good idea to try something that breaks up your time. Grab a drink, take a shower, go for a walk, do anything that will break you from the comfortable routine you're in.

Following these three steps just might help you on your way to a less lazy you. At the very least, you can pretend to be less lazy using these tips.

The creative process behind this animation.

The creative Process behind this Charge Rabbit Animation.

Charge Rabbit is a Shopify App that can be used to sell subscriptions right from your shopify store.  This app was built by my friend and he needed a video describing the app for his splash page in the shopify store. 

I consulted him on the features of the app to make sure to include all of the important information a user would want.  

I summarized his notes into a simple script and brainstormed the visuals that would allow people to understand exactly what this app does:  It connects Shopify with the subscription power of Stripe, which is a tool that allows business to accept and manage online payments. 

Connecting things, linking two apps together, that wouldn't otherwise be used together..the missing link.. puzzle pieces! 

So puzzle pieces became my characters, and illustrator and after effects became my new closest companions. I recorded the script, created all the necessary elements in illustrator and then brought them into After Effects for animation. 

Planning is only a chore when it's treated as one

Recent projects for the New Media program at BCIT have provided me with some insight into the importance of organization and planning when working in a team environment.

Don't tell me what to do...oh wait, what do I need to do today?

In many of my previous jobs, bosses would tell you exactly what they wanted done. There were also some understood tasks that would need to be done every shift, such as chopping the mushrooms or peeling the prawns. Later, when I began taking on more responsibility, I still approached many tasks as though my boss would be telling me what to do, and thereby define my work schedule for me.

This need to be told what to do can be a real challenge to overcome, in particular when you're in a team environment, and inefficiency means the project may not get done on time and will cost more money. In our project management class in particular, we talked about (and had direct experience with) managing what is called the critical path: namely, those tasks that must be accomplished before other parts of the project can begin. Understanding the critical path and being able to plan stories and tasks appropriately becomes an essential part of maintaining productivity and efficiency within the team.

Photo credit: Steve Jurvetson (via Flickr)

Maybe you have to experience it done wrong?

In my previous experience, I can recall the at times irritation, at times distain, upon-which I viewed excessive planning. In hindsight, I see this as less a character flaw on my part, and rather a failure of leadership to make planning a regular activity. It was because planning and team management were so rarely done, and because employees were more or less responsible for their own workflow, that planning seemed to get in the way. Planning meetings would take days, mostly because it was so rarely done. Planning took far too long, and took away from time that could be better spent on getting work done.

Or that was my perception anyhow.

That wheel spin can be a killer

Looked at differently, however, it would be easy to make an effort to plan regularly as a team. A weekly (and in some cases, daily) meeting of a team is a key component of ensuring: 1) that every member of the team is aware of the importance of their job and tasks; 2) that the whole team is clear on what the goals are for the project, both short and long term; and 3) less 'wheel spin' as the team lurches out of work mode to take part in meetings and then tries to get focussed back on their main tasks.

Poor planning could be all in Greek...
Photo credit: Juhan Sonin (via Flickr)

What has become clear to me is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the need for clarity. When we work with others, and especially those who may rely upon us in order to do their jobs effectively, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the big picture and the minutia, without getting bogged down in the latter (no one likes a micro-manager). But equally important is the organization of the team's tasks and communication to the team of how important their roles are, and how critical they are to completing the project.

Planning is only a chore when it's treated as one

Ultimately, every member of a team will want to know what to do when they come in to work whether this is defined for them or by them. Making planning and organization a regular part of the work-day routine at the very least ensures that the whole team has defined and measurable goals. Seeing planning as a chore, and treating it that way, only leads to further disorganization and micromanagement of a project. Effective planning leads to team autonomy and ownership over their roles and tasks. And from experiencing both, I much prefer the latter route.

Planning For Chaos

Planning For Chaos

One week later: Still floating.

Now, as anyone in my class will know, this past week was ridiculously tight on time in regards to school. Mid-terms, big projects, presentation prep... even the Tim Horton's lines were longer. Add to that, 2 part-time jobs, several freelance projects, and moving; and now you have my past week. This crunch on time though, is a good lesson to anyone starting out in the graphic/web industry. 

Anyone getting into the field has to first learn how to manage what limited time they have appropriately. Example: I have several projects that I'm super keen to work on and develop, but I also have some far less "fun" projects to complete for school... blah. How do I complete everything on top of working 2 jobs? Simple, I don't. I look at everything on my plate to get a sense of what's there, then I work as hard as a can, as fast as I can, and not worry about the rest. Everything that slips through, means that it isn't crucial at that point in time, and just gets pushed onto next week's plate; then just work from week-to week. 

This is all fine in theory, but putting it into practice is another thing. This is where, if you're into graphics, you can have a bit of fun. Design yourself a personalized schedule or calendar and live by it. Whether it's on your phone, or on your fridge, a list will help you to separate those "must-do"s from the "want-to"s and provide a good look at the weeks ahead. 

I know this sounds like something your parents might have told you when you were younger, but contrary to what you may have thought, your parents weren't full of shit and they ACTUALLY knew what they were talking about. Calendars work, and you should try them.


—tom

Time Management

As the saying goes "their aren't enough hours in a day" it really seems like this is true when living a busy lifestyle. Balancing work, school, your social life, eating, and even sleeping, can really start to get you unorganized and exhausted. 

In this blog I will show you a few tips and tricks to make time work for you. 

The first tip and one of the most important is, keeping notes, either in a journal, a white board or even sticky notes on your fridge. it may not seem like its that important but this is the easiest way to stay organized.

the second tip is to prioritize your projects and most important stuff going on in your life. I know it can be a burden and seem like a chore but starting with cleaning your personal environment doesn't only help improve your time management but will help you work more comfortably in your own space which will lead to better time spent. 

The third tip I'm going to share with you is to get a regular routine or schedule. This will come as second nature but sometimes its easy to fall back on bad habits and procrastinate what really needs to get done. Start by creating a daily hourly schedule. this will really give you a great visual representation of what you need to accomplish in a day, enabling you to manage your time in the most effect manner.

If you follow these three simple steps in your daily routine, you will find your time being spent at the utmost potential.

cheers!