An article by Clive Thompson in the most recent issue of Wired Magazine inspired this post. In his article, titled "Think Visual," he explains that our society hangs its hat on using words to describe complex topics and decisions when it really should be drawing pictures.
He writes that "dynamic, complicated problems - like global warming and economic reform - often can't be boiled down to simple narratives." Since there are so many factors that effect / may effect the system, the explanation of the problem is not as simple as putting two dots and drawing a line between them. For someone to comprehend such a multi-faceted issue, the fastest way is a picture.
First thing that came to mind after reading the article was the expression, "should I draw you a picture?" I imagine someone turning around in frustration after verbally explaining a dire situation to the dolt walking behind them and berating them with that facetious, condescending question. Yes, drawing pictures is addressing the lowest common denominator. Think of airports. How many pictures do you see there that point you in the right direction of the baggage claim, taxis and to the nearest Starbucks?
True, it does seem childish to be drawing your ideas on paper. Example: Jay & Silent Bob's plan to take down the stage in Mallrats (left). The example that Thompson used in his article shows how visual thinking can be applied in a much broader sense. He cites President Obama's inability to effectively communicate his ideas in the health care debate. I remember in the election, one of his criticisms was that he sounded too "professorial." Dan Roam, author of The Back of the Napkin, drew a series of napkin pictures that visually explained the proposed models of healthcare. These pictures were wildly popular on the 'Net and he was even tapped by the Obama administration for help with their future public communications.
So, how does this apply to writing and pens? Well, the keyboard is still quite a "wordy" device, only capable of expressing ideas through prose and ASCII character art, if need be. Pen and paper is still the standard. After all, how did Dan write on all those napkins? I really enjoy Levenger's annotation notepaper because they give you ruled paper covering 3/4's of the page while the other part is plain, giving you scratch room for small sketches, notes and other nebulous ideas that don't fit in with the narrative structure next door. Notebook companies are also early adopters of this idea, offering not only lined, but gridded and plain versions of Moleskine and Rhodia papers in order to give the flexibility of describing your idea.
So, next time you have a big decision or a project to undertake, get yourself a plain piece of paper, a pen, a cup of joe and go for it. Get visual. See the final outcome you'd like to achieve and conceive all the steps to get there. Anyone out there have a similar process for planning and explaining things?
We are meant to believe that the newest technological wonder is supposed to make our lives easier and more simplified. Part of living easy is being able to do your work quicker and more effectively, so you avoid long hours at the office and unnecessary stress. Think of all the smartphone, iPad and car commercials that you see. How many of you feel as carefree and at peace as those people on the advertisement?.... Don't raise your hands all at once...
Stever Robbins, author of the future best-selling book 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More, also has a podcast (which is one of my favorites to listen to), which offers bite-size tips to improve your productivity and business relationships. On a guest post about 3 secrets for doing less and working more, Stever brings up an important topic that he also writes about in his book : Conquering Technology!
If you were to imagine your version of a perfect world, would it even have half of the gizmos and gadgets that we use in our daily lives? On my "deserted island" scenario, I wouldn't bring my cellphone (there's no 3G coverage) or my laptop (only 2 hours of battery life and no internet) but I would most likely bring my fountain pen, a bottle of ink and a few dozen notebooks to document my adventures. Gee, that works anywhere, regardless if the network is down or if you're out of reception!
For us to simplify our work and our lives, Stever writes that we need to evaluate how technology works / doesn't work for us. For keeping appointments and schedules, does a Filofax or the Outlook calendar better suit you? Is it easier to manage pen & paper contacts or do it digitally through your Gmail contacts?
Stever writes about task lists, "The task list on my phone and computer is more trouble than it’s worth. I routinely ignore any tasks that had scrolled off the screen, and scrolling down the interface takes ages. I jumped ship to a to-do list on a 3x5 notepad and pencil and I’ve been blissfully happy ever since" Couldn't agree more with you there, as I have post-it notes and my own paper task manager template to keep tabs on all the actionable items attached to projects.
Next time you hear, "there's an app for that," consider the prospect of using that new, flashy application against your current techniques of organization and communication. Just because there is a new iPhone that can do your taxes for you and tell you what a handsome person you are doesn't mean that it is going to be a vast improvement over your accountant and a mirror. Yet, conquering technology doesn't mean shunning it completely. It means making it work for you, as it is supposed to do.
Going along with our theme of looking back at the last six months, we've notably increased our posting every month to not only include product reviews and other company propagan-- er, I mean announcements, but other content such as articles on being a pen enthusiast and what pens mean to us individually and as a society.
I know, real deep stuff, right? Well, folks, here are the articles that you've read (and hopefully enjoyed) the most so far this year:
How Does the Pen Addiction Start? - Usually anyone who is a lover of pens has been one from an early age. We go through how the addiction builds from a $1 Bic to a $500 MontBlanc. Lots of tongue-in-cheek humor and comparisons to actual drug addiction.
Summer Pen Care - Whenever the mercury starts to rise in the steamy summer months, we always remember to water the plants, put on sunscreen and drink plenty of water, but what about your poor pens baking in that black crucible of a briefcase? We offer tips for your pens to stay cool (and usable) during the summer.
Pres Obama Uses 22 Pens to Sign Healthcare into Law - Whether you're on one side of the fence or the other on this debate, we all can agree that 22 pens is A LOT of pens to use for one signature. We delve into the reasoning behind this Washington tradition and even feature a video of the signing taking place.
Pens and the Age of Consumer Electronics - This is one of my favorites because of how I came about writing that post. I originally started by thinking about the newly announced iPad and how it was going to change the world of personal computing and communication in general. I was going to defend writing as a form of communication that will never cease to die...and then, I did a complete about face and ceded my argument to say, "you win, Steve Jobs, pen and paper is dead."
Getting Things Done with Pen and Paper - As a big fan of the GTD mindset, I couldn't help but relate pen & paper to this popular system of organization by explaining a bit about my own process of note taking and list-making.
We hope at, the very least, you can have some cheap entertainment while reading these posts. There are sure to be more articles like these in the future as long as you keep reading them.
I know we mostly talk about pens on this blog, but the other half of the equation sometimes needs its due : Paper.
I love "GTD." As our society gets progressively more hyped on technology and endlessly busier, we need to organize the barrage of "things" that get thrown at us on a daily basis. "To Do" lists are too general and don't help us separate the the truly actionable items from the multi-step projects. Yet, everyone writes them out every time they feel overwhelmed. How many times have you created a "To Do" list that never gets done? Simply listing tasks may only work if you're doing one thing (i.e. going to the grocery store). But we Americans love to multi-task and a linear "To Do" list falls apart at the seams when it comes to managing an influx of multiple, yet separate, projects.
The Paper Task Manager is a unique, three-column design that breaks down a multi-faceted work flow into three separate parts. First, you have your "Next Actions." That is the very next action, whether it be a phone call, signing up for the gym or getting the oil changed. It is only ONE action and does not require any other steps to complete. An Action may be part of a bigger project. As a part of a project, the "Next Action" should progress the "Project" one-step toward completion. The middle "Waiting For.." column is for a piece of information or contribution from someone else that you are waiting on to further the current project.
How to use... Let's say your Mom nominated you to host July 4th festivities this year. Even if you're getting it catered and having butlers serve you hand and foot, this is still considered a "Project." So write, "July 4th get-together" in the Project column. Problem is, you're not a very good cook, but you want to impress your Mom by making Grandma's Famous Red Bliss Potato Salad. Your "Next Action" would be to call Grannie to ask her the recipe. If she has to get it in her cookbook, but can't seem to find it at the moment (oh, that forgetful Grannie), she will have to call you back. Now, you're "Waiting For" Grannie to call you back with the recipe. Now that you've written it down, it is safe to move on to another action, like Googling a local catering company.
How to get your Paper Task Manager sheets : click on the thumbnail images of the sheets in this post. A separate pop-up window should come up with the .jpg image of the paper. Download it or print it directly from your web browser.
There are two types that I've come up with : The full-page version for many tasks and projects, and the 2 half-page version, which is ideal if you have a work / home division (which is good) that you would like to see at the same instant. The idea is to have a high altitude to see all of the "stuff on your plate" at any given time.
You can print these pages on any normal inkjet or laser printer. I would recommend color copies because....well...it's pretty. If you need to, you may have to select an option to "shrink to fit page." Print as many as you'd like, but you will probably need one for the moment and then have backups when you've made progress on all of life's complicated tasks.
Sit down with this page and think of all the open ends in your life. Alternatively, take a walk around your home or office and you may be quickly reminded of a project that was never quite finished, situation that went unresolved, etc. Write them all down in the "Project" column and figure out the very "Next Action" that needs to happen to move the project toward completion.
The Paper Task Manager also works exceptionally well in a notebook, whether it be 3-ring binder or a Levnger Circa (I prefer the latter). Put it at the very front of your organizer so when you first open the cover, you will see where you left off from yesterday. When I get back from a meeting or a long phone call, I always check back with my sheet to see what can be worked on next.
So, if anyone gets the chance to try out the system, please drop me a comment and let me know how it worked for you and if there are any suggestions to make it better. Hopefully, it will help some poor, Post-It dependent, To-Do lister out there make a more comprehensive assessment of their tasks.
