Organize IT

I discussed mind mapping a few months ago as part of my attempts to use the method as a productivity tool in my life. Recently I came across another online tool  for mind mapping called Mindomo. Like bubbl.us it gives you the option to try it out without signing up so I jumped right in and tried it out.

Last week I finally visited my local library and took some books out, one of which was Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler. My prime motivation for picking it up was because I considered some sections of it could be nicely worked into GTD. One such feature was the cycle of productivity. However, the book doesn’t go into much actionable detail on it so I’ve decided to take the basic principles and expand them to make it more productivity related. The diagram on the left demonstrates the cycle and is broken down into four sections – plan, do, complete, reward – which are detailed below.

I fancied something different for this video post. While it’s cool to view inspiring, intellectual videos, it’s also great to have a change of pace from time to time with something that will just give you a laugh. Though, I guess you could get some relationship advice from it if you look really (and I mean really) hard. Enjoy!

Organize IT recap for 10th March 2007.

• Five Phrases that you never want to hear in a presentation. Thankfully I have been saved from the most daunting side of public speaking (though with an upcoming wedding that’s likely to change) but these points are still great whether you are presenting to a small team or a hall full of people.
• It’s worth occasionally having a five minute tune up of your workstation so that you are not putting so much strain on your body (and potentially pain in the future). The guide covers such issues as how to get your monitor at the right angle and keeping your mouse clean.
• Loudlit.org has a massive collection of public domain literature, combined with high quality audio versions. This is a great database if you are keen to read some old classics, children’s books or historical documents.

If you are a regular visitor here, you may have noticed that I have often recommended using saunas and steam rooms to help improve your fitness. Throughout history they have been used to improve a person’s health and wellbeing. However, what exactly are the benefits of saunas and steam rooms? What effects do they have? How can they help? Below I’ve listed my experiences.