:paulywill

I have to give praise to the ultimate way to create / organize / and search for notes at work.

When I first started as a System Programmer I was told “Take lots of notes!”  However no one bother to show “HOW” to take notes.

Some I saw use Word Docs, or create little Intra webpage HTML notes…both useful, but also limited.  Problem I kept running into was having to search several Word .Docs for some obscure note or complex command. 

But what if you needed a screen shot of something? 

Or you sick of have 5 Docs with redundant information, outdated and scattered?

What starts as little annoyances become exponential as you start to pile on the notes, commands, procedures, screen shots, links, copy and pasting emails, and then trying to organize into folders…

Instead create your own Wiki!

There’s a few free ones out there…for work the ideal one I use is WikidPad (final 1.8).

Took me a little playing and reading to figure out the functions but now I have all that I need for taking reliable, searchable, USEFUL notes.

Few Commands to get you starting wiht making notes:

Wiki a word             - CTRL + J
Point to image          - rel://[file location]
Headings                - CTRL + ALT + H
Prefix text             - <<pre    

                                   PREFORMATTED TEXT    

                              >>

I’ve started to become obsessed with using Lingq.com

Since becoming a paid member and starting a few Skype calls with a tutor I cannot seem to get enough. The addictiness comes from the progress bars, known word badge, and a growing avatar ( which I thought was juvenile as first but now find myself impatiently waiting for this little pink bastard to grow some more).

It’s by far integrating all the things I wished a learning system for languages could have. Mark my words…this will be a growing money maker and social hub for langage learning!

Follow my struggles with finishing my 30 Days of speaking nothing but french on 30journey.com

Starting to lower my body fat.  A DEXA scan shortly after my thirty-something birthday revealed I had 19% BF.  While I fell in a healthy range (just barely according to the technician) I was no where close to revealing abs.

Intermittent fasting and tracking daily eating along with a some HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING and mixing in up Crossfit style has lead to some MASSIVE breakthrough for a long outstanding plateau.

Daily Burn Tracker has an addictive line graph I’ve been following.

The run down:

• Slow carb diet throughout the week (ref: 4HB - Tim Ferris)
• Mix Cross Training with HIIT cardio at lunch time (e.g. running a lap w/ a sprint; pullups; running a lap; box jumps; etc.)
• Go ape shit on Saturday with eating
• Fast for as long as possible Sunday

Here’s some good “time management” habits I’ve been using for a little while now, and especially in 2011.

I’ve slowly become the “value giver and opportunity seeker” at my organization - some would instead call this title, “bitch”.  As a result I’m usually juggling anywhere between 3 or 5 projects. 

“Pass the Pepto please!”

To combat this I started using Time Management strategies to aid me is using my time effectively…or rather to monitor how I’m spending my time.  Is this a complete solution?  No.  However some of these tricks continually get me back on track.

The Unschedule

I got this idea from ”Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now”.  Basically put everything in your schedule…including sleep, and find the spare blocks of time.

This is great as you start to realize how unrealistic things you believe are.  E.g. I could never understand why I was constantly late for work until I realized I was not giving myself at LEAST two hours in the morning.  (edit: mornings are still a challenge…another new years resolution).

Time Journals

Got this idea from late Randy Pausch, he made an excellent PowerPoint called “Time Management”.

Basically my Time journal breaks down to:

BLUE = Leisure or Slacking off (awareness is the first step they say…)

GOLD = Actual work done.  Best done uninterrupted blocks. 

GREY = Day off

Other colors = Investing, BD, Misc.

Benefits, other than indulging in my OCD, include a visual of how I’m spending my workweek and a searchable record for different projects.

This is especially handy if say you go on a trip to Costa Rica in the middle of the summer and forget what step of which project I was last on.  Saved my ass a few times in 2011.

Oh, and of course, I practice and reference uber OCD’er, David Allen, from time to time.

Now excuse me… I’m late.

(one of my workspaces…doing more of less simultaneously)

It’s taken some frustrating spare cycles…but I think I’ve finally have “Command Center Pauly” up and running to spec.

Challenges with running Linux Ubuntu 11.10 instead of Vista

Crawling speed with mouse on my laptop

Solution: right click and select Unity 2d at logon screen.  This by far was driving me crazy.  I was looking for a out of control process that was making everything run so slow.  Little did it occur me to think about the actual window manager that was trying to use fancy graphic features above and beyond my needs, or the laptop’s capabilities.

Unity 2D is more than fancy for me.

Updating iPhone in Linux without Linux 

The reason much of the market share is still using Windows is because they’re “locked in”.  iTunes really should be issuing a Linux version…but that just wishful thinking and probably bad for business to Apple.

Solution: Install VirtualBox and a Windows guest image.  Worked relatively painlessly although still having difficulty enabling Share folders.  I’ll figure it out soon enough if I get around to RTFM.

Learning Curve

Solution: Google is both an excellent “smart kid” sitting next to you, and evil instant gratification “scratcher”.  No different from my day job, whenever I encounter a problem with a system or software I immediately look around for a work-around rather than RTFM and learning something.

(photo by chickbrarian)

I have been intrigued lately with people claiming amazing results by following CrossFit.  CrossFit, from what I understand, is a non-traditional gym and workout routine involving simple to difficult moves (i.e. tractor tire flipping, burpees, pull-ups) and a social crowd intertwined cheering you on to stages of vomiting. 

My interpretation:

1)    Join the gym ($100-150  a month)

2)    Go to the CrossFit website for the WOD (workout of the day)

3)    Get involved with the social aspect to push you through your limits

 Nice article from the NYT gives a run down of some of the fanfare and criticism.  A facebook friend and his wife appear to be owners and operators of one of these CrossFit affiliate gyms, and pictures of them completely cut are pretty convincing of expected results!

CrossFit reminds me about the training  the actors for the movie 300 had to endure to get Spartan fit.

Sounds awesome except one little thing that irritates me…the founder of promoter of CrossFit, Greg Glassman, is an overweight dude.  This goes against my fundamental belief of taking advice from someone unable to incorporate it into their own lives on a sustainable level.  Paraphrasing Tim Ferris, just because running up a hill with some bowling balls may yield great results, is that really sustainable over the long term?

Health advice from someone that is unhealthy themselves is about as wise as taking financial advice from someone struggling financially.

Excellent business and marketing!

The most impressive thing about CrossFit is the cult like following.  Combining challenging goals and social frameset of “only the elite” – keeping in mind law enforcements, military, firefighters use CrossFit as part of their training – only cements participants to this sport or brotherhood.

I would love to test drive CrossFit for a few months without “drinking the Kool-Aid” as I’ve read some members proudly proclaim.