Welcome to monthly musings! This is a once per month email (not my usual programming), where I share random things that have tickled my fancy over the past four weeks. Some will be related to the content of this newsletter, and others…well…won’t be.
Hope you enjoy a little glimpse into my world!
Hello friends,
I hope this note finds you all well!
This week I am holidaying in the beautiful Cornish countryside, eating one too many Cornish pasties and ice creams under my umbrella. 😆
Here are a couple of musings from the past few weeks.
Noticing my weird ways of working
A thought that was inspired by a note I read recently:
This August, I’ve spent some time working remotely at relatives’ houses as my children are off school.
This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed it, but I have very unorthodox ways of working.
I’ve known it all along to be honest.
If you asked my husband what I do all day, he would probably tell you I hardly do any work.
This of course, isn’t true. I’m always working. I enjoy work.
But the only reason I do enjoy it, is because I take a lot of regular breaks.
And those breaks are atypical. Sometimes I might read a book, go for a walk, do housework, cook, exercise, work in the garden, or even have a dance in the kitchen.
Now, imagine doing these things in someone else’s house whilst they look after your children.
[cringe face]
I have this constant anxiety that they’re going to say to me ‘well, why aren’t you working then?’.
This is obviously a reflection of my own personal insecurities, but nevertheless one that I struggle with.
Yet even despite all these unusual breaks I have, I still get everything done (most of the time 😉).
I can’t tell you how many weird looks I get because of this.
If you ask any person who is good at something, how they do it, you’ll often be met with a blank face, because let’s face it – most people don’t take the time to analyse why they do things a particular way.
But alas, I’m not most people.
To distil it down, I will regularly:
- Plan and replan throughout the day
- Prioritise and reprioritise
- Time block
- Iterate
- Reflect
But it’s not the things above that make me productive – I mean, these are all tools that most people (especially those who research productivity techniques, all do), there’s nothing new here.
But the power lies in the gaps. The breaks.
Each time I switch focus onto something else (no matter what it is), I come back with a clearer mind, and a different perspective.
Sometimes I will take a strict amount of time for these breaks, and other days (when I have less meetings), I will let the break come to a natural end.
But it doesn’t affect my productivity because I know before the day starts the key things that need to happen in the time that I’ve got.
It does make me wonder though – maybe I’m just not busy enough.
Of course there are some days that are completely manic, and I rarely have time for a breather, but others have more leeway.
Not all days are created equal.
Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to see how to fit more fun into your day:
Are you making the most of the days that have fewer meetings?
Can you take some of your meetings whilst walking, rather than sitting at your desk?
Can you take the occasional lunch with another person and have a non-work-related conversation rather than eating at your desk?
Can you listen to an off-topic podcast/audiobook whilst you do a boring chore?
Can you squeeze in extra movement, like a few squats or climbing up and down the stairs once an hour?
My AI experiment…
This month I have created a game for myself using ChatGPT.
To underline how profound this is, I will say that I have absolutely ZERO coding experience. And I, little old Selda have created an ACTUAL puzzle.
One that can be played by a real-life person.
It would be an understatement to say that I am shocked.
It’s a Lean Sudoku Game, based on the eight wastes of Lean (Muda) – Transport, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overprocessing, Overproduction, Defects and Skills (more on Muda in an upcoming article).
This was my first attempt at producing some sort of simulation, and I will be playing around with this to find other more educational / inspirational uses for this kind of tool.
But I am very happy with the start!
Why don’t you have a go yourself? You can start with the prompt: ‘create a game that is similar to xxx’.
I’ve just finished reading…
Ethan Mollick’s book Co-Intelligence.
Ethan is a professor at The Wharton School, where he gets to test out all the different AI models and see what they can do. His book is a timeless look at what AI is all about and if you weren’t terrified of it before reading, you will be afterwards.
What I found interesting is how AI can play multiple roles aiding us in our day to day lives, not just as an assistant, but also as a creative, a tutor and a coach. This book further reinforces my view that those who understand the nuances, limitations and abilities of AI tools are likely to be at the forefront of the future creation of new roles and businesses.
That’s it for this months’ musings.
I hope you’re all having a splendid end to the month.
See you next Monday.
-Selda
P.S. I’m running a few sessions next month for paid subscribers.
First up: Boost your productivity with AI - a one hour working session with only five spots available. Bring your task along and we’ll figure out together, how to use AI to make the task more efficient. This one is perfect for complete newbies to ChatGPT.
Second up: For VIP subscribers only, in September – book a one-to-one with me to build out your own GPT (no coding required!). Again, only 5 slots available.
Click here to upgrade your subscription.