Friday Feature: Inbox Zero

I have written before about my desire to get to inbox zero, something that will probably happen when pigs fly. So, you can imagine my excitement when I found the article, "Why Inbox Zero is Ruining Our Lives," which echoes many of my sentiments. But, while it begins with the assertion that time spent reducing our inbox to zero could be better spent, it then goes on to explain ways we can aim for that elusive number. I took comfort in the fact that I have fewer emails in my inbox than the author has in his, but felt a little betrayed when he moved on to inbox management.

Luckily, I found "Why 'Inbox Zero' Is a Stupid Time Management Approach" to be more to my liking. It shares the same philosophy -- that we reduce overall productivity by spending perfectly good work time cleaning house, and it further asserts that so much of what's in our inboxes is worth ignoring. 

Don't get me wrong. I think inbox zero is an admirable goal but, having spent much too much time that could have been better spent trying to reach that seemingly unattainable goal, I've decided it isn't for me. Sure, from time to time when the number is too shocking, I'll make an effort to weed out junk and unsubscribe where I can, but I can think of lots of things I'd rather do than spend hours reducing virtual clutter.

And, when I look at that embarrassingly high number, it's nice to know I'm not alone.

Friday Feature: Is Covey Still Relevant?

Every fall, I teach a first year seminar and every fall, we study Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This fall, I realized with a jolt just how many years before my students were born this book was published. Does it hold up?

I think it does. In fact, I'd go one step further, asserting that, in a class where we focus on defining and achieving a personal definition of success, Covey is required reading. Or, as I approach it, required studying.

I'm not alone in my opinion. In her article, "Revisiting the Habits of Highly Effective People," Melody Wilding brings Covey's 1989 text into the 21st century, pointing out that in our highly distracting, fast-paced world, some of Covey's considerations are more important than ever. Personally, I think that in my Year of No, "Put First Things First" might just take on even more significance than before.

The funny thing is, I was a hard sell. My Covey training was mandatory and on my own time, which placed two strikes against it from the outset. But the trainings were better than I expected and the thing I came to like about Covey is that he's not trying to sell productivity at all costs. He was proponent of work-life blend before we were debating the terminology.

Next week, my students present Covey's habits. I can't wait to see how they bring them into the 21st century -- the only century they've ever known.

Friday Feature: Late Bloomers

These Friday posts originally had the subtitle, "What I'm Reading in 10 Minutes or Less." As such, today's post was a little challenging. The semester starts next week, so pretty much all I'm reading (and writing) are syllabi and course materials.

Luckily, a search I did for one of my classes last night yielded an interesting piece to share here. I'm revamping an assignment for my first-year seminar and calling it "Success Stories." In search of some  legitimate articles to feed this project, I came across this one on Medium, detailing folks who achieved success late in life.

Given the fact that I'm on my second career (not counting all of those jobs in high school and college), I have a special interest in this topic. In addition, several of the people featured in the article are writers and creatives and many were new to me, either in terms of identity or story, which was very cool. Most articles that highlight people who failed before they succeeded feature the same people.

This one did not.

So, if you're looking for a little inspiration, a nudge to persist, or just a fun read (with infographics), take a look.

If nothing else, you'll find out who Harry Bernstein and Gladys Burrill are, as well as the real names behind some famous ones.

Have an inspired weekend!

Friday Feature: Extroverts, Introverts and Ambiverts

Would you describe yourself as an introvert or an extrovert? Or, perhaps, are you a little of each?

Most of the time, I look like an extrovert, but I identify most with the ambivert label -- someone who has traits of both introversion and extroversion. For me, these two styles show up in the fact that I  am someone who recharges both in a group of trusted friends and when I have time to myself.

I never really thought about connecting productivity and introversion/extroversion, though, until I came across this article in Medium. One of the best articles I've read on this topic, it doesn't stop at just the label (introvert, extrovert, ambivert), but looks at the nuances, which leads into how they connect with productivity.

It's a quick read, and, just for fun, connects to an assessment by Adam Grant so you can determine whether you're an introvert, extrovert or, like a big chunk of the population, an ambivert. I wasn't surprised by my results, but, then again, I've been talking about this with students for a while now.

How about you? Introvert? Extrovert? Ambivert?

Friday Feature: Walk Across Connecticut

In a time where most of the news about politics and elected officials leaves me shaking my head (to say the least), it was really refreshing to read a good news piece -- or a series of them, actually -- about a politician who wants to listen to what his constituents have to say. This final entry in the series on Medium about Senator Chris Murphy's Walk Across Connecticut is short on political rhetoric and long on pictures of his home state and the people he represents. My favorite part is his reflection at the end of this piece on the advice he received from a veteran senator but, you're like me, you'll find yourself going back to the beginning to see the whole trip and read the whole story.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, even if (or perhaps especially if) you're not walking across your state.