Posted August 17, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Editorial, Planning Tips | 4 comments »
Image via Marcin Wichary
Last week, Art Decker presented some excellent research into the neurological benefits of writing. It made me wonder if there’s not something similar going on with maps and GPS devices. My parents visited earlier this summer, and they stayed in a hotel that’s about a 10-minute drive from where I live. I offered to give them directions, but my dad, ever the gadget geek, told me he would just use his new GPS.
To get here, you have to follow 9th Street under the BQE, where it makes a little jog to the right and then the left. It sounds simple, but there’s a lot going on at that intersection: the entrance to the Battery Tunnel, the ramp to the Eastbound BQE, truck traffic, other roads joining up and veering off at awkward angles… If you haven’t looked at a map and/or been prepped for the madness, it doesn’t do much good to hear your GPS tell you to take a slight left in 30 feet. My dad ended up on the on-ramp to the tunnel, and had to stop and ask a cop how to proceed from there, because of course his GPS was already calculating the route he would need to take if he continued through it. I’m not saying my directions would have eliminated the possibility for error, but I definitely think they would have been easier to follow!
There doesn’t seem to be much scientific data on the topic, though a Canadian researcher has suggested that “overreliance on gps… will result in our using the spatial capabilities of the hippocampus less, and that it will in turn get smaller.” She’s not the only one who’s worried — anecdotal evidence suggests that plenty of people are afraid of losing their navigational abilities.
No issue like this has to be either/or, but I’m curious: what do you think? Is GPS making us stupid?
Posted August 16, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Editorial, Planning Tips | 5 comments »
Image via zappowbang
The QWERTY keyboard was developed in the late 19th century to make it harder for people to type quickly, and thus prevent typewriters from jamming. It’s been with us ever since, even though jams are no longer much of a problem in the era of computers and keyboards.
Usability experts have long been dreaming of a different way of doing things, and according to Virginia Heffernan’s latest column in the Times Magazine, they may soon get their way. Apparently, the iPad keyboard is “chorded” so that you enter characters by pressing multiple keys at the same time. You can use the same setup on your iPhone. I don’t have either of those devices, and I’ll admit that I’m a bit baffled by how it really works, but you can read more about it here.
Whenever I visit a foreign country, I’m amazed at how difficult it is to unlearn the way that I’m used to typing. German keyboards are quite similar to American ones — though they make it easier to insert vowels with umlauts — so that’s not much of a change. But French keyboards, mon Dieu! You have to shift to get a period, a bunch of letters are in different places, and you shift for numbers, too. Composing the simplest of emails suddenly turns into a tedious task.
Obviously, the fact that people are used to a particular system is no inherent reason not to change, but while I’m happy to experiment, the truth is I don’t have much reason to abandon a system I’ve grown adept at using well, and quickly. Especially because I know I won’t see immediate benefits — I’ll have to relearn how to type first. One hates to sound so reflexively anti-innovation, but there you have it.
What do you think? Have you ever experimented with a non-QWERTY keyboard?
Posted August 10, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Cabinet of Curiosities, Planning Tips | 3 comments »
Welcome to my new favorite office supply: shredder scissors.
I had no idea such a thing even existed until I went to the MoMA store to pick up a Muji file box and saw this pair among the desk accessories. In the end, I opted for a cheaper model on Amazon, and I am very happy with the purchase.
The idea is pretty straightforward — there are 5 parallel blades that cut thin strips as you close the scissors.
Obviously, it’s not something you’d want to use to shred a 60-page document. But it’s absolutely ideal for shredding things like credit card solicitations and whatever other scraps of paper you want to keep private. (Which is great if, like me, you’ve chucked your big electric shredder deep into your basement since it takes up too much space in your office.)
I imagine there are also plenty of crafting applications if you wanted to fringe the edge of a card, or even make your own confetti.
Posted August 9, 2010 by Guest Author
in Pens, Paper & People, Planning Tips | 8 comments »
Special treat this Monday morning: guest blogger Art Decker shares some fascinating research into the neurological benefits of writing things down.
Image via qisur
There is no substitute for a pen and paper. But the pen has to be a good pen, one that is a pleasure to write with. For some people a good pen is a plain ball point pen from the local drugstore. For others, it is a $1,000 fountain pen that comes in its own case and gives its user the feeling of painting on paper. The paper, too, must be good. If your pen scratches the paper, writing things down will not be a pleasure — and you won’t do it.
I can hear the naysayers already. Why not just use an electronic gadget? You can find to-do list and productivity software, much of which can be downloaded free, that is geared to any productivity system you like — GTD (David Allen’s Getting Things Done), ZTD (Leo Babauta’s Zen to Done), Sally McGhee’s Take Back Your Life, or Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits. Why use caveman tactics like pen and paper when you can wholeheartedly embrace the 21st century?
Because pen and paper are better for your brain, that’s why. The heart of the GTD system and other productivity systems is to get ideas out of your brain and into containers or buckets, or at least onto to-do lists and calendars. The system takes over so you don’t have to think.
Here’s the problem with that notion, though: personally, I am in favor of thinking. I LIKE keeping information in my brain. I regard information residing in my head as a GOOD thing.
Continue reading »
Posted August 6, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Beautiful Creations, Pens, Paper & People, Planning Tips | 1 comment »
Here’s some food for thought for those of you who want more space for notes in your planners… reader Massimo Camocardi, an Italian schoolteacher who has used Quo Vadis planners for years (here’s a picture of his first one from 1980), recently sent us two prototypes he devised for his President.
We don’t do product design here in the US, though we’re always happy to forward your suggestions on to France. But Karen and I still figured it’d be fun to share these designs on the blog in a sort of DIY spirit.
Continue reading »
Posted July 15, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Editorial, Planning Tips | Add your comment »
I’ve already gotten a lot of use out of my Monthly 4 garden planner, which helped me figure out when to start my seeds and put stuff in the ground this spring.
In many ways, though, it’s next year things will really pay off, because I’ve also started using it to record when things are actually ripe. Last year was something of an anomaly because of all the cool, wet weather we had in June and July. But I could have sworn I had ripe tomatoes by this time two years ago! Yet here this year’s plants sit, with promising green clusters…
At least I know I started them on time.
Posted July 12, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Pens, Paper & People, Planning Tips | 6 comments »
It’s not hard to appreciate the virtues of thick, strong, smooth paper. Now that I write with fountain pens, I value them even more — what better way to showcase my lovely J. Herbin inks? For the past year, I’ve been using my fountain pens for everyday deskbound tasks like writing and note-taking and lists. (The next step, as I mentioned earlier, is taking them out of the house.) And I’ve been able to integrate them into nearly everything I do at my desk, with one strange but stubborn exception: Post-it notes.
I don’t use post-its that often now that I’ve begun to incorporate a Rhodia mousepad into my quote-unquote time management system. But I’m always looking for ways to prevent myself from overlooking the little things I need to do or keep track of each day, and bright yellow Post-its are a still an integral part of that arsenal.
Post-it brand post-its are actually pretty sturdy. But they’ve got this strange sort of sheen overlay that’s just death for fountain pens. Even Herbin ink performs badly; it’s splotchy and there’s lots of feathering. Here it is in a fine-nibbed Pelikano:
And here it is in the same pen on 90g Clairefontaine:
In the grand scheme of things, of course, this is hardly a big deal. (For whatever reason, my Phileas, whose medium nib is comparatively thin, performs somewhat better on post-its.) I’m still curious, though: what does the sheen accomplish? Does it make the post-it stronger or less susceptible to water damage? At this rate, you’d be better off writing on cheap printer paper. Maybe I’ll have to try the 4X4 Post-its that get such good reviews on FPN…
Posted June 23, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Pens, Paper & People, Planning Tips | 4 comments »
Many writers keep idea notebooks — myself included — to catch the random thoughts that cross their minds all day. One savvy reader has an intriguing method for keeping things a little more organized; in an email exchange, he explains:
i use planners to keep notes and ideas. i find it’s easier to refer back to the notes and ideas by just flipping back through the days or weeks. it’s much more organized than if i just kept an ‘idea’ notebook. that was just chaos.
Afterwards, our correspondent uses a Habana notebook to elaborate on the ideas he wants to develop. Pretty cool system, huh?
Posted June 1, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Editorial, Planning Tips | 3 comments »
I got home last night to find New York in full bloom of an early summer — hot, sticky, humid. The good news: this big, lovely poppy that greeted me.
The sad, if inevitable, news: my email inbox, which I’d managed to completely clear before I left, is back up to its usual levels.
I always wonder about email and vacation. Like any modern workaholic, I often travel with my laptop if I’m going to be gone for a while, mostly to keep up with news and also, sometimes, to write (I sketch ideas and outline on paper, but I can’t compose any long-form without a computer). It’s also nice to be able to keep an eye on my email. I try not to let that take up too much time or intrude on my enjoyment of things; I’m reminded of an anecdote from Damon Young‘s Distraction — excerpted here — where he reflexively answers a phone call while vacationing in Ithaca.
On the other hand, I do try to answer a few things here and there, because how disheartening is it to come home to a jam-packed inbox, and know that you’ll have to spend your first day back in the office answering emails rather than doing real work? As with most technological things, it’s hard to find a balance.
What’s your approach?
Posted May 19, 2010 by Leah Hoffmann
in Planning Tips, Product Reviews | Add your comment »
Want to learn more about our Trinote or Septanote planners? Check out the comprehensive review/comparison that Laurie Huff just posted on Plannerisms.
Here’s a hint: one of them might be useful to those of you who’re currently looking for a new academic year planner! At any rate, Laurie’s review should answer every question you can think of except how the paper feels to the touch. (Which, alas, is a tough one to answer online.)
Thanks, Laurie!
