Productivity is memorio-habitual in nature

A friend just shared this little article on productivity apps. The article raises questions on the claims of such apps.

The forms of internet-enabled communication have changed every sphere of life. Apps that offer good communication structures certainly help. But again different structures suit different kinds of people. And now there's also an issue of how many communication structures do people adopt to really stay productive, even if we debate the meaning of 'productivity'?

My observation is that folks that can work well with their memories (not the app ones or computer ones. One has to remember at least the name of the app or the location of the folder on the computer screen or hard disk to use the app or the folder) are productive. Mind you, I am not saying 'folks that memorize well'. I am saying folks that can work well with their memories. The way memories work, quite a bit of it is still a mystery. But the triggers you can offer your memory to respond to make the memories work anyway.

On the mobiles or computers, all apps, apart from communicational functions, trigger memories in certain ways. Cockpit Planner also offers triggers that helps one work well with one's memories.

Try the apps. Try the Cockpit Planner. See the difference.

I don't use productivity apps anymore.

Watching Zuckerberg's Ultra-sexy Back

So this video of Mr. Modi with Zuckerberg has gone viral.

I am no big fan of Modi. I like some of the things about him, some I don't. But Modi's critics have lapped this up. They've found in this little video, a visual-symbolic representation of everything 'bad/silly/funny' that Modi stands for.

If you rewatch the video clip, one which has clear/good sounds surrounding this little moment of the event, you'll hear:

"Sir, this side..."

And after these few words, this particular gesture from Modi takes place.

I heard these words when someone forwarded this clip to me on Whatsapp.

Who could've said these words? Rocket Science? I guess someone from the folks handling photography on this particular occasion!

Would we want to watch Zuckerberg's back in the pics that come out for this event?

The way our culture has shaped, we are always craving for visual clips and sound bytes of all types, especially of all those folks whom we treat as celebs, dignitaries, politicians and weird people. A head of state would anyway be covered extensively, photographically or otherwise, for the home country.

I've had numerous numerous ordinary experiences at social functions where the person clicking pics insists on looking in a certain direction, and then we consciously or unconsciously arrange ourselves for the pic. Am sure, has happened to all of us.

Here the entire aggregation of critics have ended up doing an extensive analysis. And that is India's trouble as well. India's critics are way too restless to criticize and way less sharp in their criticism.

In stead of wallowing like typical moronic-MBA-like analysts, let's prepare ourselves with greater rigor, and criticize the important - something that has far-reaching impact. Our time and words and energy are far more valuable.

Meaning of WATCH

For a long time now I've been asking myself why is WRIST WATCH called so? Especially, why is it called WATCH.

So here's what Google has to show when we search for 'etymology of watch':

REMAINING AWAKE it says.

Check the etymology here. In the sense of a verb, it even hints at "to be strong, lively".

From the link above, in Old English it also carried a meaning of "act or practice of refraining from sleep for devotional or penitential purposes"!
 
I like that 'penitential purpose'. Industrial assembly lines ensured working 'by the watch' and making it absolutely penitentiary. From my observation, folks into white-collar desk-jobs feel equally penitential these days. They work by the watch and beyond the watch.

I wonder how a wrist watch keeps us awake, except in the sense of reminding us when the boredom of a timed job would get over before one can fall asleep at will. It's your memory of what you want to do or would like to do that keeps you awake, that truly keeps you watchful.

Try Cockpit Planner. It might become your watch "to be strong, lively".

Floods, Beer, Food and Petrol

River can't dictate waters. It gets flooded sometimes. And it floods the surroundings sometimes.

Bladder can only retain so much liquid, no matter how much you love your beer.

The tummy has a limit too. Beyond a point, it adds to your obesity and then to a lot many undesirable things.

You can't fill the car's petrol tank beyond the mouth of the tank.

Suppose a lot of desirable stuff cost next to nothing. How much would you fill your house or godown or storage space with?

Supplies can increase tremendously. They can impact you badly, sometimes very obviously, sometimes not very obviously.

Ever wondered what impact the smartphone (rather specifically the various forms of social media, and particularly whatsapp), that seems to have increased the number of messages you receive every minute, has had on our capacity to work with our minds and to pay attention to matters that matter?

We want water, we want beer, we want food, we want petrol, we want to hear from people... Goes without saying. How much? For what? I believe a few glances into your Cockpit Planner during the day will help you get a sense of answers to those questions. How much? For what?

A trophy for you

Meaning of atrophy, in short, if you put a query on Google:

gradually decline in effectiveness or vigour due to underuse or neglect.

Biceps atrophy. Brains atrophy. Minds atrophy too. Still don't get it? Here are a couple of pics to understand.

While biceps and brains are physical muscle-groups (and so can be represented visually), what constitutes a 'mind' is open to interpretation. Even so, it can't be difficult to see how minds can atrophy.

Since our 'work' or 'profession' or 'office' consumes so much of our waking life, and how well our mind works depends in a significant way on the 'work' we engage ourselves in, you might be able to counter mental atrophication with the Cockpit Planner. Try it.

What are the options to stare at?

After we wake up, it feels as if our eyes, since they are open wide, look at different things by default. So they stare at the newspaper by default, at the mobile screen by default, at the tea cup by default, at the mirror by default, at themselves by default, at the laptop screen filled by Facebook or Gmail by default.

If this reader's logical mind lights up, he/she would mutter, "Hold on, I choose what my eyes stare at!"

If you choose what your eyes stare at, here are the options. Not exhaustive, but you know your options better. So here's a little list of options in no particular order.

• Mirror
• Laptop Screen (Facebook Screen, Gmail Screen, Flipkart Screen et al)
• Mobile Screen (Whatsapp Screen, Facebook Screen, some weird whacko game screen et al)
• Television Screen (Cricket, Tennis, Movies, Soaps et al)
• Book
• Scene out of the window
• Dustbin
• Cockpit Planner
• Mess on the table
• Wrist Watch
• Lover's Eyes
• Tablet Screen
• Window of a shop

Days go by, eyes wander and stare at God knows what all things. Work just doesn't get over, forget any joy emerging out of it. Technology sucks the sights out of the eyes, we hardly understand what's happening. We lament over beer and think we've bared it all.

I open my Cockpit Planner. Eyes feel a little less worked up, a little less entertained. Sights get better.

Why Strangers adopt Cockpit Planner more readily?

That's quite a conclusive question.

It could also be that, in terms of absolute numbers, I meet more strangers in the context of Cockpit Planner than near and dear ones. It could also be that with the near and dear ones I am not as 'passionate' in pitching the idea of Cockpit Planner than when I am with strangers. It could just as well be that I've got an amazing geniusy rub-off on my friends that they don't need the very product of my genius. Or just the fact that I am likely to make friends with geniuses.

Since I don't believe the above to be true, let's get down to addressing the conclusive question. Why?

Cockpit Planner is a sort of meta-tool. Meta = higher order. It makes the mind work on itself before the mind allows itself to work on other things.

Looked at this way, a friend or a near and dear one would often feel offended by the fact that I (Siddharth Soni) could give birth to Cockpit Planner. He ('she' unlikely) would think,

"So now Siddharth (so fuckin familiar and such a snobby failure how many times I've witnessed him) will tell me how to use my mind! How to do my work! BS! Fuckin, I buy and he makes money."

"My mind's working super fine. Just yesterday I spent the entire day analyzing the entire stupidity of my work and make money out of it nonetheless. And he's telling me to plan. Stupid ass!"

"Bloody, I just bought this expensive smartphone and downloaded this hyper-cool app to prepare my to-do list and he's asking me to write with my fingers on a piece of paper! How absurd and retrogressive!

"Such a heavy pad! How many meters can I walk carrying such a thing!"

"One more rough pad. Let's hear him out anyway though!"

Without any familiarity, without any preconceived ideas about the planner or the originator or the origins, a stranger would instead marvel at the sheer existence of the tool.  He's more likely to thank himself for discovering Cockpit or for the chance to come across Cockpit Planner. He's just a little more likely to give it a try.

Some strangers are trying out Cockpit. Taking pains to write back how it's helping them. To convey that it introduces a little pleasure and a good amount of discipline and lots of anticipation towards the day's work early in the morning.

Note-taking on Paper vs on Laptop. What works?

Have so often felt this and discussed with some close friends also.

Typing on screen has always felt less 'substantial'. While it's easier, more so with the extensive usage of smart phone, than writing on paper, it doesn't quite improve our functioning or thinking. The efficiency doesn't quite result into effectiveness.

Here's a bit of research talk about taking notes on paper vs. taking notes on laptop.

A Learning Secret: Don’t Take Notes with a Laptop

Why Using Pen And Paper, Not Laptops, Boosts Memory: Writing Notes Helps Recall Concepts, Ability To Understand

What's been your experience?

Your memory is a monster!

You heard it right.

I have a profound appreciation for this quote by John Irving:

Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you!

I can, and perhaps even you can, vouch for this. You think you have a memory; but it has you! Your memory has a will of its own. Hard to digest but very very hard to refute.

I am active, I am agile, most often I am alert. However, for long I struggled to get a grip over stuff I would want to do during the day. Why? Because it would be strangely difficult to recall all the different things.

The 11 handles that Cockpit Planner shows on the daily page make it mighty easy for anyone to recall the different things that need to be done on a typical work-day. And when you recall, you are far more likely to do it. Yes, while 'your memory still has you', it offers good access and behaves rather congenially for all practical purposes.

Hope your memory allows you to recall at will in 2015. Hope you and your memory accomplish a good deal!

Pic found here