Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Mining your creativity by Andy Hunt

This presentation from Andy Hunt given at NDC is really interesting.

Image streaming
1. Ask yourself a question
2. Close your eyes (10 minutes or so)
3. For each image that crosses your mind:
    1. Describe it out loud (using your voice)
    2. Imagine it with all five senses (or as many as possible)
    3. Use present tense (even if fleeting)

http://www.winwenger.com/imstream.htm
http://www.winwenger.com/ebooks/bright.htm

Free-form journaling
1. Write 3 pages, longhand (not on a computer)
2. Uncensored
3. Do not skip a day

Book tip: A whack on the head
10 mental locks

If you don't keep track of your great ideas, you'll stop noticing you have them.

Exocortex - a place to keep track of your ideas outside of your brain.

http://www.pocketmod.com/

Reading symmary techniques
SQ3R:
- Survey
- Question
- Read
- Recall (try to use what you have read, more powerfull than to re-read)
- Review

How to take notes
- Mindmap (done on computers is not as useful as on paper)

Warnings
- We as humans suck at multitasking

Constantly checking your email makes your IQ drop 10 points
1. Send less email
2. Choose your own tempo for an email conversation
3. Don't context switch (book reference Getting things done, David Allen)
4. Never keep a mental list (makes your brain constantly work with the issues)
5. Set cues for task resumption (makes it easier to come back to a previous task)
6. Set team interruption protocols (when is it ok to interrupt within the team?)
7. Get a second monitor (productivity gain 20-30%), don't have to context switch between windows

Change is hard:
1. Start with a plan
2. Avoid Inaction, not Error
3. New habits take time
4. Belief is physical
5. Take small next steps

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