Here is the third week of Not So Random Software. Met multiple people being close to burnout lately, so this week my mind is exploring how we can do good work while keeping our mind and body healthy.
A random tool
I have been using Insight Timer for a long time now for meditation. I mostly rely on the basic timer itself to help me practice, but there is a lot more to it. It’s something I do daily at lunchtime to help me rebalance my mind and prepare for the afternoon.
A random video or podcast
Jason Fried at basecamp explains how the organize their work in this conference presentation. I really envy their effort to protect employees’ attention while at the same time facilitating communication and collaboration. I wonder if they would do anything differently if the company is a startup that needs to get outcomes quickly. I bet it’s not an easy equation to crack. Hopefully, someone will let me know on Twitter here.
If your workplace is chaotic instead and getting to the Basecamp setup is out of your control, then this HBR podcast and related articles on Heavy workloads have lots of great recommendations.
A random article or paper
Vroom-Yetton Normative Decision Model might just be the best gem I ever found when dealing with decision making in teams. They outlined a theory to decide how many people should be involved in a given decision and what level of autonomy you should go for, and it’s all summarised in a nice decision tree diagram. I will definitely use it to take better decision and to be able to explain the team how the decision has been made.
A random book
The Power of the Habit is the one book that trasformed my life. From menthal health to body exercise, I always look for good habits that I can incorporate in my daily life so that I stay sane while improving in what I do. It gave me a mental model to think about life, rather than constantly worrying about it. Have good habits, the rest will take care of itself.
A random quote
Much anxiety surrounds the question of how good the next generation will be at math; very little around their abilities at marriage or kindness. We devote inordinate hours to learning about tectonic plates and cloud formations, and relatively few fathoming shame and rage.Alain de Botton, The School of Life
Such a useful article. You have conveyed the matter in a nice way.