Mind Moleskine

Why to draw Cathedrals?

2011-11-20T12:50:00.001-08:00

Wording, worth remembering

2011-05-22T11:26:00.001-07:00

‘I have to’ is every procrastinator’s favorite expression. It’s also the most disempowering.
(Neil Fiore)

Wording, worth remembering.

2011-05-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

Use Choose to ... (empowering) instead of
Have to (disempowering)

Similar:
I should . . . change to I choose, I want, I could . . .
I need to, I must, I have to . . . change to It’s imporant to me to . . .
I can’t . . . change to I choose not to, I’m not willing to, I can . . .
I’ll try . . . change to I will, I intent, I’m aiming for . . .

On paper

2011-04-24T11:08:00.001-07:00

Dear Jeff.

I am very sympathetic to your concept of being paperless. I've been trying it myself for a while. I also like the idea of using Apple gadgets to do so, they are already my pets. I still agree with Malcolm Gladwell that only digital media isn´t enough. First I like the physical act of writing and, my practice showed me, nothing is more simple and straigthfoward than take quick notes on paper. So, my plan is to use paper for thought, digital media for storage, organization and fun.
What is working for me right now is:

1.Loose leaf (breast pocket)
Bucket (in GTD sense) for quick notes, daily checklists and ideas.
Daily review.

2. Notebook (moleskine-like)
GTD lists and contexts, reading summaries, plans, follow ups.
Weekly review.

3. Digital
Calendar, contacts, passwords, chess, music, movies and podcasts.
Readers: Kindle, Bookman
Quick notes: Scribble Lite, Fountain Pen
Chess: Fritz, Stockfish, Schroedder, GameClock
Assorted: aSleep, iLuvMozart, ArtLite,Moleskine,Convert Units,Y!Music,Twitter

4. Other resources I found in my way:
Journaling Arts Blog and Store
Ink Noveau
Post-it and the book
Visual Notetaking and Visual Problem Solving

2010 Chess rating

2010-12-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

I got my international rating in 2010.

Right now, I don't know what is the exact number, but it will be around 2000.

The bad news is that I am about 33300 in the world.

Good news is that according to the The Chess in the Olympics Campaign (USA), "605 million people worldwide know how to play chess" and "285 million people play ... via the internet" and "7.5 million are registered players."

Hope some improvement in 2011.

Drawing with the wrong side of the brain

2010-08-08T15:50:00.002-07:00

Drawing on the wrong side of the brain is my interpretation of Betty Edwards's "Drawing on the right side of the brain" (http://www.drawright.com/)

I've tried some of the Edwards exercises without really paying attention to them.

The results (including my interpretation of Picasso's Stravinsky)...

Quick post, just in case...

2010-06-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Unified field Theory

2010-04-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Priority
Subject Resource (Change)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Work

SAP
SAP Courses (Ben Franklin exercises, Practice)

English
SITE: http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/ (Seinchain)
SITE: http://rachelsenglish.com (Ben Franklin exercises, Practice)
BOOK: Murphy, English Grammar in use (Seinchain)
TECH: Ben Franklin Exercise
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connections
Inner circle:
Good Friends:
Keep in touch:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Health

Meditation
BOOK: Philip Sudo, Zen,24 x 7 (Seinchain)

Sleep
BOOK: Medina, Brain Rules

Food
BOOK: Medina, Brain Rules

Drink
BOOK: Medina, Brain Rules

Exercise
BOOK: Medina, Brain Rules (Seinchain)
TECH: Threadmill periodic (Seinchain)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chess
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Productivity
GTD
BOOK: David Allen, Getting things done (Weekly review)

Kaizen
SITE: http://litemind.com/one-small-step-can-change-your-life/ (Use small steps in everything)

Seinchain
SITE: http://lifehacker.com/software/motivation/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret-281626.php

Practice
BOOK: Geoff Colvin, Talent is overrated (Practice - determine for everything)
TECH: Ben Franklin Exercise

Pomodoro
SITE: http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/ (use in work)

Change
BOOK: Heatch, Switch (Plan in terms of Ryder,Elephant,Path)
BOOK: Maurer, One small step can change your life (Use small steps)

Simphony
BOOK: Dan Pink, A whole new mind (Design as secondary interest)
BOOK: Emotional design (Design as secondary interest)
BOOK: Michalko, Thinkertoys (to be read)
TECH: Mindmap (use in planning)
TECH: 100 lists (use in planning)
TOOL: Moleskine (use for creativity)

Focus
TECH: Lists

Mind
BOOK: Hale-Evans, Performance mind hacks (implement)

Learning
BOOK: Tony Buzan, The mind map book
TECH: Cornell notetaking system (use in meetings)

Memory
AUDI: Montgomery, Develop a perfect memory

Visual thinking
BOOK: Buzan, The mind map book
BOOK: Sonnenman, Beyond words (draw more and more often)
BOOK: Roam, Back of the napkin (map technique for implementation)

Simplicity (declutering)
BOOK: Jensen, Simplicity handbook (map technique for implementation, re-read book)

Communication
BOOK: Aktins, Beyond bullet points (use in presentations)
BOOK: Reynolds, Presentationzen (use in presentations)
BOOK: Weissman, Presenting to win (use in presentations)
BOOK: Sher, One continuous mistake (write periodically)
BOOK: Zerubavel, Clockwork muse (write periodically)

Environment
BOOK: Trapani, Lifehacker (implement hacks)

Assorted & Inspirational
BOOK: Seelig, What I wish to know (do a mindmap)
BOOK: Edwards, Drawing with the right side of the brain (to be read)
BOOK: Goslling, Snoop (try it)
BOOK: Mc Donald, Emotional Design
BOOK: Philip Sudo, Zen 24 x 7
BOOK: Williams, Design for non-designers

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concepts
Simplicity
Impermanence
The OX Zen story

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LEAVE AS SECONDARY
-- design
-- typography
-- handwritting
-- writting
-- music
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dicritionary
Twitter
lf3698 (secondary email)
Sync Ipod
Stumbleupon
Reader
Music
Book

Learning from the practice (Seinfeld chain)

2010-02-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

In about one year of using the Seinfeld chain I learned that:

1. I need to have some flexibility: It is OK to finish a task the following day.
2. Daily reviews are a must.
3. I have less time than I think I have.
4. Minor timeboxes are better that larger ones.
5. It is better to keep commitments to a minimum (wait list).
6. It is better to set some time aside for other activities.
7. Have one or two days to spare in each activity is a good thing
8. I have to plan some chain-vacations in advance
9. Getting things done does not guarantee the quality of the things done nor that the right things are being done
10.It works.

Tools for the Seinfeld chain

2010-01-23T14:54:00.001-08:00

A spreadsheet is what is really needed. Conditional formating, total for the records and other customizations are optional. I use mine in Google docs.

Seinfeld Chain and GTD

2009-10-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

1. Get started
Seinfeld chain is a simple technique that helps me to keep a continuous practice.

1.1 Basics
First step is to understand the technique. The best explanation I've found about it is here:
http://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret

1.2 What is needed
A simple tool for keeping track of the chains.
There are some on-line alternatives here:
http://www.persistenceunlimited.com/2007/09/seinfeld-says-dont-break-the-chain/
I found them a bit raw and use a spreadsheet instead.

2. Learning
It is not really too much to learn about Seinfeld chain. The difficult part is know what you want to be part of your daily practice. You will need to list your activities, its frequency and the timeframe it will be performed.

Example:

Read technical books - 10 min per day - at least 5 days a week
Play/study chess - 30 min per day - at least 6 days a week
English study - 15 min per day or 2 complete exercises - at least 5 days a week

3. Practice
First step is create your core-list-of-tasks.
I got mine using the following steps:
(a) I listed everything I would like to do with my free time in a regular day
(b) I put the time you would like to spent in each activity (it is important reserve time for family, friends, sleep, unexpected, etc)
(c) After adding the times and compare with my free time I started to cut activities to a minimum
(d) I repeated step (c) until I reached a compromise situation. Of course later I discovered that I was still far away from the truth.

4. Tools
5. Going further
6. Caveats

How I use the Seinfeld Chain technique to Get Things Done

2009-10-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

I will develop this article step-by-step.
I will cover these topics:

1. Get started
1.1 Basics
1.2 What is needed
2. Learning
3. Practice
4. Tools
5. Going further
6. Caveats

Kaizaen mindmap 3 - refurbished...

2009-09-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

Filling the future with the past

2009-09-23T18:42:00.001-07:00

POOL RESULT

2009-08-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

Give your opinion

2009-08-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

Kaizen map - part 4

2009-07-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

Last one...

Kaizen map - part 3

2009-07-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

The last one will be about my personal impressions about the book and will end the serie about it.

Kaizen map - part 2

2009-07-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

part 2 of 3.

Kaizen map - part 1

2009-07-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

I've decided to break down the previous mindmap.

Homage to MMJr

2009-06-20T12:46:00.001-07:00

bow

Intermezzo: Kaizen Book Mindmap 1

2009-06-14T15:52:00.001-07:00

Memos - How they look like...

2009-05-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

How my memos look like:

Collectors (Buckets)

2009-04-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

GTD starts with collecting.

I use three buckets and am a firm believer that the fewer collectors you have the better. As you are supposed to always have a bucket with you, I would suggest that you have at least one physical collector available (remember the eletromagnetic pulse).

My buckets are:

1. My Palm (Treo 640) software BugMe;
2. Loose paper leaves that I always carry around in my shirt pocket;
3. A notepad that I always carry with me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done

This is the result of 3 timeboxes of 30 min
To do:
-Fix the links and review the article;

-Add images

GTD and the Electromagnetic pulse

2009-03-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

One of my deepest fears is the ultimate electromagnetic pulse. After it, all my electronic media and backups will be obsolete and I always ask myself how to deal with cockroaches and lack of technology.

to be continued...

Intermezzo: Quis ustodiet ipso custodes (Juvenal)

2009-03-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

For those who like Comics, Watchmen movie is a must see.
More intelligent than other adaptations, full of cool references and with an excellent soundtrack it is a really good entertainment.
I liked it very much.

Bow,

lsf.

Coming soon: GTD and the Eletromagnetic Pulse

2009-03-01T19:23:00.001-08:00

Johnny goes to war

2009-02-21T18:02:00.000-08:00

Conflict is part of life. The worst kind of confict is war, because it represents a dead end in the effort to find a solution. Being against war isn't necessarily right or wrong and I think that we should always think about it. Poetry is always a good start...

Johnny Goes To War
by William Thomas Dodd, Germany

Clip clop, clip clop, Johnny goes to war,
left right, left right, does he know what for?
Bang, bang, bang, off goes the gun,
click, clack, clang, Johnnies on the run.
Running for his life, thinking of his wife.

Tatter-Tatter-Tatter-Natter,
listen to machine-gun clatter,
splitter- splatter, splitter-splatter
another life it doesn’t matter.

Politicians tittle-tattle
while brave men, for them do battle,
then die in their wars
while they take the applause,
listen to their roars,
“Let’s fight for the cause”

Scrunching, screeching,
in sun gleaming
is the Tank, commander beaming,
“Fire” he shouts then turns about,
to watch them die, hear them screaming

Boing, boing, boing, bouncing bomb,
boom, boom, doom, gloom,
Bomb explodes, Johnnies gone.
Derrrr-da-derrrr, derrrr-da-derrr,
the bugle sounds retreat.
Johnnies gone to heaven
his maker to meet.

Knock-knock, knock-knock,
there’s someone at the door,
it’s a telegram addressed to mam,
Johnnies gone to war.

Intermezzo: Dark room

2009-02-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more old-fashioned than text editors.
It seems, nowaday, that we are all stuck with Microsoft Word which, in my opinion, is a shame. I'm in conflict with Word, and still prefer WordPerfect.

As a tradionalist, I miss the plain Terminal sessions, reminders of a time when things were simpler.

This is why I was pleasantly surprised with They Misled Us' Dark Room, the distraction-free text editor.

You can read about and try it by following these links::

Dark Room
Text Editor Dark Room
Text Editor White Room

Hope you like it.

bow.

Do you write for yourself of for others v 1.1

2009-02-07T15:46:00.001-08:00

Of course you write for both but the trick is not the answer but the approach used to write. When I received this question some time ago, I thought that I will have no difficulty in answering it. Of course I should do some research so that I not became obvious or too simplistic. Note that this is a part of the answer already.
I did a mindmap (shown here) and played with some ideas when I started to realize that the task is not so simple as I thought in the beginning. I've spent some time reading books about how to write: The 4 Noble truths for writers and Clockwork Muse. Meanwhile I discovered that reading about writing and writing are two different (but related) things. So, as to exercise is the key - I started to write, and write and write...
Every single paragraph was complicated or presumptuous. I became eager to have something ready fast. Not even Beyond Bullet Points technique (I event thought about making a presentation instead of a text) helped me at that point. I read more
Orsai (Hernan Casciari) and tried to do something more relaxed. I started to think about concepts and keywords.
My first and more important concept is that writing is sharing and sharing is the start point to discuss and learn. The second concept is that writing is communication, meaning that I have to have an emissor, a receptor, and the writing itself is the media. It is OK to write with one or more aspects of my personality - I can be part of the audience, as well. The catch is that the more distant I become from myself, less things I will have in common with the audience I'm sharing with.
In essence, what I've learnt is that I can write for myself or for the audience it does not really matters (as I may write as myself or as another one), writing is sharing, the only error is not to write (and not to share) - so I should write for anyone (or anyway) that can maximize my sharing and communication.

next: final review

Do you write for yourself of for others? v 1.0

2009-01-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Of course you write for both but the trick is not the answer but the approach used to write. When I received this question some time ago, I thought that I will have no difficulty in answering it. Of course I should do some research so that I not became obvious or too simplistic. Note that this is a part of the answer already.
I did a mindmap (shown here) and played with some ideas when I started to realize that the task is not so simple as I thought in the beginning. I've spent some time reading books about how to write: The clockwork muse and Four noble truths for writers. Meanwhile I discovered that reading about writing and writing are two different (but related) things. So, as to exercise is the key - I started to write, and write and write...
Every single paragraph was complicated or presumptuous. I became eager to have something ready fast. Not even Beyound Bullet Points technique (I event thought about making a presentation instead of a text) helped me at that point. I read more Orsai and tried to do something more relaxed. I started to think about concepts and keywords.
My first and more important concept is that writing is sharing and sharing is the start point to discuss and learn. The second concept is that writing is communication, meaning that I have to have an emissor, a receptor, and the writing itself is the media. It is OK to write with one or more aspects of my personality - I can be part of the audience, as well. The catch is that the more distant I become from myself, less things I will have in common with the audience I'm sharing with.
In essence, what I've learnt is that I can write for myself or for the audience it does not really matters (as I may write as myself or as another one), writing is sharing, the only error is not to write (and not to share) - so I should write for anyone (or anyway) that can maximize my sharing and communication.

next: fix the links, correct english, review text

New Year's resolutions:

2009-01-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

I like this tradition so let's start:

1. use GDT properly
2. use Time Boxes
3. complete at least 100 Polgar Chess problems
4. use Jerry Seinfeld’s “task chain” tip
5. Use ISO Weeks.

And, lastly, whether to post regularly or close the blog for good.

Happy New Year!

2008

2008-12-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

The Universe speaks in many languages, but only one voice. The language is not Narn, or Human, or Centauri, or Gaim or Minbari. It speaks in the language of hope; It speaks in the language of trust; It speaks in the language of strength, and the language of compassion. It is the language of the heart and the language of the soul. But always, it is the same voice. It is the voice of our ancestors, speaking through us, And the voice of our inheritors, waiting to be born. It is the small, still voice that says: We are one. No matter the blood; No matter the skin; No matter the world; No matter the star; We are one. No matter the pain; No matter the darkness; No matter the loss; No matter the fear; We are one. Here, gathered together in common cause. we agree to recognise this singular truth, and this singular rule: That we must be kind to one another, because each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us. We are the voice of the Universe, the soul of creation, the fire that will light the way to a better future. We are one.

from Babylon V

Topics du Jour Experiment #3

2008-10-28T17:29:00.001-07:00

Homo sum: humani nil at me alienum puto (Terentio 190-160BC)

Writing can be seen as an experience where we share ideas, feelings and opinions with others. Being human means that your ideas probably can be understood (discussed or even antagonized) by other members of the mankind (including yourself). too complicated - have to re-write this

Plus 10 minutes.

The more authentic you are more easy the sharing. But authenticity and, in last instance truth, can have multiple faces. You can write as one aspects of your truth, one successful example of this is the Portugese poet Fernando Pessoa. still complicated

Plus 10 minutes.

It is an old saying that you can't bath in the same river... Likewise you are not in the same mood or in the same conditions everyday and this can influence your writing.

Plus 5 minutes.

new tart

Writinig a multidimensional task that starts with you sending a message and evolve to a sharing of ideas, feelings and opinions. According to our nature, all of us have subjects that we're fond of and which we would like to improve our understanding.

plus 10 minutes

Topics du Jour Experiment #2

2008-10-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Plus 30 minutes for both diagrams.

Topic du Jour experiment #1c

2008-10-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

Luciano (http://litemind.com/topics-du-jour/) recomends this technique.

Day 0:
I like to experiment, so I will begin writing daily in an interartive-evolutive way. The subject Ihave in mind is inspired by Mauro's question about the audience one writes for:

"You don't write for the whole world, and you don't write for ten people, or two. You write for just one person." (Kurt Vonnegut Jr p. 65, Dial Press Trade Paperback edition).

Of course I'm taking some liberties with the Topics du Jour technique.

Day 1:
It took me 10 minutes to think about it, 15 minutes to write this entry and 15 to correct the English:

* Does the client matter?
* Writing is sharing
* You should "share" with yourself
* Sharing only with yourself is selfish
* You cannot share something that you not possess
* Grock = think + play + write + use + improve + think again ...
* Use mental experiment
* Writing is a tool for thinking more clearly

Next steps:
1. thesis + anthitesis = syntesis
2. collect my friends thoughts
3. collect some authors thoughts
4. mindmap
5. write

Day 2 = Plus 10 minutes for step 2:

* to possess something (internally)
* to turn habit into practice
* audience is the ego
* to pursue a result
* “The purpose of the writer is to create and keep a reader”
* internal dialogs
* focus x target X result

Day 3 = Plus 10 minutes for step 3:
from Gail Sher (www.gailsher.com)
* writing is practice
* writers write no matter what
* writing is "taking care"
* writing should be an habit
* writing can define yourself

Day 4 = Plus 10 minutes for step 3:
from Gail Sher (www.gailsher.com)
* writing can be done in several forms (haiku, poetry, rhymes, letters)
* a habit is the link between inspiration and self-realization
* bridge to serenity
* 4 noble truths for writers
** writers write
** writing is a process
** you don't know what your writing will be until the end of the process
** i fwriting is your practice, the only way to fail is not to write

my insight:
* you don't have to be yourself when you write, you can recreate yourself - see Fernando Pessoa's heteronyms.

hope you like it.

Think again pal!

2008-08-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about my previous attempt to create a presentation and realized I was using the wrong approach.

"Beyond the Bullet Points" technique is about selling ideas. My approach was too descriptive to be effective. So I made a new attempt.

Act 1:
The setting: Olympics is everyday
The protagonist: you should be prepared
The imbalance: this can be challenging specially nowadays
The balance: those who are prepared can face the world confidently
The solution: Chess can be a valuable tool for your brain fitness

bow.

lsf.

I'm back - posting soon

2008-08-03T19:15:00.001-07:00

I was given a task - to prepare a presentation about chess. I want to use this opportunity to use the techniques I've learned from the Atkinson's book Beyond the Bullet Points. I will show the partial products and the time spent in each of them. I hope this will be an enjoyable exercise.

yours,
--------------------------------------------------------

As you probably know the first step in BBP (Beyond the bullet points) is to set up main points of your story:

1. setting
Chess is full of myths and legends

2. protagonist
Someone who can separate truth from myth can have an advantage in life

3. imbalance
Chess is a game for old people with time to spare

4. balance
What is the truth behind that affirmation?

5. solution
How can I and my family take advantage of Chess?

- time spent on this phase: (30 min)
- time accumulated on the exercise: (30 min)

bow.

Fier.

Mission and Vision

2008-06-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

As I am looking for a coherent system of techniques, I have to start thinking about mission and vision.

The two most useful references I found are:

Difference between Vision and Mission, which states that 'Without it businesses are boring' and I couldn't agree more.

Creating personal mission shows an example of creating a personal mission.

Interval: 22 reasons to visit the MNBA

2008-05-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

MNBA = Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes of Buenos Aires

Bougereau, La toilette de Venus
Rodin, The Kiss
Rodin, Mano de Dios
Rodin, Cabeza monumental de Balzac
Rodin, Burgoise a la cle
Mazerolle, Psique Enfuente
Ferrari, San Possidonio
Lefebre, Diane Sorpreendida
Arapignes, El canal briere
Gustave Michel, Blance Tarracota
Degas, Daseusse en blanc
Pissaro, Fame aux
Tintoretto, Martirio de San Rubens
Jesus Soto, Planos Virtuales 65
Mondgliani, Busto de mujer
Kandinski, Kreiss
Centurion, La Venus creolla
Manet, Ninfa Sorpreendida
Latour, Somerril de diane
Malharro, Las parvas
Falacini, Desesperacion
Schiafficio, Repozo

How I selected the techniques that support my personal and professional needs

2008-04-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

Lack of time is one of my favorite excuses. That's why I need some techniques that make me more effective. Choosing them is tricky.
Information by itself is not knowledge. Nowadays, it is too easy to obtain information, almost effortless. Paradoxically this makes the task of selecting and using the proper techniques more complicated. We became used to having the latest tools and methods, collecting them without really needing them. I know this well: I've played this game for years.
Several authors have written about over-information two examples are:
Umberto Eco, Como se fa una tesi di laurea (1977)
Richard Saul Wurman, Information Anxiety (1990)

My goal is to have a small set of powerful techniques (and their corresponding software tools) that allows me to unleash my full potential. Challenging but possible.

To be continued...

100 lists - a technique tested, approved and enhanced

2008-03-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new techniques to adopt. My last attempt was with the technique described in article Tackle Any Issue With a List of 100.
I used to approach the creative process with mindmaps but this 100 lists seems to have some appeal to me. So I decided to give it a try. I provide metrics and printing support and decided to use the 100 list as a tool to generate ideas for improving these activities. This are the results:
a. I spent about 3 hours to generate 2 lists of 100 items;
b. I spent another half an hour to select 2 lists of about 30 ideas worth trying out;
c. I discussed the ideas with my peers and they discarded 2 or 3 ideas from each list;
d. A great enhancement of the generation process was achieved with the help of Big Dig Idea Sandbox.

Of course you still have to spend extra effort to have time to Get Things Done - but this is for another post - right?

BetterMe 2.3

2008-02-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

BetterMe 2.3 means that I'm always striving to improve.
The version part (symbolized by the 2.) means that I'm using the techniques constantly and consistently - not that the implementation is already adequate - far from that. The release (.3) means that there is room for improvement and implementing new techniques.
It is not my intention to discuss how I decided which technique to implement and which to discard (unless this interest someone). Now and in the next articles I'll try to exemplify how do I implement this techniques in the hope of improving my understanding of them.

Main techniques:
GTD: David Allen's Getting Things Done.
Mindmaping: Tony Buzan's technique.

Implementing:
Personae - for projects.
100 lists - for creativity.
Memory palace - for memory.

Bow.

fier.

Let's go again!

2008-01-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

It is a new year, and it is time to go back to filling in my Mind Moleskine.

My wish list is:

a. To fulfill my readers' expectations:
- Luciano, I'll keep posting;
- Leandro, I'll post some stories about chess;
- Everton, I'll post some personal stories;
- Teacher, I'll post some articles about Getting Things Done;
- Mauro, I will review and review and review my articles more thoroughly
before publishing them.

b. I will continue posting about quality criteria, effort metrics and mindmaps.
c. I'll strive for simplicity.

Happy New Year to you all!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

2007 is coming to end and I am really tired. It is time now to wish good things to everyone and review my to-do lists. I started the Mind Moleskine project a while ago and will shortly assess the results. I will post them with comments first thing in 2008, which I hope will be a better year.

Peace.

Prepositions

2007-12-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

This is a list of 400 prepositions, one more step in my English practice...
to listen to something
to be kind to someone
to be bad at something
to be good at something
surprised at/by something
to be clever at something
to laugh at someone
to be nice to someone
to smile at something
to be responsible for something
the reason for something
pleased at/with/about something
to think of/about doing something
miserable about something
the matter with someone
angry with someone
sorry for/about something
interested in someone/something
to fill something with something
to search for someone
because of something
to arrive at a place
disappointed with/in something
to ask for something
ill with something
to depend on someone
wrong with/about/to someone
to get on a bus
to get on/off a bus
to pay for something
to have a discussion about/on something
in love with someone
afraid of something
keen on doing something
to crash into something
crowded with people
on the telephone
by bus
on a diet
a play by someone
on the radio
to get married to someone
to pay by credit card
at the end of something
fond of something
plenty of something
at Christmas
fed up with something
on his own
engaged to someone
an interest on something
on Christmas day
to read about something
to knock on/at a door
far from somewhere
to know about something
to knock on/at a door
far from somewhere
to know about something
difficult for someone
at/on/in the corner
close to somewhere
at the age of
crazy about something
to fall in love with someone
to look for something
to wait for someone
frightened by someone
on/in the wall
late for something
to invite someone to a place
out of order
busy with something
full of something
in the middle of something
to prepare for something
news of/about something
patient with someone
famous for something
important to someone
happy with/about something
to get tired of something
to ask someone for something
in the New Year
in the future
in the evening
in the north
ready for something
ideal for a purpose
full of something
to invite someone for a drink
to agree with someone
at the moment
made of/out of/from something
to arrive at/in a place
by car
on foot
to live at a certain house
in the street
on someone’s birthday
in front of someone
to stop someone from doing something
to hide something from someone
to agree to doing something
different from/to/than something
to complain to someone
to compliment someone on something
to complain to someone
to insist on doing something
to depend on someone
to consist of something
rude to someone
the idea of something
to believe in something
an effect on someone
disappointed with/in something
to forgive someone for doing something
amazed at/by something
disgusted by/with something
to apologize for doing something
to take advantage of something
to lean against/on something
to congratulate someone on doing something
satisfied with something
dressed in something
to succeed in doing something
ashamed of something
to take care of someone
to remind someone of/about something
to shout at someone
to borrow something from someone
to divide something into portions
to take part in something
to dream of/about something
to die of/about/with something
to invest in something
fit for something
to aim at something
to explain something to someone
in good time
to blame something for something
to act a part in a play
an attitude to/toward something
well-known for something
a need for something
to get in touch with someone
worried about/by something
capable of something
to be on strike
a relationship with someone
at the top of something
a break for something
to go for a walk
by chance
bored with/by something
a book about someone
a date with someone
on/at the coast
content with something
to complain about/of something
to contrast with something
in flower
confident of doing something
amused at/by something
to confide in someone
to leave somewhere for somewhere
embarrassed about/at/by something
to co-operate (cooperate) with someone
to look forward to doing something
in contrast
a fan of someone
to compete against/with someone
an alternative to something
critical of someone
in fashion
to have a degree in a subject
furious with/at someone
enthusiastic about something
a cure for something
in contrast to/with something
to live on a certain food
to prefer one thing to another
concerned about/for something
the owner of something
to choose between two things
to take a look at something
impressed with/by something
to fail in something
on television
hard on someone
in charge of something
a description of something
to spend money on something
to be tired of something
suitable for someone
to operate on someone
to object to something
information on/about something
to have an effect on someone
to help oneself to something
to have pity on someone
to make fun of someone
fussy about something
to compensate for something
to object to something
to suffer from an illness
to take priority over something
red with anger
to approve (disapprove) of something
to criticize someone for doing something
to prevent someone from doing something
tolerant of something
to confess to doing something
apart from someone
to charge someone with something
to quarrel about/over something
to apply for a job
to sympathize with someone
proof of something
a shortage of something
to mistake someone for someone
to get rid of something
to increase in confidence
to specialize in something
sensitive about something
to threaten someone with something
to have a disagreement about/over something
to provide someone with something
clumsy at something
to accuse someone of doing something
to deal with something
to be moved to tears
to warn someone of/about something
to take revenge for something
a lack of something
in the end
aware of something
to protect someone from/against something
short of something
to rely on someone
pale with fear
compatible with something
to punish someone for doing something
to blame something on someone
in the mood for doing something
to consent to something
to flirt with someone
in debt
unfair on/to someone
confident in something
impatient for something
a war against/on something
the risk of something
jealous of someone`
an advantage over something
to inspire with enthusiasm
to name someone after (GB)/for (Am) another person
ignorant of/about something
for the sake of someone
to cope with something
love at first sight
on the horizon
identical to/with someone
to be faced with something
to sympathize with someone on/for something
to wave at/to someone
to experiment with something
allergic to something
to swear at something
on behalf of someone
in favour of something
indifferent to something
to comment on something
to have a talent for something
inconsistent in/with something
free of/from something
owing to something
desperate for something
to take notice of something
emphasis on something
sensitive to something
to long for something
proficient at/in something
guilty of doing something
hostile to something
to lecture someone about/on something
to call on someone to do something
sanctions against a company
to be suited to something
to suspect someone of doing something
to equip something with something
shelter from something
to resign from a job
to make a fuss of someone
to guard against something
to admit to doing something
ill with something
to depend on someone
wrong with someone
to get on a bus
to pay for something
to have a discussion about/on something
in love with someone
afraid of something
keen on doing something
to crash into something
crowded with people
on the telephone
by bus
on a diet
a play by someone
on the radio
to get married to someone
to pay by credit card
at the end of something
fond of something
plenty of something
plenty of something
at (GB)/on (Am) the weekend
at Christmas
fed up with something
on his own
engaged to someone
an interest on something
on Christmas day
to read about something
to knock on/at a door
far from somewhere
to know about something
to knock on/at a door
far from somewhere
to know about something
difficult for someone
at/on the corner
close to somewhere
at the age of
crazy about something
to fall in love with someone
to look for something
to wait for someone
frightened by someone
on the wall
late for something
to invite someone to a place
out of order
busy with something
full of something
in the middle of something
to prepare for something
news of/about something
patient with someone
famous for something
important to someone
happy with/about something
to get tired of something
to ask someone for something
in the New Year
in future
in the evening
in the north
ready for something
ideal for a purpose
full of something
to invite someone for a drink
to agree with someone
at the moment
made of/out of/from something
at home (omitted in Am.English)
to arrive at/in a place
by car
on foot
to live at a certain house
in the street
on someone’s birthday
in front of someone
to stop someone from doing something
to hide something from someone
to agree to doing something
different from/to/than something
to complain to someone
to compliment someone on something
to complain to someone
to insist on doing something
to depend on someone
to consist of doing something
rude to someone
the idea of something
to believe in something
an effect on someone
disappointed with/in something
to forgive someone for doing something
amazed at/by something
disgusted by/with something
to apologize for doing something
to take advantage of something
to lean against/on something
to congratulate someone on doing something
satisfied with something
dressed in something
to succeed in doing something
ashamed of something
to take care of someone
to remind someone of/about something
to shout at someone
to borrow something from someone
to divide something into portions
to take part in something
to dream of/about something
to die of/about/with something
to invest in something
fit for something
to aim at something
to explain something to someone
in good time
to blame something for something
to act a part in a play
an attitude to/toward something
well-known for something
a need for something
to get in touch with someone
worried about/by something
capable of something
to be on a strike
a relationship with someone
at the top of something
a break for something
to go for a walk
by chance
bored with/by something
a book about someone
a date with someone
on/at the coast
content with something
to complain about/of something
to contrast with something
in flower
confident of doing something
amused at/by something
to confide in someone
to leave somewhere for somewhere
embarrassed about/at/by something
to co-operate with someone
to look forward to doing something
in contrast
a fan of someone
to compete against/with someone
an alternative to something
critical of someone
in fashion
to have a degree in a subject
furious with/at someone
enthusiastic about something
a cure for something
in contrast to/with something
to live on a certain food
to prefer one thing to another
concerned about/for something
the owner of something
to choose between two things
to take a look at something
impressed with/by something
to fail in something
on television
hard on someone
in charge of something
a description of something
to spend money on something
to be tired of something
suitable for someone
to operate on someone
to object to something
information on/about something
to have an effect on someone
to help oneself to something
to have pity on someone
to make fun of someone
fussy about something
to compensate for something
to object to something
to suffer from an illness
to take priority over something
red with anger
to approve (disapprove) of something
to criticize someone for doing something
to prevent someone from doing something
tolerant of something
to confess to doing something
apart from someone
to charge someone with something
to quarrel about/over something
to apply for a job
to sympathize with someone
proof of something
a shortage of something
to mistake someone for someone
to get rid of something
to increase in confidence
to specialize in something
sensitive about something
to threaten someone with something
to have disagreement about/over something
to provide someone with something
clumsy at something
to accuse someone of doing something
to deal with something
to be moved to tears
to warn someone of/about something
to take revenge for something
a lack of something
in the end
aware of something
to protect someone from/against something
short of something
to rely on someone
pale with fear
compatible with something
to punish someone for doing something
to blame something on someone
in the mood for doing something
to consent to something
to flirt with someone
in debt
unfair on/to someone
confident in something
impatient for something
a war against/on something
the risk of something
jealous of someone`
an advantage over something
to inspire with enthusiasm
to name someone after (GB)/for (AM) another person
ignorant of/about something
for the sake of someone
to cope with something
love at first sight
on the horizon
identical to/with someone
to be faced with something
to sympathize with someone on/for something
to wave at/to someone
to experiment with something
allergic to something
to swear at something
on behalf of someone
in favour of something
indifferent to something
to comment on something
to have a talent for something
inconsistent in/with something
free of/from something
owing to something
desperate for something
to take notice of something
emphasis on something
sensitive to something
to long for something
proficient at/in something
guilty of doing something
hostile to something
to lecture someone about/on something
to call on someone to do something
sanctions against a company
to be suited to something
to suspect someone of doing something
to equip something with something
shelter from something
to resign from a job
to make fuss of someone
to guard against something
to admit to doing something

Litemind writing contest: my favorites

2007-12-01T11:53:00.001-08:00

...and how I found them

List of my favorite blogs from Litemind's contest:

Top 23 Motivation Tips, Tricks and Tactics from the Blogosphere by Mike Ambrose

100 Resources To Improve Your Career, Relationships And Money by Lawrence Cheok

7 Powerful Tips to Overcome Failure by Donald Latumahina

5 Crash Course Tips in Viral Marketing by John Murch

Escape the Rut by Catherine Kunst

21 Punching Tips On Social Media Marketing and Social Media Optimization by Etienne Teo

35 Guaranteed Ways To Increase Your RSS Subscribers by Fred

How I choose them:
1. First I created a list of quality criteria:
1.a minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 links
1.b relevance. Is the subject valuable for me?
1.c richness. Is the blog superficial?
1.d style. Do I like the way the author writes?
1.e freshness. Can I learn something from the blog?
2. I read all blogs and rated them from 1 to 5.
3. I picked up the highest scores (19 articles).
4. I wrote some personal notes about the articles.
5. I eliminated some articles from the final list.
6. I compiled the final list.
7. I published this post.
8. I will give authors feedback and stumble (wwww.stumbleupon.com) their pages.
9. I will read them again.

Some notes about my personal choices:
Top 23 Motivation Tips, Tricks and Tactics from the Blogosphere by Mike Ambrose
I like Mike's approach: scientific and clean. This one is useful as a trigger to think about important concepts for my work.

100 Resources To Improve Your Career, Relationships And Money by Lawrence Cheok
Relevant topics, I will learn with the richness of this list and it will provide me guidance.

7 Powerful Tips to Overcome Failure by Donald Latumahina
Reading this article really made me feel better and gave me more confidence. I would like to read more about overcoming failure in the future

5 Crash Course Tips in Viral Marketing by John Murch
I liked the implicit references to Malcolm Gladwell's ideas and explicit references to Seth Gordin, two authors I'm really fond of. I learnt several new concepts that I will try to test in the near future.

Escape the Rut by Catherine Kunst
Escape the Rut by Catherine Kunst
As a former lecturer I found it refreshing to read this article. It made me think about its relevant concepts. Its fluence and style impressed me.

21 Punching Tips On Social Media Marketing and Social Media Optimization by Etienne Teo
I was impressed by its relevance and the richness of references I found.

35 Guaranteed Ways To Increase Your RSS Subscribers by Fred
I found this one very practical and I will try to implement some of its new (at least to me) ideas.

In closing,

Thanks to Luciano Passuello and Litemind for the opportunity!

Yours truly,

fier

40 ways to make your mind your playground

2007-11-18T12:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel that my brain is lazy, maybe a little spoiled. While
I work hard to produce something and keep my schedule organized, my
brain keeps thinking what it wants, has no schedule and demands its quota of sugar. I
find this unacceptable! It has to work as hard as the rest of us and more - as my primary weapon against the challenges of the world - it must be flexible, prepared and fit. The idea is based on the concept that you really don’t need to take
notes of everything but instead use your brain as a sandbox.
Emphasizing some subjects will be helpful and you'll remember what really is important at the right time.

This is my list of things that my brain should be doing instead
of being bored in lines, supermarkets and useless presentations. Maybe
you can find something useful.

Keywords are imagination, creativity and flexibility.

01 - Create a memory palace.
This technique is described in Thomas Harris' Hannibal , where you create an imaginary building (based on a real one) in which each room or object is related to something you want to remember.
I tried it once and it worked fine but I need to practice it more.

Mind Palace

02 - Fill in and decorate your memory palace.
Adding more details can improve your palace and your memory too.

03 - Create a 100 items list.
Creating great lists can help you focus on what is important for you.
I tried this one once (see my previous article) and despite not using
any of its items directly, I’ve found it both fun and useful.
Approved!

100 lists

04 - Create a frog list.
This idea is inspired by the concept Swallow that frog!
Collect things that need to be done but you really don’t want to do (this is the frog you have to swallow). Just remembering the items is already useful.
I have not tried this one yet but I must admit this is sorely needed. It will be my first frog.
Frogs concept

05 - Create a 10 list.Pick any relevant issue and create a list of 10 things that
you do to carry it out or in support of it.
E.g. Health: 1. Drink more water; 2. Exercise 60 minutes a day. 3. Use stairs instead of lifts, etc. I’m a fan of this technique.

06 - List good qualities of your friends.
Its always refreshing. I like this one.

07 - List good qualities of your enemies.
I hate this one.

08 - Create quality criteria for your tasks.
At least this makes it measurable. For example this article should have no fewer than 30 suggestions.

09 - Play with forms.
Imagine a square, then rotate it. Fill it with patterns, then fill
it with colors. Create a cube from it then a hypercube. Play with size, shape and
color. After that, play with sounds and smells. Try to feel them like it was real.
It looks like being fun.

10 - Play with body shapes.
Imagine a known face, then imagine it with a mustache, two noses, then
being fat, blonde, without a neck. Alternatively try to create a
chimera with parts of two or three people who you
know.
It looks like being fun.

11- Create a marketing campaign to sell yourself.
Create your own brand. I will try hard on this one because it seems very useful to me.

12- Create a jingle for yourself. Make it unique and fun.

13 - Imagine yourself as a virus.
Inspired by Dawkin's concept of memetics:
Memetics
How could you be present in the mind of other people as much as it would be possible?

14 - Visualize a perfect body for yourself. Imagine how it could be.

15 - Project a better human head.
This is from Edward De Bono. Experiment with different possibilities (instead of simply adding an extra eye).

16 - Create an aphorism.
Imagine yourself as Garfield. You can start with comparisons, e.g. "Life is like a nail: You
just want to nail it down, but quite often it nails you down."

17 - Write a poem or simply a rhyme.
Everyone has tried to write a poem once. Any one of us is at least a mediocre poet but this should not
prevent us from enjoying the process of creating poetry, or at least a witty phrase. You can even try to borrow some starters e.g.
"She walks in beauty as the night". Just don't publish your work!

18 - Invent new words. This is how Tolkien started.

19 - Meditate, soft focus.
Just pay close attention to your thoughts for a set period of time. Try to see your thoughts as someone else looking back at you. Do not make any judgements. This is harder than it seems.

20 - Meditate, hard focus. Take a concept and try to focus on it without interruption for a set period of
time. It is easier to start with a tangible, known example. The classic one is the rose.

21 - Describe the structure of a movie or a book. Separate the elements of a work of fiction that you know.
Who are the characters, what is the main plot, the secondary ones, etc. You can even propose an
alternate ending.

22 - Find improvements in your environment.
Better lighting, flow of people, security, etc. It would be useful if you could, implement this in your workspace.

23 - Imagine entries for your blog.
What would you like to write about?

24 - Take your first baby steps toward writing your next novel.
Start with the title. Mine will be The crimes of Dracula (awful, isn’t it?).

25 - Recall the 5 best moments in your life.
Inspired by the 1970 movie Tribes (a.k.a. The Soldier Who Declared
Peace). It could motivate you before you take on any annoying or challenging task.

26 - Recall as many details as possible the most beautiful image that you ever saw.
Make a mental picture and put it in your memory palace. How do you like it?

27 - Create a VISION for your next software product. If you don’t understand this one, either don't
bother or then read about RUP.

28 - List the main risks that you face right now. Create some prevention strategies.

29 - Start to imagine your personal legend.
Inspired by the cult Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho. Be impartial even if you don’t like the author or the concept.
More information in
Personal Legend

30 - Create imaginary dialogues with extraordinary people.
Speak with Leonardo da Vinci about your problems.
Plato anyone?

31 - Imagine conversations without your participation.
What would be a conversation between Einstein, Buddha and Nietsche? What advice would Mark Twain
give Donald Duck about relationships?

32 - Feel your heart beating.
If you can’t, ask someone else. If he can't either, call a doctor.

33 - Be sad for five minutes. Setting the time you allow yourself to feel a negative emotion can be very useful, as I found
out myself.
If you are sad, angry or something else try to let it run for only 15 minutes, maximum. If
this is hard for you,] try to schedule a time for it. "I will became mad about this tomorrow between 9 and 10".
Nonsense? Well, being mad about something is not reasonable, to start with.

34 - Link three unrelated concepts.
Take some random words and link them into a single concept. Flex your creative muscles.

35 - Create a mind-virtual camera.
This was inspired by O.S. Card's Speaker for the Death.
Imagine that your brain is a movie camera and your eyes the lens. You
are able to record any fact and play it afterwards. Try to
remember things exactly as they were recorded. Alternatively,
you can imagine that you have a spy camera to spy on anything that interests you, it’s all in
your imagination, of course.
I never tried this one but I will for sure because it seems very fun.

36 Create stories about people you don’t know.
You may be able to create some characters for your next novel.

37 - Look at typefaces. Are they adequate? Do they convey the correct
idea, and are they synergetic with the product? Are the size, weight, color adequate to the
message? How can they be improved?

38 - If you play a strategic game (like chess), you can play it in your mind.

39 - Say a mantra. Mantras are repetitive words (or phrases) that are
meant to free your mind from thoughts, allowing you to
concentrate on your senses (this is obviously an oversimplification). The most famous one is "Om mani padme hum" but if
you aren't fond of Buddhism you can try Bene Gesserit's (from Frank Herbert's Dune) "The fear is the killer of the mind".
I find this technique useful and use it from time to time.

40 - Create new ways to make your brain your playground.
This is how I started.

You can see above the practical result of my effort. It took me:
- 1 hour to create the 100 list for my last post
- 1 hour to correct the list (thanks MMJr!)
- 30 minutes to create the first mind map (attached):http://fier.litemind.com/LSF-37ways.jpg/
- 30 min to create the digital mind map (attached):
http://fier.litemind.com/MindPlayG.mmap/
- 3 hours to write the article
- Some effort from my brain.

Your servant fier.

100 list startup

2007-11-12T14:46:00.000-08:00

One of the goals of this blog is to show how I implement some techniques. It will help me to improve and find errors I don't see at first sight. Naturally I created mindmaps about the development of this blog but now I have some tasks to do prior the implementation of them.

I found the 100 list technique here:
http://litemind.com/tackle-any-issue-with-a-list-of-100/

and will participate in this intersting project:
http://litemind.com/lists-group-writing-project/

100 subjects for List group writing projects
1 chess - best books by subject
2 chess - how to build a library
3 chess - how to improve myself
4 books - the best books I read
5 books - why they are remarkable
6 techniques - which are the best
7 techniques - tools
8 techniques - GTD
9 techniques - improving GTD
10 techniques - how to remember things
11 techniques - how to become rich
12 techniques - how to get organized
13 techniques - how to organize at the right level
14 movies - how to get the maximum from a movie
15 language - tips to improve learning a foreign language
16 language - reasons to learn a foreign language
17 language - improving your thoughts through language
18 brain - how to improve your brain's performance
19 health - reasons to exercise when you don't like it
20 chess - reasons to play chess
21 moleskine - reasons to start one
22 writing - habits
23 writing - fun of caligraphy
24 net - ideas to use the internet as a tool
25 photos - why start a photolog
26 better me 2.3
27 how to be an efficective generalist
28 reasons to be a specialist
29 the path of the middle
30 how to search for aliens
31 how to see the world through the eyes of a child
32 lessons learned when making lists
33 reasons to read works of literature
34 outstanding books on performance
35 reasons to use paper instead of eletronic media
36 reasons to study calligraphy
37 reasons to make book summaries
38 reasons to praise your friends
39 reasons to meditate
40 reasons to write poetry
41 reasons to read a new book each week
42 reasons to nurture a personal network
43 reasons to create and maintain a blog
44 reasons to learn to draw
45 reasons to buy things
46 reasons to declutter
47 reasons to clutter up
48 ways to predict the future
49 ways to create a risk list
50 ways to explain things
51 ways to create a good mindmap
52 ways to make a plan
53 ways to differentiate plans from projects
54 best hacks
55 ways to approach someone you don't know
56 ways to keep a good sense of humour
57 reasons to keep good humour
58 how to go from reasons to do something to ways to do something
59 reasons to learn perspective
60 reasons to have a logo
61 reasons to start a journal
62 techniques to do your weekly review
63 ways to better use the technology you have
64 redemption: lessons from the steppenwolf
65 best low-costwines
66 funny things that I saw in Buenos Aires
67 best qualities in the best people I know
68 the best things I have ever done
69 the best things I did this year
70 how to turn around a bad situation
71 ways to use your imagination creatively
72 imagination x creativity x methodology
73 how to create your own brand
74 ow to please others without losing yourself
75 changing habits
76 the power of habit
77 how to use a mandala diary
78 how to use a dreams diary
79 using psychology for your own benefity
80 using happiness for your own benefit
81 how to develop patience
82 how to balance agility and calm
83 how to read a book
84 how to allocate your time
85 turn something mediocre into something outstanding
86 how to cook unusual dishes
87 how to plan your retirement
88 how to write a book
89 reasons to enjoy Mondays
90 reasons to have more free time
91 reasons to have discipline
92 ways to cultivate discipline
93 ways to get more from your drawings
94 ways to feel the correct timing
95 strategy of intuition
96 using your senses
97 ways to create positive imbalances
98 using the imbalances technique in your daily life
99 ways to avoid boredom
100 how to use your notebook

3. Next steps: analyze and prioritize. For now I like the technique.

fier.

Book: Intelligence Frontiers

2007-10-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

by Nilton Bonder.
One of my dearest projects was to create a mindmap (see below) about the book Borders of Intelligence by Nilton Bonder.

If you want an introduction about Mindmaps:
http://litemind.com/what-is-mind-mapping/

And finally the mindmap: http://fier.litemind.com/Intelligence_Borders.mmap/

Try it.

When you believe that you know too much...

2007-10-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

or too little and its time to think about life:

Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse.

Its refreshing to take a look at the development and blossoming of a personality that could be ourselves.

Simplicity = Sanity

2007-09-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

John Maeda's 10 laws of simplicity

Law 1 Reduce: The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.

Law 2 Organize: Organization makes a system of many appear fewer.

Law 3 Time: Savings in time feel like simplicity.

Law 4 Learn: Knowledge makes everything simpler.

Law 5 Differences: Simplicity and complexity need each other.

Law 6 Context: What lies in the periphery of simplicity is definitely not peripheral.

Law 7 Emotion: More emotions are better than less.

Law 8 Trust: In simplicity we trust.

Law 9 Failure: Some things can never be made simple.

Law 10 The One: Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.

http://lawsofsimplicity.com/
http://www.tompeters.com/cool_friends/content.php?note=009446.php

Equilibrium

2007-09-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

For those who search to be more produtive, one of the keys is equilibrium, the first step to harmony. So we cannot forget about the spirit. I've always loved the following poem. Hope you like it too:

For those who have hurt me, knowingly or unknowingly
in thought, word, or deed, I freely forgive.
And for those whom I have hurt,
knowingly or unknowingly in thought, word, or deed,
I ask forgiveness.
May I be happy, may I be peaceful, may I be free.
May my friends be happy, may my friends be peaceful, may my friends be free.
May my enemies be happy, may my enemies be peaceful, may my enemies be free.
May all beings be happy, may all beings be peaceful, may all beings be free.
(Buddhist prayer)

Your servant,

Fier.

Plain, simple, meaningful

2007-09-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

According to John Maeda "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful"

I would like to be like that but there is a long way ...

The best I can do right now is this entry.

http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/SIMPLICITY/

http://web.mac.com/calpurnio/iWeb/Calpur/CalpurHOME.html

Your servant,

Luciano Fier.

Polishing the brick

2007-09-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Frank Outlaw.

Hey, lets do a little test together? Pick up your moleskine and a really fancy pen, ok if you don't dig these things, you'll need only to think for a while.
Ok, lets start: think about something in what you really love to be well succeed but your results so far not being as good as you want. Difficult, congratulations! For me it was easy - chess is something that I'll love to play better than my feeble results in this last 20 years. Now write down 3 things that you intend to do to improve your results.
If you're like me the things that you wrote and the things that you want to improve your results are different. In this kind of situation I tend to do enjoyable things that I like to do instead. In chess what I really need is to exercise and analyse my own games. My list consists in buying more books and perhaps subscribe a magazine. It is like trying obtain a mirror by polishing a brick and after the initial insucess trying to polish it harder. Said that lets find some reasons for such a unreasonable behavior. In my case I tend to feel more secure if I have plenty resource to deal with each problem. But I tend to like more collecting resources than deal with the issue itself. This makes me feel that I'm doing something towards the solution but it doesn't really helps to deal with the problem. There are other possible reasons: the joy of collecting things, the joy of the organization itself and the joy of not put the hands on the dirty part of the job. Meanwhile I can dream about the beautiful mirror I will get by polishing that darn brick.
What is the solution? Well I did not promised any solutions did I? Anyway I think that awareness is a good start. Other approach is try to find a middle term between things that I like and things that are really necessary. And finally I find it important to share. Any suggestions?

Luciano

What's is a Mind Moleskine after all?

2007-08-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome!

I like definitions. Don't you? Even if you don't like them, theyare so easy to skip. As I said, I'm fond of them, so:

Mind: Mind refers to the joint aspects of intellect and consciousness which are manifest in some combination of thought,perception, emotion, will and imagination.
Moleskine: Although the name may be confused with a generic term (Moleskin), the Moleskine (pronounced /mol-a-skeen'-a) is a brand of notebook manufactured by Moleskine srl, an Italian company. The Moleskine is bound in oilcloth-covered cardboard, with an elastic band to hold the notebook closed and a sewn spine that allows it to lie flat when opened. (wikipedia)Moleskine's most famous endorsement comes from Bruce Chatwin, who used similar notebooks constantly throughout his travels, and wrote about them glowingly. Other luminaries include Hemingway, Picasso and Van Gogh.

Bruce Chatwin - 'Losing my passport was the least of my worries, losing a notebook was a catastrophe'.

I've always been fascinated by other people notes. I'ts like take a peek on their thoughts, always so intersting. When I started searching I found several different and interesting ways to take notes, but I later realized that owning a Moleskine isn't what matters, it's what's in the mind and what comes through the hands of its owner. But later I'd quickly discovered that own a Moleskine doesn't make it intersting because what it matters is the mind and the hand of the owner. As my hands have always been rebellious to my continuous tries to make them more artistically creative like drawing and calligraphy, I came to the conclusion that the really best Moleskine I can produce is in my mind. So this blog is about stuff that I would like to record on my Moleskine, if I had one and if my hands were more cooperative.It's about stuff that I find interesting, including but notrestricted to mind, GTD, mind maps, Moleskines, Zen, art, chess,design, DIY and above all my doubts, since the real opportunities for improvement lie not in the extremes of black and white, but in the gray area in between, don't you agree? I'll try to put a post every two weeks and do it while there is interest andfeedback. As English is not my first language, corrections, amendments, hints and suggestions are most welcome.

Links:
www.modoemodo.com
http://www.moleskineus.com/
http://www.moleskinerie.com/
http://www.moleskine.com/eng/default.htm

Books: The Mind's I - Douglas Hofstadter ed.

Your servant - Luciano Fier

Next - Polishing the brick