1/9/2009 by Brian Mavity
It's 2009, a new year, time for resolutions, end of the year blog lists, and future plan blog posts. I decided to share my resolutions in a blog post, but then I remembered that resolutions suck eggs (Yeah, I said eggs). This left me with a choice between some type of clever list or my future plans. Sadly for the world, the clever bug has not bitten me in quite a while so it is stuck with my plans for the new year. As an added bonus, it's going to be a two parter!
The Book
Over my Christmas break, I read Pragmatic Thinking and Learning from the Pragmatic Programmers. I was quite impressed with the ideas and how they were presented. In a nutshell (hah!), the book describes the human brain as having two modes: linear (L) and rich (R). (The "L" and the "R" correspond to the misnomer of a left and right brain) It describes how they function and how this relates to the ways in which software developers work. It goes on to recommend various actions that can be used to improve mental performance and awareness.
In typical Brian Mavity (that's me) fashion, I became so highly motivated to start putting some these ideas into practice that I was ready to try about 30 of them at once. The phrase, "Like a kid in a candy store," comes to mind. But when rereading the part of the book that I will discuss next, the recommendation was to focus on the one most important thing that I could do right now. (it's like it just knows... freaky!)
A Focused Plan of Action
Because that advice is also in the spirit of being lean, I decided on developing a Pragmatic Investment Plan. A quick Google search will highlight that I am not the first person to have this idea, but the idea is so compelling that I am quite sure I will not be the last. That will likely be the topic of my next blog post. (Maybe I should change my blog title to "Welcome to Snoozeville.")
Ok, Maybe Not
Unfortunately, while I did identify the one next step, I couldn't just limit myself to one idea. I decided on including two more items that I feel will be very beneficial. Mind maps and morning writings.
Mind maps are a type of visual outline that are drawn on unlined paper. They allow for a structured, yet extremely creative, arrangement of concepts and ideas. I have already created a couple of these, and my early impressions are positive. The way I arrange the items on the paper frees my mind to be creative in a way that a traditional outline would not. As a side note, mind maps are apparently extremely common in Europe while being almost non existent in the United States. Weird.
And finally, morning writings are a way to get ideas flowing before your linear mode kicks in. The premise is that if you write (not type) 3 pages a day just after you wake up, you will begin to express ideas that have been brewing in the rich mode of your brain. This means before coffee, before showering, before breakfast. First thing. I figure that I need practice writing, so any extra creativity will be a bonus. It'll be worth a shot.
Two Days in a Row! What's next?
I hope everyone has had a great 2009 so far, and I look forward to providing you with some interesting content (at some point). If you're looking for a unique perspective on learning and creativity, I highly recommend Pragmatic Thinking and Learning. Keep an eye out for a detailed description of my Pragmatic Investment Plan and how I went about deciding on it. And remember, resolutions suck eggs.