Little Systems are Go!
April 3rd, 2008Some of the things that I’ve been doing for ages just don’t work. Little things that are now irritating; “systems” in my life that I don’t like.
My computer screen is so busy. I often have multiple programmes open, the screen bright and distracting. I find it really irritating, so I make a change. I find this software programme that keeps my screen black and I can only see the programme I’m working on. Sorry, it’s Mac only. My toolbar is blacked out as well. Nothing but the program I’m using now. My thoughts slow to a reasonable speed. My little system is great.
Sometimes it’s just little things that we do routinely that we need to change. It doesn’t have to be major upheaval to make a big impact on your well-being. Think about the routine things that make you groan. Can you do these in a different way? I don’t read Lifehack, but plenty of people gather ideas there.
Anna hates unpacking the shopping. She has no problem spending 2 hours getting the things but hates the 15 minutes of transfer. She now brings bags in one at a time, and unpacks each one before she gets another from the car. It never becomes overwhelming. (We all have our peculiarities).
Our latest, greatest little system change has been forcing the kids to tidy their rooms before they can watch the computer or TV. Every day. Wow. We live in a different house.
Feel free to share your little systems below.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Funny, I have just been thinking about this. I came up with a fun new process yesterday for planting in my garden. First I use a cultivator to move away the mulch. Then I dig the hole and put the dirt into a cardboard box. Next I insert the plant and dump the dirt back into the hole. Finally, I move the mulch back around the new plant.
It used to be that my dirt and mulch got all mixed up and left everything looking awful, plus it was a pain. Dumping the soil in the box makes things simpler. This week I’ve installed 45 new plants and this innovation made it a lot more fun.
April 4th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
The best book I ever read on this topic was “Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter” by Elaine St James. I read this book years ago and still remember it fondly.
If you go to amazon.com you can read the table of contents of the book for 100 of her ideas. The book is simple, easy to read, easy to implement, and most importantly each idea is straight to the point of simplifying your life.
Your Wandering Mind
April 5th, 2008 at 3:36 am
You have made depression software? What a world we live in. I’m quite amazed.
This is actually the second mental health post I’ve read today about tidying up. Odd because I’ve never really considered it before. I live in chaos. I must examine that.
In terms of routine, I both love and loathe my rut. I know what I like and, while every now and again I tell myself I’d love to make a change and go out and meet and make friends, or become a rock star or whatever, the truth is that I jut like the lack of effort my life requires. It’s not simply laziness (though that’s certainly a part of it) - it’s that the rut is my rut. It’s my comfort. It’s what I know.
And yet, every day that goes by, I feel like I’m a day closer to death with nothing achieved. Every now and again, the passage of time hits me like a truck made of granite that has been launched out of a cannon into my gut (it’s not a very large truck).
But maybe you’re on to something. Maybe it’s the little changes. Maybe it’s just that small tidy up. Putting one thing where it should be.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Thank you for this blog. It is my first visit and I strangely feel at home here.
I don’t think the program was named in the article, but I use a program called Think, which dims the screen to a specified brightness and only allows whatever windows I deem necessary to be lit up. Truly great software.
One thing I miss is gonna sound really crazy, but a tv show called New Morning (weekday version). It was on Hallmark channel here in the states, and while it was really tailored to women, it was this absolutely wonderful way to wake up. It featured stories and elements of the new day beginning in a way that just made you want to get up and make great things happen. It was not a show like something a motivational speaker would do, but rather like grandparents gently passing on the blessing of the day. I know that sounds strange and I am probably off my rocker, but it really worked for me. Unfortunately, in an age of shock and awe tv and the inevitable ratings game, it has disappeared.
As that show reminded me, getting the day started off on a positive and optimistic note can make the difference between a great day and a bad day. As most would say, life is in the little details that matter, and when the mind starts out on that path in the morning, like a plant, you seem to grow better and more ready and able to weather any storm or squall that may come along.
For what it is worth, I think while this whole world is connected in millions of different ways, we have lost the real ability to connect. I don’t just mean with people, but with life’s pursuits, and even our own aspirations.
I have a curious question for those here and that is how many people live for a deep and meaningful conversation? Is it just me, or have those conversations in this world disappeared? Maybe it is just me, but it seems to be frequent of creative types.
Take care all and make sure to live life like you mean it!
-jason
April 29th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
It is true, living in a mess can make us even more stressed out and Depressed.
The first step towards cleansing ur innerself is cleaning ur house. You never know what a feeling u’ll have once it is done.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I’m so glad I found your site. I don’t think there’s a post yet that I haven’t related to. Nice to see another person who “gets it”.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I learned about this software at Palluxo http://www.palluxo.com/2008/04/28/mac-users-have-another-reason-to-feel-great/
You haven’t listed any system requirements for this software on your site. Why?
May 26th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I want to check out that book that The Wandering Mind mentioned in the comments. My newest little “system” to slow down is to take my dog for a walk BEFORE showering in the morning. This way if I am running late I take a shorter shower instead of skimping on our walk and my time outside. For computer simplicity. I only use a google plain site for home page. If I want to read the news, I go to a news page, if I want to know the weather, I look out the window. I hate being bombarded with information at every turn. I know where to go to find the information I need.
June 1st, 2008 at 7:51 am
Re: “software programme that keeps my screen black and I can only see the programme I’m working on.”
Can you share what this program is? I tried to google for it but no joy. It sounds like something I could use! Ta!
June 1st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Hi Russ,
Would you believe I stopped using it a while ago, because I worked out a system I like more, and now I can’t remember the name either. I’ll post it if I remember.
I’ll explain my new, more complex system, but it will only help you if you’re using a Mac. I don’t know how to do it on Windows.
I have a completely black desktop, which I created by putting a 100% black jpg image in my pictures folder and pointing to it in System Preferences. This alone is surprisingly soothing. I don’t keep anything in the dock and I make it disappear when I’m not using it (Dock preferences). I’ve placed it in the top left corner of my screen because I rarely point the mouse over there. And I use a little program called Menu Shade to turn the menu to black. It works with all applications except for any specific ones for which you want it to show. It also appears if you roll over it. Unfortunately Menu Shade hasn’t been updated for OS version 10.5.
In 10.4 I use Quicksilver instead of the Finder and I “hide” open apps in the Dock, to keep the screen black. Also I don’t have anything at all on the desktop thanks to Quicksilver. In 10.5 Spaces works really well to keep only your current app visible. With regards the app that I was using, I think your best bet is to look for it in versiontracker.com. There are also text editors that do the same thing, with the purpose of nil distractions while writing. These will be easier to find. I believe professional writers are using them a lot to help them retain focus.
I hope that helps.