How I Work
Continuing with the current theme of retrospection, today I am taking an extensive look at how I work on a regular basis. No two people have identical styles or models for success, but here are both some of the things I do that foster success, and some things that I need to manage more carefully moving forward that might inspire you to do some self-reflection.
Location: Willmar, Minnesota. Rural community of about 20,000 people located about 100 miles due west of Minneapolis, has served as my hometown (when not located in Minneapolis) since 2001.
Current Gig: I work roughly 55 hours a week as a Human Services Technician for Divine Home Care, in a group home setting helping 4 guys live their lives to the fullest possible capacity. Also I am enrolled in Praxis, a 12 month professional development program set to help me explore the business world and teach me how to be successful in it.
Current Mobile Device: I just recently upgraded from the iPhone 6 to the iPhone XS. Still getting used to not having a home button.
Current Computer: I do my work on a 2017 13” Macbook Pro. Nothing too fancy at this point and is consistently reliable.
One word that best describes how you work: Methodical – I normally like to establish a plan of attack before going at a project or task. I don’t fleece out every tiny detail, but having a blueprint to reference is key for me in staying focused on a central idea/task and is instrumental in my accomplishments.
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?: I spend an indefensible amount of time on Twitter. I get most of my news updates and general information from there, but also I enjoy the humor and community aspect that Twitter provides. A lot of it is irrelevant, I will be the first to tell you that, but the positives have been too great for me to unplug at this point.
What’s your workspace like?: Normally you can find me at work upstairs in my room, seated in my comfy, black, desk chair at my fairly large wooden desk which faces the window. I do my best to keep it as clear as possible because I find clutter bothersome in general, but also because whatever is in the clutter may be distracting by nature.
What’s your best time-saving trick?: “If it can be completed in 10 minutes or less, then do it now.” This trick is plastered all over the place, but for good reason. I’ve recently begun adopting it into my daily life and I am already starting to see the benefits. I used to let things that I may have considered nonessential until a later date until I was overwhelmed, but actually doing the task as it crosses my mind has allowed me to be more productive.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?: As I am writing this post, I do not have a reliable to-do list manager that I use outside of just a list of things I want to accomplish in my notes on my laptop. I plan to change that in the very near future (as it would contribute greatly to my methodical process), considering the fact that as my list starts to grow it will be necessary to have a singular location to have all of my tasks.
Besides your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without?: I use my phone and laptop pretty universally, but another gadget I use on a consistent basis is my Kindle. I hesitate to place this here because I could live without it (I think books are still a thing in 2019 but I’m not sure), but being able to have 100 in one place is very handy.
What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?: Withholding immediate judgement. One persistent problem that I see all over social media, the news, and even in daily interaction is people mobbing against someone or an idea that has the potential to be problematic. Before explaining, I think it’s important to note that I am a firm believer in holding people accountable for their opinions; however, I think establishing the context and taking a more widespread inspection before unleashing a response is crucial to productive discourse. Often people do need to be checked – I get that – but offering others the benefit of the doubt is something I believe I excel at.
What are you currently reading?: Right now I am reading 2 very different novels. The first is “A Game of Thrones”, the first establishment in the wildly popular A Song of Ice and Fire book series. As a huge fan of the show, I decided I owed it to myself to go through the source material since it’s lauded as much better than the show. Also, I am reading the true-crime novel “In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote, for no other reason than I saw it in a book store and had to see what all the hype was about.
What do you listen to while you work?: Simple answer – all sorts of stuff. When writing, I usually prefer instrumental, whether it be classical, jazz, or r&b. For all other projects, I listen to my normal repertoire of music. On any given day, you could find me listening to R&B (Frank Ocean, Daniel Caesar), classic rock (Queen, Pink Floyd), broadway shows (Hamilton, Les Miserables), jazz (Sinatra, Seth Macfarlane), punk-pop (Blink 182), indie/alternative (Alt J, Alabama Shakes), and I could keep going on.
Are you more of an introvert of an extrovert?: As most people I have shown shades of both, but I would classify myself as an introvert with extroversive tendencies. I love meeting with people and engaging in social events, but I have a “social bar” that needs to be recharged somewhat regularly. I value my alone time and my privacy, but that isn’t a perpetual need.
What’s your sleep routine like?: My regular week is fairly routine, but since I work in an industry that requires me to sleep overnight at the house which I’m working in, some of my sleep schedule is determined by my work schedule. I do on average 3 overnights a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday), and on those days I’m in bed by 11:00 and I’m awake between 6:30-7:00. When I sleep at home it isn’t too different, just pushed back a bit. On average I’m in bed by 12:00-12:30 at the latest, and I’m awake between 8:00-9:00.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?: A lot of wise advice I’ve received could fit here, but one that slaps me in the face the most often has to do with forgiveness and allowing other people to make mistakes. “You can’t justly judge yourself based off of your intentions and judge others based off of their actions”. This was instrumental in becoming good at withholding judgement like I previously mentioned. That doesn’t mean forgive everything and forget, I believe in accountability, but before getting frustrated with someone I run this piece of advice through my mind and usually handle the situation in a much more levelheaded manner.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?: Everyone has things to work on to become a more productive individual. For me, one thing I can do is find and get comfortable with a to-do list manger to keep myself organized. If you feel you have more to offer that your current state, take a few minutes and do this exercise for yourself. You might find something to work on, and there is a good chance you will learn something about yourself that hadn’t put in to words before.