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Reblogged from badasswolf
When I’m in the library, I tend to focus on my work more, do it faster, and do it better.
I thought maybe the reason was because I isolated myself from distractions, but when I thought about it, I was eating, listening to music, and chatting on AIM while I was in the library..so isolation wasn’t the reason why I was more focused.
And then I had an idea: maybe I was focused more because I had designated the library as my “thinking” space. I know that when I’m in the library I am doing work, and not messing around. Perhaps it’s all psychological.
So,
I decided to designate my desk as my serious “thought” space, and my bed as my “goof off on the internet” space…
and honestly
ever since I did that, I have become way more focused on my work. I have produced work that would have taken me double the time to produce, and feel more driven than when I had no designated “think” space.
I know a lot of my friends are suffering from senioritis or spring fever…
so, I suggest to them: try designating a space in your apartment or dorm for only serious work.
It seems to be working for me!
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I was the oldest person at the midnight showing of the Hunger Games that I went to last night…
At first I was brooding a bit…
pulling a whole “Steel Train” moment (my “Steel Train” moment was that Steven and I stood off to the side of the stage and did not swing or move or do anything fun. We didn’t even smile the entire show. We looked like grumpy chaparones instead of concert-goers. Because we were really old compared to everyone else there. Except the band. And I was nineteen.)
But then when the previews started, and there was a glitch and everyone was screaming and freaking out because they were ceratinly going to die if they didn’t see the previews correctly, I thought about how fantastic it is that all these kids are this passionate about an adaptation of a book…that isn’t Harry Potter.
The Hunger Games is not Harry Potter.
But the Hunger Games is their Harry Potter and Harry Potter is my Hunger Games.
Life is such a beautifully symmetric.. thing..
One day I’ll have kids
and they’ll have their own version of Harry Potter
and I will take them to the midnight show.
And I will make them dress up as their favorite characters.
And I will dress up as my favorite character.
And I will think back to this moment. Right now. when I realized this was all going to happen.
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I have an Amazon Prime account (because I’m fancy) and recently I’ve been using Amazon Streaming (because Netflix doesn’t have what I wanted to watch, but Amazon does).
And sure. There are going to be differences in content…but when you’re competing with a heavy weight company like Netflix (even if you’re a heavy weight yourself, or you’re both light weights, or one of you is … you get the point) why wouldn’t you adapt their positive functionality to your site?
For this example, I’m watching a TV series on Amazon Streaming.
And there is no “next episode” button like there is on Netflix.
I have to click…three different things to get the next episode going.
What I love about Netflix is that I can mindlessly watch an entire series without once having to reload the page. Without having to do much more than wait for the credits to roll, and if THAT’s too much for me, then to click the button on the bottom of the screen.
That is a function that I have learned I can’t live without.
It’s like with Windows 7’s “sticky” hot key.
I go on my mom’s computer that has XP and I almost struggle to use her computer because it doesn’t have that function. At the time that I used XP, I was fine, but that’s the thing about innovations: if in the next Windows OS they eliminated that feature I’d be lost. We can’t back track.
If suddenly all of the iPods (or MP3 players) in the world stopped working and we had to go back to walkmen…we would hate it.
When innovations occur, it’s only wise to incorporate them in your own design. This is why almost everything has an MP3 player or camera in it. We don’t need to keep recreating the wheel. When we like something, we want it.
The missing next button inspired me to not only make this post, but actually send in a suggestion (like they haven’t heard it before lol). That missing piece of functionality leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth for Amazon Streaming, and if Netflix offered the show I want to watch, I would certainly pick watching it over on Netflix instead of Amazon.
In a round about way, I feel like this post is going to have to talk about how Tumblr should embrace Missing E.
Don’t ignore innovations, Dave. Having user added content can only help you succeed.
If you’re a stick in the mud about something that a lot of your audience wants, some innovative functionality for your site, your audience will eventually move to a place that offers what you won’t. What you’re offering us here, Dave, is not something that is entirely unique. The internet offers many facets for us to be social. The social element of Tumblr is not what will keep us around forever, but the loss of functionality (blocking Missing E, putting up snarky messages about it, etc) will lead to you losing us. This is a free market: we can give you life, and we can take it away.
Embrace the changes. Embrace good ideas. Keep looking forward instead of backpedaling.
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