productivity

You Can’t Think If You’re Always Thinking

Ethan Banks · 3 minutes to read

^{Published March 26, 2021 · Updated March 26, 2021}

My mind brings revelations to the surface when I’m out in the woods hiking, biking, or running, as I rarely listen to media when I’m out there. (It’s the bears, you see. Gotta listen for those bears.) So, why don’t I create more quiet time for myself?

Opting Out Of Toxic Culture

Ethan Banks · 2 minutes to read

^{Published July 12, 2019 · Updated July 12, 2019}

When toxicity spills over into my timeline despite my best filtering efforts, my head goes to a bad place. I lose focus on work, finding myself instead brooding on the dark proclamations of the vocal bitter who wield hashtags as cudgels.

The Mythical Eight Hour Workday

Ethan Banks · 3 minutes to read

^{Published May 7, 2019 · Updated May 7, 2019}

With more days than I want falling into a pattern of working more hours than I’d like, I’ve gotten serious about determining what the problem is. Do I need to turn away projects? Should I hire someone to handle some of the load? Am I not embracing the life of a stereotypical small business owner? Or is this just a matter of being inefficient?

Improve Productivity. Shut Off Notifications. (YouTube)

Ethan Banks · < 1 minute to read

^{Published March 4, 2019 · Updated March 4, 2019}

Here’s a short car video where I recommend shutting off notifications as a way to increase productivity. Spoiler alert. That’s pretty much the summary of the entire video, so you can save yourself the four minutes. Or…watch it to get the nuance.

Leveraging Desktop Real Estate To Decrease Distractions

Ethan Banks · 5 minutes to read

^{Published February 4, 2019 · Updated February 4, 2019}

In a dual-monitor setup, carefully planned application placement can help avoid broken flow states, improving productivity.

Don’t Reply To Everything

Ethan Banks · 3 minutes to read

^{Published May 14, 2018 · Updated May 14, 2018}

I like to meet other’s expectations, and have them think cuddly, happy thoughts about what a swell person I am. I know that when I send an email, I hope to get a response. Therefore, when I receive an e-mail, my natural inclination is to respond.