Comments on: Information Overload and Creativity – Simplicity is the key http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/ A geek chronicle Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:14:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: commodity trader http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/comment-page-1/#comment-476 commodity trader Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:41:18 +0000 http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/#comment-476 I thought you made an especially good point with the "real favs" list. It's so easy to get drowned in excessive links, feeds, updates etc. I agree wholeheartedly when you say "simplicity is the key". -also, you mentioned taking time to think about what you really enjoy... well this would be it for me, i really enjoy reading and interacting with fellow bloggers that actually have something interesting/engaging to say! so keep it up! I thought you made an especially good point with the “real favs” list. It’s so easy to get drowned in excessive links, feeds, updates etc. I agree wholeheartedly when you say “simplicity is the key”.
-also, you mentioned taking time to think about what you really enjoy… well this would be it for me, i really enjoy reading and interacting with fellow bloggers that actually have something interesting/engaging to say! so keep it up!

]]> By: Balaji http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/comment-page-1/#comment-459 Balaji Sat, 24 Jan 2009 09:16:22 +0000 http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/#comment-459 Hm, that necessarily implies that one is "better" than the other.. oooh, tough one. Easier to just add one more and be done with it :P Hm, that necessarily implies that one is “better” than the other.. oooh, tough one. Easier to just add one more and be done with it :P

]]> By: Ashwin Nanjappa http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/comment-page-1/#comment-458 Ashwin Nanjappa Sat, 24 Jan 2009 07:26:19 +0000 http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/#comment-458 Get one, drop one, peaks the S/N :mrgreen: That's because what's being added has to be greater-than the quality/importance/interestingness of the one dropped. The real problem is that it's hard to hold back the temptation to add more feeds/books. Get one, drop one, peaks the S/N :mrgreen: That’s because what’s being added has to be greater-than the quality/importance/interestingness of the one dropped. The real problem is that it’s hard to hold back the temptation to add more feeds/books.

]]> By: Balaji http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/comment-page-1/#comment-457 Balaji Sat, 24 Jan 2009 07:02:05 +0000 http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/#comment-457 Ashwin: I agree with you about having to watch how many feeds one can "comfortably" process. That said, I'm not sure I'd be willing to adopt a "get one,drop one" strategy. If the content is compelling enough that I'm actively interested in adding to my reading list, i'd say it was improving my S/N level and "get one/drop one" seems to imply one is stuck at a certain S/N level. I have currently 79 books on my to read list which is about about 80 weeks worth of reading. Fairly achievable I'd say :) I'm glad you mentioned the importance of having "quiet time" - that 2 odd weeks without anything to do but reflect on things and the output from that period really drove home the point for me. It's being able to carve out that period every-day that I'm aiming for with this simplification exercise. Ashwin:

I agree with you about having to watch how many feeds one can “comfortably” process. That said, I’m not sure I’d be willing to adopt a “get one,drop one” strategy. If the content is compelling enough that I’m actively interested in adding to my reading list, i’d say it was improving my S/N level and “get one/drop one” seems to imply one is stuck at a certain S/N level.

I have currently 79 books on my to read list which is about about 80 weeks worth of reading. Fairly achievable I’d say :)

I’m glad you mentioned the importance of having “quiet time” – that 2 odd weeks without anything to do but reflect on things and the output from that period really drove home the point for me. It’s being able to carve out that period every-day that I’m aiming for with this simplification exercise.

]]> By: Ashwin Nanjappa http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/comment-page-1/#comment-456 Ashwin Nanjappa Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:42:42 +0000 http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/#comment-456 About information going only one way ... IMO you need to give higher priority for output tasks (writing, blogging etc.) than for input (reading feeds, news, etc.). As I've mentioned many times, if you have an idea for a blog post and also have a few feeds waiting, *always* do the former first. YOU are more important! The former is creative and sharing, the latter is only a bit better than watching TV. Also, important is time spent doing nothing ... quiet time spent in introspection and meditation. Incidentally, I realized this only recently and doing daily meditation is one of my goals for this year. See my latest journal post :wink: About information going only one way … IMO you need to give higher priority for output tasks (writing, blogging etc.) than for input (reading feeds, news, etc.). As I’ve mentioned many times, if you have an idea for a blog post and also have a few feeds waiting, *always* do the former first. YOU are more important! The former is creative and sharing, the latter is only a bit better than watching TV. Also, important is time spent doing nothing … quiet time spent in introspection and meditation. Incidentally, I realized this only recently and doing daily meditation is one of my goals for this year. See my latest journal post :wink:

]]> By: Ashwin Nanjappa http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/comment-page-1/#comment-455 Ashwin Nanjappa Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:27:54 +0000 http://blog.balaji-dutt.name/2009/01/23/information-overload-and-creativity-simplicity-is-the-key/#comment-455 In the last few months, I've been successful with handling information overload. Else there was no way I could have "created" time for new activities: guitar and basketball. The fundamental truth is: time we have is finite and fixed. The number of feeds/books/lists we keep adding on isn't. So, the solution is to make it finite. It took me a while to gauge how much feeds I could handle "comfortably" in a week. Using that information, I culled feeds with abandon to the "comfortable" list. Now if I need to add a new feed, I have forced myself to hold it to the light and compare with my existing feeds. Because if the new feed has to be added in, some other feed(s) has to be removed. Why? Because, my time is finite. After success with this, last month I did the same to my TO-READ book list. Whittled it down to 10 books. You folks keep bringing up tons of interesting books, but anything I find interesting I now compare against the 10 already there, if I feel its better than something already there, then that's deleted and this one goes in. Else (sadly) that one is forgotten. Sad, but I know my book reading rate and if I kept a 1000 book list, the sad reality is that there is no way I would finish it, even if reading is all I did all day. In the last few months, I’ve been successful with handling information overload. Else there was no way I could have “created” time for new activities: guitar and basketball.

The fundamental truth is: time we have is finite and fixed. The number of feeds/books/lists we keep adding on isn’t. So, the solution is to make it finite. It took me a while to gauge how much feeds I could handle “comfortably” in a week. Using that information, I culled feeds with abandon to the “comfortable” list. Now if I need to add a new feed, I have forced myself to hold it to the light and compare with my existing feeds. Because if the new feed has to be added in, some other feed(s) has to be removed. Why? Because, my time is finite.

After success with this, last month I did the same to my TO-READ book list. Whittled it down to 10 books. You folks keep bringing up tons of interesting books, but anything I find interesting I now compare against the 10 already there, if I feel its better than something already there, then that’s deleted and this one goes in. Else (sadly) that one is forgotten. Sad, but I know my book reading rate and if I kept a 1000 book list, the sad reality is that there is no way I would finish it, even if reading is all I did all day.

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