When it comes to my pursuit of more blissful mornings and getting more sleep, I’ve certainly had my slew of FAIL moments (like thinking going to bed 2 hours before my girlfriend was going to last), but I‘ve also come out the other side having learned a thing or two. I even built a texting buddy named Emile to help implement some of my wisdom.
So here are my DO’s and DON’Ts for using sleep to live a more intentional life:
I’m a night owl. In college I was one of those people who normally started work around 11 PM. But today I get up at 5 a.m. to write, and it’s one of the most important things I do to stay productive and hit my deadlines.
There’s a quality to my concentration in the early hours that is unique: because I’m a little bleary the door to my subconscious is still a little ajar, I’m not tempted to self-distract with Facebook, and I have the house to myself. In those early, focused hours, ideas come easily that would take immense effort later in the day; I write at a pace and quality that is hard (but not impossible) to achieve at other times. Read more
Meet John Kovalic. Cartoonist, illustrator, and writer.
John Kovalic’s cartoons have appeared everywhere from his hometown Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI) to The New York Times, and The Washington Post. His creations include the sell-out comic book sensation Dork Tower and “Dr. Blink: Superhero Shrink,” as well as Snapdragons, Newbies, Wild Life, Beached, and panel cartoons including Murphy’s Rules, The Unspeakable Oaf, and others – including his proposal to his wife.
A co-founder and co-owner of Out of the Box Games, and a cartoonist for Steve Jackson Games, John has illustrated over 100 games and game supplements and is at least in part responsible for best-sellers like Apples to Apples (a GAMES Magazine Hall of Fame inductee), Munchkin, Chez Geek, and Blink.
He was also the first cartoonist inducted into the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Hall of Fame.
In his spare time, John searches for spare time.
This week we asked him a few questions to find out how he manages to do it all.
Clickbait. You’re probably guilty of falling for it at some point. You’re reading an article online about midterm elections, and as you read the last sentence, a headline at the bottom of the article catches your eye. “They Thought They Were Alone, But The Deputy Didn’t Know A Camera Was Filming.”
What did the deputy do? You click the link.
Are you satisfied with the amount of time you spend staring at screens? For an almost overwhelming majority of us, the answer is ‘nope.’
Digital distraction is everywhere, stealing away our attention and time and forcing us to battle with our self-control minute by minute.
Fortunately, tech can help us as much as it can harm us when it comes to digital distraction. Here are a few apps you should know about to help you reclaim your attention, focus, and time.
At Freedom we love our users – not just because they use our product, but because they’re cool – cool people working on cool stuff. Academy Award-nominated screenwriters, best-selling authors, editors, designers, star TV actors & writers, academic researchers, explorers, and entrepreneurs – the Freedom community is packed with curious, creative, and efficient go-getters. We love to share their stories and advice, because how better to learn about productivity than from the productive?
This week’s spotlight goes to Blair Badenhop. Blair is the founder of Blair Badenhop, Inc., a brand strategy and copywriting service destination for wellness entrepreneurs. As a certified health coach and former marketing leader at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, she has a unique understanding of the wellness landscape and what makes a marketing message powerful and effective. She has supported over 100 coaches and entrepreneurs in creating meaningful and authentic brand identities for new website and program launches. Her clients have included industry leaders like Nitika Chopra, Alexandra Jamieson, Anita Moorjani, Parsley Health, and Pursoma. She’s also the creator of Your Wellness Brand, an online branding course for health coaches.
As a creative, freelancer, and entrepreneur with many roles to juggle, we decided to sit down with Blair and find out more about how she does the work that matters most. Read more
At Freedom we love our users – not just because they use our product, but because they’re cool – cool people working on cool stuff. Academy Award-nominated screenwriters, best-selling authors, editors, designers, star TV actors & writers, academic researchers, and entrepreneurs – the Freedom community is packed with curious, creative, and efficient go-getters. We love to share their stories and advice, because how better to learn about productivity than from the productive?
This week’s productivity spotlight goes to Alastair Humphreys. Humphreys is a tireless British adventurer, author, blogger, and keynote speaker. With a resume that would rival that of any great explorer, a few of Humphreys’ feats include cycling around the world, (a journey of 46,000 miles through 60 countries and 5 continents,) walking across southern India, rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, running six marathons across the Sahara desert, and being named one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year for 2012.
At Freedom we are lucky to have many of our users write about their experience. From tweets to published articles – the Freedom community is buzzing with productivity strategy, advice, and experiments for a more focused, fulfilled life.
This week’s articles focus on deep work and doing the work that matters most. This type of work requires more mental energy than checking email or other simple tasks, but in the long run will help you achieve meaningful results for your personal goals, development, and career. Too often this type of work gets neglected due to distractions, procrastination, or simple, time-eating tasks – so here are a few articles to help you focus on the work that matters.
Let’s face it, very few of us can say that we haven’t felt the gnawing frustration and loss of productivity caused by digital distraction. Whether it’s checking email habitually, responding to notifications, bouncing around browser tabs, or using apps. Too often we get distracted and pulled away from doing deep and meaningful work – the work that matters most.
For most of us, social media and the internet has become a normal part of everyday life. We use these platforms daily to communicate, share, and connect with friends, family, colleagues and strangers. But despite being more connected than ever, are we any better off? Are we any happier?