9 Tips to increase your focus for getting things done
“Instead of being preoccupied on how wonderful my idea is, I focus on getting it done.”@byrilla on procrastination and ideas 99% Conference
Hello Wednesday
Fridays with a Fancy Hands Fan
Remember the wildly popular Kickstarter project Girl Walk One Day? We’ll the creator Jacob Krupnik is not only incredibly awesome, he’s a Fancy Hands fan! We know you’ll enjoy our chat with him below.
Name: Jacob Krupnik
Location: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY. I just moved apartments. You can bet Fancy Hands helped with that one.
-What’s a task that you hate doing but always shows up on your to-do list?
I’ve been getting real cozy with the post office this year, shipping out DVDs to festivals, T-Shirts, posters, fake tattoos and whatnot…. Since I’m sending a lot of stuff, it’s become pretty important to figure out the best way to send things — and of course the variables (packaging materials, how they influence price, shipping costs) are all pretty deathly things to spend your time researching.
-Speaking of to-do lists, do you use one or have any other tips/resources to help you stay on track and productive?
I’m a list-maker, but I have a hard time staying faithful to my lists. I keep track of ideas with Evernote, and things to do with Workflowy. But next to my desk, I’ve got to have a pen + pad to get things down on when little thoughts jitter across the brain.
-If you were going to outsource something that you currently need to get done, what would it be?
I’m trying to help my brother move his life’s possessions from Brooklyn to Berlin. The universe of large-scale, slow-boat international shipping is expensive, bureaucratic, and risky.
-What kind of practices/routines help you increase your productivity?
I’ve just begun working in a new co-working space in Dumbo. There’s not a lot of distraction here, so it’s a big step up from working at home, where there’s always the cat, a snack, or my road bike begging for attention. It’s funny: the space is filled with wickedly smart designers all working on their projects and startups, but the internet connection is lousy. It means we all stay on task in the daytime rather than downloading Downton Abbey.
-What tools do you use?
Cameras, projectors, loud music, leatherman.
-What is your favorite task that we’ve helped you with?
I needed to source 800 extra-long sparklers between San Antonio and Austin, Texas, the day before SxSW to pass out after our first Girl Walk screening. Mission accomplished. (The results can be seen here)
-If you had an extra hour each day how would you use it?
Reading when it’s rainy, riding my bike when it’s not.
Fridays with a Fancy Hands Fan
Well well well. Friday is here and it’s time for our favorite weekly post.
Here’s our chat with Fancy Hands Friend Charles Birnbaum
Charles Birnbaum, Foursquare
Bio: sports fanatic, adventurous eater, traveler, runner, shitty golfer, and I work in Business Development at foursquare.
Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
-What’s a task that you hate doing but always shows up on your to-do list?
I travel a ton, both for work and personally, and I hate hate hate dealing with airlines. Getting reimbursed for a screwed up flight, getting mileage credit, changing a reservation etc.
-Speaking of to-do lists, do you use one or have any other tips/resources to help you stay on track and productive?
At foursquare, we use Asana for team projects and I keep me work to-do list replicated on there, but I use Wunderlist for my personal to-do list, both for work and private stuff. I love the fact that the mobile client and the desktop client sync seamlessly and I can add stuff to my to-do list even when I am offline (i.e. underground or on a flight).
-If you were going to outsource something that you currently need to get done, what would it be?
My wife and I live in Brooklyn and our lease is coming up. Before we commit to re-signing our lease, it would be great to have enough time every day to check all of the various resources to figure out what is available in our price range and in the neighborhoods we are willing to live in. It would be great to have someone scour the sources for me and send me a list of interesting stuff to look at once a day.
-What is your favorite task that we’ve helped you with?
I got my wife Salsa dancing lessons for valentine’s day. I was having a miserable time getting the people at the studio on the phone or to respond to my emails when I was trying to book our first session. I sent a request to Fancy Hands to help get us signed up for an upcoming class and answer a few questions I had and they took care of it perfectly, it was awesome!
-If you had an extra hour each day how would you use it?
I would be active, nothing I hate more than sitting around at a desk all day or around conference room tables. The more time I had the more time I would be playing sports.
