Tag Archives: life

A look at personal recordkeeping

Posted on by acrystelle
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After my brain’s been immersed in government recordkeeping – technologies, advice, practices, etc – all day long. I come home and following the end of yet another university semester, I encounter personal recordkeeping conundrums. Perhaps not just the bank statements and mobile phone bills, but also documents, articles and other information sources for personal and professional-ish purposes. Stuff just seems to breed during the semester and now I’ve tasked myself with sorting it all again. I do it because I like a tidy study room, clutter free, everything filed in its place ready for the next time I need to retrieve from a (sort of) recordkeeping/information management system of my own.

I’ll admit, my system is always a ‘work in progress’ and I’m constantly tinkering with how I arrange information. I have a basic system of keeping personal records, both paper and digital formats, and organise my computer folders by function or activity. I also have file naming conventions. Really, I can’t help myself, especially when I have the time. Despite all this, I believe I’m better at organising others’  information simply because I don’t keep up with my own information organisation and filing enough.

Speaking of others’ information, there is one rule I have in my house relating to filing. I don’t do my partner’s. I absolutely refuse to and he won’t have me touching his ‘organised chaos’. It pains me to see those piles of paper just sitting there waiting to be organised and filed away. I’ll bet half of what’s there could be thrown out. I have the means; I have a shredder here at home. I’ve even given him an expander file folder!

Now this has me thinking….. Efficiency. Transparency. Ease of retrieval. These are just some benefits to be gained from having a recordkeeping/information management system. With all the piles of paper, you can’t see what is needed, when its needed, or the important information needed to carry on beyond a disaster of some sort. Too much information can be a liability. I see my partner’s desk and I now see a fire hazard. It is possible. The effort into continuing to house all these papers and protecting all that information is probably not required. Imagine the inefficiencies in organisations caused by information clutter? Imagine how much smoother and better informed would operations be, if organisations went to the effort of maintaining a system? Yes there would be initial investment, and that’s same for an individual organising personal files. But after the system is in place, processes established, maintaining the system would be a breeze. Risks are minimised. Efficiencies are optimised.

So what to do about my partner’s example of organised chaos? Well I can’t touch it but I would say there’s no easy way to sort it out. Every piece of paper would need to be looked at, organised into categories and dates, appraised for ongoing value and given an appropriate retention period and storage solution, in recordkeeping speak. ;)

Gah! Oh, I want to sort it now!

On randomness…and perspective

Posted on by acrystelle
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I’m thinking of so many things at once right now, it’s been quite a task to keep slowing my brain down so I can think clearly this week.

I’m hoping to finish my assessment up this week for the university semester. I can only imagine what is waiting for me afterwards.

I have a physical in-tray at home needing to be sorted.

I have files of action items, admin type-life stuff, as well as papers to be filed away or scanned.

I have evidence of my working on the last piece of assessment both to my left and right of my computer.

I can’t help but think I’ve come across yet another research project idea – information literacy and knowledge management in corporate settings. Literature reviews are dangerous, aren’t they?

I know I need to review my year planner. An outdated version stares at me from my vision board on the wall.

I can’t wait to get back into rock climbing.

 

Three wooden ‘word’ pieces are stuck on my vision board – explore, laugh and peace. During these times of randomness, I tend to look to these carefully selected words for guidance and pull my thoughts back into perspective. These words remind me to 1) keep exploring – I’m not going to be awesome at everything, all at once even, but I can always have a curious mind. Life would be boring if we all had it figured out. 2) laugh, to always have a smile and have some extent of light-heartedness, and 3) have peace with myself and others.

So with that, I hope these words may also be some inspiration or reminders about why we’re here in the first place. The random thoughts, more like worries (except for the research one), are just that and they’re just stuff. I’ll get there.

Good night all.

My first made-up meme for #blogjune

Posted on by acrystelle
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It’s near the end of the 4th day of #blogjune and I almost forgot to post. I’ve found #blogjune is a time when we can learn more about those in our personal learning network. And I don’t just mean professionally. Letting others know we’re human, particularly in the virtual, online ‘world’ is while sometimes a little daunting for some, is a way we can connect and further build our relationships.

I’d like to share a bit about myself by the way of a meme. Here’s a random one I’m making up as I go along. Feel free to copy/join in as you wish.

Some firsts….
First signature perfume: Chance by Chanel.
First nice piece of jewellery I bought for myself: A gold, diamond horse shoe necklace.
First car: 1999 Ford Festiva, purple. I called it the ‘Purple people eater’.
CD I played over and over in my first car: X & Y album, Coldplay.
First job: Gymnastics coach and judge
First job in library land: Technican Librarian for a regional airline.
First time overseas: New Zealand. I was 13 and competed gymnastics in Auckland.

Some people may not know….
I like reading New Scientist.
I have an interest in cosmology (see above).
I have a cat named Versace.
I’ve driven around Ireland by myself – Dublin, Newgrange, Downpatrick, Bushmills, Enniskillen, Galway, Cork and Kilkenny were my stops.
I write a few sentences in a journal everyday.
I hated English in senior high school.

Relaxed productivity

Posted on by acrystelle
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Is there such a thing as a relaxed state of productivity? I believe so. And it’s something I’ve noticed more often than not since buying my iPad just a few weeks ago.

For me, the purchase of an iPad was difficult to justify for a very long time. I have an iPhone that is almost literally another limb attached to me, and my Mac serves me well when I’m at home in my study. Then there are times when I’m super busy and need to be at the hairdresser for three hours (lost productivity time), or just wouldn’t mind a bigger screen to read articles from my Google Reader as I sit on the couch. These are the times when I have screamed in my mind “Damn it! I need an iPad!”

I have discovered something, or really it’s just become more prominent since owning an iPad. I’m calling it ‘relaxed productivity’.

I’m being productive right now. I’m sitting at the table eating my oats and sipping my chai tea. I’m in a relaxed state, pushing thoughts about assessment deadlines (tomorrow) to the back of my mind for now. But never mind that, I’m illustrating my point.
I take the iPad.
I put my feet up.
And I start to write because I’m either inspired or it’s simply convenient.

Relaxed productivity. It’s working or being productive when you don’t feel like you’re working. It’s getting things done because it’s easy and not forced.

By removing work or tasks out of a ‘setting’ or ‘official’ work space and into one that didn’t require it or is not expected, such as watching TV or preparing dinner, I’m seeing ideas developing a tendency to just appear.

Relaxed productivity. It’s productivity, but not as you know it.