DEV Community: Rizwan⚡️

Stop the brain drain. How to overcome distractions at work.

Rizwan⚡️ — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 14:13:07 +0000

Did you know that the average worker is only productive for 3 hours a day?

As technology improves and more options in communication become available, we are getting more distracted, and our attention spans are getting shorter. Distractions are all around us. Meetings, small-talk, interruptions, emails, notifications, chat, and smartphones are distractions that are all stealing our attention and keeping us from doing our best work.

In a recent study conducted by Udemy, distractions at work were called out as morale killers at work because of the emotional toll they take on individuals.

We all understand the joys of our always-wired world—the connections, the validations, the laughs … the info. … But we are only beginning to get our minds around the costs.
Andrew Sullivan

Common distractions at the workplace and how to overcome them

Meetings: Does this meeting need to be an hour-long?

 Yes, meetings that are well-planned play a crucial part in keeping projects running smoothly, however, there are cases where people get meeting-happy and want to meet unnecessarily when an email or a chat would have been better. Then there are those meetings which are much longer than they need to be. The discussion scheduled for an hour could've taken 30 minutes by focusing on the agenda and not wasting time during meetings on side conversations and going off on tangents. Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. We can apply this adage to meetings as well. By scheduling longer meetings, discussions will multiply to fill the time available, so by intentionally scheduling shorter 30-minute meetings; the conversations can stay focused and take less time out of everybody's day.

Interruptions: Got a second?

 A "Got a second?" disruption is never a second and is a significant disruptor of focus. It's great to help out, and yes, there are real fires that need to be put out, but your heads-down-time is where the magic happens, so guard it as something sacred. Try to block out time on your calendar or let your coworkers who stop by unannounced know your availability by using an Available/Unavailable sign. Busylight by Kuando is an excellent option to signal your availability to everyone.

Emails: A significant case of FOMO

 Always having your inbox visible or hearing the ping of a new email arrive is an invitation to distraction; this also adds to your fear of missing out. To address this distraction, you can begin by batching your email checking at specific times of the day. You could start by checking emails four times a day, and as you become more comfortable, try reducing the number of times you check your email to find your sweet spot. Stick to your schedule and see how much time you save during the day.

Chat: So many options!

WorkPlace, Slack, Teams, Messenger, WhatsApp are just a few of the apps we use to communicate, and it's not uncommon for people to use many of them in a single day. There are a few things you can try here. First, you can change the notifications for these apps, so they only notify you when someone has sent you a message directly or @ mentions you. This tweak will reduce a lot of the noise that comes out of these apps. Secondly, try batching your chat sessions and closing the apps during your heads-down time. Thirdly, you can use an all-in-one app such as Franz to manage all your chat apps. Chat is essential to making connections with our coworkers, especially those who work remotely, but the key is to manage your time wisely so you can pay attention to the work that truly matters.

Smartphones: A magnetic force

We need our phones to communicate and manage our lives. Texting, checking Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and emailing are a few of the activities we do, but while at work, they become another source of distraction. A study published by The University of Chicago found that the mere presence of a phone turned upside down reduces our cognitive load, which in turn reduces our ability to stay focused on the task at hand. Reduce this smartphone induced brain drain by putting your phone on silent and hiding it in your bag.

As technology progresses rapidly, so do digital distractions. Still, the good news is that by making small changes to the things we can control, we can begin to refocus our attention to be fully present so we can perform to our true potential every single day.

How do you manage distractions? What has worked or not worked for you? I would love to hear your thoughts.

It’s all about perspective. Take everything as an offer.

Rizwan⚡️ — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 17:00:13 +0000

There you are starting a brand new project at work. You've been waiting for this opportunity. You're feeling energized and alive.

This time things will go much better than last time.

This time there won't be any hurdles.

This time you will be able to add the project to your portfolio.

The project begins, and you realize that it isn't as exciting or challenging as you thought it would be. By the looks of it, you probably won't be able to add this project to your portfolio either, but that's ok.

On the surface, this may seem like a missed opportunity, but if you dig a little deeper, I bet you can identify a few areas within the project where you can improve your skills.

Everything is an offer

In Improv, there is a concept known as "Everything is an offer." If you're not familiar with Improv, it is the art of making things up on the spot. Improvisors work collaboratively to build conversations, scenes, and worlds without a script and any planning. Applying "Everything is an offer," helps those up on the stage to take what other people say or do as an offer and use it to move the story forward, which helps each person stay adaptable and ready for anything that happens on the stage.

Let's get back to our project. By keeping a mindset that every situation you face during a project is an offer, you will be open to every opportunity that comes your way and be less frustrated by the fact that it's not the shiny project you were expecting.

For example, do you need to practice presenting your designs through storytelling? Then see every design review as an opportunity to practice your storytelling skills. Have you wanted to understand how Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) work and are used to measure the success of a project? Then find out what the KPIs are for your project to help you make better decisions.

Are there areas within your process that you have wanted to improve? Think of this as an opportunity to hone your skills so you can be ready for that big project.

Here are some areas that you could practice in:

Understanding why the project is important
What are the user and business needs this project will address?
What are the KPIs of the project?
Understanding the design strategy
Use sketching more often than you currently do to work through your ideas
Improving communication with your team
Managing your time efficiently
Doing thorough background research about the subject matter
Improving your storytelling skills when presenting designs to stakeholders
Honing in on areas of your design process you need to improve
Improving your communication skills
Improving your deliverables, annotations, and handoffs

Which areas do you need to work on for yourself? What would you include on your list?

Your challenge

Take 5 minutes to brainstorm the skills you would like to improve.
Seek opportunities within your projects to practice honing those skills to make them rock solid.

Now you don't need to wait for a new project to start. You can begin seeking out opportunities to hone your skills, your craft, and your process, so when that high-profile project does come around, you know you will be ready to take it on.

Take everything as an offer, and remember, it's all about perspective!

Want to harness the power of sketching? Join Sketchtober, a challenge to power your ideas!

Rizwan⚡️ — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 12:18:37 +0000

Want to practice sketching but just haven't been able to? Well, great news for you. Announcing Sketchtober, a month-long challenge for everyone to practice sketching daily for a month.

Inspired by Inktober, Sketchtober is a challenge for anyone who wants to harness the power of sketching to supercharge their ideation, iterate upon an idea, and share their ideas to get feedback.

List of prompts

Shapes
Arrows
Connectors
Buttons
People
Icons
Lettering
Text Fields
Annotations
Gestures
Dashboard
Expressions
Tools
Forms
Charts
Faces
Date Picker
Tab Bars
Maps
Car Dashboard
Your choice!
Cards
Transportation
Profile Page
Service Blueprint
Persona
Journey Map
Chat Screen
Diagrams
Navbar
Menus

Sketchtober Instructions

Research
Sketch
Share

Research

Research ideas for the prompt before sketching. Here are some resources to get you started.
- Google
- Pinterest
- The Noun Project
- Bootstrap
- iStockPhoto
- Dribbble
- Mobbin
- Material Design Guidelines
- Apple Human Interface Guidelines
- Awwwards
- Font Awesome

Sketch

Set an achievable yet challenging daily goal for your sketching. Your daily goal could be based on time, space, or quantity.
- For example
  - Time-based goal: Set a goal to sketch for 10 minutes every day. Keep increasing the time to keep it challenging.
  - Space-based goal: Set a goal to fill up a page in your sketchbook using the prompt for the day.
  - Quantity-based goal: Sketch a specific amount of the prompt for the day, for example, you can decide to sketch 10 different examples for the prompt of the day.
Sketch the prompt for the day and keep sketching until you reach the goal you have set for yourself.

Share your sketches with friends and share your sketches online using the hashtag #Sketchtober19* so everyone can be inspired. :)

Things to remember:

Use a pen when you can! By using a pen you will practice sketching faster and will be less likely to try to make your sketch perfect.
Don’t jump to the next day! If you finish early challenge yourself to continue sketching until you have completed your goal for the day.
Keep increasing the daily goal as you get comfortable!
Steal like an artist! There is no shame in copying something while you are practicing as long as you don’t claim it as your own creation. By copying you will be able to perfectly practice and speed up your learning. If you share what you copied, make sure to credit the source!
Don’t go for perfection!
Experiment, experiment, experiment! Try out new types of pens, pencils, markers, and papers.
Don’t self-edit! Let your ideas run free.
Most importantly have fun! :)

In closing

You got this! A small investment in time each day is going to pay off at the end of the challenge. You won’t even have to wait till the end, you will start to notice a change in how you approach sketching and your mindset even during the challenge. You will be on your way to becoming a Sketching Machine!

The goal of the Sketchtober challenge is for you to get in the habit of sketching consistently. It’s not about how perfect your sketches are, it’s about getting your ideas out of your head to share with others so you can have the right conversations to move your ideas forward.

Remember to share your sketches using #Sketchtober19 to follow along, learn and be inspired by other participants of this challenge. Make it fun and challenge your friends and coworkers to join the challenge with you.

Have questions or suggestions? Let's chat!

Nothing is Permanent

Rizwan⚡️ — Sat, 20 Jul 2019 13:51:44 +0000

Nothing is Permanent

Imagine a friend who you work closely with told you they have given notice at work because they found a perfect opportunity in another city. How would that make you feel?

Hopefully, you feel happy for them and the opportunity they have decided to pursue, but maybe you also feel sad in seeing them go because it seemed things were going to stay the same and you latch on to that feeling.

This happens to us all. We get caught in the feeling that things will always be the same and never change. We get comfortable with our daily lives and events like a friend moving can shake us up.

This is a good time to reflect on why we feel things are permanent. Instead of worrying about how their decision affects us we can focus on them and be genuinely happy for them. Look at the amazing opportunity they have decided to pursue. Think about how this will help them achieve their goals.

So the next time a big change happens in your life remember that nothing is permanent.

Reflection Time! Share how far you have come in the last few years.🚀

Rizwan⚡️ — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 14:27:45 +0000

Here we are busy in achieving our goals, busy in the now with work and life. Let’s take a moment to look back and realize just how far we have come.

Any win, small or large counts.
Any change for the better counts.
Any progress towards your goals counts

Please share how far you have come in the last few years to inspire others. 🙇🏽‍♂️

Share a quick fun fact about yourself?

Rizwan⚡️ — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 16:29:53 +0000

Consider this practice for when that dreaded moment comes and you have to share a fun fact with a group of strangers. ;)

How do you use sketching in your workflow?

Rizwan⚡️ — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 18:06:39 +0000

I'm curious to learn how developers incorporate sketching into their day/workflow/process.

Do you use sketching to collaborate with your team, think through ideas on your own, plan your code structure, visualize relationships within your code, plan front-end layout, or some other way?

How do you use sketching in your workflow? 🤔

Share your thoughts!

What makes sketches priceless?

Rizwan⚡️ — Tue, 02 Jul 2019 14:04:26 +0000

Sketches are a representation of an idea with just the right amount of detail to convey its essence. Sketches have specific qualities which set them apart from other design tools such as wireframes and high-fidelity visual designs.

Here is a list of qualities of sketches that make it unique and valuable:

Sketches are rough.
Sketches are cheap.
Sketches are collaborative.
Sketches are inviting.
Sketches are exploratory.
Sketches are awareness.
Sketches are contextual.
Sketches are indispensable.
Sketches are iterative.
Sketches are flexible.
Sketches are divergent.
Sketches are participatory.
Sketches are refinement.
Sketches are curious.
Sketches are conceptual.
Sketches are critical.
Sketches are generous.
Sketches are emergent.
Sketches are focused.
Sketches are enlightening.
Sketches are open.
Sketches are inspirational.
Sketches are revealing.
Sketches are connective.
Sketches are activating.
Sketches are simple.
Sketches are ambiguous.
Sketches are visual.
Sketches are essential.

The conversations that take place as a result of those sketches are priceless!

What makes sketches valuable to you? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Keep on sketching!

Congratulations! Today is the day you have been waiting for.

Rizwan⚡️ — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 12:43:40 +0000

Can you smell it in the air?

Can you taste the sweetness?

Do you feel it in the depths of your soul?

That day in the distant future is here!

That day you’ve been waiting for is finally here!

The day you’ve been putting things off to is here right now. Today is the perfect day for you to get started.

No more putting things off.

No more procrastination.

No more inaction.

No more distractions.

No more wondering maybe someday you will start.

No more worry about what might happen.

No more lost time.

No more delays.

Today is the day!

It’s going to be a wonderful day full of action. It’s going to be an amazing day of doing what you have wanted to do for a long time. You are going to amaze yourself in how much progress you make in one single day. It doesn’t get better than that.

I hope you’re well rested and energized because you are going to get in the zone pretty soon. Say no to the digital distractions and focus on what you want to do. Imagine the freedom that comes when you decide to take action.

All you have to do is take the first step right now. Make it small. Make it actionable. Make it amazing! Make progress towards your goal no matter how small.

Today is the day you have been waiting for.

Now get out there and kick some butt like I know you can!

Need accountability? Share what you will start today.

What have I been putting off? For a long time, I've been putting off updating my portfolio and will start working on it today.

Today is the day!

You don’t owe social media anything!

Rizwan⚡️ — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:28:28 +0000

Recently I took a short break from social media. I didn’t feel like posting anything anywhere. I did not plan it, I just fell out of it for a while. After a few days of staying off of Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and Instagram, I felt a calmness come over me. I was able to focus on the important things in my life instead of always looking for the next photo or post to share and then checking to see how many likes my post received. I guess it was time to take a break and think about my relationship with social media. I’m not saying social media is all bad. It has a good side too. I learn new ideas, voices, and viewpoints I wouldn’t otherwise but the negative effects are strong and can be damaging.

Taking a break from social media helped me understand the power it has. It consumes our time, energy, and our actions. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

You don’t owe social media anything.

You don’t owe it your time.

You don’t owe it your energy.

You don’t owe it your attention.

You don’t owe it your health.

You don’t owe it your self-esteem.

You don’t owe it your mental health.

You don’t owe it your privacy.

Spend your time, energy, and attention on your loved ones and most importantly take care of yourself first.

Pre-talk rituals are powerful. What are yours?

Rizwan⚡️ — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 16:49:41 +0000

Musicians do it. Athletes do it. Performers do it and I bet you do too.

Some people run around the building or up and down stairs to get their blood pumping.

Some people close their eyes and meditate.

Some people do voice exercises such as tongue twisters.

Some people get a fresh haircut and pick out their outfit a few days before, sleep early, wake up early, have a solid breakfast, get to the event early to scope out the room and mingle with the crowd to get them ready for their talk. Ok, maybe that’s just my ritual.

Pre-talk rituals are effective in reducing anxiety and to help you shift into a high-performance state of mind. There are no set rules about rituals so experiment to see what helps you get ready and in the moment.

There are different types of rituals that you can experiment with such as:

Exertion rituals which include physical activities to get your blood flowing.
Meditation-based rituals which include breathing techniques and positive visualizations to ground you.
Mantra-based rituals which include affirmations to calm you.
Voice-based rituals to get your voice warmed up and clear.
Location-based rituals to make you comfortable with your surroundings and audience.
Sound-based rituals such as songs to get you pumped up and ready to go.

Whether you’re starting out with public speaking or have been speaking for some time you probably have a few pre-talk rituals you use to get in the right mindset to perform. I’m curious to hear your take on this. Rituals are unique to each person but it’s a good idea to be open to new ideas we can incorporate and make our own.

So what are some of your pre-talk rituals?

Always Be a Beginner! Cultivating a Beginner's Mindset

Rizwan⚡️ — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 20:38:07 +0000

Always be a beginner! Cultivating a Beginner’s Mind

“It is not difficult
to keep a beginner’s mind.
There are many possibilities in a beginner’s mind,
but in the expert few. ”
— Suski Roshi

Shoshin (初心), the Japanese word for a beginner’s mind, comes from Zen Buddhism. A beginner’s mind is a psychological mindset where you open yourself to new ideas by letting go of all preconceived notions. When a beginner’s mind sees a subject, it’s as if it is experiencing the subject for the first time.

Let go of self-centered thoughts.
Let go of limiting beliefs.
Let go of achievement.
Let go of expertise.

Begin to see things with an eagerness to understand.
Begin to see things with compassion.
Begin to see things with curiosity.
Begin to see things with wonder.

How can you apply a beginner’s mind to a task?

Be present in the moment. Don’t think about your past experiences, instead focus on what you see at that very moment.
Pretend you are a student learning for the very first time.
Be curious about every small detail. Take the time to be present with the task and simply observe.
Stop judging! Look for the positive instead of pointing to what is wrong. Stay in exploration mode and consider all options no matter how simple or difficult they are.

Want to learn more?
Here are some resources to help you as you adopt a beginner’s mind.

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
How to Adopt a Beginner’s Mind to Accelerate Learning and Increase Creativity by Scott Jeffrey