PTPL 065: On Clarifying Your Most Basic (Productivity) Foundations
PLUS a reminder that stepping stones don’t need to be made of polished marble
Welcome! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week summary of things I’ve found helpful in the quest to simplify and future-proof my digital-analog workflow.
Perfect imperfection
Making quality work is important, but so is protecting your budding efforts from being strangled by misplaced perfectionism.
Fun Fact: I’ve never cared about being a good programmer. I care about solving problems. It’s amazing how many problems can be solved by mediocre programming. — Greg Pierce, maker of Drafts
Is there something you’re working on that never seems good enough, but which is actually just fine as it stands?
This principle is not an excuse for shoddy workmanship; it’s a reminder that some stepping stones will do the same job whether they’re made of roughly hewn rock, or polished marble.
Save your polishing cloth for the things that really require that level of attention.
The profound importance of making your foundations clear
When I was out walking with my sister the other morning, she expressed her frustration that while she wants to support the work I do as a writer, she doesn’t understand the first thing about it.
After I explained that PTPL stands for Plain Text, Paper-Less, and means that I write about how to keep your notes in a format that you control, while also using as much paper as you need (and no more), she said something that I am certain will shape my future direction as a writer.
“But I don’t even know what plain text is!”
Gobsmacked, and feeling a little foolish, I fell silent.
look closely at the connections your productivity hinges on
Many years ago I heard of a mother whose child loved to run out of the house and go and sit on the corner, watching the people and cars go by. Justifiably alarmed by this behaviour, the mother sternly warned her child not to go to the corner. Obediently, the child nodded, and sincerely said they would not. But the behaviour continued, time and time again.
And so the mother shouted, threatened, and then soundly punished her offspring for each successive misdeed. “How many times do I have to tell you,” the mother remonstrated, “not go to the corner!”
After a particularly painful punishment, the child burst out through their tears, “What’s a ‘corner’?” It was a parenting lesson I never forgot, and, it seems, this anecdote is continuing to provide valuable insights.
As I fumbled with an analogy that would make sense to my sister (a CPAP — sleep apnoea — consultant by profession), finally her face lit up.
“Oh!” She said. “That’d be like someone getting used to a CPAP mask that only works with one machine, instead of one that works with all the different brands!”
Hey presto! It made sense at last, because she was able to establish a connection with something she already understood.
I invite you this week to look closely at the connections your productivity hinges on. Whether you work alone, or with others, are there any foundational concepts that could do with clarifying at their most basic level?
The Plain Text, Paper-Less Productivity Digest explores productivity through a future-proof, plain text mindset, with a soft spot for the paper that counts.