Summary of the article

1) Which article is most related to the insights that you use in your project?   Describe how the main points of the article are in agreement with or contradict the ideas behind your project.

Understanding Our Compulsions By Dan Ariely

This article is about understanding the science behind the irrational urges that drive us to fritter away our most valuable asset, time. It looks into why we make bad choices, often unintentionally.

-It is in our habits. Time has an opportunity cost and we like to see the results of our work quickly. Which is why the example of the workers coming in to the office and checking their emails first resonates. Reading and deleting 10 emails seems like an accomplishment as opposed to coming into work and jumping into a 50-hour assignment without an easy vision of the accomplishments during the process.

The Spruce Docket agrees with this and seeks to make gradual changes to said habits. When connected to the Spruce Docket, the application tracks your days, and time begins to suggest actions for the empty pockets it notices to improve the productivity of the users.

-It is in the planning. We plan for the activities and tasks that require from 30 minutes to a couple or hours to complete, but not for the reports or long-term projects. And it shows in our delivered work.

The Spruce Dockets’ creators also agree with this, which is why, we have created a way to sneak it in. When the user is imputing a new task, we ask the users to chose an outline for the activity or break down the activity. This allows the application to track the progress the user is making and estimate a completion time, which is then budgeted into the schedule.

-Looking at great temptations. Dan Ariely says that choices are architectural. By that he means that our environments play roles in what decisions we make. Using a buffet fro an example, “…-whether the fresh fruit and salad is easily accessible or tucked in the back behind more tempting options- will determine what you end up eating.”

Looking at the basic combinations yields the following:

            1. The world tries to tempt us.

            2. We listen to the world around us.

            3. We do not deal very well with temptation, aka, we have little to no self-control.

The Spruce Docket at all times provides a clear overview of the work you have to do and creates intervals with the use of triggers, rewards, and motivating items to make each day ad activity an adventure.

The Spruce Docket helps its users manage their time better and shows their progress so that the markers motivates you because your accomplishments are easily visible.

2) Which of the articles is most related to the theme of Smart Life Rhythms? If we would have a Smart Life Rhythms symposium, which of the authors should we invite? Give arguments for your choice.

Tuning into You by Scott Belsky

People rarely ever stop to pause and reflect anymore. Every moment from train rides to the time spent in-between classes are spent plugged into the world and not into ones self. We operate on opportunity costs, so when we fill our minds of one, we block out another, when we “turn off one type if stimuli, we unleash another.” To embrace these we must to the following.

-Renew our interest in ourselves. Try blocking out he world fro on hour a day. In that hour no music, no books, no company, no electronics, just be. Look out at the world around you. Track what you see, what you recognize and what you do not. In doing this you widen your potential and find the real you.

-Reserve unstructured time. Take this time to do the things you would not normally do. Experience things. Even if you do not like them, at the very least you now know more about what you do not like.

-Open yourself to serendipity. Be nice and open, no business or person survives alone. So be friendly and helpful and you get to know who is around you and build contacts. In doing this you see the opportunities around that you could have missed and you come to realize how much is out ‘there’. Unplugging gives you a better understanding of the world around you.

-Prioritize being present. Capitalize in the here’s and now’s. Constant connection has a cost. In connectivity you are focused outwardly and miss the opportunities open to you. We need to recognize and understand that when you are plugging into the world you are increasing your focus on what is and reducing your focus on what will be. Creating these moments of non-stimulation in your day. Finding the time is important because it is a time just for you where you can focus on what is important to you long term. By taking the time to listen to yourself, you can focus more on what you want and need.

What you focus on says a lot about you. Which is why this article this important to the Smart Life Rhythms course. By being present in every moment you get the most out of them. Being present asks you to get to know and understand yourself, so that you find what works best for you. Knowing what works best for you allows you to optimize and maximize your potential.

3) Which of the articles is most related to what you expect of your future professional life? If we could invite a motivational speaker for your future diploma session, which of the authors should we invite? Give arguments for your choice.

Learning to Create Amidst Chaos by Erin Rooney Doland

We are designers, innovates. There is rarely an ideal moment to work or make everything perfect and claiming that there is procrastination. We all have to supplement and diverge to be at our best. All the influences that get us to our best also make it difficult for us to be at our best. The following helps manage the chaos.

-Positive Distractions. There are many things that are negative distractions, television, Facebook, self-doubt. These hamper the creativity so that for this we must combat them with positive distractions like setting rewards and making completions out of tasks. These positive distractions motivate you to get to your peak performance-wise.

-Self Control.  To combat low self-control people can strengthen their will power by training oneself to a point where only the most important tasks take energy. Little things like getting a good night sleep can build concentration.

-Mindfulness vs. Mindlessness. For example during exams most dorm rooms are as clean as ever because the students are whiling away time mindlessly. Creating a pattern that shifts from mindlessness to mindfulness gives your brain time to process and relax before the next round of mindfulness.

These are just some of the steps Erin Rooney Doland proposes to train our attention and marshal “creative energy” in the most chaotic circumstances. Erin Rooney Doland would be a good motivational speaker for our graduation because of how closely the subjects relates to our futures.

We have grown up thinking that creativity comes in Eureka moments and most of us are still adjusting to the fact that it really comes from preparation through research and work. The use of examples and references to real creative minds makes this speaker very relatable and the topic very approachable.