Adventures in home working

• Caught up with email and trivial tasks for the day. It’s raining so I decided to play wii sports, 5 games of tennis and Fitness – age 38 #
• Reading my feeds at home today, with a punnet of cherries and wifi. The beach isn’t that enticing on a grey day like today #
• Written proposed approach to Office 2 decision support white paper – CSC internal – http://rurl.org/fvq #
• Written proposal for the Benefits and Risks of Social Networking in the Enterpriuse paper – CSC Internal – http://rurl.org/fvr #
• @chieftech – thats the idea #
• Responding to @chieftech’s comments and making a few updates to the wiki and adding attachments to provide further background #
• Watching MSFT Channel 9 video with Mark Russinovich on windows internals. Excellent #
• Making a dash for the migraine meds hoping I get there in time. During the 3 week holiday zero migraines, 2 in the last 7 days back at work #
• Really enjoying the process of evolving a wiki page through the interplay of direct edits and comments #
• Working on Virtual Desktop Delivery section of the wiki – CSC internal link – http://rurl.org/fwh #
• Talking to Dave Snape and giving him some hints on how to use the wiki #
• Off to do science revision with Jenny #
• Just getting things ready to fly to Farnborough/Royal Pavillion tomorrow #

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My eldest daughter – 15 years old – is doing some long range career planning and she’s been really struggling to find something she really likes.  Its not as though she doesn’t enjoy school – she likes most things and is predicted to get a good crop of A and A*’s.  Her problems seem to be:

1. She likes to see fast progress – so she has ruled out pure science
2. She doesn’t like to design/make new things – even though she has won a national award for her design – so she has ruled out engineering
3. She doesn’t like working with people that much, although she likes giving presentations – so she has ruled out management and the social sciences

What does she like!

1. She likes research
2. She likes maths
3. She likes social and economic geography
4. She likes ecology
5. She likes report writing
6. She likes producing and delivering presentations
7. She likes doing analysis and interpretation

So right now she seems to be settling on economics.  We’ve found this great site, and I particularly like this blog post and I’ve bought her a few copies of the Economist magazine. 

Anyway – if anyone reading has any other hints, tips, good sources of information or good contacts in the field of Economics please post a comment.

• Stayed up late in the hope I will sleep tonight. Enjoyed "I am legend" pretty interesting and great sets, lots to talk about to Stephie #
• Just approved a comment on the blog from another AOSD sufferer, I’ve learnt more from blog contacts about it than I have from my specialits #
• Just back from spending the morning at the Sand Castle indoor water park. The perfect place for a wet Sunday #
• Just finished playing wii tennis with Anna, I won but it was very close, and then wii fitness. Debbie’s asleep so off to do the washing now. #

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• Woke up at 9:30 managed about 5 hours sleep out of 11, just finished sorting out the house and now taking the twins out for breakfast #
• Jen has joined us now and we are at the pier amusements crashing motor bikes and playing air hockey #
• On the flight last week I picked up a booklet from the free newspaper – The No Diet Diet – Interesting. I’ve just one-cilcked it on Amazon #
• Walking into Blackpool with Stephie to watch I am Legend and buy a "film feast" from Morrisons on the way #

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• Talking to Dave Snape about SoftGrid #
• This is such a cool podcast http://itc.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3452.html especially the bit about virtual reality #
• Just woken up after a 20 hour day yesterday #
• off for a walk with Debbie #
• Debbie was bitten by a dog, bruised but skin not too badly broken – just taken her to the doctors to see if she needs an injection #
• On my way to Preston to meet Graham, Stu and Charlie to talk collaboration #
• Sad that Sams not able to meet us for lunch #
• completely drained, but still managed to do a highlight report, funny how the more work I do the shorter the highlight report! #

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• On the flight to Farnborough, spent the morning talking to Ged #
• Walking from Farnborough to RP after a bumpy flight and an aborted landing. Calming down and listening to podcasts #
• Talking to Lewis about too loads of stuff #
• Long chat with Steve Morgan. Steve Langford joined in and filled me in on dynamic sourcing #
• Falling out with Steve Jeffers, way to sensitive to any hint of challenge #
• Discussing lab futures with Steve Morgan and earlier with Lewis #
• Off back to the airport with Carl Cooke #
• Talking to Ian Wilson about the new architecture org #
• Home now after a good talk with Ged on the plane back #
• Arms, feet and shoulders are telling me that its time to forget work for the day, and I’m listening! #

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• Blog written, emails done, been for a walk, scheduled meetings. #
• Now gorging on chocolate cake at cafe nero and reading feeds #
• A short walk now and then off to Chorley to meet with Stu and probably Charlie at 11:00 #
• Just back from Chorley and good meeting with Stu and Charlie. Picked up kids on the way home and had very frank discussion with Citrix #
• long evening working on VDI and sorting out my email and rescheduling the next few days, didn’t get to go swimming and regretting it now! #
• going down to Aldershot tomorrow, anyone else flying down, or there already? #

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As part of HP’s happiness at work initiative they have listed 25 new places to work.  I’ve repeated the list (minus a few of the less relevant ones like the Eiffel Tower!) below with my comments in blue:

1. The garden. There’s nothing like an English summer. And even if the sun shines, you can still get some work done in the garden. With the new Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N technology in your PCs and a compatible network, you can stay connected at over twice the range and five times as fast as you can with current wireless networks. I often work in the garden, but in the UK its often too cold or too windy even when it’s sunny so a conservatory is essential.  Also good luck with trying to ready your screen unless like me you invested in a outdoor screen.  Also forget the high speed wireless and concentrate on getting high speed ADSL!
2. Shed. Garden sheds have moved upmarket. Companies like Green Retreats and The Garden Escape can turn the humble shed into a smart office with insulation, electricity and double glazing. Best of all, you can take the office with you if you move house. With a second battery charger or notebook docking station, you can plug your Notebook in and start working immediately.  Definitely,  I am just in the process of getting my wife Debbie a garden room which will be used for work and play.  We are moving my lab server and her laptop in there and it will be super insulated so they should be enough to keep it warm, and I get off-site backup as well.
3. Coffee shop. JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book in cafes and coffee shops. Many offer wireless networking so you can get online. I often work in Coffee shops, Cafe Nero is my favourite as I love the chocolate cake.  Find a time when it’s quiet and try forgetting the wifi, its just another distraction.
4. Beach. With HP’s 3G Mobile Broadband you can work on the beach just as easily as in the office and still get online. Just don’t get ice cream on the keyboard (although if you do, the Mylar layer we put underneath it should stop it becoming a disaster).  I live by the beach but I’ve not had much success working on it, but I often snuggle down in the sand dunes for a conference call while I’m out walking.  You need a outdoor screen on your laptop though.  One thing I will be trying is doing some dictation using Dragon Naturally Speaking out of the wind in the Dunes, miles away from anyone.  Normally though for me working on the beach is low tech, a book and a phone.
5. Airport. They make you rush to the airport hours before the plane leaves and then you have to sit around and wait. Why not use that time to get some work done? Most airports now how have wireless networks so you can get online, and companies like Priority Pass will give you access to lounges with business facilities, even if you’re not flying business class.  I don’t fly internationally that much, I fly nationally once a week, but for me short flights and laptops don’t mix but they are a great place for having a chat, reading a book or processing email on my Blackberry.  For long flights I prefer reading and DVD movies.
6. In bed. If you get a broadband connection with wireless networking built-in, you can work anywhere in the house. Including the bedroom. No thanks
7. Library. Public libraries are quiet and full of studious people. Just like an office ought to be (but usually isn’t). The British Library in particular has a very good business section. I love working in libraries, but I prefer to choose a book at random and then just find a comfy chair and read for an hour.  It’s a great escape when the girls are out shopping
8. Home office. See our article: The A-Z of the perfect home office.  I’ve written plenty about this already and I’m redesigning mine now.
9. CEO of the sofa. P.J. O’Rourke’s book of the same name shows how much work you can get done from your own living room (and it’s very funny to boot).  Definitely,  I do all my feed reading in my recliner in the living room during family TV hour in the evening and I’m definitely getting a Sofa or a recliner in my new home office.
10. Park. Personal trainers are turning Britain’s parks into fitness boot camps; why not turn your local park into an office one? You can make phone calls and have inspiring ideas while taking a stroll and then do your email from a park bench, using an HP Voice Messenger Smart Phone.  Starting to repeat myself now, we have a great park 5 minutes walk away, but a parks for fun and for reading, not much  IT here for me.  Although I might admit to doing a bit of email processing and a few voice notes on my Blackberry if I’m waiting for the kids.
11. Hiking. Take along an iPAQ or a Smart Phone and you can stay in touch and get some work done even while you are enjoying the view. Get a padded Notebook carry case to keep your system safe and secure. I do a lot of work while out walking, listening to podcasts, recorded conference calls that I’ve missed, making voice notes, thinking.  I don’t do too many phone calls because of the wind on the coast.
12. 30,000 feet. With an extended life battery, you can use an HP Notebook for nine hours or more without recharging. Plenty of time to get some work done – and watch a DVD – on a long-haul flight.  See above – Airports
13. In the bath. Churchill had a habit of giving dictation from his bath tub. It might be a good place to think and talk, but we recommend against using anything electrical in the bath!  I read for half an hour (at least) in the bath most nights, but normally fiction.
14. Walk and talk. Dictate replies to your emails while you walk using the HP iPAQ 514 Voice Messenger.  Yep,  I do this on my Blackberry a lot and am about to try converting to text with Dragon NS.
15. Restaurants. Eat. Think. Work.   I’m a home worker so often I see little point travelling to the office for a meeting, let’s meet for lunch or breakfast – much more relaxing and fun.

• I suppose there’s one good thing about being up half the night in too much pain to sleep, I have time to write some blog posts! #
• Forced myself out of bed #
• Discussing lab strategy with Rob, lots of potential #
• Very impressed with Dragon Naturally Speaking, almost 100% just using the build in microphone on my tablet. Doesn’t run on Vista 64 though #
• Playing around with the eproductivity template #
• 40 lengths swimming with the twins #

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Dave Pollard gives us his idea of how one might aspire to spend the day:

So, for example, a 24-hour day might be allocated to the following important activities:

• 9 hours a day for sleeping and personal hygiene
• 2 hours a day for physical exercise — running, meditation, working out, yoga, hiking etc.
• 3 hours a day for play — learning things you love, having non-competitive fun, just paying attention and being in the moment, and expressing love and joy in different ways
• 3 hours a day for conversation — not small-talk, conversations with intention (this time could include meal-times)
• 2 hours a day for reflection — thinking, reading/watching/listening to actionable information and stimulating entertainment content, and deciding, thinking ahead, considering what it all means and what needs to be done as a result
• 2 hours a day for creation — writing, model-building, sketching, composing
• 3 hours a day for action — first/next steps towards doing important things, productive actions that make the world a better place

It sounds good to me,  as I look down the list I feel my life is pretty out of balance, how come I don’t spend 3 hours a day for play — learning things you love, having non-competitive fun, just paying attention and being in the moment, and expressing love and joy in different ways!  Then I read a bit more of his post where he points out:

This leaves no time at all for urgent, unimportant actions:

• 0 hours a day doing work that isn’t one of the above types of activities
• 0 hours a day for administration, paperwork, ‘non-value-added’ work
• 0 hours a day driving to and from places
• 0 hours a day shopping
• 0 hours a day waiting
• 0 hours a day for chores
• 0 hours a day for small talk
• 0 hours a day for reading/watching/listening to mindless, unactionable stuff

Ok so now I get it!  But the first list is actually really useful.  I’m going to write down – perhaps tomorrow – how I would like to spend my days and track how well I do for a few weeks, actually for me (like Dave) it’s less about work life balance so much,  but more about balancing the Low High urgency and importance matrix. 

I’ve already posted on the topic a little Work less – achieve more, and my productivity category has more posts as well.