Tag: writing
The Importance of Work Habits
I subscribe to James Clear’s emails, which are full of productivity tips. The latest article that I read described the scientific reason why our lives become chaotic without continuous effort to maintain order.
I was already well aware of this phenomenon as it relates to managing a household. Think of how quickly laundry piles up, stacks of unopened mail spread across countertops, and dust becomes visible on the dining room table. If I don’t stay on top of these chores, the house looks completely cluttered.
Housework never ends.
Reading James Clear’s article made me think about how our jobs can become overwhelming and disordered if we don’t pay attention to regular tasks that provide structure and organization.
Email never ends, either.
I’m most effective at work when I stick to established habits. For example, as soon as I’ve sent or responded to an email, I either delete it or file it in my Outlook folder system. It prevents my mailbox from being clogged with messages I don’t need and lets me quickly locate the ones that I need to refer to later.
I have similar routines for managing paperwork and accounting tasks, but the habit that made the biggest difference in my work was making a point to write every day. Whether it was just a sentence or two, or revising paragraphs I’d already written, the daily effort kept my writing projects moving forward and trained my brain to get into “writing mode” more quickly. Even creative tasks benefit from habits that provide structure and predictability.
The more established our habits are, the easier it is to stay in control of our work.
Biz Lessons from the Diner, Zola Twitter Style
Give me my pork and pineapple before this gets ugly
OK listen up. Long story.
So I’ve been having these cravings for pork & pineapple. No idea. So today I walk by the local diner & see an ad for BBQ pork + pineapple omelets.
So I’m like damn, my craving! I lowkey sit at the counter cuz it’s busy. Coat’s not off & the busser puts coffee down–nice!
I ask, can I order and he’s like no the waiter has to do it and he points to a server who looks about 17 waiting on a booth behind me.
So I’m like ok, drink coffee a while & the server never comes! He’s walking between the counter & booths, doesn’t even look at me!
I think maybe he thinks I’m just drinking coffee so I lay the menu closed flat away from me. Cuz that’s the signal to order food now!
Nope. Then this baby server (NOT the same one) asks a guy a few seats on my left if he’s ready to order. I say to the couple on my right:
“AM I IN THEIR BLIND SPOT or what” & we’re laughing but I’m annoyed. The couple’s all casual, talking to me.
Now the busser refills my coffee and I ask can he get a waiter. He goes straight away & talks to them. So I’m like ok, they’re ready.
Nope. 17 goes past, no eye contact, asks people who sat after me for their order. I WAS DONE. I WAS HANGRY.
I get my things & say to the couple I can’t deal w/this today. Real quick the woman jumps up, says “No I’ll find someone, I know the owner.”
I just want to go but I was like yea ok & this normal age guy comes over all “I’m in another section but I can take your order.”
I’m like I just want the omelet special but nobody is looking at me except the busser. He goes I’m real sorry, you want hashbrowns.
Then the woman goes “Put it on my tab” and I say OMG you’re so nice thank you but I’m thinking damn my stupid craving.
Then the normal age waiter goes “No, it’s on the house I’m sorry you had to wait.” I was like OHHH, well thank you.” Awkward silence.
I get my food & 17 is by every 10 min, how is it, coffee? The couple’s talking w/me, glad you stayed & all. We’re saying he’s young, he…
Doesn’t know to watch the room. I feel stupid but the omelet is good, the pineapple’s on the top not inside, but it’s good.
The couple’s my new BFFs, we exchange #’s & they tell 17 they tipped him & the normal age waiter in their bill & say bye and leave.
I ask 17 “did you just not see me?” Cuz he didn’t apologize & for real I wanted to know what was what. He just says “I got double-seated.”
Then I’m done eating & he goes “my manager said it’s free.” SO I tip $10 & say thanks, know you’re busy. But I’m thinking you saw me…
But didn’t make eye contact & say “be right w/you” & why did he serve later people BEFORE me, TF?
I don’t care about getting comped or waiting, it was being flat out ignored like nobody was going to serve me ever. Awkward as hell.
I don’t want to go back there cuz I’m embarrassed. But there’s one good thing: made me think how to do better in any kind of biz.
Acknowledge customers because NOBODY LIKES TO BE IGNORED. Apologize for screw ups. Serious, don’t pretend you didn’t screw up.
And if you read this whole thing to get to the biz part at the end you’re hilarious!
This Twitter-style post was inspired by Zola’s brilliant Twitter storytelling, which was repackaged into Storify by Mike.
Writing About the Writing on Jezebel
I’ve only recently discovered Jezebel and now have the pleasure and pain of reading old articles that I’m too late to comment on. It’s like reading about conversations on topics I care about that took place at the most amazing dinner party that I didn’t know I had been invited to.
The articles are well-written and sometimes shine a light on under-represented groups and the dark sides of societal norms. These pieces are especially interesting to me because I’m trying to be aware of situations when my unconscious biases need to be checked.
Check, please! Thank you! 
Since I’m too late to be part of the discussion in the comments, writing about them is the next best thing.
My favorite post from the past is “A College Freshman Turned in My Blog Post as His Homework” by Dodai Stewart. Stewart was notified by a college professor that a “…white male student attempted to get by on the intellect of a brown woman…by stealing her work on appropriation.” Stewart describes the incident and aftermath, and ponders how to respond to the student’s apology.
The plagiarized work was from Stewart’s piece “On Miley Cyrus, Ratchet Culture and Accessorizing With Black People”.
There are 854 comments on the post and almost all of them are insightful, informative, hilarious, or a combination of all three. When I was done, I felt like I’d read a book that wove together bits of information on college writing skills, plagiarism, flimsy apologies, cultural appropriation, and humor.
I’ve given up reading comments on most sites because the hatred expressed makes me fearful and depressed for the state of humanity. But Jezebel comments…so little trolling and the snark is good-snark. It’s smart without the “smarter than thou” tone.
I’ve got Stewart’s piece bookmarked so when I’m miserable from political campaigns and social network posts that read like hate speeches, I can return to a beacon of hope in the dark world of the interwebs.
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