Tools, Tips, and Treats for Living the VA Life [January 2019]

Productivity Pick-Me-Ups

A Simple Way to Better Remember Things: Draw A Picture (NY Times)

This is fascinating! As someone with visual memory, I believe it.

You Can’t Be Productive Without Routines and Rituals. Here’s Why (Fast Company)

Routines allow us to get stuff done, while rituals help shake off the “emotional residue” of previous tasks. In work where we are often quickly switching from one task to another, establishing rituals to shift our minds from the last task seems like a habit worth developing.

Remote Work Revolution

How to Follow Up Without Being a Nagging, Passive-Aggressive Psycho (Talking Shrimp)

via GIPHY

Following up with some clients can be intimidating. You need to know something, but you know they’re busy. How to do it without nagging? Here’s a script to consider.

(Ed. note: Laura Belgray and I should have a “Passive Aggressive College Roommate Battle.” I see her voicemails and raise her interior fridge Post-Its.)

Brown Noise is the Best Work Soundtrack (The Cut)

Softer than white noise, but still masks outside sounds. If playlists aren’t your jam, but you get too distracted with silence ???? , give Brown Noise a try. Who knew there was a spectrum of blanketing sounds to choose from?

Marketing Mischief

Replace These Words in Your Writing (Life Hacker)

Sometimes the simpler word is the better choice. Variety is important in writing, but you don’t always have to go fancy. What words are you tired of reading?

Let’s Put an End to Random Acts of Creativity (Jay Acunzo)

Are we focused too much on shortcuts to greatness? Are hacks a symptom that something is wrong? Jay Acunzo is exploring our focus on Random Acts of Creativity over the next few weeks, and it will be interesting to think about in a world of digital marketing messages that are expected to perform before they get lost in the feed.