Kourosh Dini's Blog, page 19
March 4, 2020
Calendar Integration – Part 1: On Time Blocking
Time blocking is the act of scheduling sessions of work on a calendar. By deliberately assigning work time on a calendar, we automatically acknowledge the immutable resource of time.
Several productivity writers tout the strengths of time blocking including Mike Vardy at Lifehack, Cal Newport of Deep Work fame, Gwen Moran at Fast Company, Francis Wade, and others. A number of task management apps work by time blocking, sometimes even automatically scheduling your days...
February 28, 2020
Peace and the Piano – Volume 2
Peace and the Piano – Volume 2 is now available!
Peace and the Piano – Volume 2 by Kourosh DiniPeace and the Piano volume 2 is the second of a four album set. Check out Volume 1 here. The music encompasses a year and a half period from 2017 to 2019 during which I focused much of my musical creativity towards the piano. These works are designed to flow from one to the next and, I believe, would work well in spas and other relaxing type settings.
The cover art by Matt Strieby, Newleaf Design;...
February 26, 2020
“Creating Flow” vs “Going with the Flow”
What does “Going with the Flow” mean?
Does it mean we simply react to our surroundings? Does it mean doing what we want at whim? Does it mean avoiding confrontation? A DilemmaIntuitively, we know that being interested in work can make a big difference. We are much more inclined to invest ourselves, search for ideas, and try new things when we feel engaged. Meanwhile, forcing ourselves to do much of anything can make for poor quality, resentment, and more.
For these reason’s we might...
February 19, 2020
Two Ways to Break Work Down
Work can feel overwhelming. What to do next is not often clear. One way of handling this overwhelm is to “break it down” into smaller parts.
But how far is useful? If we continue to write many tasks that feel unnecessary, we only create busy work or procrastinate.
**There are two measures to consider when breaking down tasks:**
1 – For simple work, break to the **Point of Confidence**
2 – For mastery, break to the **Fundamentals**
When doing *simple work*, I find it is useful to break...
February 15, 2020
Peace and the Piano – Volume 2 – available 2/28
Now available as a pre-release: Peace and the Piano – Volume 2
Peace and the Piano – Volume 2 by Kourosh DiniFull release date slated for February 28, 2020
Check out Volume 1 here.
February 5, 2020
How To Break Your Task System
A bit tongue in cheek, but in any case…
Rarely review. Rarely clear the Inbox. Treat all lists as infinite. Deny the limits of time and attention. Add flags to many tasks. Overestimate what you can do. Heavily use due dates. Add reminders without considering current reminders. Avoid adding enjoyable work.January 31, 2020
Peace and the Piano – Volume 1 – Now Available!
Peace and the Piano Volume 1 is now available!
Peace and the Piano – Volume 1 by Kourosh Dini Peace and the Piano – Volume 1 Now available at BandcampCDBaby
Apple Music
Spotify
Peace and the Piano is my first album in several years. In fact, it is a set of four albums. The music encompasses a year and a half period from 2017 to 2019 during which I focused much of my musical creativity towards the piano. These works are designed to flow from one to the next and, I believe, would work well in...
January 22, 2020
On Being “Sloppy”
How often have you accused yourself of being “sloppy”? You forgot something, you missed something, little bits and pieces of things got lost, or things could have just looked better.
Similar to self-accusations of “laziness”, being sloppy is actually something we become when we call ourselves that. We spend a bit of self-esteem and get to get out of work. It can also be a protective measure. It protects us from the fear that we may be failures were we to try. The...
January 21, 2020
Peace and the Piano – Volume 1 – Releases on January 31st
Over the last several years, I’ve been hard at work practicing a style and flow of piano. It is a minimalist approach to music. There are older structures that are repeated and built upon. There are newer structures, only ever played that one time. There are those between. Throughout the albums, I weave these evolving ideas.
Cover art by Matt Strieby, who has consistently created wonderful designs over the years.
Mastering by Dan Precision at the Bombshelter BombshelterChicago.com . This was...
January 15, 2020
The Three Principles of Organizing and its Practice
When we organize, what are we doing? Do we put things into nice orders? Make them somehow aesthetically pleasing?
I define organization as:
Organization is the process of clearing and supporting paths for the development of things we find meaningful.
To clear and support paths, there are three components:
Accessibility Avoidability AwarenessAccessibility refers to how easily we can get to something when we need or want it. Ideally, it is instantly accessible. When we are truly skilled at...
