“That he not busy being born is busy dying”

It’s the last line in the second stanza of Bob Dylan’s It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding). It means so much to me for a couple of reasons. First of all my original interpretation of the line was pretty negative: I thought he meant that we start dying the minute we’re born. Technically true, however also incredibly pessimistic. Something I had learnt to expect from Bob Dylan. Then one day someone pointed out to me that there could be another, far more beautiful interpretation.

This was over ten years ago – a few students were helping me out with some tasks at work and somehow we ended up discussing Bob Dylan. I still remember the moment of clarity – it might seem trivial, but it was pretty formative for me as a person. “You’ve got it all wrong,” one of them said. “Dylan actually means that if you stop reinventing yourself you’re dying.”

And there it was. An “Aha!” moment. It set me off on a train of thought that changed the way I look at things completely. I am now a person who’s scared of only one thing: stagnation.

Because the minute I stop being born I’m dying. Whoa. That changes your perspective on life because it removes the middle state: meaningless existence (or calls it dying, depending on how you see it).

This lesson helped me greatly in my work life because it means I get to do a much better job. Part of who we’re meant to be at Switch is a company that’s ahead of the curve. And as long as I’m scared with living in the past, then the future is the only place to be. However, that’s the boring part.

The phrase also defined how I see myself on a personal level – and has helped me get out of ruts I was getting stuck in at different stages of my life.

It also helps define my persona – if you ask around the office I’m known (together with Ed) as one of the people who can continue a conversation about nearly anything. From handbags to boats, cars to Greek philosophy, high quality food to the politics of the USA – I usually know something about so many things it’s insane.

The thing most people ask me is how I manage to keep up with so many things – do I have some Jedi trick to keep up with everything? Well, not really. I don’t have a magic formula, but I do have an incredible sense of curiosity for everything except other people’s lives.

I also have another mini mantra that’s tied to Dylan’s phrase – never kill time. Time is our most limited resource. It’s a bank account that’s constantly draining, so whenever someone suggests doing something to “kill time” it drives me crazy.

These two, put together, mean that I very rarely just hang about doing nothing. Don’t get me wrong – I relax, I do quite a bit of things that are relaxing and make it a point to chill out regularly, however I try to keep my relaxing time meaningful. I won’t sit down and see what’s pushed at me on TV – I’ll choose what to watch deliberately. If I’m going to spend time on a beach, then I’ll read something fulfilling, not a gossip magazine. If I have conversations with friends it will probably be about something we can have a debate about, not somebody else’s life.

I also have a behaviour online that’s probably pretty different to most of the people around me. Even though I have over 1,000 Facebook friends – I only keep a few of them visible on my timeline – and it’s very easy for friends to be hidden completely – just post about politics in a partisan manner, for example, and you’re off my wall forever. Instead, I replaced my Facebook feed with follows of pages I find interesting. Tech news, marketing news, fashion, world news, food, politics… You name it, there’s probably a page I follow that feeds me some information about the subject.

I subscribe to quite a few interesting newsletters in different fields that keep my brain ticking. I don’t read all of them every day, but I try finding enough time to go through a few that tickle my fancy.

Two sites I started using over the past year have also helped quench my thirst for new stuff to learn. The first might sound insane – Reddit. I got on the Reddit train very late in the day but was hooked almost immediately. It filled a void that I had missed since the death of Google+ in 2013. It is a great social site that’s built around people’s interests, not who they are. In fact, unlike Google+, I haven’t even made any friends on Reddit in over a year using it daily.

Over the past few days, for example, I’ve learnt about the way lawyers get sucked into firms in the US (from lawyers who got sucked into firms), I understood what the major news item about the discovery of gravitational waves actually means for us, and I’ve also read about the conversion of an old school bus into a camper.

And that’s just at the very top level. The beauty of Reddit is that it all starts off with a link or a short post, but the way comment threads evolve are usually so interesting. Deeper down into threads you find goldmines of information, usually in far more detail than the original thread itself. It takes patience, but it’s usually worth it (and even when it’s not, it turns out to be entertaining). It’s essentially crowdsourced knowledge.

The other site I got quite hooked to is Medium. Medium is far more serious than Reddit is, and the front page of medium is usually full of high quality articles that give you much more depth into a particular subject from a single person. There’s a lot of value to this too. Articles on Medium are well written and well researched. Authors tend to be an authority on the subject when they get pushed up enough, so, as long as you stick to the recommended stories (there’s a great Medium Daily Digest sent by email) you’re rarely disappointed.

So, yeah – rant over. I rarely get to write personal stuff here, and I hope you find some of this craziness interesting. Just keep this in mind – you’re either being born or you’re dying – there is no time to kill.

The post He not busy being born is busy dyin’ appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

“Today is the first blank page of a 366 page book. Write a good one.”

Do you know what I love about that quote? The word ‘blank’ in all its clean, refreshing glory. Because after the well-needed rest over Christmas shut down, I couldn’t wait to get back to the office, clear out my workspace (which looked like a bomb hit) and get my work-life in order to set the tone for a fresh and tidy start to the new quarter.
I figured I can’t be the only one who does this, so I’m sharing the 5 tips I keep in mind whenever I’m getting myself organised:

1. The one year rule

If you haven’t used it since January 2015, chuck it or donate it. This goes for the clutter on your desk, those drawers full of expired biscuits and that one closet in every office where 90s keyboards go to die. If nobody needed it in the past 12 months, I’m willing to bet that they’ll still be there in 2017.
Sub-tip: If you come across a note or business card that you think you may need for reference some day, take a photo of it. Store it in the cloud or send yourself an email – you’ll be able to find it quicker, and you’ll have one less item cluttering your space.

2. Tame your inbox

Once your physical workspace is clear, it’s time to tackle the digital one. Email inboxes are a super personal space and everyone’s got their own system, but there are a few things which could help you keep things under control week after week.
You can reduce the number of emails you get each day by unsubscribing from newsletters you no longer read, or create specific folders and labels (with filters to match) to have non-essential emails sorted automatically without interrupting your daily flow.

3. Just say no… To irresistible freebies

I added this to my list a few months ago when we returned from yet another conference with bags full of freebies. Piles of magnets, stickers and pens that don’t write the way you like them to. They never survive the January purge, so next time, just say no.

4. Schedule calendar time for your own work

This is a new one for me, and I’m hooked. If you and the rest of the office use Google Calendar, you probably know that colleagues can add meetings to your schedule depending on whether you’re free at that time or not. That’s great, except for when you sit down to work on a Monday morning and find that you’re booked solid for meetings until Friday afternoon, leaving no time to get your own work done.
Problem solved – Set aside time for the work by actually scheduling it into your calendar. This way, your colleagues will know that you’re busy that morning and pick a later date for the meeting. Your calendar will still look pretty full, but this way you’ll know that everything that needs doing will get done.
(PS: Thanks Mel for the tip!)

5. Create 2 work zones

There’s computer work which, well, needs a computer. But then there’s other work that will probably happen a lot more efficiently if you’re not in front of a screen. Think time, sketching or poring over the latest reports for instance. Whether in another room or on the same desk, allocate a space where you can move away from the screen and let your mind work without constant interruptions.
It’s not a fool proof guide and it might not be for everyone, but taking a few minutes to clear up with these 5 steps has helped me keep sane on even the busiest of days at the office. If you have anything to add to the list, I’d love to hear it – drop me a line in the comments!

The post Getting Organised For The New Year in 5 Steps appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

Stop. Take a minute and think.

Like my old man always said ‘if you really want to, you can do it – having no time is just an excuse!’
As we grow we start to understand that multitasking and time management can help us juggle a million things at one go – it’s okay boys, you wouldn’t understand the multitasking part – don’t worry, with all our nagging you’ll get there eventually 😛
The trick to it all is planning ahead and being positive! The worst thing you could do to yourself is to fall into a monotonous routine and regret the decisions you have made in the past. Every second you spend is  an experience to learn from and a memory to treasure!
Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier to make time for breakfast and kick start your day on a positive note!
Have a positive can do attitude and you find that any task you need to complete is done in a shorter time because you didn’t spend half of it complaining about how busy you are or about how impossible it is to get the job done.
Spare five minutes and call your parents, an old friend, or an ex colleague. If you think you have no time for that – do it while you’re in the bathroom, just make sure to flush after you hang up and not while you’re on the phone; having to reply to the question ‘what’s that noise?’ can be a little embarrassing – true story!

Spend 30 minutes cooking some healthy chicken and yummy salad for dinner instead of queuing up at a fast food restaurant. Do your grocery shopping once during the week instead of having to go to the store everyday – draw up a shopping list and plan your meals in advance, it’s not rocket science!
Find a hobby, pick a sport, go out for a short walk and stay active instead of dumping yourself on the sofa watching useless TV programs.
With all that’s been going on over the past few days you stop and realise that you’re here today and gone tomorrow.
What I am trying to say is that we all have the same amount of hours at our disposal – what we do with this time is what makes us happier or angrier, what keeps us sane or stresses the living hell out of us.
Can’t believe I found the time to write this in my busy schedule – and no, I’m not on the loo – or am I? 😉
Until next time! (ha ha)

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Structured

If you’re organised, logical, analytical, ruthlessly efficient, or numbers oriented, then maybe this is the category that works best for you. Structured individuals usually make great executives, researchers, account managers and business developers.
These are the guys who turn data into information and studio briefs that will then be interpreted by their creative counterparts in order to come up with something magical.
As you can see, creativity isn’t this category’s forte; however the structured individuals are the ones who find ways to make the great ideas happen.

Chaotic

Then there’s the other side: the chaotic, the artistic and the somewhat crazy. If you are artistic, have some technical skills, can constantly think outside the box and push the boundaries a little bit, then maybe this category might have a role for you.
The creative department is made up of artists from all different types of disciplines. It’s here where the exciting magic happens, where the big ideas emerge from – usually a lot crazier than what you end up seeing in that final artwork.

Hybrids

Modern marketing operations have pushed towards a more integrated approach in almost every aspect. Be it the media mix, product mix or a project team working on an exciting campaign, the need for differentiated talents and benefits are always sought out in order to have a successful formula that achieves whatever the goal is.
This need for a differentiated talent mix has led some resourceful marketers to evolve into a more hybrid kind of role within the industry. Not necessarily a Jack-of-all-trades, but definitely less specialised in any one particular area. Their true strength is adaptability and the ability to communicate effectively with different kind of people.
Sometimes these individuals are dismissed, as their wow factor isn’t based on a skill level that is hard to reach by most, but rather, multiple skills at a slightly lower level.
These are the individuals who have operational procedures, different ones for each project as they creatively optimise the list every time. These same individuals are the ones who contribute realistic creative ideas that push the boundaries slightly. These are the people who adopt a structured way of thinking, but never stick to the same structure.
So tell us, which one do you fall under? 🙂

The post Structure VS Chaos: Why Not Both? appeared first on Switch - Digital & Brand.

How do I keep myself organised?

With a list of responsibilities and deadlines to meet, things sometimes get a bit crazy. In a position like mine it’s important to keep on top of everything and never let the work get overwhelming.
Over the years I developed a system of work which helps me keep things organised.

My 6 Time Management Tips to Increase Productivity and Improve your Organisational Skills at work

1. Prepare in advance – especially when there’s a tight deadline or a client’s meeting. It’s better to be prepared and plan things carefully. If you’re attending a meeting, create an Agenda so all the line items on the Agenda are discussed and looked into whilst at the meeting.
2. Schedule your time and your day – The workload can be split. No need to hassle and stress. Create a priority list.
3. Start early and don’t waste time :p
4. Be organised – Use a filing system both at home and at the office. If you need to find something and you’re in a rush, it will be easily found.
5. Create a detailed handover for when you’re away of the office – This will help others know what’s going on with your on-going projects while you’re away. Clients would still be happy to receive any jobs that are due while you’re away.
6. Have a to do list or reminders – This way you will never leave something out.

What’s the benefit to all this?

Being more organised means being more time efficient. You lose time looking for lost files and documents or fishing through old emails to track down missing information. You waste time switching between devices to get different information from separate places.
Be conscious of this and keep files and things you will need later organised and easily accessible to make your life easier in the future.
With a few simple changes and adjustments you can save hours during the week and significantly increase your productivity and decrease your stress levels. Of course don’t forget to have some fun and get away every once in a while.
Just remember: you’re the master of your work, not the other way around!

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1. Ignore your emails

Most of us in the office get pop up notifications whenever we receive an e-mail. This means that we’re constantly stopping whatever task we’re doing to check an e-mail. This can interrupt your work flow and it can be hard to get back into the zone. So sometimes we just turn the pop ups off! We don’t suggest you do this for a long time because you might eventually get back to your inbox to find ” IMPORTANT URGENT ANSWER ASAP” casually sitting there from 4 hours ago. But turning off notifications for an hour or two won’t hurt!

2. Track your time

Plan how much time something should take and then do your best to stick to that slot. We use Paymo to track how much time we spend on projects – eventually we figured out more or less how long something should take us which makes planning our day so much easier!

3. Keep things close at hand

Working on a variety of projects means a variety of specifications and needs. Create lists of the different things clients need and keep these close at hand. Some of us tape lists to the wall, others write them on a big sheet of paper stuck to their desk, and two of us have turned their work area into a post-it-note hangout! Call us old school, but it works!

4. Plan, plan, plan!

Busy days don’t just drop out of the sky (okay, sometimes they do!). Plan your week and make sure you make time for everything you need to do. If you’ve got a relaxed day use it to do some behind the scenes work which would simplify things for you in the future. Whether it’s stock image hunting or creating titles for future blog posts make sure that you use those quieter days to their full potential.

5. Have resources

Speaking of stock imagery, we’re always working to improve our database of beautiful royalty free images. But whenever we’re really stuck in a jam we like to use one of the many sites on this great post over at BeeWits. It’s been a lifesaver more than once!

6. Set reminders

Schedule in reminders to remind you about things at intervals (1 week before, 2 days before, on the day). We’ve got a weekly reminder for our 10 Before 10:00 posts, and other reminders for our newsletters. This combined with numerous post-it-notes, and verbal reminders from members of staff ensures we never miss anything!

7. Hold regular meetings

You can’t spend 8 hours a day staring at your monitor isolated in the digital world! Sure you can communicate on Skype, but nothing beats sitting down at a table with a mug of coffee and a notepad. Having regular meetings not only helps you plan work strategies- it also increases team dynamics. So if you can’t remember the last time you had a team meeting it’s about time you have one!

8. Get yourself a whiteboard

We’ve got a white board at the end of the room and we’re proud to say it’s quite a beast! It’s got our marketing strategy fully laid out and whenever we’re in need of some inspiration we go through the (never-ending) list. It provides us with a great visual on the aims and motives behind our work. (Plus who doesn’t love a whiteboard?) If you really can’t get a whiteboard go ahead and write on the glass. Just make sure you don’t use a permanent marker and wipe off any joke comments before client meetings!

9. Lose yourself in background sounds

While we’ve got a very sociable office environment each one of us has a pair of headphones. Sure most of the times we can still hear what’s going on in the room but the music does drown out the office sounds. If music doesn’t work for you why not try rainymood or coffitivity? Sometimes a thunderstorm combined with coffee shop murmurs is just what you need!

10. Feed your brain

We’re massive foodies and over time we’ve learnt that you can’t focus on low fuel. While we advise you to stay away from a giant plate of carbonara, we do recommend that you stop for lunch and have something yummy to recharge your bodies and keep you going. There are many great recipes out there dedicated entirely to feeding your brain so why not carry out a quick google search?
All in all how you work depends on your own personality – are there any tools you find indispensable, or do you have some sort of secret which helps you get through things quickly? Let us know!

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