Surely, a knife is made for cutting things. And you can only use a cotton swab to clean your ears — right? Functional fixedness is a form of cognitive bias which makes us automatically narrow down the function of each tool. Although functional fixedness offers great mental shortcuts, it can present barriers to working to … Read More
Creativity is everywhere around us — in the random colors of an artist’s painting, the verses of profound poetry, or an inspiring sculpture crafted from muddy clay. However, being creative is not just related to the arts, and artists are not the only custodians of creativity. Solving challenging problems, coming up with new technology, finding … Read More
Napkin is a note-taking app that helps you capture your ideas, see connections, and be inspired. Discover how Napkin’s intuitive interface and powerful features can help you with serendipity and creativity in this interview with David Felsmann and Fabian Wittle.
A eureka moment is that magical epiphany when the solution to a problem seems to appear out of nowhere. Also known as an “Aha!” moment, little beats the sudden clarity you feel at solving a puzzle or finally understanding a previously unfathomable concept. Eureka moments can lead to creative discoveries, the triumphant completion of a … Read More
As the saying goes, time is our most precious currency: once we spend it, it’s gone. Yet, somehow, we rarely make a conscious effort to better understand and manage how we spend our time. Sure, at a macro level, we may use a calendar, and try to make sure to carve time out to enjoy with our loved ones, to acquire new skills, and to explore the world. But what about the micro-level, the way we spend our precious minutes and seconds?
Yesterday at lunch time, while I was sipping tea and casually going through Instagram stories to see what my friends were up to (not the best kind of work break, but we are human after all), I was shown an advert for a website I had never heard about before. It’s called Gaia, and it … Read More
Every year, dozens of new productivity systems pop up, each of them promising a more efficient, better way to work. And, every day, people try one of these new systems in the hope of better managing their work as well as their mental health. Talk to any knowledge worker and they will have tried at … Read More
In this interview, we talked about the problem with traditional calendars and the way we manage meetings, the life cycle of a work event, the importance of note-taking and written communication, the future of work, why we need to unleash our digital footprint, how to build a productivity inbox, and much more.
We all have used self-talk to motivate ourselves. “I will meditate everyday”, “I will start going to the gym”, “I will complete this coding course”… It gives us a boost in confidence and the conviction that we will achieve our goals. Such self-talk sounds harmless, but research suggests we may benefit from being a little … Read More
Discover the power of visual thinking with Kosmik, a unique tool for thought that offers an infinite canvas for your notes, media and web browsing. In this interview with the founders, learn how Kosmik’s decentralized and distributed features, granular sharing and ownership tracking, and offline-first approach can transform the way you approach knowledge work and boost your productivity.