Tag Archives: infographics

Let’s stop doing it all at once (because we have so much to do).

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I am a chronic multi-tasker.

Since I always have many things going on at once, I feel like I have to give attention to each. Perhaps I could say I am an recovering multi-tasker. It’s my default mode, while my wife gets much more done, partly because she tackles one thing at a time (while seemingly doing it all at once).

Study after study proves that doing anything is better than doing everything.

The Distraction Economy

20140221-064750.jpg Here’s an infographic attempting to quantify our losses, the high cost of multi-tasking. Stop whatever you’re doing and give it a look. Or, keep doing what you’re doing and add this to the list. Oh, wait …

The infographic shows that an estimated $450 billion are lost annually due to people not being immersed in the task at hand. The lack of immersion excluded, our minds are elsewhere. (On average we are looking at our cellphones 150 times daily! That’s at least every five minutes.) We even have syndromes that define the sensation of feeling like you got a text. (Click image to see full size.)

Simply put, each of us is less efficient and effective — and far less intelligent — while trying to do it all.

But wait, there’s more:

“Some of the greatest threats of multitasking are not, like those posed by texting and driving, to life and limb, but to the meaning – or lack thereof – of life itself.” 1

Yep, multi-taskers are less human too.

Happy Friday everything.

Be all there.

[HT: Marc Cortez on Everyday Theology]

  1. Quote via similar, earlier link from David Murray on Head Heart Hand. ↩
 

Passion Week timeline.

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The events of Jesus’ last week leading up to His death on the cross and resurrection are called “Holy Week” or “Passion Week.” His passion speaks of His sufferings in our place, on our behalf, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).

Starting in Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12, we get to walk beside Jesus, seeing and hearing what He did and said.

Creative artist Josh Byers has put the timeline of events of Passion Week in illustrated form. Follow along, from Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday, and everything vital movement in between.

Passion Week

The Passion Week timeline

 

Friday fun | Do you have Nomophobia?

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Tonight the family and I will ‘unplug’ completely, stepping away from our phones and computers for a few days, to find renewal through rest and recreation. We’re at the end of one busy season, beginning a new season in life.

Yet not having one’s smartphone as a constant companion can make one anxious. How about you? How long do you think you could go without a mobile device?

The fear of being without your mobile phone — also called nomophobia — affects a large portion of the population, according to new data highlighted by T-Mobile in the below infographic.

A recent survey commissioned by T-Mobile and conducted by Kelton Research found that 25% of respondents would rather leave the house without a credit card than a mobile phone and 29% would prefer to be without cash. Nearly half of Americans said they miss their phones within an hour of being without it. Continue reading →

 

Two great things: LEGO & infographics.

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Anyone who knows me a bit knows I enjoy a good infographic, when solid research is put in visual form. Are you a visual learner as well?

Plus, there’s probably no better toy on the planet than LEGO building blocks. They’re not really toys; LEGO bricks are more like tools with infinite building possibilities.

How about combining these two amazing things?

LEGO bricks illustrate the simple idea behind infographics. (I can imagine explaining it to our son this way sometime soon.)
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Data: sorted, arranged, presented visually. Got it? Good. Now let’s raid the toy box and play with the “data.”

Visual by Hot Butter Studio via Mashable.

 

When you’re approaching burnout. (6 simple ways to avoid burnout)

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“It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less. On, on, on for ever, without recreation may suit spirits emancipated from this ‘heavy clay,’ but while we are in this tabernacle, we must every now and then cry halt, and serve the Lord by holy inaction and consecrated leisure. Let no tender conscience doubt the lawfulness of going out of harness for a while.” —Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, 161.


Thus the need for constant renewal. For most of my adult life I’ve battled against burning out, in part because my inner-desire to work hard (a healthy drive and work ethic) often meets the insurmountable mountain of tasks and people clamoring for time and energy. (I work with people, systems, and ideas — all three are breaking on some level, and as a natural control freak I tend to think it’s my ‘job’ to fix all of it.)

Having much to do is a good problem to have, but one’s aspirations for productivity must be thoughtfully and carefully managed. In recent years Kari and I began intentionally establishing more and more healthy boundaries, adapting them over time to fit the various seasons of ministry. With each season of faithfulness, more perseverance has been required of us, leading to a renewed need to collectively rejuvenate on an ongoing basis.

We’ve become more and more proactive in carving out the good life, which involves less overcommitment (responding to every ‘need’) and more sensing God’s call to serve out of His resources.

Let’s become wise and recognize the limitations of our own bodies and souls. We are nobody’s saviors. And even Jesus, The Savior, needed time to rest and renew while on earth. Yet, even our rest is not about merely resting.

The following infographic summaries six simple ways to avoid burnout. We personally incorporate all six into our rhythm of life. Scroll down to see all six effective ways:
Continue reading →

 

Thou shall not commit logical fallacies.

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When it comes to logical fallacies, each of us is part of the problem, or part of the solution.

As the old adage goes, check yourself before you wreck yourself.

From yourlogicalfallacyis.com:

A logical fallacy is usually what has happened when someone is wrong about something. It’s a flaw in reasoning. They’re like tricks or illusions of thought, and they’re often very sneakily used by politicians and the media to fool people.

Don’t be fooled! This website and poster have been designed to help you identify and call out dodgy logic wherever it may raise its ugly, incoherent head.

If you see someone committing a logical fallacy, link them to the relevant fallacy to school them in thinky awesomeness and win the intellectual affections of those who happen across your comment by appearing clever and interesting e.g. yourlogicalfallacyis.com/strawman.

Logical fallacies covered: Continue reading →