productivity

How fonts help (and hinder) your writing

Your academic outfit is a big deal.  Every element related to learning impacts upon you in some way:

  • Time of day;
  • Location;
  • Lighting;
  • Output method (pen & paper, laptop, etc.);
  • Ambient sound;
  • Music (or lack of);
  • Disturbances;
  • Company;
  • And so on.

I give my study setup a lot of consideration and have always been aware of how my attitude changes, depending on my circumstances.

It seems that I overlooked one important element that alters perspective on productivity…Fonts.

photo by vial3tt3r

photo by vial3tt3r

Fonts, the styles of writing you see on screen and on the printed page, are not only useful for layout and pretty structure.  They have another special power.

Your workflow and approach changes greatly depending on the font you use on screen. Fonts bring a new dimension to your writing.

This all came about when I read about the different printing costs between different fonts.  The most efficient font is apparently Century Gothic.  And, as Ampercent mentions, “The more pleasing a font looks at the screen, the less tempted someone will be to print it.  This will save both ink and paper”.

In which case, you should be able to take the logic further to aid study.

When reading, different fonts alter effectiveness and motivation, leading the reader to believe something is more difficult than it really is.

Therefore, your own engagement with text as you type probably makes an impact.

The more pleasing a font looks on screen, you’d hope it would help your own output too.  As you type, you watch the text appear on screen.  You’re engaging with the text.  You’re creating.

Until recently, I didn’t try using different fonts to see if they made a difference to my writing.  But once I changed font to Century Gothic for printing purposes, I noticed a change in how I viewed the text.

After some (still ongoing) experimentation with different fonts, I found that my workflow changed.  Sometimes I wanted to write more and more and more and…

Depending on the typeface, the text suddenly let me open up further with ease.  Even on work that I considered complete.  Quite an eye opener.

I’m amazed I didn’t pay much attention to font use for productivity in the past.  It’s not like I’ve ignored fonts.  Yet I didn’t ever think far enough to imagine a simple change of font could noticeably change my relationship with the text on screen.  Neither did I think certain fonts would let me tap away at the keyboard and enjoy the writing process more.

If you haven’t got enough fonts, or want to experiment with a wider range, a good place to start is Addictive Fonts.  The site showcases all sorts, including:

That should be plenty to be getting on with.  I’m sure that the most effective fonts differ from person to person, so find out what works best for you and enjoy!

I’m curious.  How affected are you by fonts?

Risk or Responsibility?

Do you take risks when faced with important decisions?  Do you push things to one side and let random excitement take hold and stress you out?

Perhaps you think you only take an occasional gamble. But you may be more of a risk taker than you think.

photo by anarchosyn

photo by anarchosyn

It doesn’t sound like much, but think how tempting it is to leave an essay until the last minute.  Rather than prepare in advance, there’s a want to bash everything out in the last minute.  You may not really *want* to do everything in the last minute, but the beast of procrastination rears its ugly head and that’s what happens anyway.

What of study plans?  Before the work starts, a plan can seem so structured and restricting.  Surely you’ll get the work done eventually.  You’ve done it before that way.  Much better to work when you feel like it, eh?

Keep those fingers crossed that you’ll get that feeling every time.

Of course, you will feel like it, because you’ll have no choice. Time will have run out. Panic is often a big driver of decisions.

Shame those decisions aren’t likely to be the best ones.

Many choices may not feel risky, but there’s a real chance they will make a negative impact.

Making plans straight away does involve taking responsibility.  But this is a low risk, positive action.  Responsibility sounds like a hassle, because you know you have to start.  And the end is so, so far away.  At least, it’s so far away until there’s not enough time.  Then the game changes and it’s out of your control…

The sooner you start, the sooner you can finish in your own sweet time.  No rushing, no major panic, no second rate attempt that you know could have been better.

You don’t have to jump on tasks the moment you get them, but neither should they be left to linger.

Advice like this isn’t unusual.  That doesn’t make it any easier to action.  Not until you give it a context.  As I see it, that context is risk.  The longer you leave it, the bigger the chance you’re taking.  Risks don’t have to sound risky before they become dangerous.

Are you willing to gamble with grades?

Too much advice and not enough productivity?

Simple advice can usually be taken the opposite way.

  • Want to achieve your goals?  Make them public!  No, keep them private!
  • Want to focus better on revision?  Listen to music while you work!  No, sit in silence!
  • Want to save money on your shopping bill?  Make a list!  No, shop less strictly to bag the bargains!

You may have heard me say that one person’s poison is another person’s potion.  When it comes to uncomplicated suggestions from a friend, or a blog post with some quick tips, the advice won’t necessarily work for you.

 

photo by RobeRt Vega

photo by RobeRt Vega

If there was a single answer, we’d all take that route and we’d all love the success it brought.  Nobody would have to worry.  But, naturally, life isn’t like that.

The same goes for if a selection of answers all produced the same, successful, result.  Suggestions are great, but you have to make them your own before they’ll work.  Even then they may not yield the fruit you were expecting.

Yes, it’s frustrating, but life isn’t simple.  That’s why so many people are hooked on finding a quick fix or an astounding life hack.

Whenever you stumble upon something great, let’s call it ‘lucky’.  Without seeking any advice, you won’t be as lucky as one who does the searching.  You do have to ‘create your own luck‘ to an extent.  However, there is a saturation point where even the one who searches is wasting their time.

After all, there are so many blogs devoted to study tips and life hacks that it’s easy to spend too much time reading them.  Do you really want to save time, or do you want to procrastinate? At some point, you need to act on the advice you already have.

Darren Rowse of ProBlogger made some great points over Twitter about all the supposedly time-saving advice out there:

“Problem with productivity techniques: so many focus upon how we can stuff more into life – which just sets us up for heart attacks later.  Not sure what the answer is but it strikes me that a better approach to productivity would be becoming focused and doing less things better.  Or maybe thinking about all this productivity stuff is just a distraction from being productive.”

Darren was inspired to make those comments because of this video:

We do face distractions.  They won’t go away.  Neither should we be forced to rid ourselves of all disruption.

However, the idea of ‘doing less things better’ is important.  Doing more isn’t automatically more impressive.  A limited number of key pursuits can be more convincing.  You may find that, in the transition, you focus on more demanding work within the deliberately limited scope.  The good news is that hard work under these conditions is often more satisfying.

I’m not trying to suggest that general productivity hacks and tips are useless.  Far from it.  Much of the advice I give on this blog is general.

I see the difficulties of taking advice working in two ways:

  1. Specific advice is easy to action because there is little need to interpret.  Just follow step by step.  However, it is less likely to yield as much success as the person who achieved it and advised in the first place;
  2. General advice is harder to action, because you have to take responsibility for making it your own.  You may develop the approach wonderfully, you may reach a dead end and seek out different advice, or you may find it too hard to take on that responsibility at all.

Advice, no matter how specific, should be examined and considered, but at no point should you expect an automatic win.  Even if you’re persuaded it’s a no-brainer.

It’s great to take a punt and win.  It’s hell to expect the best and lose.

The advice I give is based on my own experience and those of others.  I sometimes advise stuff that doesn’t (or hasn’t yet) worked for me.  Why?  Because I know many others who have been successful using those methods.

We may not be the same, but we share many similar features and goals and thought processes.  It would be insane if nobody listened to others for advice.  It would be equally insane if you took everything they said as the truth. The only person who can find your truth is you.  And it’s not an easy road.

That doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.  Have a nice trip.  And don’t make *too* many stops on the way for advice.  You can’t refuel if you’ve not started using your own resource tank yet.

Want to hear more? Just before I went to publish this, Darren Rowse put up his own video on whether productivity systems really work.  I’ll leave you with that:

Review: Learn More, Study Less

Scott Young gave me a peek at “Learn More, Study Less“, his new ebook and companion video course that does exactly what it says on the tin.  Today I’m reviewing the product.  I’ve got a short review and a long review.

Here’s the short review:
Learn More, Study Less helps you learn more and study less.  You’d like to do that, wouldn’t you?  If so, buy the course and start seeing the bigger picture.

Here’s the long review:
The best way to explain Learn More, Study Less is by calling it a complete learning system.  Rote memorisation of facts is tired and cumbersome.  Through this course, Scott explains how your learning can become expansive.  Problems aren’t one-dimensional; you’ll often find many answers to the same question.

Scott offers the course as either:
– A 228-page ebook, case studies & worksheets for $39 (about £25);
– A complete video course (around 6 hours) and a set of interviews in addition to the ebook, case studies & worksheets for $67 (about £42)

The book starts by helping you to remove those blinkers and take a good look around.  From this new viewpoint, all the links and connections between subjects become apparent.

Sound overwhelming?  It’s not.  The natural approaches explained in the book are a boon, not a pain.

Scott asks if there are certain subjects you just “get”.  The way you handle these subjects is likely different to those you have a block on, or those you find more difficult to learn from.  The book highlights what elements of learning are in play with the subjects you “get”, giving you scope to use them on other subjects.

In Part 1, a six-step approach is outlined in detail: Acquire, Understand, Explore, Debug, Apply & Test.  In addition, Scott describes the many types of information out there and how to process each type.

Part 2 describes important techniques for bringing the holistic learning strategy to life.  With speed reading, idea linking, mental and emotional images, practical uses to aid learning, and so on, there’s a wealth of goodies you’ll want to play with and master here.

The book gives no quick fixes.  What the book does so well is provide you with detailed explanations of how your everyday learning can become a permanent fix in itself. My own experience has helped me realise that putting in the initial work is far better than slapping on a quick fix at the end.  That’s why I hate cramming before tests and why I can’t stand writing coursework at the last minute.

Learn More, Study Less goes beyond passing tests.  And rightly so. A focus on testing only weakens ability to concentrate on the bigger picture.  The book calls on you to question why you *want* to learn anything.  When you can question the usefulness of what you’re learning, you’re better equipped to learn it.

Part 3 looks past holistic learning and looks at being a productive student and how to educate yourself by using what you’ve learned.  Part 4 contains a helpful summary and recap.

Scott throws in some real case studies and helpful worksheets as part of the package.  These allow you to focus even further on what’s required.  Like I said at the beginning of the review, this really is set up to be a complete and flexible learning system.

Positive Points:

  • I have used most of the techniques within this book at different stages in my life and I know how well they have served me.  This alone is enough for me to heartily recommend the product.
  • The book is easy to read and the writing clear and concise.  Complicated methods are described as simply as possible so you’re free to develop your technique effectively.
  • Scott’s video classes (in the $67 package) are great value for money and complement the book well.  The videos really help bring some of the points to life.
  • You’re not left scared and confused.  At no point are you made to feel out of your depth.  You do have to put the work in to make holistic learning work, but that’s a matter of choice, not a matter of ability.

Negative Points:

  • No references list.  A lot of the methods documented here have been known to work for many years.  Perhaps I’m being greedy, but I’d have liked to see where some of Scott’s ideas had originated from.
  • Price could put off some students. Costing the same as some academic textbooks, it may put you off. Yet seen as a complete course, it does represent good value for money.  Scott also provides a 60-day guarantee if you’re not happy.
  • You must be self-determined.  I’ve already said that the book isn’t about quick fixes.  Commitment is required.  Sadly, not everyone is looking for that.  Simply reading the book will not do.

In Closing:
At the back of Learn More, Study Less, Scott rightly says that “No technique, method or trick can replace motivation”.  This is key to learning well.  Anything less only works as a temporary mask.  And it won’t fool anybody.

Forget masks.  This course gives you the tools you need to up your game for good.

“Find your reason for learning.  Even if the reason is as simple as curiosity, find a reason to want to know.” – Scott Young

[Note: I am happy to be an affiliate for Scott’s course.  I only recommend products if I feel they provide good quality. This product certainly does that.]