Build Notes #14
On building work, choices, and Seinfeld.
My family and I have temporarily moved in with some relatives while we have some building work done. As you might imagine, this change has thrown my virtually identical daily routine into a tailspin, and I’ve dropped a few good habits in the process (running, for example).
Habits are metastable; they only stick if the context in which they are performed stays the same. You can floss your teeth every day for a year, but if one day you don’t have a bathroom, your flossing habit will bite the dust.
On the Boords front, we’re plugging away at the Media Library in the background and pushed out a new sidebar editing function to keep the momentum going until the Media Library is ready. It should be in a good spot by the next issue.
I also added a desktop planer to my workshop last week, which means I can plane wood down to any thickness I need. Custom-thicknessed wood seems like a small thing, but it opens a world of possibilities - until now, I’ve been limited to whatever dimensions I could find in the local DIY shop. It feels like a game-changing tool. It’s also incredibly noisy and messy, which only adds to the fun.
Elsewhere
🪓 Choices (3-min read)
The word decide has the same structure as homicide, regicide etc. This means when you decide, you effectively kill all other options.
⚖️ On Productivity and Remote Work (3-min read)
Remote work offers many benefits, but it turns out it can be much less productive (20% less so, according to this study). Separate ‘work’ spaces offer a possible solution.
🤖 Linear (Software)
Slick issue tracking tool with velocity, keyboard shortcuts… you name it. As I mentioned in the previous issue, a tool can’t do the work for you, but if you’re in the market for an issue tracker, this seems worth a look. Thanks to Marco for recommending.
🪑 Atlas of Furniture Design (Book)
I’m having a hard time resisting this 1,000 page, 4.7kg opus on the history of furniture design from the Vitra Design Museum.
🎤 Seinfeld on productivity (3-min read)
Jerry Seinfeld is a big detail guy. In this piece, he attributes Seinfeld’s success, at least in part, to his relentless micromanagement; ‘If you’re efficient, you’re doing it the wrong way’.