It's not the tools that matter
15/10/07 19:48 Filed in: Software
So yesterday I had a (very small) revelation.
Is this revelation going to change my life? Well probably not, but it's still post worthy.
Is this revelation going to change my life? Well probably not, but it's still post worthy.
Put simply I decided that the tools you use to do any
thing don't really matter.
See I told you it was a very small revelation, but a revelation nonetheless, especially for a collector of software like my self.
The revelation came when I was trying out some mind mapping software (nova mind).
Yes I could produce nice colourful mind maps, which might actually help clarify some ideas and maybe even lead me to some new ones, but would it be worth it. It took me some time to put together a map of a story idea I was working on, which did actually give me another idea. But if I hadn't done the mind map and I'd got down to actually turning the idea in to a story, would I have had the same idea? Maybe not (it's impossible to know), but I may well have had another different idea or ideas.
And while could have been having these ideas, I would have been practicing the art of writing it's self, instead it was practicing the art of playing around with some drawing software. Now don't get me wrong, this is not a criticism of nova mind or mind mapping in general, I'm sure they both are very useful to many people. But to me they are just more toys I can play with instead of getting on with the job. So really this is a criticism of me, i don't have the will power to stop playing and get on with things.
So dose this mean I'm suddenly going to get rid of all the apps I've payed for (I'm just trying nova mind, I've not payed for it and as you may have guessed I won't be!), and use vi for everything?
Well no. There are some tools which I've had got long enough that I don't get the urge to play with them every time I fire them up (these are the one's you'll find on my dock) and because I don't play with them, I use them, I can get things done with them.
What it dose mean is that I'm going to stop lusting (ohh errr!) over new apps, which might, just might make the perfect work flow for me.
There is no such thing and I will only waste lots of time playing with them trying to get there!
See I told you it was a very small revelation, but a revelation nonetheless, especially for a collector of software like my self.
The revelation came when I was trying out some mind mapping software (nova mind).
Yes I could produce nice colourful mind maps, which might actually help clarify some ideas and maybe even lead me to some new ones, but would it be worth it. It took me some time to put together a map of a story idea I was working on, which did actually give me another idea. But if I hadn't done the mind map and I'd got down to actually turning the idea in to a story, would I have had the same idea? Maybe not (it's impossible to know), but I may well have had another different idea or ideas.
And while could have been having these ideas, I would have been practicing the art of writing it's self, instead it was practicing the art of playing around with some drawing software. Now don't get me wrong, this is not a criticism of nova mind or mind mapping in general, I'm sure they both are very useful to many people. But to me they are just more toys I can play with instead of getting on with the job. So really this is a criticism of me, i don't have the will power to stop playing and get on with things.
So dose this mean I'm suddenly going to get rid of all the apps I've payed for (I'm just trying nova mind, I've not payed for it and as you may have guessed I won't be!), and use vi for everything?
Well no. There are some tools which I've had got long enough that I don't get the urge to play with them every time I fire them up (these are the one's you'll find on my dock) and because I don't play with them, I use them, I can get things done with them.
What it dose mean is that I'm going to stop lusting (ohh errr!) over new apps, which might, just might make the perfect work flow for me.
There is no such thing and I will only waste lots of time playing with them trying to get there!
|