There are many ways to do a job.
But which one is best for you?
People will have perspectives and ‘magic bullets’ from their experiences that worked for them.
So we get excited and adopt their tool/framework/notion template/excel sheet etc. only to find we are maybe 45% effective in using the tool for the job?
Once we have used the tool over time will we come to a new understanding of its value.
I was inspired by this situation because I too have experienced the same issue of adopting many tools, frameworks, etc from smart people, although not achieving the outcome I wanted.
It wasn’t that the tools were not effective. They probably are however, I came to realize a new idea that combined what I know from technology analytics with how I saw the tools I was adopting.
The concept of the heat map.
What are heatmaps in tech?
- Visual illustration of where people click or gravitate towards as high usage areas on websites or apps
- Colour is used to illustrate denser darker high volume areas
The use case for heatmaps for engineers and companies is to analyze where the majority of users interact on a website or app.
By understanding why a user would click a button or scroll to a section of a page, engineers can improve the overall experience.
From this analogy, I applied the same thinking to how I engage with my tools.
Because for every framework, notion template, excel sheet, or website I used — I analyzed where majority of my interaction went.
The high volume areas upon reflection were where I found some value in.
Knowing what added value to me, gave me permission to delete or ignore the rest of the template, excel sheet, or web content.
If I wasn’t using it, then no point occupying mental space in my day.
From this experience I believe that many resources created by talented people are great, however, are unique to working in the creator’s flow.
Each time I combined the frameworks together it felt dysfunctional, like switching into another person’s mind.
Hence, instead of adopting other people’s templates at once, I took the best from each that worked for me and evolved them into my own framework.
Now I have a framework that suits my workflow and is customized to how I think and create.
The point is you can double down on what works for you, evolve and learn from others, to forge your own.
