Chloë's 3 Things: Dead Computer / Constraint / Sector Habits

Hello!

I come to you from a place of frustration this week... that I'm trying to turn into a place of insight and opportunity (keep reading and it'll all become clear!).

This week's 3 things:

1. Dead Computer ☠💾 - it's been a FUN week!
2. Constraint 💡 - leads to opportunity?
3. Sector Habits 🤳 - what's normal in one vertical is not in another..

Let's get stuck in...

Thing 1: Dead Computer ☠💾

This week my desktop computer died.

It took 3 days to do it... with a glimmering hope that it was just a keyboard driver issue... but it is now officially certified dead.

I'm relatively well prepared for such eventualities but it's still screwed up my week:

• Lost about 1/2-3/4 of a day dealing with the problem
• My backup solutions isn't as good so my productivity will be off until I'm back up and running
• It's going to take until next week to get the new computer ready and here

So why am I telling you about this...

Well, I want to share what I was doing, and what I'm going to be doing to make this less of an issue (or avoid it completely in future).

In the hope it helps you!

IT Crisis Avoidance Policy up to this week

I'm a PC, so the Apple points will be a little different, but the principles still apply.

• Have an IT team, and commit to letting them service the tech on the schedule they recommend (we use Tekeez - they're brilliant)
• Have a spare computer in the office that's ready to go - I'm writing this on my old laptop, which the IT team service every month and which had everything installed so all I needed to do was get logged in and sync everything to be ready to go.
• I also have... a spare printer, & a spare mouse.
• Use the cloud! ALL our files are on either Dropbox or Google so everything is as per normal.
• And use all the bits of the cloud - I'm a bookmark junky in Chrome, it's how I organise EVERYTHING - so being able to also sync Chrome has been a real boost.

I've been pretty smug about this - but this week has highlighted there are some areas that need to be improved...

New Additions to the IT Crisis Avoidance Policy... and why...

Problem 1: It broke.

My desktop was over 5 years old, probably more like 8 years old.

I am kicking myself for not replacing it sooner, and massively reducing the chances of it going wrong.

Solution: "Life" my tech in future

The airline industry sets a "lifetime" for every part of a plane, and replaces each part when it reaches its "life".

So, from now on, my desktop will be replaced every 3 years.

At this point it will become my new backup, and the old backup will be sent for reconditioning / recycling. 💚

(For context - the new machine is £990+VAT a tiny price to pay every 3 years to avoid the 💩)

Problem 2: The old laptop is only 80% fit for purpose.

It's a worthy backup and I can do everything - but it's not business as usual.

It's a little slow so everything is taking a little longer. Which is changing my focus for the week - all behind the scenes projects are on hold, and I'm only working on the business-as-usual must do stuff - podcasts, client work, webinars, sales, marketing.

It also doesn't have enough USB ports (and I've sent my usb multiports to be recycled... doh!). So the posh podcast mic isn't plugged in, the printer doesn't get a look in, and neither is the good webcam.

Solution: Get a new backup

If I have to work again on this laptop this year I will have failed.

So... once the new desktop is set up the old one is being sent off to see if it's fixedable. If is it will become the new backup.

If not... I'll be buying another new desktop to be the new backup... (but probably go slightly lower spec or reconditioned because I'm hoping never to use it).

Once that's in place - the laptop goes off to the recycled/reconditioned.

Problem 3: I haven't been consistent with my backup hardware policy...

Whilst I have backup printer/laptop/mouse/screen...

I don't have:

• backup headset (earphones & mic) over 10 years old
• backup keyboard (5-8 years old)

No logic to that at all 🤣

And there's definitely some Freudian angle about an author and podcaster not having backups of those items...

Solution:

Buy backup headphones, and keyboard.

Hope that's helped you

🗒 I would LOVE to know how you handle this and any recommendations you have - please comment below.

Thing 2: Constraint 💡

So... clearly the above has all been quite frustrating!

But I mentioned at the start of this newsletter that I'm turning that frustration into a place of insight and opportunity.

Lowering the pain of it all

Fundamentally the frustration is only coming from me - it's about me not being able to do things on my to do list.

And who creates the to do list... I DO ⚡

So yeah - I've rejigged the to do list for this week and next week to remove 90% of the stress from the whole thing.

Essentially my involvement in all behind-the-scenes projects are on hold, and I'm only working on the business-as-usual must do stuff - podcasts, client work, webinars, sales, marketing.

Still annoying - but not an hourly source of stress.

Reducing the pain of it all is clearly a great thing to do - but if I'm sacrificing some progress on our behind-the-scenes projects (which are exciting and cool and things I love doing) then I want to get something good out of this situation too.

Constraint is the Mother of Invention

Technically should be "necessity" - but let me have this one please...

I've long been a student of how constraint can have a great impact on everything - especially decision making.

Limits in time, budget, space, remit etc can create super cool and successful solutions.

I've always found limiting the time I'm allowed to spend working has a very positive outcome on the businesses performance because it leads to me making much better decisions about what I'm working on, rather than trying to do everything.

Clearly until the new machine is here I'm under some constraint - I've got a slower laptop that's reducing what I can achieve in a day.

That makes it super clear what tasks I:

A. shouldn't be doing at all

B. shouldn't be doing as regularly as I have been

So I'm keeping a little list of those and once I'm back up to speed I'll be making some great productivity changes.

🗒 Are you too a lover of constraint? Let me know in the comments.

Thing 3: Sector Habits 🤳

OK, that's enough of me banging on about my IT situation.

This week I put a post looking for guests (and a sponsor) for our Offline Marketing masterclass series on Keep Optimising Marketing Podcast .

I do these posts fairly regularly and the CTA is always the same:

• Comment with ideas for guests or topics
• If you want to be a guest fill in the application form

But the style of responses vary WILDLY between different sectors (or topics if you rather).

Sometimes it's all commented recommendations and barely anyone ever applies.

Sometimes it's all "pick me" in the comments and I have to remind everyone to apply.

Sometimes it's tumbleweed on the post but the application form is very busy.

There's some kind of sector culture at play here, that's roughly in correlation with how long the sector has existed, and how much noise there is about it.

So it hasn't surprised me at all that the Offline Marketing post has led to:

• Great applications
• People getting in touch with me direct to double check details, timings, deadlines, and to make sure their ideas are on track

Not a "pick me I'm too grand to follow the process" DMs and emails, but "Before I fill in your form I just wanted to check..." DMs and emails.

For this process-obsessed lady, it's a joy.

📒 If you work between different sectors or sub-sectors do you see cultural / behaviour shifts? I'd love to know - please add in the comments

There we go! Clearly it's not been that productivity screwed a week because I still managed to get the 3 things done!

That's it for this week, I'd love to engage with you in the comments, so please do add your thoughts below.

Have a great weekend everyone!