Life Hack: Get Pocket
From Wiki:
Life hack refers to any trick, shortcut, skill, or novelty method that increases productivity and efficiency, in all walks of life. The term was primarily used by computer experts who suffer from information overload or those with a playful curiosity in the ways they can accelerate their workflow in ways other than programming.
Information overload. You can't scan twitter or scroll Facebook or read the news on your phone or computer without feeling like you've got your mouth to a fire hydrant. Because there IS SO MUCH INFORMATION, you are quickly reduced to "scan mode." The problem with scanning is that not everything you read is equal.
One of the downsides to our technology and information is that it tends to delude us into thinking everything readable is to be consumed at a fast pace. We click and browse and jump from news, to YouTube, to the latest culture screamer topic with little discipline to process what should truly deserve our careful attention.
What if you NEED to read a blog entry by a friend that will encourage you deeply, but because you're in the seek and scan cycle of clicking and surfing, you merely glance instead of glean?
That's where this LIFE HACK comes in handy. I want to encourage you to get Pocket. It's both an app and a website. It allows you set up a short cut button in your browser even.
What's Pocket?
It's an online tool that allows you to save/bookmark content on the web for later reading. I've been using it for several years now, and it's invaluable. I discipline myself to read the content on my Pocket when I can process well and think.
Most of my "A La Carte" entries on this blog come from reviewing entries on Pocket. When I read an entry, I'll "tag" it with a subject so that I'm essentially indexing and filing great web content for future research and review. It's also helpful for my sermon prep at times, as I can dive into a subject I've tagged for further information.
I encourage you to try it and set aside a 15 minute window, one day a week, to review what you've "pocketed." See if it doesn't help you engage with content better.
And if you find yourself being encouraged by that friend's blog article that you otherwise would have missed, make sure to click over and leave them a comment!