Ask HN: How do you automate your life? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do you automate your life?

10 pointssecret8 comments

Use any tools/tips/tricks to handle every day tasks?

Read author Tim Ferriss, he writes about all sorts of ways to automate your life. His book is called "The 4 Hour Work Week." He also has a pretty good blog.

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/

This blog is an entertaining rejoinder to Tim's claims and book. Tim's book is thought provoking, but don't take it at face value.

http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2009/01/08/5-time-management-t...

I'm not sure what to think of Ms. Roston. She reminds me a bit too much of a rather bright but ultimately toxic narcissist I came to know too well, some years ago. Regardless, I find this particular entry -- on its own and without knowing much about Ferriss or the merits of her criticism with respect to him -- interesting and well written.

I created WinKeyPlus to map shortcut keys to common tasks. http://www.winkeyplus.com Works on all modern(ish) Windows (XP, Vista, 7)

I'm perpetually getting absorbed into things and forgetting other things in my near-term mental queue. So I use a script or utility to pop up a dialog after the passing of a time value I specify. I don't need to add a topic qualifier; the reminder is enough to jog my memory and get me out of my seat.

A calendar doesn't help for these items; it has to be in my face. And the other way around, I don't need the clutter of a calendar entry to remind me to e.g. get up in five minutes and check the pot on the stove.

Hmm... This is probably too low tech, but I was running the electric kettle and then forgetting to go back and pour the hot water. I found that by resting a bunch of metal measuring spoons against its power lever, which pops up when it's done, I hear a metal "jangle" and am reminded.

I guess there are larger schemes of organizing one's day, but sometimes little hacks like these provide more immediate results and satisfaction. And, for me at least, therefore end up being more effective.

Oh, also, there was a blog entry circulating widely a while back titled "Do It [F-ing] Now!". That's kind of useful, too. In lieu of a concrete alternative, "now" is always the perfect time.

I guess another way of putting it might be, "Hacks are beautiful, because they are real time." If they are taking away significantly from your other work, either they are getting away from you, or they need to be qualified as (sub)projects of their own.

Hmm. A script? Maybe I've been approaching this wrong all along!

Care to share? A utility similar to this is one reason I am currently trying to re-learn code. I have failed repeatedly to put any form of calender software into use and like you, I just need simple reminders. Sometimes I need reminders days off, sometimes I need them 5 minutes off.

sleep 60*5 && say get off your butt

Sorry for the delay. I do wish HN would add notification of subordinate replies to one's comments. (Although I understand the arguments against.)

Anyway, send me an email (see my profile) or I'll send you one, and I'd be glad to share my absurd little hack. I see from your profile that you spend a fair amount of time in Windows. Me too -- particularly when I wrote the thing I'm thinking of -- which is why I turned to VBScript (it's also doable in JScript aka MS Javascript. Hmm, maybe it is in Jscript...). I wanted a dialog that would force its way to the top of the window stack (Z order).

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