Software Requirements Soundtrack
I am going to take it a little off the beaten path for this post and ask about some 'non-functional' work requirements you have. So I was wondering what you all like to do when you have to stay focused? Do you listen to classical? Work remotely from a coffee shop or home? Put a big frown face on your office whiteboard warning intruders to stay away?
I personally have my ear buds on hand wherever I go to work. They help me whenever I need to keep my head down and not be distracted. Granted, the slow and methodical opening of 20 or so metal blinds with 5 or 6 pulls each isn't easily drown out.
I favor listening to either Classical or Spanish Guitar music for working at the client site or office. Not for the 'classical makes your baby smart' argument. I do find that these two types of music help instill a calm demeanor and have enough movement in the music to help you get into a pattern. The ear buds themselves do the work of drowning out the background conversations regarding the explosion of a stress ball and its contents upon the ceiling.
Alternatively. When I have a large quantity of documents to review or large processes/maps to create, I favor my home office. I can't help but need a great chair, huge monitor, and fast internet for researching in these cases. Granted my music changes to more modern content to keep the mind from burning out on the same tasks. But in either case, I welcome some interruption since I am not the only one with deadlines.
Do you have different styles of work when it is focus time? Let us know, we would love to hear back from you. Perhaps you had a moment that you really wished you had some way to stay focused.
I personally have my ear buds on hand wherever I go to work. They help me whenever I need to keep my head down and not be distracted. Granted, the slow and methodical opening of 20 or so metal blinds with 5 or 6 pulls each isn't easily drown out.
I favor listening to either Classical or Spanish Guitar music for working at the client site or office. Not for the 'classical makes your baby smart' argument. I do find that these two types of music help instill a calm demeanor and have enough movement in the music to help you get into a pattern. The ear buds themselves do the work of drowning out the background conversations regarding the explosion of a stress ball and its contents upon the ceiling.
Alternatively. When I have a large quantity of documents to review or large processes/maps to create, I favor my home office. I can't help but need a great chair, huge monitor, and fast internet for researching in these cases. Granted my music changes to more modern content to keep the mind from burning out on the same tasks. But in either case, I welcome some interruption since I am not the only one with deadlines.
Do you have different styles of work when it is focus time? Let us know, we would love to hear back from you. Perhaps you had a moment that you really wished you had some way to stay focused.
Labels: music, software requirements
posted by Joshua at 10/09/2009 09:00:00 AM
2 Comments:
Yes, music is great! I also try to disconnect from the Internet, close my mail application, mute my phone, close IM applications, etc. in order to cut all the possible distractions.
I'm with Jakub on this - I have to shut down email and IM or I will constantly be looking at them which causes unproductive context shifting. I also don't work well with a lot of people around me - it's hard to not talk to someone if they come to talk to me.
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