http://www.technotheory.com/2008/02/working-at-the-computer-without-goals-is-like-preheating-the-oven-without-a-recipe-in-mind/ Time-saving reflections on lifehacking, social media, and technology. Mon, 30 Dec 2013 18:20:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 http://www.technotheory.com/2008/02/working-at-the-computer-without-goals-is-like-preheating-the-oven-without-a-recipe-in-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-19461 Dan Markovitz Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:33:25 +0000 http://www.technotheory.com/2008/02/working-at-the-computer-without-goals-is-like-preheating-the-oven-without-a-recipe-in-mind/#comment-19461 Elizabeth has hit upon a good idea: creating a capitalist market for your own time by putting a price on it. Without price as a signal (even to ourselves) about how much our time is worth, we tend to undervalue it, and that leads to waste and inefficiency. Setting a price keeps us focused and ensures that we treat it as a scarce resource. This is very similar to something Merlin Mann once wrote about here: http://www.43folders.com/2007/09/27/vox-pop-recreating-scarcity Elizabeth has hit upon a good idea: creating a capitalist market for your own time by putting a price on it. Without price as a signal (even to ourselves) about how much our time is worth, we tend to undervalue it, and that leads to waste and inefficiency. Setting a price keeps us focused and ensures that we treat it as a scarce resource. This is very similar to something Merlin Mann once wrote about here: http://www.43folders.com/2007/09/27/vox-pop-recreating-scarcity

]]> http://www.technotheory.com/2008/02/working-at-the-computer-without-goals-is-like-preheating-the-oven-without-a-recipe-in-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-19428 Jared Goralnick Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:53:56 +0000 http://www.technotheory.com/2008/02/working-at-the-computer-without-goals-is-like-preheating-the-oven-without-a-recipe-in-mind/#comment-19428 Wow, I like that concept a lot! Specifically: if you were paying to use your computer and had only 30 minutes worth, what would you do? Etc. Thanks. Wow, I like that concept a lot! Specifically: if you were paying to use your computer and had only 30 minutes worth, what would you do? Etc. Thanks.

]]> http://www.technotheory.com/2008/02/working-at-the-computer-without-goals-is-like-preheating-the-oven-without-a-recipe-in-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-19427 Elizabeth Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:46:33 +0000 http://www.technotheory.com/2008/02/working-at-the-computer-without-goals-is-like-preheating-the-oven-without-a-recipe-in-mind/#comment-19427 Hmmm... that's probably why I usually get more done faster at a computer lab (or paying by the minute at Kinko's) than I do at my desk... Hmmm… that’s probably why I usually get more done faster at a computer lab (or paying by the minute at Kinko’s) than I do at my desk…

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