Importance of Context: A lesson from buying furniture

crystite — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:43:06 +0000

Often times people make statements which when quoted elsewhere, sounds like something different from what was originally said or meant. This happens when words are taken out of context. We’re all familiar with this, and probably even had it happen to us.

But it is well worth noting that context doesn’t only relate to words, and it must never be ignored.

I went to the store to buy furniture the other day. I had someone pick out a set for me beforehand, one that was comfortable to sit in, and was of a colour that matched the destination room. So context as far as colour was concerned, was taken into consideration.

When I went I sat in it to make sure it was comfy, and I verified that the colour was appropriate, and then I paid for it. But when it was delivered later that day, it was immediately apparent that the sofa set was too bulky for the room. It took up too much space, and it just didn’t belong.

My failure was to ignore the spatial context. In the store, everything looked fine. Of course, the item was set out in a spacious area, making it difficult to realise that the furniture set would have a proportion issue in the target area.

Eventually I had to return the sofa set and take a more expensive one. A lot of trouble and disappointment could have been avoided by simply paying attention to the context in which the furniture was displayed and compare it to the context that it would be taken to.

Context really does matter, regardless of whether we’re dealing with words or a physical setting or something else. So remember to consider the context!

Write Down Your To-Dos At Start Of Day

crystite — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 01:57:42 +0000

This seems like such an obvious thing to do. I’m sure most people acknowledge the wisdom of it at some level. Yet I’m also fairly certain that most do not practice it. Actually I don’t think it is necessary for all to do this. Essentially what it does, is aid in keeping focused and determined to get the job done. Some people have other methods, which might be fine. But if you’re like me, writing it down can really help.

Today when I went to work, I knew I had a number of various tasks that I should tackle if I’m to meet deadlines comfortably. After thinking about a few, I thought to myself I should write them down. I might forget. But I insisted on working from memory. Sure enough, I got distracted by a colleague who had an issue for me to deal with. Then there were other distractions like emotions that come when I think of certain people (there’s this woman at work with…darn! there I go off again) or events. At the end of the day, there were tasks that were left untouched, not due to other priorities, but simply neglected as they were not in mind.

If I had written down the things I wanted to get done from the start, I could have periodically looked back at the list and focused on getting each of them done. Not only that, but at the end of the day, I could have been better able to assess how efficient and productive I operated, and would be a step ahead of where I am now in my learning.