RKCS Learning Solutions

As we develop training modules, e-learning solutions, classroom units, or whatever it is that we are doing, no matter how invested we are or how excited we are, there is always a time that’s a bit tough to get through.  There are things that are tedious and just bring to mind the thought – “right now, I’d rather be doing something else.”  In my case, it’s the editing process.  Once you have put all the graphics, audio, video and other content together, the process of going through and troubleshooting is never the most fun.  You have to make sure that the audio levels are consistent and don’t stick out in any odd places.  The project I am currently working on uses a lot of highlights and call outs.  This requires a lot of sizing, resizing, border thickness checks, and image alignment checks.  Sometimes this calls for zooming in on a screen up to 300% in order to make sure specific lines and even and line up correctly.  Due to 508 compliance, there is a lot of audio and written notes synchronization that must take place.  In some instances, the voice narrator forgets or adds an “if” or an “of”.  I need to then take those out or add them.  There times where something does not exist and I have to be creative by cutting and pasting from another section of the script or audio.  Being creative is cool but the process of find these little nitty gritty items can be pain-staking.  Syncing video and audio can be another task that will drive you nuts because as media gets compressed, sometimes certain elements are thrown off.  These are challenges that you face often right around the quality analysis portion of the project.  So how do I keep from going crazy? Well, I have several ways.  Now, do not take these as gospel truths because they may not work for everybody.  In any case, here is a list:

1. FOOD – I get up for a snack, or a little treat that I have been craving.  Usually something a little salty (like a pretzel) because that means I drink water after that.

2. MUSIC – Since I work from home the majority of the time, I have the advantage of being able to play the music at the volume I choose.  More often than not, it is fairly low as I tend to be on the phone with clients or need to concentrate on some specific things.  But it is there.  I turn it up loud sometimes when I do number 3.

3. DANCE – Every once in a while, I take a break and get up and boogy in the office.  It’s probably pretty hilarious to look at, so I won’t record the atrocity on video for anyone to see.  Now, this dance session is sometimes done while standing and no work is being done, or it is sometimes done while seated so that I can continue to look at the screen and manipulate the mouse.  This is usually when I resurrect the 80′s pop-lock moves.  This may be done in conjunction with reaching for a salty pretzel.

How I receive my advice

4. GAMES – On my desk, there is a magnetic dart board.  It has different random answers.  Have a problem?  I throw the dart at it and it gives me very well thought through responses.  It’s the main reason for my success today…..ummm, yes, I will stick with that.

5. PHONE – Call a friend to break up the time.  Well, actually calling someone during editing time is not the best because you can easily get caught up in conversation.  The answer? SMS!! Texting.  Short blurbs.  Actually, I can include Twitter in this equation as well.  I can shoot out short, inane, stress releasing blurbs on twitter to let my ‘tweeps’ know that my day is just as crazy as theirs.

6.GARDENING – Actually, no, I don’t do this.  But I have heard its relaxing.  My version of gardening is grabbing a bottle of RoundUp and spraying everything until brown.  While all vegetation in a 100 yard radius dies an untimely death, the plus side is that there are no weeds AND I am stress-free.  Two for one!!

7. WEBSURFING – This is a cool thing to do but can get you in trouble, depending on what your, ahem, weaknesses are.  It can also take you away into a land far, far, away where no man has gone before…..except the folk that made the websites of course.  This is something that I tend to do on another computer while waiting for Captivate or Articulate to publish a large file.  By the time I get to publishing state, my brain is pretty fried anyway.  Need…to…do…something…mindless…like..clicking…mouse.

8. BLOG TROLLING – Now this one might actually be productive.  This is actually a built in activity of some folks’ day.  There are a gazillion useful and interesting blogs out there.  There are also many useless ones.  I try to stick to ones in my keyword search and set a timer to limit my time….unless I happen to be succumbing to weakness, then of course, the timer becomes irrelevant.

9. SHOPPING – Now, I actually hate going to the mall with my wife.  But, oh the thrill of searching craigslist for a deal on nail clips.  Now, THAT is euphoria.  Ok, seriously, I get these electronics cravings sometimes and I really just have to see what they cost in stores versus what I can find a pretty good used one for.  You really do find some good deals online.  The downside is meeting with seedy characters in mall parking lots to do a deal.  Oh well, you live a little.

10. SLEEP – ‘Nuff said!’.  You can’t beat the thrill of a good mid-afternoon nap when things are getting a little tense.  This I will not take a picture of either.  There is just something about pictures of a grown man curled up in the fetal position that don’t make you think he is being productive.  Au contraire mon frere.

I could probably come up with more than 10 things, but 10 is a nice round number.  I may try for the odd list next time and come up with 17.5 things.

What do you do to “escape the boredom?”