I must point out here that in the true spirit of Eventualism, this interview was scheduled a long time ago. Now, only mere months later you can now enjoy it.
Me: You are the lead editor of Lifehacker, one of the most popular blogs on the Internets. I’ve been to the site many times, because I always like a good chuckle or ten throughout my day. There are a lot posts – do you lifehack your editing process as lead editor? Surely with so many posts, you must rubber stamp a few…
Gina: Actually, I’ve modded an army of Roombas who write and edit Lifehacker posts all while they vacuum my home office and make me peanut butter and banana sandwiches for lunch.
Me: I had considered doing the same, but found out that Roombas kind of suck. You are also a noted contributor to many publications and web sites, some of which I’m sure you’ve made up. Let’s assume that you do, in fact, write a lot…how do you manage and organize these projects?
Gina: I have a very special system (patent pending) which is guaranteed to change your life forever if you implement it yourself. I can’t give away the details here–but check my web site in a few weeks for a very special advance offer, only $29.99 for a DVD set plus a special free gift, and that’s not all. In a nutshell, it’s a matter of writing down all my projects on little pieces of paper, then throwing them upon the air like confetti. The one that lands closest to me is the one I work on. Embrace chaos, you know?
Me: I recently read that Rob Corddry, brother of the better known Nate Corddry, is “addicted” to Lifehacker. Is this healthy? I mean, you have written for Women’s Health, so you’d be qualified to answer that as an authority on the subject.
Gina: I’m not sure if it’s healthy for Rob. Maybe if I pitch a story to Men’s Health I’ll be able to answer that question… lemme whip out my index cards and add that to my to-do list.
Me: My haphazard research revealed to me that you’ve written two books under the Lifehacker banner – Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Day and the second edition, Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better. That’s a lot of books, I must say. What are your favorite tips in the books, and what tip do you think would be most beneficial for someone who wants to implement the Effing The Dog system?
Gina: The tip I use the most (and you can tell, too, because it took me only nine months to respond to your message) is the lead-off email organization tip, Hack #1 in Chapter 1 of Upgrade Your Life. It’s simple three folder system for completely clearing your inbox and your conscience of ever responding to nice people who run funny web sites and want to interview you.
Me: Yes, those people can be quite trying. Would you ever consider writing a book with tips that would allow someone to become better at Effing The Dog? That would mean you would have 3 books to your credit, like J.R.R. Tolkien.
Gina: I have to check with my book-writing Roomba minion about her availability. She fled under the couch after the second book and Ihaven’t seen her since.
Me: Social networking is huge right now, both for those who want to maximize and minimize their time. But the bigger question here is: can social networking be dangerous to your productivity goals, both from a “lifehacking” and an “Effing The Dog” perspective?
Gina: Definitely! Communicating with people is way overrated. You don’t need it.
Me: You’re big on Firefox – and I really do love Clint Eastwood’s performance in that movie. Or was it Angelina Jolie? Anyway…I had no idea it had spawned two sequels. But I digress – can you tell me how much a web browser can impact your time – both positively and negatively?
Gina: You can use any good tool to save yourself, kill yourself, or entertain yourself–it’s all in how you approach it. My life happens in a web browser (pathetic, I know, yet still I admit it) so a great web browser like Firefox both sucks and saves my time, depending on how sane I’m being at the moment. So ultimately it’s not about the tools, it’s about your sanity.
Me: You recently got married…congratulations. Do you plan to “lifehack” your marriage? If so, please share your ideas as I – I mean, my readers – really could use the tips.
Gina: Thanks! The old ball and chain has made life hacking off-limits in our marriage. Something about work/life boundaries. I have to pay her 5 bucks every time I say the word “hack” during personal time.
Me: I get joy from sharing my tips on how to implement Effing The Dog into one’s lifestyle. I’m wondering if you not only get joy from sharing
your tips, but also from finding new ones yourself?
Gina: I get a crazy high from finding out a new and interesting way to get things done, and an even bigger one sharing it with my readers. What can I say? I don’t get out much.
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