Reading Time: 3 minutesThe Temptation of Complexity in Notes App Setup Many of us interested in tech and productivity try out different notes apps as they become available. As an introverted organizer, I am tempted to design and set up a complex notes organization system in advance. I want to be a systems architect by anticipating the topics …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis morning I updated my Updates Page on my website. This is my “social media substitute” where I write about what I’ve been up to the last few weeks. I write about my work and processes, describe an adventure, and give a media recommendation. This week the highlight is the adventures section, where I describe …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTwo years ago on his weekly podcast and report to MacSparky Labs members, David Sparks made a media recommendation — the movie “Spirited” on Apple TV+. We watched it then and have included it in our “Christmas movie must-see” list for the last two years. I don’t want to tell you too much about it …
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe Overload Syndrome: Drowning in Saved Information It’s a mistake almost everyone makes when they get their first linking notes app, such as Obsidian, Craft, or NotePlan. When people are first exposed to PKM, or personal knowledge management, they tend to go overboard. They save almost everything they encounter, thinking it might be useful sometime …
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe Promise of Task Managers Task managers can be beneficial tools. I used Things for several years. Now, I use Apple Reminders because it integrates with NotePlan, which is my notes app and my daily planning app. Generally, it’s a great practice to get tasks out of your mind and write them down in a …
Reading Time: 2 minutesMonday was a tough day for my wife and I. We brought our fourteen-year-old cat, Gina, to the vet’s office. They gave her a shot to relax, and then after a last few minutes for us to pet her and show our love for her, they gave her a medication that ended her life. She …
Reading Time: 4 minutesHow Personality Profiles Changed My Life Throughout my life, I’ve benefited from taking personality profiles. First, they helped me better understand and accept who I am. When I was growing up, I thought the ideal was to be somebody with a personality I didn’t have. The model held up to me was an extroverted type …
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhy New Year’s Resolutions Fail It will soon be the beginning of a New Year. At the end of the year, it is natural to reflect on the past year and consider the coming year. We often decide to change our lives and make New Year’s resolutions to establish new habits. However, these resolutions almost …
Reading Time: 3 minutesChecklists: A Buffer Against Human Error As a part-time National Park Service ranger at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, I lead public tours of a decommissioned Launch Control Facility. Two missile officers sat in a hardened capsule 31 feet under the ground and controlled 10 Minuteman missiles. As you can imagine, these were highly …
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRecently, David Sparks, aka ‘MacSparky,” invited me to give a presentation on retirement to MacSparky Labs members. Many of us are either retired or getting ready to retire. We don’t think or plan much about what we’re retiring to, just what we’re retiring from. We assume retirement will solve all our problems. I’ve been retired …