I find it beneficial to periodically review the tools I'm using. Reflecting on the current state and observing how things evolve has been insightful. These are the tools I'm using as of August 2023. My workflow is very simple. Readwise Reader I use Readwise Reader for nearly all of my consumption, … read more

I’m experimenting with Twos, an app that I’ve seen but never paid attention to.

The app seems to be heavily inspired by the Bullet Journal. You capture throughout the day and use various Bullet styles. You can also create lists (collections).

It’s a nice blend of note-taking and task management.

I have all kinds of ideas while trying to sleep that would be ideal for posting to my blog, but when I sit in front of the computer, my mind goes blank.

If I were alone, I’d probably dictate to my watch to capture the flow.

Want to read: The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter 📚

Obsidian’s Insider Build 1.4.1 has a new feature called “Properties,” which lets us manage metadata for each file using a user-friendly UI. We can hide YAML Front Matter from our file and view properties in a side panel, making a much cleaner experience.

I’m looking forward to the possibilities!

Apps promise to boost our “Second Brain” with AI, smart links, and tricks, but I think our “First Brain” should rely less on external tools, except for practical reasons. The “Second Brain” is better suited for storing information we don’t need to remember. Apps should assist us, not lead us.

RIP: The External 🧠

If you’re a photographer, take more pictures. If you’re a writer, produce more text. The tools will work themselves out.

I still capture things for “reference” but less than before. I find my notes app today is more for writing documentation and other content. It’s for creating not archiving.

The water is perfect today!

By utilizing these simple formatting tricks, you can easily organize and categorize your highlights in Readwise, making reviewing and retaining important information from your sources easier. You can do this by simply formatting a note to your highlight. My favorites include: Inline tagging Add a … read more

Currently reading: Fundamentals of Software Architecture by Mark Richards 📚

New isn’t better, and you’re not the exception 

The biggest problem with changing tools is that it feels like progress. You suddenly feel like you’re getting something done, but you’re not. You’re merely shuffling deck chairs, but it feels like you’re making progress.

Curtis talks about how switching tools can feel productive. I’ve indeed fallen into this trap (and am still falling).

Focus on the system and not the tools. Track your problems and only switch tools after evaluating and making an informed decision.

Closed/Open

This is why emotional enrollment is the key to learning. No toddler learned to walk by insisting, again and again, that crawling was good enough. Or by trying to walk by simply crawling harder. - Seth Godin

Being emotionally invested in something is critical to learning something new. 

I started using Brave Browser and Brave Search today. Partially for privacy and partially to try something different (without being too different). I still use Microsoft Edge for work, which is fine, but feels bloated with features. I still use Edge for all my client profiles (about 20).

Finished reading: The Lost Metal: A Mistborn Novel by Brandon Sanderson 📚

As expected, this book was a lot of fun!

I don’t often take or share pictures of food, but there is something about this dish that always catches my attention. It was delicious!

“The Bodhi” from Shaka Sushi and Cocktail Bar, Panama City Beach.

The water has been cutting away at the sand connecting to the lake.

A storm was coming in at Panama City Beach.

This will be my view for a few days, right from the bedroom balcony. Hopefully, the weather holds out, and I can drink a few coffees and read some books! Panama City Beach.

I’ve found the Immersion Reading option through the Kindle app has been very valuable. This feature allows you to both read and listen to a book at the same time. I find that when I’m only reading with my eyes, my mind tends to wander, regardless of whether I’m using a Kindle or physical books. If I … read more

Dev builds perfect note-taking system which only stores info about building note-taking systems

After many months of building, Miriam started to use her system in full-power mode only to realize that the only information she researches, stores and references is all about building note-taking systems. Moreover, the system, though flexible and extendable, seems to be tuned to store that type of information only. Any other kind of data makes the system unstable and finicky.

This was me a couple years ago. 😂