Reading Time: 3 minutesMy Gut Reaction to the ‘Flywheel’ Buzzword I’ve noticed that every time I run across the term ‘flywheel’ in productivity or creativity circles, I have an immediate negative gut reaction. When I hear this term, I can’t help but picture a housefly sitting on a mechanical wheel in a machine. I keep encountering terms like …
Reading Time: 5 minutesDoes Your Productivity System Control You? Productivity systems can help us be more organized and complete the work we need to do. However, for many people, a too-rigid productivity system can lead to a sense of productivity enslavement. Instead of directing your own work, you feel like a slave working for a demanding master. Using …
Reading Time: 3 minutesOpting Out of the Growth Trap—Letting go of ‘more’ to make room for what matters. We live in a world that worships ‘more.’ More money, more growth, more success. But what if there’s a better way? It’s easy to get caught up in society’s definition of success, but sometimes the best move is choosing less—less …
Reading Time: 3 minutesIn a recent blog post, To Finish or Not to Finish,writing coach Ann Janzer describes the reality of a writer: “False starts, half-written pieces, and scattered notebooks are the messy and necessary detritus of a creative life.” She goes on to point out that “Wisdom lies in knowing which of those projects to carry through …
Reading Time: 6 minutesAs indicated in the title, this is Part 2 of a two-part series. If you haven’t already read Part 1, I encourage you to take a few minutes and do so now. Part 2 won’t be as meaningful if you haven’t read Part 1. The Freedom of Imperfection When you realize there is no perfect …
Reading Time: 3 minutesThis two-part series was originally intended to be one blog post, but as I continued to thank about it and add to it I realized it would be too large as one post. Part 2 should be published Thursday, so look for it! Introduction: Enslaved to Productivity Have you ever felt like your productivity system …
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: 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: 3 minutesDon’t Get Stuck in Over-Preparation, and Never Taking Action For creatives, there’s always the danger of getting stuck in over-preparation and never taking action. In a recent newsletter article titled “Beyond Over-Preparation: How to Start Before You Feel Ready,” Anne-Laure Le Cuff writes about researching rare Asian teas to prepare for launching a new business. …