Finding Purpose in Our Work: Letting Go of the Need for Approval and Embracing the Power to Help Others

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen we work, we hope that our work will benefit others. But the reality is that not everyone responds to our work positively with thanks and praise. Instead, we encounter criticism and rejection. The old saying, “You can’t please everyone,” is true. We Can be Influenced By How People Respond to Our Work How people …

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Discover the Life-Changing Productivity System That Will Transform Your Work and Personal Life — MacSparky’s Productivity Field Guide

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen David Sparks (aka MacSparky) started writing about Apple tech, he was a full-time litigation lawyer. He did his “MacSparky” work of writing books, podcasting, and blogging in his spare time. As MacSparky grew, he left his law firm and started his own practice. He did so with the intention of spending about half his …

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All Time is Not Created Equal: How to Schedule Your Work Based on Mental States and Biological Prime Time

Reading Time: 4 minutesHave you ever noticed how your mental state affects your productivity? In this blog post, I will define the mental states affecting our productivity and explore how to schedule our work to take advantage of them. I’ll also discuss the need to change our daily schedule sometimes to accommodate mental states. We’re often unrealistic when …

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Unlock Your Productivity Potential with Daily Planning: Find the Method that Works for You

Reading Time: 5 minutesThe best productivity tip I’ve learned in the past few years has been to start each day with a plan for what I intend to get done that day and when I intend to do it. Productivity gurus agree. As a MacSparky Labs member, I recently watched a preview video of MacSparky’s upcoming Productivity Field …

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Forget Resolutions: Why December Reflection and Planning is the Key to Success in the New Year

Reading Time: 5 minutesEvery New Year’s Day, millions make resolutions to change their behavior. Almost no one follows through. The Power of a New Year New Year’s Day holds an extraordinary power — it’s seen as a time to make a new beginning. “New Year’s Day has long held a special power over our behavior. We turn the …

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Unlock Your Thoughts: How Obsidian Can Help You Record and Develop Your Ideas

Reading Time: 6 minutesFor some time now, I’ve felt a need to pay more attention to what I’m thinking about things. “Don’t spend much time thinking about what other people think. Think about what you think.” The Daily Stoic, by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman I tried doing meditation for 5 minutes every morning. I would focus on …

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Navigating the Rhythm of Creativity: Embracing the Peaks and Valleys

Reading Time: 3 minutesCreativity is a fascinating and unpredictable phenomenon. Some days, we find ourselves overflowing with ideas and energy; other days, our minds feel dull and uninspired. Perhaps some people can be creative day in and day out, but I’m not one of them. I experience some days when I’m very creative and productive and others when …

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How to Jump-Start Your Day by Setting Up A Morning Routine With Apps, Widgets, and Shortcuts on Your iPad

Reading Time: 5 minutesI’ve used a morning routine based on my iPad for over two years. In March 2022, I wrote a blog post, A Morning Routine that Works – An App-Based Approach. My iPad has a custom Home Page containing all the widgets, apps, and shortcuts I need to perform my morning routine. Since I wrote that …

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Incubation — The Key to the Creative Process

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhat is Incubation? Incubation happens in your mind when you’re not actively working on a project. It is “unconscious processing” that goes on in your mind automatically. As Kadavy explains in his book Mind Management Not Time Management, “Even when you aren’t consciously thinking about something, your brain is incredibly active – something scientists call …

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