Reading Time: 4 minutesRecently, I watched a video recording of a Q3 Planning with Sparky (MacSparky Labs) session. It was a time for MacSparky Labs members to assess their progress on their quarterly plans halfway through the quarter. Many participants felt they had gone off track during the first few weeks and needed to find a way to …
Reading Time: 5 minutesI have mixed reactions to the new Apple Vision Pro announced at WWDC earlier this year. I haven’t tried it, so everything I think about it is based on second-hand information. My reactions are based on watching the initial Apple presentation video, reading the reports of those who’ve had the opportunity to try one out, …
Reading Time: 3 minutesThere is a Mac app I use more than any other app, and I use it every day. I use it when I write emails in the Mail app, texts in the Message app, mind maps in MindNode, blog posts in Ulysses and edit blog posts on WordPress before publication. That app is a menu …
Reading Time: 5 minutesAfter our recent move to a different state, tasks appeared on my task manager, Things, that no longer needed to be done. There was no need to clean a birth bath that we no longer owned, and the trash and recycling days were different in South Dakota than in Arizona. This experience got me thinking …
Reading Time: 4 minutesAs I was driving our UHaul truck through Wyoming while moving to Rapid City, SD a couple of weeks ago, I listened to the audiobook of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. Early in the book, Clear emphasizes the limitations of goals. He …
Reading Time: 5 minutesMany of us do work in which we need to regularly create new ideas for projects, system improvements, and team management. We don’t just spontaneously come up with great new ideas. They grow when we seek and grow them by preparing the ground, planting seeds, and tending to their growth. In his excellent book, Daily …
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat is the Building A Second Brain System? I’ve been using the Building a Second Brain (BASB) system for about a year now. My system is based on the book Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential, by Tiago Forte. Forte describes his system as …
Reading Time: 3 minutes“Train yourself to be fully and completely immersed in what you are doing at the moment, and it will become a habit.” Daily Creative: Find Your Inspiration to Spark Creative Energy and Fight Burnout, by Todd Henry. Being able to focus is the super skill that will make you 10x more productive. In today’s fast-paced …
Reading Time: 6 minutesIn his book, Steal Like an Artist, Austin Kleon says “Your job is to collect good ideas. The more good ideas you collect, the more you can choose from to be influenced by.” Although his advice is directed primarily toward those who are “creatives” (writers, artists, and such), it’s good advice for all humans who …
Reading Time: 5 minutesFor the past two years, I’ve been using a life intentionality system based on my life roles. It defines what’s important to me, and helps me evaluate how I’m doing each week and make needed adjustments. David Sparks describes the system in his Personal Retreat Video and Planning Pdf. He suggests that to set up …