Unlock the Benefits of Linking with Hookmark: Save Time, Avoid Distraction & Work Efficiently

Reading Time: 6 minutesHookmark has revolutionized my use of linking between files in my workflows. I’ve been aware of the value of linking files with other files in different apps for some time. I’ve done some linking between apps that internally support linking, such as linking a file in Craft to a task in Things. However, the problem …

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My Year With MacSparky Labs: Gaining Skills, Enhancing Productivity, and Exploring Creativity

Reading Time: < 1 minuteA year ago, David Sparks (aka MacSparky) announced that he had shut down his half-time law practice and was going to dedicate his full time to producing MacSparky creative work. When Sparks announced his membership program, MacSparky Labs, in early January of this year, I immediately joined the highest level of membership (there are three …

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Surgery Prompted Me to Use Dictation on My Mac and iPad

Reading Time: 5 minutesSurgery on my right shoulder (I’m right-handed) in late December motivated me to try using dictation more on my iPad and Mac. I have dabbled in using dictation but haven’t used it very consistently. During the past week and a half I’ve extensively used dictation to: • Write emails and messages. • Write notes on …

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Get Started Right — Using A Checklist to Launch New Projects

Reading Time: 5 minutesHow do you start a new project? If you don’t have a template, you’ll likely leave out some important steps. In Tiago Forte’s excellent book Building A Second Brain, he discusses in chapter 9 the importance of having a checklist to launch new projects. “Before they taxi onto the runway and take off, airline pilots …

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The Key to Creative Success

Reading Time: 5 minutesAccording to writer Todd Henry in Daily Creative, steady, deliberate progress is the key to creative success. It takes three things to get things done and bring about creative success: 1. Commit to steady, deliberate progress; 2. Do it every day, and; 3. Work even when you don’t feel like it. The key to creative …

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Reflections About Hot Sex, Love, Friendship, and Productivity On My 50th Wedding Anniversary

Reading Time: 6 minutesDuring the first week in December, my wife and I when to Disneyland to celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary (we’re not really that old — we married when we were 5 😉). The event and discussions with friends about it have prompted some thoughts I’d like to share. Don’t panic, it’s not all mushy stuff. …

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The Power of Quarterly and Weekly Reviews

Reading Time: 6 minutesA couple of years ago I was at a point in my retirement where the “permanent fun vacation” (finally freed from work!) period was over, and I was feeling bored, unproductive, and unfulfilled. I fortunately encountered material written by David Sparks (aka MacSparky) on how to do a life roles inventory and evaluation. I took …

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Prepare, Then Do The Work

Reading Time: 4 minutesMost of us who identify as nerds are introverts, and that means we’re natural planners and organizers. We enjoy the process of thinking about things and organizing elaborate systems and plans for doing projects. However, sometimes we’re so into planning and preparing to do something that we never get anything done. We never act. “Motion …

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Elon Musk and the Twitter Meltdown Have Taught Us a Needed Lesson

Reading Time: 3 minutesElon Musk and the Twitter meltdown have taught us a needed lesson. That lesson is that it’s extremely unwise to build our presence on a social media platform. It Was Always a Bad Idea In a recent blog post, Joe Moyer highlights a post by Brent Simmons, titled “After Twitter.” In his post, Simmons argues …

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