✏️ Just spent a very pleasant time setting up my new Hobonichi for the year ahead. Mostly adding a plethora of birthdays, anniversaries and trips abroad. The real detail kicks off in January with daily notes.
Productivity
Gym is habit, repeat
Monday, October 28, 2024
A productive day, all in all. With my eyes firmly on the prize (our departure for Tokyo next week) I got the head down and tore through my task list in work this morning. I actually got so much done that I managed to leave the office early and get to the gym. I know, I was shocked too. It has been far too long since this body has seen the inside of a gym.🛠️ A productivity recipe?
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
I’ve been more productive than usual… I’m feeling very on top of my workload, pleased with progress and looking forward to launching my new course next month. No distractions, little to no procrastination, and lots of time to think. Maybe I’ve found a productivity recipe that works for me? 👉🏻 Read on📱 Another iOS update where I’m loving the updates to the Reminders app, yet still don’t see it as a suitable replacement for Things 3. For me, at least.
Wish we could select our own default reminders app. Maybe it’s on Margrethe Vesteger’s todo list for the year ahead… 😉
🛠️ The double-whammy of an impending deadline and accountability to a peer I respect have turned this morning into a productivity power-house. Really can’t believe how much progress I’ve made on the biggest project on my list right now.
I might even be able to to bring the go-live forward.
📘 Dipping my toe back into bullet journalling.
👉🏻 Paper, again
💻 New blog post: Getting shit done
At work as a psychologist, I coach and train professionals in ways to be more productive and focus on their priorities. But as I find myself saying quite often, knowing is not the same as doing.
🍏 Reflecting on working with my iPad Pro:
So can you do work on the iPad Pro? Of course, and I’m living proof. Can you do every kind of work – well, I certainly can’t, not without making a lot of sacrifices or incurring a lot of hassle I just don’t need when I’m at work.
💾 It’s PKM love!
There’s no such thing as the perfect app or method. But there is the app that works for me. The app that ticks the majority of my boxes and allows me to gather, organise and use information with the minimum of fuss and friction.
👉🏻 Read on…
🧠 Doing my weekly brain dump into Obsidian and feeling more organised by the moment.
It’s by no means perfect, but it’s the closest thing I’ve found to a notes app that works like my brain. Zero friction. Syncs across my devices. Always available.
I’ve had a much better day today
Had a very productive morning in the office and an even better afternoon working from home.
Just back from the gym and now it’s time to pack for tomorrow’s trip to Edinburgh.
On reflection…
I should have booked today off work to recover from yesterday’s adventures. But we are where we are. So instead, I left the office early and I’m chilling at home.
After some annoying work news and a general feeling of being blocked creatively, I did the only sensible thing: I bought a new notebook. Time to return to the bullet journal and get back some clarity and focus.
It’s not been a typical few weeks, what with Japan and hospital, so I think it would be useful to pause and take a step back. Time to put on the kettle and get writing.
Silence helps.
Saturday, February 3, 2024
I’ve had a super productive morning I went into the office as soon as I was showered and dressed this morning. Yes, on a Saturday morning! I wanted to take advantage of an empty building to record some content for my podcast and YouTube channel. And what do you know, as long as nobody is slamming doors or making loud phone calls in the corridor outside, I can get a lot of recording done.Wide awake since 0520 on a Sunday morning.
So obviously, I’m sitting up in bed with a coffee, creating templates for my Obsidian notes. A totally normal, non-obsessive activity.
But seriously, having watched a couple of YouTube videos on Obsidian, I was inspired to open the app, create a new vault and completely start my note-taking and organisation from scratch. With lots of lessons learnt and hopefully, a more sustainable approach.
2024: Week Two
Monday, January 15, 2024
Yes, this is a day late, but it’s been quite the week so I hope you’ll understand. Work I had a really, really good week at work. I tore through my task list and made great progress on some important podcast and YouTube work. Plus some lovely client projects and interest from potential new clients. I’m super excited about an upcoming collaboration with another psychologist. We’re going to co-host a podcast series all about psychological flexibility and how to develop it.Awake before my alarm this morning, so I did the only sensible thing and started work.
(Your definition of ‘sensible’ may differ…)
So far, I’ve published and promoted this week’s podcast and compelted some YouTube admin. Heading into the office soon to write this month’s newsletter and plan some webinars.
I’m definitely planning to wrap up early this afternoon as a reward.
Happy Friday! 🎉
A place for everything...
Saturday, October 21, 2023
My Bellroy Tokyo Folio arrived yesterday afternoon. It’s everything I’d hoped for. Tough, splash-proof exterior with a well-designed interior. It fits my iPad Mini, an A5 notebook and a pen. There’s also a separate external pocket for my iPhone 15 Pro. Inside, the remaining pockets are big enough for an external iPhone battery, my AirPods Pro, a charging cable, a wallet and even my house keys. When traveling, there’s definitely room for my passport.Another day, another beautiful product from Bellroy.
I have to admit, I’ve been waiting for this to launch and bought it as soon as it was live on the Bellroy site. A new home for my iPad Mini and notebook.
I’ll share some pics and a review once it arrives.
Lightbulb moments in Obsidian
Thursday, September 21, 2023
The second highlight of my day so far: Figuring our how to use the Dataview plug-in in Obsidian to search for client projects across disparates notes and provide me with a nicely-formatted list. I then created a ‘client’ template for pages, to bring together lists of client-specific projects and the people involved. So each client organisation gets a note, and each note lists what projects I’ve done for them and who I’ve worked with there.Note this!
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Today’s the first time in a while that I’m really jiving with Obsidian. From my daily note, through to capturing new ideas and writing new content for the business blog. On reflection, I think it’s because I’m using templates intentionally and with more forethought. As in, what does future me want to do with this information? I’m also using the new properties functionality to include some very useful front matter to notes.On another note...
Sunday, September 17, 2023
I’ve been tinkering with Drafts, a super-popular app that never quite stuck with me. And I’m not sure why. But after stumbling across a few enthusiastic YouTube videos and blog posts, I thought I’d give it another go. Over the last couple of days, something seems to have clicked. I realise I can take anything that pops into my mind and get it into Drafts in seconds - via my Macbook, iPad, iPhone or even Apple Watch.Saturday, September 16, 2023 →
Exploring ‘Dataview’ and how it can bring some structure to my notes in Obsidian.
Talk about trial and error! But I’m getting there. It looks super useful. I’d never make it as a developer, but I’m willing to persist with this.
The view from here as I work through my task list…
A boy could get used to this!
I don’t know where to start with this.
Of course these reactionary Tories are against anything that could improve working lives. They spread an over-simplified, fear-based message and propagate it with dark money from fascists in the US.
A rightwing lobby group that doesn’t declare its donors is spearheading a campaign to undermine the spread of the four-day week in the UK.
Rightwing lobby group campaigns to undermine UK four-day week, The Guardian.
Tools of the trade
Thursday, June 29, 2023
One of my many, many terrible habits is jumping from app to app in the hope that there’s a magical combination of software solutions that will somehow double my productivity. Of course, I realise this is madness and is the kind of think I’d discuss with a coaching client if they brought it up! In particular, I’ve been jumping between notes apps and task management apps, as if I was getting paid to review them.