The Weekly Review 02-26

Introduction

First of all, I would like to say thank you for all the supportive messages and critiques I received for last week’s Weekly Review. Both positive and negative feedback helps me improve on my writing and viewpoints. 

Moving forward, I want to put it out there that my life can be hectic working in education, so some weekly posts may only be 200 words and others may feel like an essay. Some weeks could come with additional blog posts to reviews, thoughts and opinions (linked inside the Weekly Review). Either way, I will post each week like I set out in my original statement. 

Introducing a new layout for my weekly review. Each post will start with a Weekly Scribble - a small extract, quote or idea I have discovered during the week. In addition, I have relabelled the media and link sections. 

Each post will have three focuses/topic areas, which are: 

• a main focus based on personal experiences or read content
• a minimalist habit or a project update
• a personal reflection

By structuring the writing and content, I can be consistent and you can have a better understanding of what to expect. 

The Weekly Scribble 

Principle 1: DO FEWER THINGS
Strive to reduce your obligations to the point where you can easily imagine accomplishing them with time to spare. Leverage this reduced load to more fully embrace and advance the small number of projects that matter most.
- Cal Newport | Slow Productivity (book)

Low key tech

I had that shiny new tool syndrome going on at the end of September. In the search for a new productivity app, I stumbled upon Tana. I won't go into specifics, but lets just say, I was three hours into using the app and setting up my workflow when I thought 'what am I doing with my life?' I had so many important tasks to complete for work as well as house chores to press through. Tana was overly complicated for me and it did not complete the tasks I needed to do (like ASAP). This is not a criticism of Tana Inc or its users. I simply needed to take action instead of planning the action. 

On the search for a simpler solution, I almost purchased a refurbished Remarkable 2 device. Again, I was attempting to purchase a better version of myself. Having a Remarkable 2 device would not complete the tasks. I was at the shopping cart section when I remembered the thirty day rule - anything over the value of £50 must be put in a 30-day 'maybe' incubation list. I never got to the thirty days. I realised the Remarkable 2 would have been another impulsive disappointment. Then I remembered…

All I wanted was something to capture my fleets, ideas and tasks on the go, especially when I was at work. I wanted to part from my phone and using a smartphone is strictly forbidden working in a school. My bullet journal for work is great. However, I don't usually carry it when moving around classrooms or when I bump into someone in the corridor. It needed to be pocketable, reusable and reliable. 

Introducing the 6.5" LCD writing tablet! At the time of purchase, I paid £6.50 for the mini erasable digital notepad. The device is similar to a smartphone in size - pocketable and does the job perfectly. I record task highlights onto it in the morning and the remaining screen is used for notes on the go. I transfer the information into my work bullet journal. Any static information or something that requires a web link goes into the Bullet, Day One or TickTick. 

At home, the LCD tablet works amazingly for disconnecting from my ageing iPhone 11. My phone spends a considerably long time on the kitchen island untouched. I have my LCD tablet, which I call Tabby, placed in my pocket or by my side for when I need it. In fact, most ideas and thoughts for my blog were written on Tabby. There is a chance I could get the 12 or 16 inch variant in the future for writing longer pieces. These LCD tablets usually have a lock to stop you from accidentally wiping the content. Either way, I love my low key tech approach, which has served me well for the past three months. 

Returning to TickTick and Day One

After a few years away from TickTick, I decided to go back to TickTick for task management, habits, pomodoro tracking and quick notes. I’m taking advantage of the time tracking to see where my time is spent. In addition, I small collection of daily habits I want to make sure I master within the next six months. They need to become second nature. 

• Read for a minimum of 30 minutes
• One minute plank and 20 press ups
• Journal in Day One
• Meditate using Headspace
• Take multi-vitamins and omega 3, 6, & 9

I once used Day One journaling app for twos years between 2021 and 2023 before moving basic markdown in Apostrophe. This year, I want to get more serious with my journaling by adding photos, locations and daily reflections. Also, the E2EE and cross platform compatibility really appealed to me. 

Due to the cross platform compatibility and access to the web app, I have decided to use Day One for creating my blogs in the app. It allows me to keep track of what I have written and tag the entries with themes. 

CodeMacLife Rebrand

As you may have noticed, my blog and online presence has had a little rebrand to fit my refocus on health. My curated a tagline for my blog, too. 

 Curating a life of intention. Documenting my journey toward simple living and mindful education. 🌿

I’m naturally drawn to the colour green. It reminds me of personal growth and the nature I enjoy being around. Just life my blog and outlook, green symbolises renewal and balance.

The Media Shelf

• Forget Chatbots. You Need a Notebook. (blog) - Cal Newport 

The Link Log

• These ChatGPT Hacks Will Make You SO Productive It Feels Illegal | Dan Martell (YouTube)
• 21 Hacks 99% ChatGPT Users Don't Know | Futurepedia & Gen AI Essentials Lab (YouTube)

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As always, thank you so much for reading. The Weekly Review is simply a place to gather thoughts, ideas, links, and recommendations — the kind of things I would have once shared on social media.

Mark