I've been focused on enhancing my reading over the past couple of years (not to as much success as I would like). It's a desire to ensure what I read truly impacts me, to put effort into my reading. Or, as Adler puts it: > And that is why there is all the difference in the world between the demanding and the undemanding reader. The latter asks no questions — and gets no answers. But of late, I've rediscovered another area this is of great benefit: deep listening. One recent evening, an evening…
All posts in focus
I've returned to using an iPad after a period of about five years. I don’t have any kind of a full-fledged review, but I do have a collection of thoughts that have come to mind in my usage. The keyboard I went inexpensive on this purchase, grabbing the base model of the new iPad. That means the Magic Keyboard was not an option. Instead, I purchased a Smart Keyboard and a Pencil. While most people in my circles are raving about the Magic Keyboard, I’ll say I like the cheaper option. When I fir…
I’ve been using RescueTime for a few years now, and I have come to appreciate it. But for whatever reason, I never had any desire to install the version for iOS. Until recently. What I like about it The app tracks your pickups and how much time you spend on your device. I like the way it summarizes the pickups — both the total and the location and timing of them. It’s a nice way to visualize how much you’re reaching for the phone. But where the real value of the iOS comes into play for me is…
The Wildbit team focused on focus for the month of June. We went through the exercise of being super mindful of our time with the goal of getting in 4 very focused hours of work each day. Before we started, I spent some time tweaking RescueTime so that it would automatically show my overall productivity and how much focus time I was getting. As part of that process, I subscribed to their email newsletter and quite enjoyed some of the articles they referred to. This was one of them. In this pie…
It’s been one month since I turned my phone into a device that, for the most part, does not give me any new content. No email, no social media, no RSS, and not even any work communication. A few people have asked how it’s going. In a word, lovely. Absolutely lovely. Since iOS debuted Screen Time, our family has reviewed the numbers for anyone who owns a device (4 out of 6 of us). I’ve been tracking this since October and we mostly use it for talking about screen usage and addiction, not tellin…
The act of replacing one’s smart phone with a less capable version is a growing trend. As digital decluttering and internet detoxes become more popular, so too is making the more permanent change of having less capability in your pocket at all times. Some people will pull out an old Nokia from their drawer, some will pick up the latest flip phone (they still make these?), and some will try one of few new options available in this category (i.e. the Light phone [https://www.thelightphone.com]).…
The Doist team continues to put out good content about topics that interest me. Single-tasking is the focus of this one and while they do not make any surprising points, it’s a great summary of why this is an important habit to develop. They do give one tip that I personally don’t agree with: using multiple spaces on the desktop (a macOS feature). > I limit myself to four desktops only: one for communication windows (Gmail, Slack, Todoist, Sunrise Calendar) and the other three for the windows…
There's a growing desire to use non-digital tools. Pen and paper are at the top of the list for knowledge workers.