PTPL 031: Being Too Good At Doing Things Wrong Might Be What's Holding You Back

Plus: Arc browser's infinite whiteboard vs Apple's Freeform, and why weekly notes are back in my system

Dec 19, 2022

Today I’ll be talking about —

How getting too good at doing things wrong might be holding you back
Infinite whiteboard apps: my favourites in 3 categories
How to quickly open an Obsidian file in another text editor
Why weekly notes have finally found their place in my monthly log-based system

Productivity Inspiration

Are you getting good at doing things wrong?

I enjoyed reading this article by Addison Del Mastro, discussing the idea of getting so used to doing things ‘wrong’, that we miss the old way when the things are finally ‘fixed’.

Del Mastro uses the example of learning how to use a faulty faucet at just the right angle. Of course I immediately applied this principle to productivity systems, and how it’s easy to continue down a path that doesn’t serve us, rather than fixing the faults in the system.

I wonder how much of what we consider “work” is actually just laboring needlessly under suboptimal conditions.
—Getting Good at Doing Things Wrong — by Addison Del Mastro

So, what kinds of things can make a productivity or note taking system, ‘wrong’? And how will we know when we’ve ‘fixed’ it, rather than made it worse?

The short answer is this: the path you take to get important things done (productivity) and to record things for later recall (note taking) is right for you when it aligns as closely as possible to what you value most.

Experiment with different apps and methods, but pay attention to your compliance to them over at least a couple of months, and how you feel when using them. Interstitial journaling is an excellent way to gather data, as the best insights often come from observing ourselves over an extended period.

Productivity Tips

This article from Gareth Stretton shows how you can interact with your Obsidian vault from a Chrome browser. It’s a fun experiment rather than a recommended practice.

Infinite whiteboard apps are popping up everywhere, it seems. I’ve tried Apple’s Freeform, Obsidian’s Canvas, Prodrafts, and Arc browser’s Easel. So far I like Canvas best for working with and making connections between my plain text notes, while Easel shines for grabbing live ‘screenshots’ of web pages that can be shared with anyone.

As I’ve noted previously, Prodrafts wins the prize for cutest summary blurb: “Not limited by the traditional note space, fantastic function, let your imagination rich. He can do almost anything.”

I’ve yet to find a category where Freeform comes out on top.

Adventures in Plain Text

How to quickly send an Obsidian file to another text editor

I draft all my Medium posts in Obsidian, then open them in iA Writer for proofing and sending to my Medium drafts folder. Here’s how:

Set default text editor — Select any text file in the Finder (Markdown), then press Command + i. Click the dropdown list under Open with:, and select your target app.
Open current Obsidian document in default text editor — Command + p, or press / to open the Command Palette. Set a hotkey to make it quicker; mine is Control + Shift + c.

The monthly log experiment: weekly notes have found their raison d’être!

Every time I change something in my daily/weekly/monthly notes setup, the new version feels great — until it doesn’t. I love this! It means I’ve found more friction to guide me to a better solution.

Here’s where I’m at this week:

The monthly note is the town square of my system. It’s where I go to hang out and see how everything fits together.
Monthly notes now have embedded daily notes. The Hover plugin lets me edit daily notes right from the monthly note page. Super helpful.
Daily notes are for interstitial journaling, and for everything I come across that doesn’t immediately have a home.
Drafts remains the portal for the majority of my daily note entries, though my attention has been flagged by Raycast’s Obsidian integration. I’ll be interested to learn just how close it can come to being a Drafts replacement.
Weekly notes are now a combination of my previous weekly summaries, and the Plus Minus Next reviews. They’re back to being single files, rather than the one file for everything experiment that was worth a try. (If it works for you, by all means keep going!)

Yes, an updated demo Obsidian vault is in the works. Expect it soon after Christmas. If you download the current version, you’ll get an email when the new one comes out.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, and happy holiday season!