The search for the perfect “To-Do” continues. I’m not Atreyu but this really is “the never-ending story”, one that continues ad infinitum. For the longest time, my desk held a small wooden card holder called Ugmonk’s Analog system. You may have seen it: clean lines, tactile cards, nothing to charge or sync. It stays on my desk to this day. The maple version matches very tightly to my bamboo table top. It remains the cure for digital chaos and disarray. The antithesis of “too many clicks/tools”. I didn’t use it every morning as intended. But when I did, I’d quickly jot down my priorities and get to work. Such a simple and focused system, one I still appreciate in it’s beauty and grounded approach to getting work done.

But then came the attraction of digital productivity. The appeal of something that would buzz at me, ding AND ring.

I dipped into Todoist, then TickTick, parlayed briefly with Things 3, then TeuxDeux. I loved the elegance of some, the power of others. Keyboard shortcuts. Markdown. Recurring tasks. They all had their moments. Excuse me they all have their moments. I still use them. I meant everything I said in my not too distant post about TeuxDeux. In fact, me writing this on the heels of that post probably shows more about my mentality than any failings on the part of the apps.

Still, here's the quiet truth no app wants to advertise: digital tools can make you feel productive without helping you be productive. The age old story. You spend more time tweaking your structure than doing the task itself. I didn’t even mention my years long foray into Notion, the biggest culprit in this regard. I built, and built and built some more. I got more enjoyment out of building than I did out of handling my tasks. I truly spent more time managing the system than working the plan. And thus here we go again stuck in that vicious cycle that has honestly been my undoing. Raise your hand 🖐️ if you can relate!

I went back. Not just to pen and paper, but to intentional paper. Enter: Plotter USA.

Plotter isn’t just a notebook. It’s a modular, refillable leather-bound planner system designed with Japanese precision. If you ever listen to their podcast you’ll really appreciate the build process and the design. It’s helped me build the exact planning layout that works for me —no more, no less. There’s structure without complexity or rigidity. And yet it’s also very flexible.

Now, my weekly spread is analog. I see the week ahead on physical paper. My notes, thoughts, and sketches live in one place. No syncing. No pings. No UX updates. Just pen, paper, and quiet focus.

No, I haven’t tossed the digital tools. I still use TeuxDeux for long-term planning. Google Calendar handles my scheduling. But day-to-day? Right now, at least, that happens in my hands, not in the cloud. I need to feel the gravity of something pulling me to the work, so they will remain.

This analog-digital rhythm -Plotter on my desk, apps in the background - feels sustainable. Grounded! It’s not about choosing sides, I’m a certified techie after all. It’s about using tools that serve me, and not the other way around.

Sometimes the best tech isn’t tech at all!

Let’s be real, I’m sure I’ll have another productivity tech recommendation soon enough..I mean I have been eyeing these so-called ‘Digital Notebooks’ recently 😉

If you’ve been feeling the digital drag, try planning your next day or week using just pen and paper. No pressure to be perfect, just write what matters and see how it feels.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve made (the layman’s term of producing) music of any kind. Music being my first passion of course. To fill that ‘right brain’ need I have taken up a new hobby. One that has nothing to do with any of my previous endeavors. I can’t even fully classify it as creativity, but making cocktails scratches that itch. For the past couple years I simply dove right into it.

I find something very fulfilling and rewarding about mixing drinks, getting the right balance of flavors, and combining ingredients and measurements. There’s a precision there, and a level of wonderment that tracks so well. Shaking the tin is oddly satisfying and finally doing that pour is a wonderful culmination to the process.

When I first started watching my favorite bartenders and mixologists on Youtube I found the build highly engaging. Still, the most anticipated process was always ‘The shake!’ Some would get super serious, others fancy with it, one would smile and look ‘beyond’ the camera, as if to say this drink will change your life! There’s quite the dopamine rush from seeing friends and family happy in anticipation as well.

Let me make something abundantly clear, I am a Sonos fan. I’ve grown my system from a mere portable speaker the Sonos Roam to 10 speakers and counting serving different purposes throughout my home. A couple years ago it occurred to me that my wife and I have always been curators, art, food (if there is such a thing) and especially music. But we haven’t had anything tanglible to curate on the music front since CDs went out of style. (*umm apparently they are back now) Sure, we curate playlists now, but there’s something about having a physical thing.

I decided it was past time for us to get on the vinyl bandwagon. The issue was, I had already invested so much into my Sonos setup. A 100% digital, wireless, streaming masterpiece. If you’re an audio aficionado you already know where I’m going. How could I leverage both, because we all know that warm and chunky analog sound you get from vinyl is best served on an all analog system with tube amps and yellow dials ☺️

Clearly, I had to make a sacrifice of some sort. Buy a whole new analog setup for my very infantile Vinyl collection, or utilize something that works in the system I’ve already created. I chose the latter. In the the Sonos world there is something called ‘works with Sonos’. The best thing my feeble brain can liken it to is the Native-Instruments NKS format. A language I understood quite well. ‘Works with Sonos’ allows you to bring another system into your full blown Sonos setup and have seamless (that’s a lie) integration into it. In this case I went with the Victrola Stream

I’m here to tell you, nothing beats a ‘Boulevardier’ and Otis Redding. Truly, Campari is an acquired taste, but the man that sung “Cigarettes and Coffee” uhm, is not. I wonder if that track was the inspiration behind this whole movement of mine after all. I mean, I don’t smoke and rarely drink coffee. Who knows? But, what I do know is that nothing says ‘I’m on my grown man’ like that zone. Hearing that crackle, shaking that shaker, and enjoying a quiet evening at home satisfied with a job well done. It goes without saying, but always drink responsibly. Follow my lead if you will- 1 and done. Throw on your favorite Hall and Oats vinyl, The Temptations, or some Jill and Find What Connects With You!

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I’ll be expanding this idea over the next few posts:

Where are you in your AI journey? I’ve been testing Claude Code lately and there are some interesting and exciting developments in that space.