Before: “2024-10-04 Project ABC v2”
After: “241004 ProjectABCv2”
The old way worked in year 1 and 2, but as the folder hierarchy piles, two problem surfaced.
The objective is to achieve both the need for file sorting and to identify the context.
If we want to become a physically fit person, then the better chance of success is to join a community. The search for community could be a series of trial and error.
Begin with signing up for a nearby gym membership, but give up in a few months. Later find a much enjoyable experience in community basketball team after work.
There’s a way that we (the product) think and perform that decides the sport or exercise (route-to-market) that reaches our goal.
As an engineering student walking in campus, you’re given a handout by a middle age man on the sidewalk. The handout read “Challenge on French Translation”. Out of boredom after the final exam, you pull out Google Translate and ChatGPT to kill the time.
A week later, dean of school called. From this point on, you’re given the honor and responsibility to translate French for him. It turned out, the old man that day was the dean. Your engineering background does not seem odd, instead makes you a genius.
New semester begins, you work the way between dean’s work and school work. Feeling honored and a sense of proudness inside. Then your professor called. He always has the tendency to ask you to write his paper for him. This time is no different. What can you do? After all, he decides if you graduate or not.
Tangle turns into strangle. You struggle to find priority between the dean, the school work, and the professor. You tried pulling long nights, but it’s too much to endure.
Painfully admit the defeat, you asked the professor about dealing with the dean’s work.
“You should tell him.” Was his conclusion.
You went to the dean for advice.
“It’s not that difficult.” Was his reply.
It’s a warm summer. The proud feeling seems to be a feeling long ago. Am I a good engineer? Do I have the talent in French? Your identity and self recognition is fuzzling.
I revisited Cal Newport’s time block method, a short lived habit I briefly tried during college and a last resolve to my hectic schedule these days.
If I don’t schedule my own time, someone else will.
Aside from getting things on traction, other benefit includes remember to take break and reflecting improvements.
It’s a misery where my time went and what I did that day.
I’m one of those who tried to find the “perfect tool”. It’s the fight between perfection and execution, perfection (excuse) wins most battles.
I tried a lot: OneNote, Evernote, Joplin, Notion, Obsidian, Keep, Apple Note, and OneNote; it never ends, just circles.
Somewhere along the line, rules form:
What worked? Spreadsheets, document, folders, and cloud.