PLUS How plain text task lists can be just as effective as that app you’ve been eyeing — Welcome! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week summary of things that are helping me to simplify and future-proof my digital-analog workflow. It’s a bit longer than usual this week because my enthusiasm just will not be contained! Plain Text Task Lists Thanks to this article from Scott Nesbitt, I’ve started keeping a task…

PLUS a Drafts to Obsidian collection of tutorials — Welcome! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week summary of things that are helping me to simplify and future-proof my digital-analog workflow. With Drafts to Obsidian, I go out of my head (and I just can’t get enough) I know, I know… I keep going on about Drafts, and how to use it as an entry point to your Obsidian vault without opening the latter. …

PLUS harvesting your notebooks into a truly useful resource — Welcome! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week summary of things that are helping me to simplify and future-proof my digital-analog workflow. Announcement about the frequency of my articles I’ve been on a (planned) roll lately with publishing one productivity digest (like this one) and one supplementary article per week. The reason for this has been twofold…

PLUS A tool for downloading Substack posts to Markdown files, with Obsidian links — Welcome! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week summary of things that are helping me to simplify and future-proof my digital-analog workflow. Tool: download Substack posts to Markdown files (with Obsidian links) I honestly have no clue how to use this kind of geekery, but if you do and you have need of such a tool, I hope it’s useful…

PLAIN TEXT; PAPER, LESS — PRODUCTIVITY DIGEST PTPL 067: My EDC is a Mother Ship and a Compact Explorer Pod (Photos) PLUS Using habit fields to program your surroundings for focused work Welcome! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week summary of things that are helping me to simplify and future-proof my digital-analog workflow. Habit Fields: shape your environment so that it can shape you Thanks to Josh Spector’s For The Interested newsletter, I’ve learned a new term for a phenomenon I’ve been aware of for…

PLUS four cutting edge audio note taking tools to check out, including Drafts — Welcome! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week summary of things that are helping me to simplify and future-proof my digital-analog workflow. Speak your words onto paper When I need words on paper but would rather talk than write, I usually reach for Drafts. It’s remarkably accurate. …

PLUS a reminder that stepping stones don’t need to be made of polished marble — Welcome! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week summary of things I’ve found helpful in the quest to simplify and future-proof my digital-analog workflow. Perfect imperfection Making quality work is important, but so is protecting your budding efforts from being strangled by misplaced perfectionism. Fun Fact: I’ve never cared about being a…

PLUS a handy 1Password iOS tip, and why the best productivity systems are abandon-proof — Welcome to a once-a-week taster of things that I’ve found helpful in my quest to create a simple, future proof, digital-analog workflow. Layered Calendars — a time machine that ought to be able to integrate your life into one date-based hub PKM Beth drew my attention to this article by julian.digital, on the concept of multi-layered calendars. All my internal bells started ringing as I read — yes, yes…

PLUS horizontal rules in Markdown, and habit-stacking a new-to-me, phonetic way of writing English — Welcome to a once-a-week taster of things that I’ve found helpful in my quest to create a simple, future proof, digital-analog workflow. The right kind of connections—not your Obsidian graph—are your compass I rarely visit my Obsidian graph, but when I do… I like it to look like this:

PLUS details of the Drafts action I use to create my language learning flashcards — Welcome to a once-a-week taster of things that I’ve found helpful in my quest to create a simple, future proof, digital-analog workflow. Productivity Inspiration I like this philosophical approach to productivity. Because what is it all for, this endless striving to achieve, if not to bring joy to ourselves and others?

PLUS A short note of appreciation to my dear little paper notebook — Welcome to a once-a-week taster of things that I’ve found helpful in my quest to create a simple, future proof, digital-analog workflow. Evernote to Markdown It feels like Evernote has been around forever; it’s where I began my note taking journey, and created my first web clipping graveyard. However, the news of recent…

PLUS Gandhi’s Best Advice For Making Simple Notes That Mean Something — Welcome to a once-a-week taster of things that I’ve found helpful in my quest to create a simple, future-proof, digital-analog workflow. Productivity Inspiration Gandhi encouraged the people around him to keep a diary. Or, you could say, he saw the value of note making. …

PLUS Markdown flashcards that work in both Obsidian and Mochi — Welcome to a once-a-week taster of things that I’ve found helpful in my quest to create a simple, future proof, digital-analog workflow. Productivity Inspiration This article from Theo Stowell encourages letting go of unrealistic task management expectations. What might happen if you embraced the messiness? On Mastodon this past week, Epiphanic Synchronicity…

PLUS How carrots and pipes are the productivity inspiration you need — Not a Medium member? Here’s my referral link, or you can read most of my work for free as it’s released, on Substack. Articles lock a few days after publication. This week — How to find what you’re looking for in what’s already around you How (and why) taking manual…

PLUS Alternatives to Adobe products, and finding creativity by embracing your limitations — Not a Medium member? Here’s my referral link, or you can read most of my work for free as it’s released, on Substack. Articles lock a few days after publication. This week — How leaning into your limitations can produce extraordinary results The best Alternatives-to-Adobe list I’ve ever seen How…

PLUS A fresh start for my upcycled Paper Saver notebook, and choosing an iPad app for an interactive planner — Not a Medium member? Here’s my referral link, or you can read much of my work for free as it’s released, on Substack. Articles lock a few days after publication. This week — Mobile capture for Obsidian in Shortcuts, and Drafts A fresh new set of upcycled pages in my…

PLUS my strange experience with flashcards, and how an old chopping board makes for better notes — Not a Medium member? Here’s my referral link, or you can read most of my work for free as it’s released, on Substack. Articles lock a few days after publication. Welcome to the Plain Text, Paper — Less Productivity Digest! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week taster of the…

PLUS TaskPaper in Obsidian, and comparing MoneyWiz with YNAB — Not a Medium member? Here’s my referral link, or you can read my work for free as it’s released, on Substack. Articles lock 3 days after publication. Welcome to the Plain Text, Paper — Less Productivity Digest! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week taster of the unusual, the helpful…

PLUS The 3 neurochemicals of fun, fear, and focus, and why they matter — A note to non-Medium members: I’ve decided to remove the Substack paywall on all articles less than a week old. This means that you can read my work over there as it is released, paying member of Substack, Medium, or not. Welcome to the Plain Text, Paper — Less Productivity…

PLUS A bare bones time-line template for my Obsidian daily notes — Welcome to the Plain Text, Paper — Less Productivity Digest! I’m Ellane, and this is a once-a-week taster of the unusual, the helpful, and the delightfully mundane, as well as the next instalment in my quest to future proof and simplify my digital-analog workflow. This week — To do apps…