The War On Notifications
The world we live in may be a lot of things…
But one thing it isn't is quiet.
I don't mean quiet in the literal, external sense, but rather in the metaphorical, inner sense.
Even if you live in the countryside and the world around you is mostly birds chirping, the virtual world around you couldn't be more different. (No pun intended for tweets!)
We have notifications bombarding our devices 24/7, messages, tweets, calls, emails, app push notifications...
It doesn't end.
But most of us can't just live without them.
So what can we do about it?
Be very selective with what you let in your phone. There's a reason every service that has a website eventually gets an App. One of them is that it can't give you push notifications to your phone *unless* it has an app. Either delete the app or disable notifications.
Be ruthless with unsubscribing from emails you get no value out of.
Make use of "focus" ("focused mode" on Android) on your devices. These have gotten much better since the time when the only option was Airplane Mode or Do Not Disturb. I have automatic modes based on time, apps opened, etc.
Reply to this e-mail letting me know if you'd like to see a video on this :)
How I Actually *MAKE* Smart Notes
I went over my full Zettelkasten workflow step by step in this 10-minute video 👆
Monthly Picks
A handful of new finds that I think are worth sharing.
📚 Literature-map.com - Great way to find writers similar to the ones you like. Simply type a writer's name, and it'll show you a bunch of other writers, the closer two writers are, the more likely someone will like both of them.
🤖 Setapp now includes GPT-4 - If you're a Setapp subscriber, they just released GPT-4 access via TypingMind (one of their apps). No need to pay or register anything. Given that GPT-4 costs $20/mo, this feature alone makes Setapp worth it. I don't know how this is sustainable for them, but I'm not complaining. If you use my link, you’ll get 1 free month of Setapp when you subscribe.
📷 Belkin Continuity Camera Mount. - It’s great, but with a caveat, and that is the weight of your iPhone. I bought one for me and my partner and her phone is the regular 12, which is almost half the weight of mine (12 Pro Max), plus my case is also a little on the bulkier side. This makes mine a little harder to pull off on the M1 MacBook Air, hers, however, is flawless. Even so, I now carry it in my laptop case wherever I go.
Thanks for reading :)