10 Ways NotePD Helped Me Succeed

I make one of these for almost every weekend and some daily. I usually only check two or three things off the list, but that is probably two or three things more than I would've done without the list. I check my list throughout the day to see if I have some time to knock something else out. I put fun things on the list, like watching movies or playing video games. if I have an event with a friend or family member, I get a lot more out of it, and I'm more present during the event because I've already written it down on my to-do list: "have fun at the park."

I was exposed to AI through this list and was able to use AI for posts. It was a springboard for my interest, but I started to use it as a daily tool. I constantly use ChatGPT and Grammarly.

It has turned out to be closer to 150...

These are three large books chopped up into variations. See my Author Page. I had talked about writing a book for 15 years, but I never did anything about it. Now, creating a book is relatively easy for me. Selling the books is an entirely different story, lol.

Combining these two ideas has been very useful, and I've written about it a number of times. The 12-week year is a book, and it says if you treat each week as if it were a month and each quarter as if it were a year, you can get a lot more done. I have found this to be true. The second part of the system is to have a long time horizon. 25 years is a long time to think about but it takes the pressure off of your daily tasks.

This is a solution to a problem that I didn't realize that I had. I found out about it here, and I have gone deep into using Obsidian. I write about it often.

By developing one habit, it is easier to develop other habits. Habit building is a muscle, just like having ideas. I've expanded it into a healthier lifestyle and other habits. I also use habit stacking: I keep a gratitude journal in the bathroom, so every time I brush my teeth, I make an entry.

This really is a muscle. In my job and also my personal projects.

You learn by doing something, but you learn a lot more by finishing something. Making a list of ten things every day has built my finishing muscle. I have applied this to writing music, woodworking projects, and books. The last part, when you're putting on the final coat of finish, publishing your book or exporting your music piece, is when you learn the most.

That last piece of effort to make a book you are proud of or a table that doesn't wobble is where you learn the most for the next time.

Another equally important element in becoming a finisher is to complete things even though you know they're not perfect. If you create a deadline for yourself, you must finish something. In the case of NotePD lists, you can finish something every day, and you just have to know that only 10% of them have to be really good, but you need to do all of them to find the 10%.

This will be its own list...

By following this habit of consistently communicating, I've improved my writing in other parts of my life.