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Use a work journal

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Re: Use a work journal

#141

Post by [deleted] »

al_borland wrote: post #44
vantassell wrote: post #31

Reminds me a lot of Cal Newport's ideas re: Slow Productivity. He talks a lot about how Context shifts are death for knowledge work and that a lot of offices operate via a "hyper active hive mind" that doesn't allow or value deep work.

I have too many meetings to get anything done. I'll go weeks, or months, without actually doing anything of real value. Eventually it comes to a head and I need to get things done to avoid going crazy. I go on do-not-disturb in our chat app, quit Outlook completely, and turn on a focus mode on my cell phone so people can't even call me. I'll end up working for 8-15 hours straight with no real breaks. I go to the bath…

[deleted]

Re: Use a work journal

#142

Post by slyfox125 »

tarruda wrote: post #126
lelanthran wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> solidify the mental model into a concrete branching of possibilities that is tightly coupled to the specific problem. Your work becomes traversal and mutation of this tree. I wrote a program (used from a CLI, but I mostly use the GUI I developed for it) to do something similar for my own use: https://github.com/lelanthran/frame/blob/master/docs/FrameIn... I use it daily.

Interesting tool. I currently use a TODO text file in the root of each project I'm working on, which I update right before I stop working. The lists are hierarchical, so each task I'm focused on has a parent item, which helps me remind of the bigger picture.

Usually, ths simplest solution is best and your approach exemplifies it: no need for a special application, simply open the text file and then go to work.

Re: Use a work journal

#144

Post by wruza »

brightball wrote: post #52
simpaticoder wrote: post #30

The benefit of journaling is not just reentry, but that you begin to solidify the mental model into a concrete branching of possibilities that is tightly coupled to the specific problem. Your work becomes traversal and mutation of this tree. Several benefits accrue: you begin to see gaps in the tree, and can fill them in. You begin to have confidence in your mental model, recovering the time you used to spend going o…

I’ve been seriously considering using Logseq for this reason. When I first started with Obsidian I used it that way, but the more I put in it the more I started organizing everything. It became less of a journal and more of a repository for long form stuff. I’m thinking about using both just so I have a dedicated tool just for the journaling side of things.

For those struggling with overwhelming functionality an ux tax of note-taking apps:

  This also works
      It’s easy to spin up
      And to search through
  It has a structure
      Can be easily refactored

Re: Use a work journal

#145

Post by leetrout »

slyfox125 wrote: post #142
tarruda wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting tool. I currently use a TODO text file in the root of each project I'm working on, which I update right before I stop working. The lists are hierarchical, so each task I'm focused on has a parent item, which helps me remind of the bigger picture.

Usually, ths simplest solution is best and your approach exemplifies it: no need for a special application, simply open the text file and then go to work.

I have found, and advise teams I lead or work with, that the tool absolutely does not matter because it is the discipline to use the tool consistently that makes a difference.

Now, having said that, shoving jira down peoples throats with all kinds of rules around tagging and whatever wears people out.

So, yes, a text file, a google doc, linear or a few post-its on the wall.

Re: Use a work journal

#146

Post by rzzzt »

flakiness wrote: post #45

To me the hardest part of journaling (or Pomodoro, or whatever work-related methodology/hack) is to stick with it. I have a work journal. I abandoned it and came back, then abandoned it and came back again. It's an endless back-and-forth. To those who keep doing this for a longer period: Any tips would be appreciated.

I keep a daily log but tend do skip updating it at the most intense times, ie. when it would be the most helpful to take notes...

Re: Use a work journal

#147

Post by _spduchamp »

I have a part-time research assistant job in a lab where I work on several overlapping projects, and when I started this job I started a journal using a Google Spreadsheet, with a shortcut to the sheet on the home screen on my phone.

It's instantly always there, adds up my hours for time tracking, and when I have to write a project status report, I just pull out the relevant entries and turn them into proper sentences. Bam! Report done with semi-chronological flow.

I bold entries of open questions/tasks that need attention, and i can quickly scan my journal to know exactly what to work on next. I've never been so organized and on top of things in my life. This little journal hack makes me look like a fricken genius in the lab.

Re: Use a work journal

#148

Post by FranklinMaillot »

submeta wrote: post #105

I cannot work without taking notes. It is a process of thinking, sorting my ideas, documenting steps and outcomes, pausing, practicing meta-cognition, gaining clarity and confidence along the process. Plus I have the benefit to go back to my notes and have instant access to what I did days, months, years ago. So I can’t understand how people are working without taking notes, documenting (for themselves), and journali…

Same here. Taking notes is incredibly helpful, especially when I'm stuck or unfocused. I just start writing anything that's on my mind and it's like the writing does the thinking for me.

While I used to type notes digitally, I've recently discovered the superiority of pen and paper. Writing by hand offers more flexibility - you can start anywhere on the page, sketch, or create mind maps effortlessly which encourages creativity, whereas typing forces you to think linearly. Research also shows handwriting improves thinking and memory retention.[1]

Interestingly, rediscovering fountain pens sparked this change for me. The enjoyment of using a quality writing instrument encouraged me to take more handwritten notes, leading to significant improvements in my workflow. I now keep separate notebooks for different projects and have started journaling.

This discussion has made me realize that moving my keyboard is the last bit of friction when switching from computer to paper notes. It might finally convince me to invest in that split keyboard I've been considering.

[1] https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/05/11/1250529...

Re: Use a work journal

#149

Post by kchr »

brightball wrote: post #52
simpaticoder wrote: post #30

The benefit of journaling is not just reentry, but that you begin to solidify the mental model into a concrete branching of possibilities that is tightly coupled to the specific problem. Your work becomes traversal and mutation of this tree. Several benefits accrue: you begin to see gaps in the tree, and can fill them in. You begin to have confidence in your mental model, recovering the time you used to spend going o…

I’ve been seriously considering using Logseq for this reason. When I first started with Obsidian I used it that way, but the more I put in it the more I started organizing everything. It became less of a journal and more of a repository for long form stuff. I’m thinking about using both just so I have a dedicated tool just for the journaling side of things.

Same here. I began using Obsidian when looking for something to drop my collection of Markdown notes into, which was somewhat of an improvement due to the quick search, tags and links, but not life-changing. I tried the Kanban plugin but gave up after a while. Then I read about the MOC concept[0] and started with topic-based index pages using the `dataview` plugin for generating lists of backlinks. Haven't looked back (yet)!

You could also create an index of MOC pages with the same plugin and making sure each MOC have a `#moc` tag, for example by using templates. Then write a query that lists all pages with the `#moc` tag.

For pure TODO lists, I'm a happy user of Taskwarrior since more than a decade.

[0] https://obsidian.rocks/quick-tip-quickly-organize-notes-in-o...

Re: Use a work journal

#150

Post by sudhirkhanger »

hubraumhugo wrote: post #96

It's surprising how many devs are trying to overoptimize for productivity with various fancy tools and techniques, when it actually comes down to simple basics. Here is what I rely on as a founder who does a lot of context switching: - a never-ending text file for todos and work journal [0] - calendar for planning (and blocking focus time) - website blocker - turned off notifications [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/…

How do/would you use it over various systems? What's the best way to cloud sync this? One might have to use it on work machine with restrictions around installing apps.
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