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holy smokes!
A good bit of my work is thought work, writing, and planning-centric.
I typically start my day by opening up the ole computer and...getting lost in email and battling impulses.
Sometimes I'll use an app like 1Focus or Freedom to block the internet and work offline—reducing interruptions from others and putting speed bumps in the way of my own distractions.
But today I took it a step further than working offline and actually worked "offcomputer." I used a spiral bound notebook to draft essays, outline campaigns, craft plans, and sort my week.
Tomorrow and beyond I'll begin transferring all that deep notebook work into docs and messages and taking action on them.
It has been my most productive day in months.
Oct 14, 2024
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Digital tools are necessary for a lot of things, but more and more I'm looking for ways to start and supplement my workflows offline
Recently I drafted several emails in a notebook by hand — I realized upon review that they were more creative and thoughtful, which was good, because they were high-stakes communications
Although I do have digital productivity tools in my life, nothing beats—for me—a handwritten list of tasks
I keep a tiny notebook in my pocket for jotting stuff down. I realize that if I whip out my phone to jot down an idea, I may get list in the machine and forget the idea before I've even recorded it.
Also some writing, by hand, at the start and end of the day to observe and consider the day
...okay, after re-reading your rec, I don't know if this is even applicable or on topic so I'm gonna wrap up and click "Share"
Jun 5, 2025
I write in fragments, and I’m constantly jotting down ideas all day long and what has been great is turning a Blackberry Bold into an offline word processor. I use the built in software and export my writing into a .docx and then put it on my computer via USB. Then I plug my notes into Scrivener. I’m a huge nerd about collecting offline-writing tech (shout out to Freewrite!) and it makes the rush of putting together a novel which I call the ‘incubation process’, a lot for more chaotic and fun. I consider writing to be like a scavenger hunt with your own brain and I feel like if you see your mind as a search engine, you can pull up a lot of insane ideas by just trusting your inner web browser.
17h ago
Been trying to spend less screen time and stay unplugged as long as I can (while staying somewhat productive).
Game changing device for jotting down thoughts, creating to-do lists, and staying unplugged / get some quiet time in my head. Also love the pen to paper feel despite being digital device.
Nov 2, 2024
Top Recs from @mattshawsome
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this is worthy of celebration: the lack of video—autoplay video, noisy inane video, panicky video, algorithmic, dumb video, rabbit hole video, any video—on pi.fyi is a good thing
Oct 5, 2024
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this is going to hurt — A LOT — but it's getting to the point where there's no other option
Mar 11, 2025