For the last few weeks, I’ve felt bogged down by my ever-growing task list. Each day I add more to-dos than I can complete, and it’s been getting to me. Rather than lighting a fire under my ass to pare down the list, I find myself either paralyzed by choice or flitting between projects without accomplishing anything of substance.

Typically I scan through my project list at the beginning of the week and judge how much I can get done each day. Inevitably I bite off more than I can chew, and the previous day’s tasks pile up alongside the new items that get added. It’s become untenable.

I’ve tried approaches like tagging things as #radar that should be on deck and then choosing from those tasks for each day. In time, everything could be classified as needing to be on my radar, so that’s become less useful. Time-blocking has helped, but I’m not in the habit of sticking to it yet. Plus, I try to fit too much into each day.

So I’m trying a different approach, and it’s roughly equivalent to putting blinders on a horse: reduce my task list to only three things at a time. Before I can get overwhelmed by what needs to be done, I quickly scan my task manager for the day and choose three that are both relevant and attainable and tag them as #top3.

I’ve not changed any other variable yet, so I still schedule tasks for the particular day I’d like to get them done, but now I filter my Today view to only see the things tagged as #top3. Nothing else can get that tag until all three are checked off. I’m trying to trick myself into sprinting to clear the list. Clear, add three more, clear, add three more.

Ultimately, I know this won’t fix my underlying issues in project management, like making the most effective use of my time. But it has helped me to feel less overwhelmed and get some stuff done.

Here’s how Apple describes its most abstract addition to the slate yet:

Calls is a groundbreaking immersive television experience that masterfully uses only audio and minimal abstract visuals to tell bone-chilling snackable stories.

Definitely check out the trailer. This show feels like something straight out of the QCode podcast playbook but enhanced for TV. I’m intrigued. It debuts in just a few weeks on March 19.

If you haven’t heard of QCode before, they create highly-produced podcasts telling fictional stories. They’re kind of like audiobooks but with impressive sound effects and built specifically for the podcasting medium. I can recommend shows like Carrier, The Edge of Sleep, Borrasca, and Blackout.

(Via MacRumors)

Linked TV Shows

1. MrBeast. I found MrBeast a few years ago and was really put off by his video style, which I found immature at the time. But now I’m so impressed by the empire Jimmy’s built by doing crazy moonshot stunt videos and by the philanthropy he does helping people with his money. A good starter video. [MrBeast Channel]
2. MKBHD. If you’re into tech and not watching Marques, you’re missing out. I enjoy that his videos aren’t focused on just one type of technology or just one company — he branches out from your typical smartphones and laptops into amazing new devices coming up, retro tech, and more. And the video quality is always spot on. A good starter video. [MKBHD Channel]
3. Us the Duo. I’ve been a big fan of Us the Duo as a band for many years. Michael and Carissa Alvarado are a married couple who produce music together, and they have a young toddler daughter, Xyla. For the past few months, I’ve been as entertained by their pandemic video projects as I am by their music. Once a week, they create a new song or cover live with an audience on Twitch, and then the 6-8 hours are artfully condensed down to roughly 10 minutes. They’ve also been making a weekly vlog about their family life; they seem like great parents and loving partners. A good starter video. [Us the Duo Channel]
4. zefrank. After a multi-year hiatus, zefrank is back with hilarious videos about unlikely animals. I can’t say that I retain the true facts that he puts into every video, but I sure do laugh at each one. A good starter video. [zefrank]
5. The Slow Mo Guys. In my opinion, Gav and Dan are the understated kings of YouTube. They’re down-to-earth, relatable people who enjoy creating something and putting it out into the world. They found a topic that they found interesting (showing the inner workings of everyday things, but in slow motion) and have been consistently improving video after video for over ten years. Gav’s a wizard with editing and sound design, and Dan is so funny and willing to go the extra mile for an entertaining video. We haven’t seen much of Dan during the pandemic, but Gavin’s done a superb job of keeping up the channel solo and sharing some behind-the-scenes of their process. A good starter video. [The Slow Mo Guys Channel]
6. Becca Farsace. I think I linked to Becca’s first video when she launched her channel, but I’ve continued to enjoy her vlogs. Becca’s day job is as a video director for the The Verge, so the quality of her videos is predictably excellent. Beyond sharp shots and masterful editing, Becca tells stories well and lets her goofy personality shine in each one. A good starter video. [Becca Farsace Channel]
7. CGP Grey. Another decade-long YouTuber, Grey does explainer videos for whatever catches his interest. Luckily, a lot of our interests overlap! The research and preparation that go into each video are visibly enormous, and the animations are full of whimsy and easter eggs. I also listen to Grey on the Cortex podcast, which I likewise recommend. A good starter video. [CGP Grey Channel]

7 Things

Today the folks at HEY Email launched HEY World, a dead-simple blogging solution. The long and short of it is that you write an email from your HEY account, address it to world@hey.com, and hit “Send” to publish your words to the web. It arrived much sooner than I expected, having been introduced as an experiment just last week. It also has me considering the notion that blogging really is just like sending an email to the world and what that idea means for HeyDingus.

Some background: I’ve been an avid follower of Basecamp, the people behind HEY, for several years. Their project management platform, which we use at work, is great and has made me reconsider the value of asynchronous communication (like email!). I’ve read books by their cofounders, Jason and David, and largely agree with the way they see the world. (Update from 2024: Our views have diverged significantly over the years, and I bristle at most things DHH writes these days. Enough that I mostly ignore them now.) When HEY Email launched last year, I eagerly awaited my chance to sign up and pay money for an email address. Who does that?!

I have opinions on HEY Email as a product that are mostly good, but they’ll have to wait. Today is about the entirely new blogging platform that they added to an email service (for no extra cost, which feels good). 

HeyDingus, too, is a new project. I published my first blog post just over two months ago after spending several weeks “building” the website. I really enjoyed learning the ins and outs of crafting a Squarespace site and tweaking the fonts, colors, link style, and other visual flair you see here. But that time spent adjusting each page, getting the footer right, purchasing and setting up the domain…it wasn’t spent writing, which was the whole point. Further, it made me think about this blog as something I had to live up to. It was to be my public home on the internet, so I wanted all the clutter put away and the best decorations out for people who stopped by. My writing had to earn its place on the pedestal that I had created in my mind.

I think that’s partly why I’ve written here less than I thought I would. But then along came HEY World, and now I’m thinking differently. When Jason said, “Email is the internet’s oldest self-publishing platform,” it clicked with me. I love email. I feel great about working through my inbox each day and writing thought-out replies in a timely manner. I’ve been commended time after time about how people can rely on getting taken care of if they send me an email. So, what if I think less about writing an article for HeyDingus, and more about writing an email to readers? 

People don’t expect perfect grammar and punctuation in an email. There are no fancy footnotes¹ in an email, just postscripts. Adding an image is as simple as dropping it in the composing window. Emails are written to be replied to, not hewn from stone, and the conversation continues. You get an email from someone who cares about you.

I’ve spent time tonight reading the first HEY World posts from people all over the internet, many of whom say it’s their first time writing a public blog. It’s inspiring to see those people put a bit of themselves out into the world, just like I am, and feel empowered by a simple piece of software. While I don’t intend to switch to blogging on HEY World — since I do appreciate the ability to tweak, categorize, and have static pages alongside an ongoing flow of blog posts — I have to admit that I admire its simplicity. And I’m feeling a little silly about sleepless nights spent creating three — yes, three — separate sites before landing on the one you see now. But that’s a story for another time.

Everyone says sheer volume will make you a better writer. For now, I’ll think about writing this blog as if I’m writing an email to you, the reader, and do my best to simply write more. And to get my words on the web, I’ll copy the Markdown text from iA Writer and archive the draft, then create a new post on Squarespace, then paste in the text, then check the URL, tags, and categories, then finally hit “Publish”. Or if I were using HEY World, I would just hit “Send”.

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1. Footnote support was a sticking point when I was selecting a blogging platform. Though I like them, they’re more trouble than they’re worth and leave me dealing with HTML rather than plain text when I use them.↩︎

Blogging

1. At 21, I had a Harry Potter-themed birthday party with fun alcoholic drinks. [Photo]
2. At 22, I made a snowman in crocs. [Photo]
3. At 23, I asked the woman of my dreams to marry me while we hiked on the Appalachian Trail. [Photo]
4. At 24, I have no pictures, so I must have done some devious.
5. At 25, I celebrated at the zoo. [Photo]
6. At 26, I rented a cabin in the woods with my wife and puppy, and unplugged for a few days. [Photo]
7. At 27, I went for a run. [Blog Post]

7 Things

Today, I turn 27 years old. It’s not a particularly significant number. It’s one before my golden birthday. A few before the big 3-0. Still, it’s as good a time to reflect a little.

I leaned into it and went for a 2.7-mile run this afternoon with my dog. Today was the first day in what feels like months that it has been both warm enough outside and not blanketed in snow, so running would be enjoyable. I’ve been itching to get out, so I was grateful for that today.

Over the past few months, I’ve been closing my Apple Watch rings every day using the Fitness+ service. I was pleased to find the daily exercise made jumping back into a long-ish run not only possible but fun. I wasn’t gasping for breath, my legs felt strong, and I could have kept going. Blisters might be my only speed bumps for this latest restart of my running obsession — rather than having to rebuild my endurance.

I wasn’t the only one outside on this pleasantly warm Sunday. There were parents walking babies and dogs walking parents. Everyone seemed just as happy as I was for the opportunity to get outside without bundling against the bitter cold. I could give that small wave and receive a smile in return. On a birthday where I won’t be able to meet up with friends for a drink, or go to dinner with family, that bit of normalcy was nice.

I always look forward to my birthday. As I get older, it’s less about the excitement of a celebration, but instead, because it’s as good a day as any to be kind to myself. I sleep late. I eat foods I enjoy. I watch or play what I like. I make myself stop worrying about things, breathe, and relax. At a time in my life when I feel pulled between wanting to make a difference in the world and also just worn down by it all, this is a much-needed day of solace, of smallness, of simplicity.

My wife recently asked what my favorite season was these days. Late summer and into fall was what I said. I love the smell of crunchy leaves in the air and the cool autumn breeze whisking away the heat of the summer. But I was reminded today that spring is pretty great too. Spring is the time to reflect, restart, and renew.

Happy birthday to me.

Journal

1. “Don’t Let Me Down (feat. Daya)” by The Chainsmokers [Apple Music]
2. “Lonely (Acoustic)” by Justin Bieber & benny blanco [Apple Music]
3. “Sinking” by Clairo [Apple Music]
4. “Sky Above” by Jacob Collier [Apple Music]
5. “Afterglow” by Ed Sheeran [Apple Music]
6. “Mr. Whoever You Are” by Tim McGraw [Apple Music]
7. “She” by dodie [Apple Music]

7 Things

1. An Instagram account dedicated to cute Golden Retrievers. [I Love Golden Retrievers]
2. A Twitter account dedicated to cats in unlikely places. [Places Cats Shouldn’t Be]
3. Strange Planet comics depicting the human experience. [Strange Planet]
4. Finishing the final season of Letterkenny and itching for a rewatch already. [Letterkenny]
5. XKCD is still putting out gold. [XDCD]
6. The high jinks and japes on the Connected podcast. [Connected]
7. My Valentine. [❤️]

7 Things

• Living in a snowy and chilly Brunswick, OH with my wife and our three pets.

• Working for the Boy Scouts of America where I’m focused on breaking into the mainstream outdoor programs scene — not just for Scouts. We’re piloting a 6th-grade camp this spring, and hopefully some spring break camps as well.

• I’ve been closing my rings every day for nearly a month and a half now. Streaks like these are really motivating for me, and I feel stronger — even if I don’t look more fit yet.

• This update will be my 23rd post to this site. I’m working on making writing more of a habit, and to get more substantial blog posts up, but I’m pretty happy with HeyDingus so far.

• COVID has thoroughly converted me into a work-from-home guy. I’ve always felt less distracted when at home than at the office, but now I wonder how I ever got anything done with all the people around. I really value the quiet, focus, and freedom of my home office.

• I’m (still, still) reading Morning Star by Pierce Brown, and nearly finished with A Promised Land by Barack Obama, which is my bedtime audiobook.

• Not playing much of anything in the way of games, except for occasional Sudoku and Chess to keep the mind sharp. I have a couple puzzle games lined up that I’d like to get to soon, though.

• After finishing up several different shows, I’m watching a few new seasons of shows of Apple TV+ including Servant, Dickinson, and Losing Alice. They’re all pretty great but for very different reasons. I’ve also gotten into WandaVision on Disney+ and am making my way through the final few seasons of Letterkenny, which is a hilarious show. Palmer, with Justin Timberlake, was an excellent movie as well.

• Listening to a bunch of dodie lately, and using Brain.fm to focus during work (and right now as I write this).

• Looking forward to this deep cold breaking and it being more comfortable to run outside. I’m getting that itch to move that only a good, long run outdoors can scratch.

• Not watching the Super Bowl.

Now Journal

1. Mark Rober of YouTube is back with another over-the-top contraption. The NFL player, Matt Prater, seemed like a great guy too. [Mark Rober]
2. Since I typically get frustrated and angry with folks complaining about being “censored” by social media platforms, this bit of satire on McSweeney’s brought a smile to my face. [Eli Grober]
3. There’s more I want to say about Arun’s site and several of his articles, but this bit about Apple’s identity guidelines from back in the 80’s was a fun dive. [Arun Venkatesan]
4. Becca Farsace, a video director at The Verge, started a new YouTube channel recently. I always enjoy her appearances on Verge videos and podcasts, so I was pleased to see that she’s sharing more. Becca’s videos are fun, goofy, and indeed (to use her term) crispy. [Becca Farsace]
5. I love macOS’s dynamic wallpapers that adapt throughout the day, and this Mac-assed throwback collection by Hector Simpson called “Aqueuex” are irresistible. You can get the static mobile versions for free, but the dynamic ones for Mac are only $3. [Via 9to5Mac]
6. If you’re not watching WandaVision on Disney+, then now is a great time to start. The first three episodes were a little off-putting, but episodes four and five have blown the story open, and I can’t stop thinking about it. [Disney+]
7. You can always count on a new Apple product or feature to motivate me. It worked with Fitness+ to kickstart my exercise routine. Then again this week with the new Time To Walk program. This feature of Fitness+ on Apple Watch is a series of short stories from celebrities and a few songs meant to be listened to while walking. I wanted to try it out, and it did get me outside this week — despite the deep cold. I like how the host was also out on a walk during the recording, which, though gimmicky, effectively makes it feel like you’re on a walk along with them. [Via MacRumors]

7 Things