I wrote about 2 tools (devices) that have majorly changed the way I work, think, plan, stay accountable, organized and motivated. Initially I had planned to share this only with my LinkedIn audience but thought it would be valuable to share it here as well. Here are the 2 short articles.
reMarkable2 - eInk Tablet
I am definitely a bit of a gadget nerd. Those little devices, beautifully designed, perfect software and incredibly useful - they inspire me, they make me get GAD (gear acquisition syndrome). However, apart from my mobile phone and MacBook, most of these devices eventually end up in a drawer somewhere. There is initial excitement that peaks sometimes after a few weeks, sometimes after a few months and then it goes away. An example of that would be my iPad. It’s beautiful, powerful, capable. Yet, most of it’s life is spent in a drawer.
Not so with this thing, the Remarkable 2. Inspired by my friend Richie (who had been using one for a while), I decided to give this a try. An eInk device, which can sync with my computers and mobile phone, while still having battery life for a week. That sounded like a good idea, until I actually bought one. It turns out to be a great idea!
This is not a deep dive, tech review, neither is it a sponsored endorsement. This is really simply a quick post of praise for a device that has really changed the way I work.
I’ve tried journaling in many different ways before. Digitally, on a notebook, via audio etc. Nothing has stuck as well as using the Remarkable. I can’t even tell you why. It’s just so beautiful and fun to use that I do just that every morning right after getting up. I look forward to it! The technology get’s out of the way to enable a joyful process of writing.
Work notes are organised and synched. I take a lot of notes in a given day. This has led to me having mountains of Moleskine notebooks in various boxes. No more. It’s all on this A4 sized digital device now. It’s also synced to my Macs as well a my phone. Instantly. Without hassle.
It’s distraction free. No notifications, no browser, no kindle app, no twitter, just my notes, pdfs and a bunch of ebooks. It’s a device that supports my ideation and creativity, rather than destroying it.
No Backlight. That one actually annoyed me initially “How am I going to use this at night” Well simple. I switch on a light in the room I am in, same as I would do if I was using a paper book. Simple. Because of that, the layer between the screen and the pen tip is so close, that if feels like actually writing on paper
The writing feel is very similar to writing with a fine-liner on coarse paper. It’s actually haptic and enjoyable to write
I could go on.
I am writing this post for other folks out there who may have tried different forms of organising themselves and failed. I have tried a lot of things. Paper notebooks, different apps, Notion, iPad and pencil, a range of different phone apps, other digital tools. The one device that I keep coming back to is the Remarkable2. I use it multiple hours every day.
Will it work as well for you? I don’t know. They do have a 100 day money back policy. Low risk.
Visual Timer - Pomodoro Buddy
It looks a little like some retro alarm clock but it has a few features that make it special. Technically it’s super simple. It has a 60 min face, that’s easily readable and is divided into 5 minute intervals. Right in the middle there is a big, mechanical knob. When turning this knob, a little red ‘flag’ slides out showing the countdown time of your choice (between 1-60 min). As the timer runs, this ‘flag’ will slowly disappear. Then there is a button on top to stop the timer and 2 buttons at the back. The first one let’s you chose how you’d like to be notified when the timer is up (no sounds, soft sound, loud sound) and how long the notification should last (3s or 30s).
With the technical stuff out of the way, you may think “Well that’s nothing special, it’s just a fancy kitchen timer”. You are completely right and yet, the little details make it incredibly useful in our distraction riddled world.
Here’s how I use it:
I like the “Pomodoro technique” of 25 min deep work, followed by 5 min of rest. Then after 4 pomodoros follows a longer rest of 30 min
Let’s say I have a slide deck to work on. Instead of just digging right in. I set my visual timer to 25 min and then start.
While I work on the task, I may get tempted to do something else (some other idea that just popped in my head, a document I forgot to sent to someone, a phone call, twitter... ) I forbid myself to do so while I am within a focus session
I have it set to ‘no sound’. So after 25 minutes of focused work, it will blink a few times. This is my cue to finish up the work I was just doing. (No exception, time for rest now)
then I set the timer for 5 min and do something else, ideally moving around, grabbing another cup of coffee, head to the bathroom
5 minutes will go by quickly, so this break is a fast one
then back to another 25min interval
repeat for 4 times
You won’t believe how incredibly productive 4x 25min segments of focused time can be. The timer is merely a tool in the process. I still have to be accountable to myself to follow my own rules, which is much easier when using the timer.
Additionally, there is beauty in having a tactile, 3 dimensional object, rather than a digital time on the phone or computer. I don’t know how to describe it, it feels almost like a mechanical study buddy, making sure I stay on task, gently displaying how much time is left.
I have since introduced the concepts to my wife, kids and anybody else who would listen.
As I am writing these final lines, I am glancing on my timer and notice about 6 minutes left - great some time for editing.
Being a designer basically (now doing something else, but still feel as one), the remarkable looks like I could make friends with it. I am using a MacBook Pro and an iPhone so far and probably the only Apple device that I never bought is an iPad. Mostly I am thinking „if it should be mobile and small, I use the iPhone, if I need a keyboard and if I am sitting anywhere with enough space, I use my mac – so why buy an iPad“. One of the reasons would be, to use a pen and draw sketches. And, being an Apple aficionado I admit, that I simply love the way their devices connect with each other.
You mention, that the remarkable links with a Mac – so I can copy files (i.e. sketches of logos or just whatever comes to my mind) to my MacBook without any trouble? I read that the remarkable runs on Android and I never owned any device of that platform – so, really: no obstacles for hardcore Mac users (since 1990)? The „paper-like“ feeling would be the pivotal feature for me to rethink my idea of buying an iPad...
Every time I decide on buying something like that I ask myself „What can I do with it, that I cannot do with the stuff I already own? This paper thing sounds like that USP. Guess I'll at least check and try to find someone who could enable a real world test for me.
Thanks for your information!