Scripts, workflows, and tools designed to remove friction from knowledge work. This is where I share the specific automations that keep my digital life running on the rails.

Anatomy of an Action Item

I have written before about the hierarchy of tasks (i.e., action items) in OmniFocus. In this post, I will zoom in on the base unit of productivity, an action item, and identify the characteristics every action item should have.

I like using OmniFocus and calling tasks “action items.” Regardless of the program you use, and whatever you call the things you need to do, you should think about how they are composed. As of March 2021, I think these are the essential parts of an action item. When I clear to neutral every day, I make sure each action item that goes into my system has been reviewed for each of the following characteristics.

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Better Workouts With Shortcuts

Last year when I wanted to build healthy habits, I relied heavily on automations to do that. This video is about how I automated working out!

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Letter of Recommendation Automation

Octobers are busy for me. Not only are there a ton of fall family adventures, but several annual school projects are active in the time of pumpkin-flavored beers as well.

Additionally, I get inundated with requests from students for letters of recommendation.

This post has resources to help you automate tedious (but important) tasks; so you can focus on what matters and what you have to do.

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Automating Tags in OmniFocus With Keyboard Maestro

I like automating because it is like a puzzle; it’s a fun thing for my brain to work on, and I get a rush of satisfaction when I get it to work. But I love automating because it helps me live up to the plans I made, even if I am feeling lazy. This automation helps me keep my OmniFocus tasks organized the way that helps me get things done.

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Sanity Saving Email Rules

I think email is one of those things I and my fellow millennials were supposed to kill, or maybe hate; I’m not sure what my generation’s official stance is supposed to be, but I kind of like email.

I came to this conclusion over time, after spending a considerable effort in making my email experience pleasant and functional. In this post, I want to show you some of the ways that I have done that and why.

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