Day One backs up my brain

I started using Day One a few months ago, but not for journaling. Going by the reviews in the App Store, most people do that. They use Day One as a diary or maybe as a travel journal.

I've been using Day One to write about stuff that I’m reading and watching, and it has been working really well.

Before Day One, I kept a handwritten journal to record my thoughts and ideas related to TV shows, movies, and novels. Positive or negative reactions, why something does (or doesn’t) keep my interest. It's the Media Studies major in me—I can't help it.

I started recording those kinds of thoughts last year after I read Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer. He references Michel de Montaigne, who wrote “a short critical judgment” in the back of every book he read so later he could reference what the book was about and what he thought of it. He didn't have to depend on his memory to keep track of everything he read.

I liked that idea, and it works well enough for books, but sometimes I give mine away. Sometimes I borrow books from friends or read e-books, and I can't write in those. I wanted to record my reactions to TV shows and movies too, so I starting writing all of those thoughts in a notebook. Entries in a physical notebook have limitations, though, and I’ve found that Day One remedies all of them.

1. My handwriting gets messy, especially when I’m trying to get my thoughts down quickly. On the plus side, I’m used to my messy writing so I can still read it, but it’s still sloppy on the page. Not really something that’s easy to reference afterwards. I type in Day One. Effortless neatness.

2. I like going back to add things. Writing entries back-to-back in a physical notebook doesn’t allow me to go back and add thoughts, like after the second time I watch a movie. Leaving some blank space between entries doesn’t work well either, because that’s wasted space if I never go back to it. I can edit entries in Day One, even re-write them if I want to, without affecting the rest of the entries.

3. Physical notebooks can be difficult to navigate (unless I make some kind of index). Day One is searchable, and you can tag entries. It’s easy to look for something I wrote before. It’s easy to find related entries.

4. I can’t easily back up a physical notebook. (Photocopying every page is probably my best option.) Day One lets me export my entries as PDFs, so I create back up copies periodically to make sure I don’t lose my writing.

Day One has an easy-to-use, simple interface. It stays out of your way so you can write.

Photo credit: Livro ou TV? by Lubs Mary. via photopin cc

Podcasts, doodles, and productivity

Here are some things I've been reading lately and think are worth sharing:

The (Surprisingly Profitable) Rise Of Podcast Networks (Fast Company)

Here's Why, How, And What You Should Doodle To Boost Your Memory And Creativity (Fast Co.Create)

How Neil Gaiman Stays Creative In An Age Of Constant Distraction (Fast Company)

The 7 Must-Know Rules of Productive Meetings  (Entrepreneur)

23 Tools and Resources to Create Images for Social Media (Buffer Social)

33 Thoughts on Reading (Austin Kleon)

Image source: Autumn leaves by nao.k is licensed under CC by 2.0. Modifications to image as it appears in this post: cropped and added text.

Renewable footsteps, bullet journal, and a list of apps

 

Here are some things I've been reading lately that I think are worth sharing:

“How I Work”: Ann Handley, Founder/Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs (Heinz Marketing)

25+ apps to make your everyday life easier (TED Blog)

#firstlinelastline: Mashup the first line of a novel with the last line of another (Austin Kleon)

You Had A Major And Minor In College—Why Not At Work? (Fast Company)

Bullet Journal // Organisation & Planning (BookParty! on YouTube)

The Lights On This Soccer Field Are Powered As Players Run (Fast.Co Exist)

Did you come across an interesting article this week? Link me to it.

Image source: Saturday Morning Café (Cappuccino) by Frank Weber is licensed under CC BY 2.0. (Modifications to image as it appears in this post: cropped, adjusted colors and brightness, and added text.)

Doctor Who: "Kill the Moon" was really good

I think "Kill the Moon" is the best episode of season 8 so far and this is why:

(Beware spoilers.)

1. Twelve did what the Doctor does best: help people be better versions of themselves.
Courtney now has a reason to believe she is special, and it's not just because the Doctor says so. Clara saves the planet and that's to her credit, because the Doctor wasn't around to lead or influence her.

2. Clara is better when she actually has stuff to do.
I like Jenna Coleman (where did the Louise go?), but until the last few episodes, she was kind of stuck in a rut. Clara gets repetitive making and cancelling plans with Danny. She follows the Doctor and acts as his moral compass, again and again. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with any of that, but for a while Clara felt stagnant. But tonight? We got to see her comfort Courtney. She had to explain human things to the Doctor, like why a young girl would feel scared when there are monsters on the moon. Clara was scared. Clara was angry. And it was great to watch.

3. Twelve keeps saying he is an alien.
I love that he made humans decide what to do about the moon. He isn't human, so it wasn't his place to decide. Clara depends on the Doctor too much, and he made it clear that sometimes he shouldn't get involved. He distances himself and it feels very Doctory. None of this trying to blend in with humans and needing them to accept him.

4. The yo-yo.
Such a simple way to test the gravity on the moon, and it's so much better than some bogus gadget that might have been in a different space show. The Doctor makes use of what he has and makes it work. I like that Twelve doesn't over-complicate things.

What did you think of the episode? Let me know.

The right book exactly, at exactly the right time

Last week, I wrote this on my other blog:

Ever have a TV show, movie, or book come into your life at exactly the right time? You experience the thing exactly when you need to and you slip back into a groove (when you didn’t even realize you had slipped out), and everything flows. Pieces click into place and everything feels right.

I don’t know how, but this work happens all by itself.

I was talking about Haven, which I have been catching up on and obsessing over, thanks to Netflix and a talented group of actors, writers, and everyone else who works on the show. But that bit of writing was also a reaction to Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, which found me at about the same time as Haven.

Tonight I finished Penumbra. Check out the final paragraph:

The final line?

I never skip ahead in books, so tonight was the first time I turned to that page.

Whoa.