Hey there,
Last week, I finally started investing my time trying out one of the backlink-based note-taking apps.
It's been a while since I first came across apps like Roam Research and Obsidian, but I didn't find a use case for me until a few days ago.
As I'm reading more and more books on Japanese philosophies, I discover connected perspectives.
For example:
Both Wabi Sabi and Ichigo Ichie talks about living in the moment and admiring the beauty around us.
And having backlinked notes for these ideas helps cement the concept on my mind and serves as reference points for future blog posts.
So, last week, I started taking notes on Obsidian, and this is how it looks so far:
Even with a handful of notes, I can visualise links between various ideas I came across in the last couple of days.
It's like a digital copy of my brain.
Now:
There's an ongoing debate on which tool is the best for taking notes like this, and it can be confusing which tool to choose.
So, here's why I chose Obsidian:
- Completely free to use
- Multiple data sync options. I'm using iCloud, but the app has options for Dropbox, Obsidian Sync, and more
- Apps available on all major platforms
In comparison, Roam Research is available only on desktop and the web and charges $15/month for their service.
Since I'm already paying for iCloud storage, using Obsidian is essentially free.
I'll dive more into Obsidian and the backlinked note-taking approach in a future article on the Hulry blog.
Before we move on to the rest of this newsletter, here's an announcement:
I'll be skipping next week's issue of this newsletter as I'll be on holiday for a week. So the next issue of this newsletter will go out on 10th September.
Now, grab a coffee, sit tight, and enjoy this week's issue:
Book to Read
The Book of Ichigo Ichie
Each moment is unique and will never be repeated. So while your routine might look the same, the conditions every day won't be. Learn how to savour every moment.
View it on Goodreads
•••
Apps & Services
Researching a topic on the web and simultaneously taking notes can involve juggling between multiple apps. The Command browser solves this problem by letting you highlight text from any website you visit within the browser. You can then save your highlights
to your in-browser journal or sync them to your favourite services like Notion or Readwise. Convenient tool for anyone involved in research. Command browser is available on macOS (with Apple Silicon Chip), iPad OS and iOS. This app is
a one-time purchase of $9.99.
The creator economy is rising. And if you're a creator or host events, you need a homepage where people can learn more about your services. Luma Profile lets you create beautiful mobile-friendly profiles where you can show your best work, offer discount
codes, collect emails and display upcoming events. I found the customisation and styling options to be better than other products like Linktree.
And Luma Profile is free to use. Check out
my profile for a demo.
Email Protection is an upcoming service from DuckDuckGo that acts as a purifier for your incoming emails. With this service, you can register for a @duck.com email address, and all emails sent to this address will be cleaned
up of all trackers and then forwarded to your actual email address. If you're using any of the DuckDuckGo browser apps, you'll also be able to generate random email addresses while signing up on a website. DuckDuckGo cleans and forwards
all emails without storing anything on their server. This service is in beta, and you can put your name on the waitlist to get notified.
Focus Time is a Google Calendar app that lets you block time on your calendar for deep work. Whenever a new meeting or event comes in that overlaps with your deep work time, Focus Time will automatically move your deep work slot around your calendar if
there's free time in your schedule. I played around with it by creating events around my focus time, and the app accurately and immediately rescheduled my deep work slot like a personal assistant. Focus Time is free to start, but for advanced
scheduling options, you need to pay $5/month.
Taking the Shortcut
Open help bar for the currently active app on macOS.
•••
Interesting Reads
Life doesn't always give you what you want. Sometimes, you miss the mark on your goals or expectations. In those cases, if you manage to find a silver lining, you'll live a satisfying life and not one full of resentment. You can be happier by looking
at what you've gained in your life rather than resenting what you could have achieved. Condition yourself to look at the bright side.
In this post, Anne-Laure will teach you how to use the MoSCoW prioritisation method to have a clearer idea of what needs to get done today, which tasks are nice to do but not essential, and the tasks that can be eliminated to free up your time. It's like
the Eisenhower matrix approach, but it is semantically easier to tag tasks into each category. I liked the idea of this approach and have started experimenting with this method on my to-do list.
No one can constantly work without taking a break or a holiday to replenish their body and mind. But, even when we go on a holiday, we often bring work with us as an unwanted guest. Instead of immersing ourselves in the moment or activity in front of
us, we keep checking our phones for emails, Slack and other commitments. This article has been a timely reminder for me to truly enjoy my holiday as I start my break next week. Maybe it'll help you too.
Michael explores the complex relationship we have with coffee in our life while he sets on an experiment to get over his caffeine addiction. You'll learn how caffeine affects our body and how it provides that fresh boost of energy every morning to prepare
us for work. While the boost is great, it also brings with it some side effects. If you drink multiple cups of coffee every day, you'd want to reevaluate your caffeine consumption after reading this piece.
There's a lot of haze around the concept of stock options that startups usually offer to lure talent into their company. While stock options can be immensely fruitful, most people don't understand what they're getting themselves into when they accept
a job offer based on stock options as part of their compensation. This article clears the air to a reasonable extent by explaining how stock options in companies work.
Thread
Quick Feedback
What do you think about this week's newsletter?
Loving the Hulry newsletter? Please forward this issue to a friend who might enjoy it too.
