Noisy Deadlines

100Days

I've been noticing some glitches in my GTD system lately.

You know, the whole point of having a method to organize tasks and projects and goals is to be okay with what I'm doing at the moment. I've talked a lot about GTD in this blog and how it impacted my life by reducing stress and anxiety, bringing order to chaos, and allowing me to fulfill my goals. But that's not what I want to talk about here.

I want to talk about being engaged with the tools I use every day, and what has been bothering me.

So, what's not working right now?

My Next Actions/Projects lists:

  • I've used Nirvana for years now and I've written about it multiple times (I’m a huge fan!). I've tested other tools here and there (Todoist, TickTick, Trello, Microsoft To Do…). Lately, I've been feeling bored with Nirvana. I don't know how to explain it, other than it's so dull and I feel like processing and organizing has become too complicated to me.
  • I've been avoiding capturing things to Nirvana because it seems a hassle to process items in there now.
  • I'm becoming more inclined to work directly out of contexts lists, and having them up front in my face, instead of selecting the contexts tags from a list.
  • I'm getting tired of having to manually insert a link to an email I want to reference in Nirvana, or to manually edit a link to a website I sent to Nirvana's inbox by email (sometimes the titles come in as the web address, and then I must copy/paste the title of the article manually).
  • I like being able to have some integration between emails and the to do list.
  • I like having a widget on my phone showing the actions due today.
  • When I did an experiment with Todoist and Microsoft To Do without linking projects to next actions, I had a feel of how snappy a system can be. I believe that I'm ready for a simpler setup right now.
  • I want a more direct system focused on doing rather than on organizing information.

Time Blocking/Daily Planning

  • Planning my day and time blocking are both great habits! They are now part of my day start-up routine. I use Outlook Calendar for work and personal, they are synchronised together, that's great. I've also been using Cal Newport's Time Block Planner.
  • I think what's not working is that I feel like I have duplication here. I have meetings and some focus time on my calendar, but I also use the Time Block Planner, which is a separate notebook. So I have 2 separate daily plans, and every time one changes, I have to update the other. I know they are meant to be complementary, but I've been thinking that I could do it all digitally in one instance.
  • I once did an experiment with using Outlook to schedule time blocks to check emails, and it worked well.

What do I want to change?

  • I want less back and forth between different tools, avoid having to copy/paste things from one to the other.
  • I want a to do app that is more flexible to create different lists, better looking (or more attractive to me RIGHT NOW), overall, less boring and more exciting to use (playing a sound when I complete a task is so satisfying to me!). Also, emojis, of course 🥰!
  • I want to be able to attach files/images to my next actions.
  • I want quick and easy processing, with less complexity.
  • I want less tools, and having a more integrated digital ecosystem (I'm stuck with Microsoft anyway... and I use Outlook, Word, Excel daily... so, Microsoft To Do seems the way to go).

The Plan

  • I will switch to Microsoft To Do as my next actions/projects list app.
  • I will use 2 accounts keeping work and personal separate.
  • I will plan my day and do time blocking using Outlook Calendar.
  • I will set up my computers to start up with Outlook and Microsoft To Do.
  • I will use hashtags in Microsoft To Do to create some links between projects and next actions.
  • I will continue my other planning routines: Daily Reviews, Weekly Reviews, Monthly Planning, Quarterly Planning.
  • I will continue using my GTD Dashboard.

I will soon post about how my setup with Microsoft To Do is going.

I gotta say, this is a new phase for me. I'm letting go of some old beliefs and being more adventurous!

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  • ✍️ I’ve been thinking about writing a blog post this week, but it didn’t happen. Not just “week notes,” but a blog post focused on a topic. That got me thinking about my writing process—or if I even have one. I keep a list of blog post ideas in Standard Notes, but I haven’t checked it in a while. Time to change that! Let’s see how it goes next week.
  • ⛵ I took a couple of days off, and they flew by! I spent time reading, walking, resting, and generally relaxing. I wish I had journaled more, though.
  • 🐤 I got back into playing Stardew Valley🙌. I finally got the hang of fishing using the “c” on my keyboard to control the fishing bar. It’s so much better than clicking with the mouse! Thanks to Stardew Valley forums.
  • 🎃 My partner and I are going to a Halloween party at the end of the month! I’ve only been to two Halloween parties in my life (it wasn’t a big thing in Brazil). I got inspired and decided to accessorize a simple black dress to turn it into a sorcerer/mage outfit. I’m also getting a long purple cape with a hood because capes are cool! (This is the perfect excuse to get one) 😎
  • 🥇 I ran my third 10Km race this year! It was the Fall Colours Run. It was cold (5C) but not raining (thank goodness!). This race takes place in a scenic route starting at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum. I managed to keep an average pace of 6:30/km, which is my personal best! I’m pleased with my running progress this year, especially since I wasn’t training for a marathon or anything. I just ran semi-regularly with no crazy goals in mind.
  • 🌃 We caught a glimpse of Northern Lights! It wasn’t dramatically intense, just faint since we were in our neighborhood with lots of light pollution. But I saw something, and I captured a bit of it in a night mode photo.

Currently reading

  • The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
  • How the Marquess Was Won (Pennyroyal Green #6) by Julie Anne Long

Reading On Hold (I haven’t picked up in a couple of weeks)

  • The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  • 🏝️ September was a blur, and I feel like I did so many things! I started October feeling tired. I will have 2 days off this week before the Thanksgiving weekend! So, I’m going to have an extra-long weekend to recharge a bit.
  • 🧘‍♀️ I want to focus on my stress management this month. Although I have my routines in place to help me with anxiety, I’m still feeling tense overall.
  • I still have the occasional pain on my left hip that comes and goes. Very annoying! 😐
  • 🐉 I was invited to join a tabletop Dungeons and Dragons campaign set in Forgotten Realms! I’ve never really played in an in person setting. It will start in a couple of months, and I’m excited!
  • 🌹I wanted to read a romance with some Halloween vibes, but I can’t deal with horror/spooky/vampires stuff right now. So, I chose a book in my TBR that is historical fantasy with magic in Victorian England: Shadowbound (Dark Arts #1) by Bec McMaster.
  • 📖 I’m enjoying The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I finished Part 1 and started Part 2.
  • 📚 I never realize how much I've read in a month until I list out all the books at the end. And it's always a nice surprise, because I don't consider myself a fast reader. Last month was a record of mine with seven books! I’ve been doing a lot of reading instead of doing other stuff, and that adds up quick.
  • 🧩 We saw this store with puzzle on sale and we couldn’t resist getting 4 more puzzles: 2 from the Fine Art Collection by Eurographics with paintings from Vincent Van Gogh, one with the Legends of Zelda “Breath of the Wild” video game cover art and another one with a collage of all Iron Maiden album covers.

Currently reading

  • Shadowbound (Dark Arts #1) by Bec McMaster
  • A Thief in the Nude (Rushmore Brothers #1) by Olivia Waite
  • The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
  • The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  1. Bride by Ali Hazelwood, 399p: I'm a fan of Ali Hazelwood and this is her first paranormal romance book. It starts with an arranged marriage between an alpha werewolf (Lowe) and an exiled vampire (Misery). The “mate” trope was a bit confusing, it didn't make too much sense to me. It is fast paced, there is some politics (vampires x werewolves x humans) and the mystery of the missing friend. It's a well done slow burn romance, but thinking about the physical logistics of werewolf and vampire anatomy love making got me a bit out of the story. I guess I'm not into the whole biting and drinking blood theme of paranormals anymore.

  2. Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood (Monstress #07-12) by Marjorie Liu, 152p: Yes, it's full of gorgeous artwork and I love the ambience. But I guess I was not in the mood for a dark complicated story. The worldbuilding is intricate and it's so, so sad! I finished it and had lots of questions. But because of the dark themes I won't continue the series. At least not right now.

  3. The Bride (Lairds' Fiancées #1) by Julie Garwood, 388p: This book is so plot-rich! There's always something going on, the heroine is so pro-active, and strong and kind. It's set in 1,100’s Scotland Highland times with an arranged marriage between an Englishwoman (Jamie) and a Highlands Laird (Alec Kincaid). Because this book was published in 1989 set in a medieval setting, there might be some issues with consent, but I think the author did her best to make it less problematic. Another interesting fact is that this romance has humour and funny situations, something that was not common in romance novels back in the 80's (there's a foreword by the author talking about it). It’s the type of writing I enjoy, where we can be inside the characters heads a lot. I enjoyed how quickly the author changed characters viewpoints within the same chapter, so we get glimpses of different characters within the action/dialogue. I thought it was pretty well done. I loved the grumpy hero with a kind heart. I loved the bold heroine standing up against ridiculous status quo (and said grumpy hero stubbornness). Lots of funny banter and there's is even a murder mystery in it. Overall, a non-stop read, super rich and interesting.

  4. The Duchess War (Brothers Sinister #1) by Courtney Milan, 316p: This one is set in England around 1863, when industrialization is becoming a thing and there are discussions regarding workers’ rights, workplace hygiene conditions and strikes. There is blackmail, scandal, sedition handbills and references to chess strategy. The female character (Minnie) has a secret she doesn't want anybody to uncover. She's clever and quiet. The Duke of Clermont (Robert) wants to make the world a better place. This a very slow burn romance and I thought there was too much politics going on that threw me out of the story. I kinda liked the side characters more, the scene in the train where Sebastian & Violet chaperonne Robert with Minnie was great. I think I would enjoy more the next books in the series with the other brothers.

  5. Team: Getting Things Done with Others by Edward Lamont, David Allen, 288p: This book brings great insights into how to use the Getting Things Done (GTD) framework within a team's setting. It's full of practical tips and real-world examples. It's amazing to know that all the original GTD concepts can be easily applied to teams. I've been using the GTD methodology for years and this book opened my eyes on how to use it with other people. The sections about communication and delegation skills were super helpful to me, and I could start applying them in my work right away. It has a nice refresher on the methodology at the end as well.

  6. The Duke I Tempted (The Secrets of Charlotte Street #1) by Scarlett Peckham, 318p: I liked the independent protagonist, Poppy, who is a successful botanist trying to get her own business going in the limited women's rights world in 1753. There is a lot of angst and communication misunderstandings between Poppy and Archer. I enjoyed the acknowledgement of the power imbalance between them, and how they both tried to close that gap with a marriage contract full of unusual clauses for the time period.  I was a bit scared at the mention of BDSM elements (which is not really my cup of tea) but it is well done and very light. So, it's definitely a slow burn romance, Archer has a dark secret and Poppy is an intelligent woman claiming her space. The writing was lovely!

  7. Children of Ruin (Children of Time #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky, 592p: Like the previous book in the series, this one is packed with fascinating ideas.  The theme/premise remains the same: a terraforming operation in distant planets.  However, this time there are two planets involved. One hosts some alien life, while the other will be home to uplifted octopuses instead of spiders.  The story unfolds through two alternating timelines—past and present—that eventually converge in the last third of the book.  I found the pacing a bit problematic, and the back-and-forth between timelines was sometimes frustrating because they were so far apart.  A significant focus is placed on the communication challenges with the octopuses. There isn’t much dialogue, but there’s a lot of explanation and exposition of concepts and ideas. This made it hard for me to connect with the characters, as the book felt too heavy on info dumping. Despite this, the ideas presented are still very cool!

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  • 💪 I got a pair of ankle weights to do my morning planks, bird-dogs, and crunches in the morning. I’ve also added the Donkey Kick to my morning series. The ankle weights I got are adjustable, so I’m starting with 2 lbs on each leg, but they can go up to 5lbs each leg.
  • 📖 I started reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I've always been intimidated by the series books lengths (1,000+ pages). But I was itching for some good high fantasy world with an intricate magic system, so I took the plunge. Sanderson definitely delivers both good character and world building without doing boring info dumps. I’m enjoying it!
  • 🩺 I got results back from the endoscopy exam, and it just confirmed I have GERD with mild acid reflux. So, it’s nothing too serious (yet), I must keep on taking my PPI medication daily, watch out for trigger foods and eat smaller more frequent meals. No news for me there, I’ve been adjusting my diet with a registered dietitian.
  • 🌲 I went on a hike this Sunday! The weather was nice (not too hot, not too cold, less bugs) and a perfect sunny day. It was the first time me and my partner hiked the Wolf Trail at Gatineau Park. It’s not a beginner’s trail, because there is lots of elevation, rocks, tree roots and some muddy areas. I would say it’s intermediate to me. We parked at the nearest parking lot (P12, because P13 was already full), then walked 1Km to get to P13 to the head of the trail 62. On the way back we took the trail 38 then 40 to get back to P12 and get to our car. It was a total of 10 Km. We then had lunch at the Heron Lookout with a beautiful view of the valley (we packed some sandwiches).

Wolf Trail – Gatineau Park – September 29, 2024

Currently reading

  • The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne
  • The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
  • The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

I have a spreadsheet where I log all the books I've read. I call it my “My ALL-Time Reading Log”.

It has books from as early as 1992, which I logged based on the physical books I've read at the time. These early entries don't have too much info other than book title, author, number of pages and the year I've read them.

In 2012, when I got my first e-reader (the 4th Generation Kindle) I started to add more details, such as start/finish dates, book format, genre and some notes about the books I’ve read.

This spreadsheet has gone through different format iterations over the years, but I still like to keep it simple (or as simple as I can!). I update it once a month, gathering data from The Storygraph app, which I use as my daily reading tracker.

The last update I did on my spreadsheet was adding a tab to track Book Series!

I was inspired by the CAWPILE spreadsheet created by Book Roast. I'm not using her whole CAWPILE rating system, but I liked that she had a book series tracker.

So, my Series Tracker tab has the following columns:

  • Series name
  • Author
  • Books # (Total) : total number of books in the series
  • % Read: percentage of books I've read in the series
  • Columns with the books: They are just numbered as “Book 1”, “Book 2”, etc. I mark with an “x” the books I’ve read in the series. I grey out the cells and add a “-” marker to indicate not applicable books for each series.
  • DNF (Did not Finish): I mark when I do intend to keep on reading the series
  • Finished: to mark the series I’ve finished

And at the bottom I added a section for series I want to start reading someday.

On the side of the spreadsheet there is a simple stats count, showing ongoing series, how many series I abandoned (DNF) and total number of series finished.

I didn't go back in time to log ALL the series I've finished or DNF'ed, only the ones that I quickly remembered when I was creating this. Mayne someday I will go back to my log and list those forgotten series.

But for now, I just want to track what currently has my attention.

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  • 💻 I’ve been spending less and less time online these days. When I do is to search for a specific topic, address, information. I check my email, check my library books, read a book review, and that’s about it. I don’t feel like checking Mastodon anymore. I think I’ve been logging into Mastodon once or twice a week, and that’s it.
  • 🧀 There was a team Potluck at work where everyone could bring a dish that represents their heritage or their favorite food from their home country. I made Brazilian Cheese Breads and it was a success!
  • 🩺 I finally got a referral to do an endoscopy to check on my GERD (acid reflux) situation. I was overdue for this type of check-up, so now that’s done! Just waiting for the results and discuss with the doctor.
  • 🍎I’ve been enjoying my Diet Plan with Chia Pudding and Oatmeal for breakfast!
  • 🥇 I did the Canada Army Run! 10Km! I was trying to follow the 60min bunnie, but by the 7th km I had to slow down a bit. Well, I ended up doing 10K in 1 h 7 min, which is pretty awesome to me!
  • 📕 I’ve always wanted to read the series “The Stormlight Archive” by Brandon Sanderson. I was always intimated by the sizes of the books (the first one is 1,124 pages!). I was talking to a work colleague who is reading it, and I decided to try it. I will start reading it this week and see how it goes.
  • 📚 I created a Series Tracker in Excel so that I am aware of the series of books I started and how many books are left to finish it. I added the series I currently want to finish, and series I had once started but don’t want to finish. I have 14 ongoing series right now!

Currently reading

  • Children of Ruin (Children of Time #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  • The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
  • Ravished by Amanda Quick

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

It’s so good to be pain free!

I’ve had a couple of weeks with pain on my left hip that was impacting my running, my walking, my yoga. I did a few hot baths to relax my muscles, some stretching and rest from running and yoga. I kept some walks at the end of day because it’s always relaxing to me.

But what I’ve been doing consistently for the past 3 weeks is replacing my yoga routine in the morning with just 15 minutes of some core stabilizing exercises. So, I’ve been a series of simple exercises with 20 seconds pause between each repetition:

  • 4 planks (holding for 40 seconds each)
  • Bird-dogs (3 on each side)
  • Crunches (normal crunch, bicycle crunch, oblique crunch) => I vary them each day.

I could do these exercises even when I was through my hip pain because these weren’t impacting the affected area. After these series then I stretch for a bit and do a 10-minute meditation.

And the pain is gone! I already went for 2 runs this week and I was fine after it. No pain at all ! I’ve been feeling great!

And this recovery process was just in time for the 10K run I enrolled for this weekend! Yay! I will be able to run! 🤗

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

I’ve lived with chronic pain my whole adult life. And it’s complicated.

It has always been related to my low back and sciatica. I’m my 20s I had several flare ups where I couldn’t walk, and I had to be carried to the emergency room to get a painkiller shot and I was prescribed pills for pain and muscle relaxation. I would wake up at night crying with pain (sometimes painkillers didn’t work). I took hours of physiotherapy. I still have memorized series of physiotherapy stretching exercises I used to do.

When I was 28 years old I moved to another city and started seeing a different orthopedist doctor. It was the first a doctor asked for an MRI to investigate my problem. It turned out that, yes, I was born with a slightly different configuration on my lumbar vertebra that was being overloaded with impact. This doctor told me to start swimming. And so, I did. Three times a week, I would wake up at 5:30am to be in the water by 6:30am. I did it for 9 years.

After one year of swimming, the doctor recommended me to start some strength training. So I did that as well. I started going to the gym every morning, to either swim or train. I did my stretching exercises every day, in the morning and before bed.

For the first 3 years after I started swimming, I still had flare-ups and sometimes I couldn't finish a class. But I could notice that my body was slowly getting stronger, and I started having less and less pain.

To the point where I started running! It was a huge achievement for me! I'm not talking about training for marathons or whatever, just running for 10 minutes, then 15 min, then 20 min... Every little step counted. Until I could run 5Km and 10 Km and also do Yoga! And also bike!

So why am telling this story?

It's just because I've been hearing colleagues, friends and bloggers mentioning chronic pain lately and wondering what to do. And my answer is: “I’m sorry, it's complicated”. But also, exercise is super important. And stretching is important. And strengthening the core is even more important. Mental health and managing stress are also important. My answer will never provide quick fixes because it was not easy for me. It took me years to recover and be active again. It was a combination of discipline, physical strengthening, diet adjustments and mental health care.

I don’t swim anymore. But when I tell people about my routine nowadays (which includes yoga, running, hiking, stretching, weight training, meditation, journaling) they ask me how I keep motivated. And my answer is always: “I don't want to feel that pain again”.

I still have some pain, if I pick up something the wrong way or overstretch or stay seated for too long. But I always go back to the basics. If I'm having a tough week, and I have some pain, I stop running and do more core exercises (like Dr. Stuart McGill’s “Big Three” Low Back Exercises). And when the pain is gone, I am grateful for being pain free, even if it’s only for a day.

Everyone will have a different experience. This is mine.

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  • I skipped a week to write here because of the long weekend of Sep 02nd (aka Labour Day here in Canada).

  • 🌲 So, it was a lovely long weekend, and we had friends over. We went to Gatineau Park to visit the Mackenzie King Estate. We walked the trail to the waterfall and enjoyed the nice weather. It was a breezy and cool weekend, I loved it! I stayed mostly offline the whole weekend and it was refreshing.

  • 💻 And then this past weekend I almost didn’t use my computer, I was mostly reading, doing chores, errands, and walking. I’m noticing I feel calmer if I don’t constantly check new stuff. The more I stay away from new information stimuli, the less I want to consume new information. And I mean online feeds and timelines. But podcasts, if used in the right circumstances, I’m okay with. It works for me listening to podcasts while cleaning the bathroom or going to the gym.

  • 📕 I enjoyed being totally immersed in 1,100’s Scotland Highland times this weekend. I finished the book “The Bride” by Julie Garwood. I used all my free time to read this book, and it was so nice! It’s the type of writing I enjoy, where we can be inside the characters heads a lot. Now I want to research about Highlander plaids and how they managed to transform what is essentially a long piece of fabric into a “skirt” with pleats and have it stay there with a belt or something. Also, I leaned that kilts are different from plaids. Kilts are from later (around 1700’s).

  • 🍎 I am on the third week of following my new diet and it’s been not hard to adjust so far. I noticed some trigger foods like raw bell peppers, milk or lactose free milk and peppermint tea. I will not have milk anymore, only vegetal ones (like sugar free soy or almond milk). Also, I will stop drinking caffeinated teas (like Earl Grey) or acidic herbals (lemon & ginger, pomegranate, orange, etc). The only teas I tolerate are chamomile and rooibos tea. And only in small quantities between meals.

Currently reading

  • Children of Ruin (Children of Time #2) by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  • Team: Getting Things Done with Others by Edward Lamont, David Allen
  • The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

Some views from the Mackenzie King Estate

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Post 41/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.