2024 - A Yearlong Experiment in Going Analogue

The why

Over the past three years, pursuing an EMBA has disrupted my daily routine and and led me to reevaluate my approach to productivity.

I have been practising David Allen's Getting Things Done since 2009, implemented the complete system in Emacs with org-mode, used Things extensively, and tried Notion and countless other tools that promised to supercharge my productivity system. The truth is, I often felt that I had been down a massive rabbit hole, moving from one dead end to another, searching for something better. In the past, at the end of every year, I would spend days cleaning up the hundreds of items on my mile-long TODO list and thinking, "There has to be a better way.".

(Spoiler: I won't have to do that this year.)

The nifty feature of moving and rescheduling tasks with a single keystroke in those tools was a curse for me. Because it is easy, I have become unintentional when handling unfinished tasks, moving and rescheduling them to the next day. The problem is that moving things to the future mindlessly is not planning. If I don't have time for them today, I will likely not have time for them tomorrow either. The autopilot mode made me carry my wishlist (it is not a to-do list anymore) day after day, along with the stress and anxiety of not completing any of them.

Inspired by some smart people I follow on YouTube and Instagram, I decided to give analogue systems a try. It is said that pen and paper can slow you down, make you think deeper, and do things more intentionally.

I knew I was about to fall into a different rabbit hole, but I was ready to take the plunge as I really wanted to design my own system from scratch (I hope, at least) instead of being forced to do things in specific ways only because a particular tool thinks it is the best approach to productivity.

The journey

The first system I tried was the Bullet Journal method. I have seen it on social media for years, and many swear by it. It seemed an obvious choice. Picked up the book in early February, and I was hooked. I particularly liked how flexible the system is and how simple it is to get started. By the end of April, I was having tremendous fun with all the stamps, washi tapes, pens, highlighters and notebooks, but I was also overwhelmed by the number of ideas I saw on social media (hundreds of hours of YouTube videos). In hindsight, this was a mistake (more on this later), but I tend to go all in if I like something and get bored quickly, so it's not something I could have avoided realistically.

Then I moved on to planners, particularly Japanese planners: Hobonich, Midori, Traveler's Notebooks, and Kokuyo Jibun Techo. At this point, I was deep into the fountain pen rabbit hole, so notebooks made of good-quality paper were a must.

Along the way, I picked up journaling, meditation, catch-all notebooks, commonplace notebooks, pocket notebooks, and a new mindful self-care routine incorporating aspects of Kaize, Tao, Wabi-Sabi, and minimalism.

After much trial and error, I was able to select the tools I needed and the ones that worked for me and arrange them into a process that suited how I think and work.

The results

Did it work? Absolutely!

Better mental clarity

This is the most transformative benefit gained from my experiment.

I used to worry but often could not name why or what I was worried about. My mind was too active, and I could not stop the inner chatter.

Writing everything down on paper allowed me to process information more rationally. The friction of pen on paper slows me down, allowing me to reflect on my thinking through deep questions, have an honest conversation with myself, and stop overthinking. If something is too difficult, I can close the book, rest, and return to it later. In short, it cements thoughts I want to keep around and let go of the noises.

Because everything is written down and my short-term mental capacity is empty, I can focus on the present instead of worrying about what I might have forgotten or may forget. It allowed me to live in the present rather than dwell on the past or worry about the future.

Intentionality

Life could often feel like a spinning top, wiped by other people's wishes, societal expectations, and our upbringings, but never to the music of our choice.

A top-down planning approach allowed us to take control of our lives. I started by writing down my values on paper - why I exist and who I want to be. I then identify areas of pursuit (career, personal development, friends and family, fun, etc.) that embody those values. The last step is to set concrete goals for each of my pursuits and scrutinise every action on my to-do list to ensure they contributed to my goals meaningfully.

I may end up doing the exact same things every day without bothering with the above exercise, but there is a fundamental difference - the things I do become intentional choices. I chose to do them, and I know why I am doing them, how they contribute to my goals and values, and how I want to feel. This intentionality gives me drive, motivation, and, most importantly, joy and gratitude in doing hard things.

How many times have we clenched our fists and ground our teeth to get rid of something, only to find ourselves having to do it repeatedly and get stuck in a trap because we did nothing intentionally to change the cause? Being intentional gives us the strength to say no to unwanted things and leave space for things that matter to us.

Being intentional can be a simple mental trick for achieving challenging goals. For example, instead of thinking that taking cold showers is good, but it gets tricky in the winter, I put it as 'I am someone who takes cold showers every day, and it is what I do'.

Allowed me to move all my goals forward

When busy, we often neglect sleep, exercise, hobbies, catching up with friends and family, playing, or even self-development. Instead, we pick up the phones and doomscroll, only to feel worse hours later.

It is not wrong to want to achieve a specific goal with dogged determination, even at the expense of everything else. But I am not that person. I want a simple and balanced life. Unfortunately, the modern world is not designed to tolerate such an attitude. I still remember that I could not enjoy reading fiction because I felt guilty for not picking up the New York Times best-selling self-development and business books. Everyone else had read them, and I must, too.

Writing down my values and areas of pursuit explicitly and tracking how much time I spent in each area helped me understand how I lived my life. Then, I can decide which areas to prioritise, which to let go of, and balance my to-do list to allow all my goals forward. This enabled me to achieve a few goals I have been deferring for years, and I am so grateful to myself for it.

Being ok with imperfection

[!quote] All things are created and destined to be broken someday. I think being broken or damaged is never a bad thing.

— Kiyokawa Hiroki

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese philosophy that embraces the transient nature of our world and imperfection. It triumphantly contrasts with what social media tells us: perfection and consumerism are the cures to life's unhappiness.

Choosing journaling and active, intentional reading over scrolling social media aimlessly allowed me to think for myself and distinguish between living a happy life and the algorithmic recommendations. When your mind is filled with interesting knowledge and happy emotions, the dopamine rush of getting new deliveries from Amazon feels distant and shallow. You are more likely to let go of the imperfection and embrace things for what they are.

Nowadays, I think more about investing in experiences such as travelling and relationships with people rather than unnecessary 'hauls'. My chunky old leather journal, filled with scrap papers, stickers, and silly doodles, brings me a joy that no new shiny gadget ever could. It’s a treasure trove of my thoughts and memories, making it worth much more than anything money could ever buy.

Being able to manage my emotions better

Besides journaling, meditation has been another tremendous aid to my productivity and mental well-being. I have been practising meditation since the COVID-19 lockdown but only started to harness its true power when combined with journaling this year.

Meditation is meant not to have any perceived purpose or prior experience benchmarks. It is to notice emotions, feelings, and thoughts and do nothing about them. It's about just being. When you are intentionally not thinking but experiencing and exploring like a child, you better notice the things around you - the sound, smell, colours, emotions and feelings. Journaling naturally extends this idea to every activity in life, not just busy thoughts. You can simply note them down without overthinking.

Through those seemingly random daily log entries, I could see thoughts and emotions from a distance without reacting too quickly. I could then work out why certain things made me feel how I felt and make adjustments. Sometimes, it was because of what someone said, sometimes because of certain foods I eat, the scenery change outside my window, or a memory that triggered me to judge the current situation instead of reasoning.

You do not need to count to five to control your anger. It's much more fulfilling to train the mental muscle that gives you the headspace to listen to and reason with your emotions at any time, including the happy ones.

Better relationships with people around me

Pouring over the pie chart of the time spent in each area of pursuit, I realised how little time I had spent with friends and family and the lack of connections with others. It prompted me to devote more time to connecting with people around me and make a deliberate effort for people whom I want to be in my life.

Admittedly, the progress has been slow, but at least I am now at a stage where I can enjoy a holiday, switch off from work, explore and enjoy the moments instead of worrying about how many days of study I have missed or pondering what is happening at work while I am away.

Being present enabled me to focus more inward in uncomfortable situations. For example, when I disagree with someone, I ask myself, 'Do your behaviours align with your values, and are you happy with your actions?' rather than reacting to other people's behaviours. It allowed me to improve myself rather than putting energy into things I may not have control over.

[!quote] Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

— Gautama Buddha

Appreciate little things, enjoy life more

Another realisation I gained from incorporating journaling into my productivity system is that life is better when you appreciate daily actions instead of being fixated on big goals.

It is common wisdom that we should enjoy the process more and treat the results as side effects. But this is often not the case in real life: I would be happier only if I finished that project, owned my dream house, and got that promotion. The list goes on. What is going to happen when you get there? It pays to pause and appreciate the things we have instead of being bitter about the things we do not, the things that are going well in life rather than the things that are not going so well at the moment, and think about how we can move on and go from there.

The results will be precisely the same no matter which attitude you choose. We'll get there eventually. Which approach would you take?

Scientific evidence shows that gratitude journaling can reduce stress and improve quality of life.

Being present

Presence at the surface level means fully engaging with the present moment — the sounds around you, the sensation of your fingers touching the keyboard, and the smell and texture of the coffee you are sipping. Often, our attention and minds are focused on the past or the future — the important meeting next week, a conversation from five years ago that still haunts you, or the thought of going to the gym after a long day's drudge at work.

It is worth reminding that we are our lived experiences. By ruminating about the past or wishing for the future and not paying attention to this very moment, we are denying now, denying our lived experience, thus denying our lives altogether. Meditation is a great way to keep us grounded and stay present.

Being present also allows us to be more comfortable with who we are. In Amy Cuddy's book Presence, the author talks about how being present, being your authentic self, could empower us to excel ourselves.

[!quote]

Presence emerges when we feel personally powerful, which allows us to be acutely attuned to our most sincere selves.

― Amy Cuddy

Rediscovered the inner child in me

This one is personal.

I have always loved creative hobbies. From publishing articles and short manga series in magazines as a teenager to painting billboards at university, I have always liked to do something with my hands. Unfortunately, being a tech professional means I spend too much time indoors with screens.

Journaling has become a creative outlet for me. I have rediscovered the joy of using fountain pens, watercolour brushes, and calligraphy sets.

The learnings

You need to trust your system 100%

This is the top rule when it comes to a productivity system.

If you cannot rely on your system 100% and still use your mental capacity to keep track of tasks occasionally, your system is 100% a waste of time.

This is one of the rare situations where it is 100% or nothing.

You should be able to put your phone away, close every web browser tab, pause Slack notifications, look at your to-do list (be a notebook or Google Calendar) and be 100% confident you are doing the right things and are not missing anything. Sure, we all need to check work emails and reply to WhatsApp messages, but do not let them allocate your energy and focus; use the intentionally planned time for them - unless your job is to respond to messages as they come in or you need to open a unique channel for people whom you must respond to immediately.

Don't copy other people religiously. Experiment and find what works for you

The amount of information available on the internet could be overwhelming. Many people have tried one system after another and have declared on YouTube, 'I tried X for Y period, and it's not working' It's no surprise. Each component or step in a system should serve a well-defined purpose; otherwise, it is a waste of time. Do you need to track your habits? Are you having trouble getting rid of old habits or forming new ones? Why do you want to do that? Does that contribute to your goals or values? How much does it contribute on a scale of 0 to 100?

Journaling worked well for me, but it might not work for you. Do you have time for it? If not, what would you give up? Is the trade-off worth it? What do you want out of journaling? Better mental clarity? Memory keeping? Joy?

You get the drill. It's better to start from the top down. Start from your core values, who you want to be, and what things that type of person (your future higher self) would do and value.

Have self-compassion

There is a delicate balance between discipline and self-compassion. Individuals' stress tolerance levels and drives differ.

Often, your body and mind will show symptoms when they are overwhelmed. Headache, lousy sleep, fatigue, panic attack... Do not ignore them or keep taking painkillers - that is not the solution. Instead, pause and ask yourself, how will you improve the situation? Do you need help?

OK, you missed today's goal because you were tired. That's okay; tomorrow will be a new start. But if you have been missing your goals every day for a week and are feeling overwhelmed, it's not you. It's a sign that your system is not working, and you need to adjust it and try again, not beat yourself up with a hammer.

Set challenging goals and make them fun. For example, for my running goal 2025, I would award myself an Esterbrook if I ran 50 times, a Pilot Custom 823 if I hit 100, and a Montblanc if I clocked 150+ times!

Self-care is the foundation of all productivity.

Although seemingly unrelated to a productivity system, journaling has been the most transformative activity that has conditioned my mind. It is the oil to the countless cogs in my head, a dumping ground for all the distractions and unwanted emotions, and a treasure trove of memories and lived experiences.

I have tried morning pages, daily logging, regular check-ins with myself, and gratitude journaling. Learning to feel comfortable using the right tool for the right situation has been liberating. Looking back, my most fun and treasured journal is the little A7 notepad filled with random thoughts jotted down while waiting for the bus, the calmness of walking on the beach, the stamps I collected from the city libraries I visited, or a shopping list for a random recipe someone told me.

Meditation has been another linchpin for 'moving slow to move faster'.

The BBC short series 'How I Rewired My Brain in Six Weeks' is an excellent introduction to how meditation, exercise and exploring new things can condition, repair and strengthen our brains as adults.

Learning more things

An unexpected side effect is that I am learning more new things, which stimulates me and piques my curiosity about more topics! This is primarily because my productivity system allows me to allocate time and energy to explore new things that I've not 'had time for' in the past.