Loving the bookshelf feature in Micro.blog, I thought it would be fun to organize my reading. I love tracking my reads, but rarely share it, and my tracking tends to float around my systems with my whims. This feels like a construct I can hang with.

Expanding on this, I thought I’d share my favourite read of 2022: Rabbits: A Novel, by Terry Miles 📚. While this is a novel in its own right, it is based on a podcast series, though I only learned of that after I started reading, and didn’t listen to to the podcast until after I was done the book. For me, I preferred the novel to the podcast, but the podcast was a fun followup.

Honestly, I don’t think it wise to describe too much of the book to potential readers. I went in cold, and that was awesome. If you enjoy themes such as those you might find in Ready Player One or Ender’s Game, or if thrillers are your jam, this is fantastic.

I can’t say enough about how much this book has stuck with me. I think about it a lot.

Fair warning in case you care, there is a fair amount of swearing, but not in really crude or graphic terms. Just a lot of colloquial fucking swearing across the whole fucking story.

I am really looking forward to more mainstream augmented reality (AR) for my own generated content.

A wall calendar no one else can see that I can put stuff all over, visualize plans, and then just delete when done? Yes, please.

Write “BIRTHDAY” on someone’s forehead (scheduled) as a reminder? Mm hm. For that matter, notes and reminders in contextual places that make sense? Yes!

Or even how about art that I can put around my house? Or recolour room walls? My reality could have screens everywhere!

The idea that I could manipulate and personalize my space and my world without impacting anyone else’s is a really interest prospect.

I’m a big fan of Agenda, and use it to store a daily journal for myself. Recently, I was inspired by Iconfactory’s Tot application’s widget design, and thought it would be cool to do something similar for my Agenda entries.

Thanks to WidgetPack, the Shortcuts app with actions that build widgets, this is possible!

Apps/resources required: Agenda, WidgetPack, Agenda Daily Journal Builder Shortcut, iOS16

My Agenda Widget Shortcut builds an Agenda widget that works alongside daily journal entries. Using an Agenda note with the title EEEE MMMM d, yyyy, the Shortcut generates a widget where top title is the current day of the week, and the “body” of the widget text is comprised of today’s date and the third line of text from my Agenda journal entry from today (the first line is the title, the second line is blank, the third is where content starts).

The widget, when tapped, will open the Agenda note, having used its identifier and the Agenda URL scheme to craft the URL linked to in the widget.

That reminds me: I should highlight that getting note content is using Agenda's newer Shortcuts actions and not a URL scheme! The bonus? This can be automated and run in the background without calling Agenda to the forefront. 🎉 The possible catch is that means this does require iOS 16.

It's probably also worth noting that, because I used relative sizing for the shape elements here, this looks nice as a small or medium widget, but is not intended for the large size. There wouldn't be content enough to fill it, anyway. 😂

Hope you enjoy this, would love to hear feedback!

Author’s note: yup, that’s a referral link for Agenda. I’m not sorry, it gets users an extra six months of features, and I get six months, too.

The Agenda app has great widgets, but I find myself wanting to make sure I always have at-hand access to my automated daily journal. To conquer that, I thought I'd share the process I used to make this not only possible, but highly useful.

Agenda can save searches, and since my journals have predictable text in them, I figured a saved overview would be just the right solve for what I wanted to do.

Here, I did a search for Rapid log, since I know that text is in my journal:

Now this returns all my journal notes, so next, I need to filter results for Today:

This search now has a grand total of one result 🎉, so I can save is an an overview:

Now my relevant daily journal is always available in the Agenda sidebar. Awesome.

But wait, there's more! Saved searches can be linked to (right click the saved search):

With this URL, I can now get to my relevant daily journal from... anywhere. The Lock Launcher app was my first stop, so now my daily journal is always a tap away on my Lock Screen. I can also use this Agenda URL in Shortcuts or bookmarks or anywhere to easily navigate from where I am to today's journal note, which I find incredibly helpful.

Would love to hear everyone's reactions, let me know what you think!

Structure your day, combining the notetaking and task management experiences.

I love having a structured day, and using my favourite apps, OmniFocus and Agenda, coupled with Shortcuts, I have been able to establish that structure in a way that I'm excited to share.

These Shortcuts serve to enable a digital Bullet Journal system, where ideas, information, and tasks can be easily captured and put together, with an aim to making future task management easy by using OmniFocus' powerful organization and integration with Agenda to surface tasks of importance.

Author's note: This post will serve as the definitive home for this set of Shortcuts, and will be updated as versions change.

Agenda Daily Journal Builder

This Shortcut, for use with the Agenda app, creates a new note titled as EEEE MMMM d, yyyy (i.e. Saturday September 3, 2022) in the project of your choosing (as named with a text action, filled out as an import question for this Shortcut).

The note contains a list of all-day events from your calendar under the heading Today, as well as a list of timed calendar events under the heading of Events.

Next to each event is an arrow which, when clicked, creates a new note (as named with a text action and also filled out as an import question for this Shortcut) linked to that calendar event and pre-populated with that event’s name, location, organizer, and attendees (taken from the calendar). This makes it easy to generate relevant notes for the day. All calendar items in the note are preceded by a designated emoji.

Next, under the heading of Tasks is a checkmark list of tasks from OmniFocus that are either due today or overdue (designated by the emoji 🚨) or flagged (designated by 🔶). Each item is is followed by links to view or complete the OmniFocus task (using OmniAutomation). The latter requires security settings in OmniFocus to allow external scripts, which you can get help with on the Omni Automation site.

Lastly, a horizontal rule is added with a heading of Rapid log, where logging of notes for the day can be added as they occur (which is supported by the Rapid log Shortcut below).

Changelog

1.0: Initial version.
1.1: Added fixes for URL encoding and link quality.
1.2: Changed OmniFocus task presentation: now title of task is no longer linked, but is followed by links to view in OF or complete the OF task (using OmniAutomation). Renamed Shortcut.

Agenda Rapid Log

This Shortcut, for use with the Agenda Daily Journal Builder Shortcut above, appends provided input to the note titled with today's date EEEE MMMM d, yyyy (i.e. Saturday September 3, 2022), working in cooperation with OmniFocus for task capture.

The Shortcut asks for input, and multiple lines of input can be provided. Lines of text are each added as bullet list items to the Agenda Daily Journal, each with a timestamp to represent when they were entered.

If a line of inputted text begins with two spaces, it will be treated as a subbullet to the line above it, and so will be indented and will not include the timestamp.

If a line of inputted text begins with a dash and a space - , it is given special treatment and treated as a task. in this case:

• It will be created as an OmniFocus Task (in the Inbox, unless otherwise specified, more below)
• It will be shown as a checklist item in the Agenda note instead of a bullet list item
• The Agenda checklist item’s text will be followed by links to view or complete the OmniFocus task

Additionally, for these task items, text can be entered inline to add treatment to the task created:

• Adding @flagged in this line will flag the task created in OmniFocus, and indicate the checklist item in Agenda with an orange diamond emoji (the actual @flagged text will not be included in either the Agenda text or OmniFocus task title)
• Adding tags inline as #tag1 #tag2 (no spaces) will add those tags to the OmniFocus task created (this text will not be reflected in Agenda)
• Adding a project name as +(project name) will add the task to the first matched project name in OmniFocus
• Adding // (space slash slash space) as a delimiter, followed by content, will place the content following the slashes in the notes of the generated OmniFocus task (and omit them from the Agenda text)

In fact, all supported Taskpaper format parameters can be added to a task's line.

Read about TaskPaper notation you can include →

To make this easiest to use for journaling through the day and capture, I recommend setting it to a hotkey on Mac and to be triggered by Back Tap on an iPhone.

Changelog

1.0: Initial version
1.1: Added comments for OF task with //
1.11: Fix for undesired repeated use of task comments
1.2: Added subbulleting
1.3: Changed tag identification to require preceding space for hash mark (so that Agenda tags can be added with \#), maintaining only the OmniFocus version (no longer building for Reminders)
1.4: Added OmniAutomation links for viewing/completing OmniFocus tasks

Agenda Email Clipper

This Mac-only Shortcut (because of the need for AppleScript and iOS' lack of Shortcuts support for Mail), for use with the Agenda app and my Agenda Daily Journal Builder Shortcut, appends provided input to the note titled with today's date EEEE MMMM d, yyyy (i.e. Saturday September 3, 2022), along with the currently selected email.

This Shortcut works very much like my Agenda Rapid Log Shortcut, except that it captures the currently selected email. That email will then be appended to anything entered in the Rapid Log, referred to by a reference that is asked for following the entry of Rapid Log content, linked back to the actual email itself.

The Shortcut will then (optionally) archive the selected email (using the sending of keystroke ^ + ⌘ + a), and then allow choice as to which app to return to (Mail, Agenda, or OmniFocus).

The use case here is fast inbox processing, and this Shortcut is best used when invoked by a keyboard shortcut. Note that this Shortcut here offers all the same syntax support as the Agenda Rapid Log, meaning that tasks can be generated in OmniFocus (which also contain the link to the referenced email), tagged and noted accordingly.

Changelog

1.0: Initial version
1.1: Handled error for running on non-Mac devices, added email subject capture, added choice for app to return to at end
1.2: Added OmniAutomation links for viewing/completing OmniFocus tasks

Agenda Safari Clipper

This Shortcut, for use with the Agenda app and my Agenda Daily Journal Builder Shortcut, appends provided input to the note titled with today's date EEEE MMMM d, yyyy (i.e. Saturday September 3, 2022), along with the currently selected email.

This Shortcut works very much like my Agenda Email Clipper Shortcut, except that it captures the currently selected Safari tab (Mac only) or the Safari page shared to it via the Share Sheet (all platforms). That page will then be appended and linked to alongside anything entered in the Rapid Log.

Note that this Shortcut here offers all the same syntax support as the Rapid Log, meaning that tasks can be generated in OmniFocus (which also contain the link to the referenced email), tagged and noted accordingly.

Changelog

1.0: Initial version
1.1: Added Rapid Log updates, OmniAutomation links for viewing/completing OmniFocus tasks

I got clued in to this tweet by the wonderful Federico Viticci through the latest Shortcuts newsletter from the equally wonderful Matthew Cassinelli and was enthralled by the possibility of grabbing an email's URL to refer to it from outside of Mail.app.

Because I get a lot of email, it is often the source of knowledge, wisdom, and tasks, and so being able to refer to emails in other contexts (say, from tasks in OmniFocus or rapid-logged journaling in Agenda) is really valuable. So I set to work to make a Shortcut to manage just this.

I am generally opposed to AppleScript, JavaScript, or AnyScriptAtAll, simply because I'm not a developer, and I find these things too hard. Shortcuts is my jam. But until Mail gets Shortcuts support or a Share Sheet or something (come on, you cowards), I ran towards the danger a bit here.

This Mac-only Shortcut (because AppleScript) is for use with the Agenda app and my Agenda Daily Log Shortcut. It appends provided input to an Agenda note titled as EEEE MMMM d, yyyy (i.e. Saturday September 3, 2022), along with the currently selected email.

This Shortcut works very much like my Rapid Log Shortcut, except that it captures the currently selected email. That email will then be appended to anything entered in the Rapid Log, referred to by a reference that is asked for following the entry of Rapid Log content, linked back to the actual email itself.

The Shortcut will then archive the selected email (using the sending of keystroke ^ + ⌘ + a), bringing you back in to the Mail app, so that you can go on your merry way and Rapid Clip the next one (or hopefully just delete all the email).

The use case here is fast inbox processing, and this Shortcut is best used when invoked by a keyboard shortcut (there are too many kinds of shortcuts). Note that this Shortcut (capital S Shortcut) here offers all the same syntax support as the Rapid Logger, meaning that tasks can be generated in OmniFocus (which also contain the link to the referenced email), tagged and noted accordingly.

Update 07/25: Improved URL encoding, link handling, and some other light refinements. Hope you love it!

Since I shared an OmniFocus variant of my Rapid Logger Shortcut, I wanted to also share such a variant of my Agenda Daily Log Shortcut, because that only seems right.

What more is there to say, really?

Update 07/19: Now with OmniFocus task notes

Update 07/20: Fixed unintentionally re-used task note

I shared my Rapid Log Shortcut for Agenda the other day, and it serves its purpose, but I am an OmniFocus user, and so really, my rapid logged tasks need to land there. As such, I have been fine-tuning my Shortcut for use with it, and with some bonus features.

I won't rehash too much about what I already posted, but this Shortcut:

• Asks for input
• Takes input, line by line, and appends it to a Daily Agenda Log
• If the line of input starts with - (a dash and a space):
  • The appended line in Agenda becomes a checklist item instead of a bullet
  • A task is created in the OmniFocus inbox with that line's name
  • That appended Agenda line is linked to the task created in the OmniFocus

Here's what is bonus cool, though:

• The task is created in OmniFocus using TaskPaper addition
  • This means your task could include something like @due(tom) to show that it is due tomorrow, and the OmniFocus task created will honour it
  • ... but that content is stripped from the text appended to Agenda for elegance
  • @flagged is the exception, because if that is added, the Agenda line will be prefaced with a 🔶 to indicate the flagged state
• You can include tags inline as #tag1 and #tag2 (no spaces), and they will be honoured by OmniFocus
  • The Shortcut parses those in to TaskPaper format @tags(tag1, tag2) accordingly
  • You can write tags inline in TaskPaper format too, of course
  • None of that content is in the Agenda line appended (again, elegance)
• You can also include +(Project Name) inline
  • This will become the project to which the task is added (instead of the Inbox)
  • This is a search of Projects in OmniFocus, and the first match returned, so use clever keywords
  • Spaces are allowed for multi-word names/searches
  • The use of a + here is a nod to todo.txt, which used + as the signifier for projects
    • In case anyone cared?
  • Still, elegance
• Lastly, you can use // as a notes delimiter (that's a space, two slashes, and a space)
  • Everything after that delimiter will be added to the notes field of OmniFocus
  • This content will be ignored in Agenda (assumed that this is in service of noting the task, not the journal)

Read about TaskPaper notation you can include →

There is no enforced order here, so one could totally thoughtstream the entry (which I do). For example:

- Call Marie about the budget #Urgent @flagged +(budget presentation) @due(fri) #Calls // The budget presentation is on our shared folder

Metadata does not need to be entered in a particular order.

I find that by rapid logging this way, I capture my commitments in OmniFocus, but I also diary that capture in Agenda, and also give myself the freedom to capture non-actionable things I have discovered or know.

I'd love to hear what you think!

When it comes to capturing things as they come in to my life, I love the notion of rapid logging as is done in the Bullet Journal Method. The catch for me is that while I adore analog work, it often can't scale to the pace or reusability of digital. This is where I have built up a solution for my daily logging that works digitally.

This is all about my Rapid Log Shortcut, for use with the Agenda app (yes, that's a referral link) and my Agenda Daily Log Shortcut. The basic conceit of this Shortcut is that it appends provided input to note in Agenda titled as EEEE MMMM d, yyyy (i.e. Wednesday June 29, 2022).

The Shortcut asks for input, and multiple lines of input can be provided. Lines of text are each added as bullet list items to the Agenda Daily Log titled as today’s date, each with a timestamp to represent when they were entered.

If, however, a line of inputted text begins with a dash and a space (- ), it is given special treatment, treated as a task:

• It will be created as a Reminder (in a list chosen by an import question for this Shortcut)
• It will be shown as a checklist item in the Agenda note instead of a bullet list item
• The Agenda checklist item’s text will link to the Reminder

Additionally, for these task items, text can be entered inline when being asked for input by the Shortcut to add treatment to the Reminder created:

• Adding @flagged in this line will flag the task created in Reminders, and indicate the checklist item in Agenda with an orange diamond emoji (the actual @flagged text will not be included in Agenda nor in the Reminder title)
• Adding tags inline as #tag1 #tag2 (no spaces allowed in a single tag) will add those tags to the Reminder created (this text will not be reflected in Agenda)

Certainly, the overall construct of this Shortcut could be fairly easily manipulated to have tasks created in OmniFocus or other task managers, but I wanted this to work out of the box for anyone using Agenda (and if you aren't, there's that referral link again). And yes, in the end, what this Shortcut produces is markdown, which could be sent to another note manager if you prefer. The key is having a predictable and always correct destination for the content, which is why I use today's formatted date as a title.

I'd love to hear what you think and if this is useful!

I thought it would be good to do a series about how I automate my days as a means of keeping myself on track and conserving energy. The first part of this is in how I set up my day using the Agenda app.

I have been using the Shortcut I'll describe here for a while now, but have been inspired to improve it and make it shareable so that everyone can benefit from it. I think the features this creates in my Agenda experience are super cool.

This Shortcut creates a new note titled as EEEE MMMM d, yyyy (i.e. "Saturday September 3, 2022") in the project of your choosing. The note contains a list of all-day events from your calendar under the heading “Today”, as well as a list of timed calendar events under the heading of “Events”.

Here's the coolest part, though: next to each event is a linked arrow which, when clicked, creates a new note linked to that calendar event and pre-populated with that event’s name, location, organizer, and attendees (taken from the calendar). This makes it easy to generate relevant notes for the day. The Shortcut builds Agenda URLs for each of those events.

All calendar items in the note are preceded by a designated emoji, defined in a dictionary at the top of the Shortcut.

Next in the note, under the heading of “Tasks” is a checkmark list of Reminders from a designated list that are either due today or overdue (designated by the emoji 🚨), flagged (designated by 🔶), or tagged with a particular tag (and designated with an emoji, both of which have text actions to let you customize). Each item is linked back to the actual Reminder to update as needed.

Lastly, a horizontal rule is added with a heading of “Rapid log”, where logging of notes for the day can be added as they occur.

I chose to do this with Reminders so that everyone can benefit, but this could be modified easily enough to be used with OmniFocus, or any other task management system that allows either Shortcuts or URL access to its content.

What do you think? Is this useful for you?

I got to talk about my health when I had the opportunity to guest on the Conduit podcast (which was great), but I have now been formally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

This diagnosis starts to open doors to better treatments and helps explain why I'm in pain all the time, although... I'm still in pain all the time.

I'm most grateful that I am as in to productivity, internal processes, and workflows as I am, because I am on constant need of budgeting physical energy and cognitive capability, all while trying to keep myself motivated. Without that kind of thinking, I don't even know what I'd be doing.

I tweeted recently and asked what topics about productivity would be interesting when thinking about dealing with chronic illness or disease, and the clear response (thanks to everyone who got in touch) was that there are two areas of interest:

1. Energy management and optimization/conservation
2. Measurements of success

I really appreciated how clear everyone was about this, and these topics seem the most right for me to think and write about.

I'm keen to start blogging more regularly again, but I thought it would be good to set up with this context about what I'll probably talk most about (energy and measures) and why that is. Same tools still all apply here, but that's the lens through which I'm looking at life.

For now, I'm polishing a few new/updated Shortcuts that I'll be excited to share, and will get back to the grind.