The Column
Several topics that have consumed my life recently - sorted from “relatable” to “what is Aaron even talking about?”
Home Project Madness
The 100 Day Glow Up was followed by a home makeover blitz. The list of things we’re doing is immense and boring to read. So I’ll spare you.
I’ve done what would normally be considered my fair share - but Melissa is an absolute beast and done the work of 5 people. So my “a few hours a day” looks bad by comparison.
Because we’re not done, a couple work-in-progress photos:
One Before & After
One of the many sub-projects is kind of done.
Before:
After:
The Ultimate Homeowner Hack: A Bucket
A $20 organizer is better than my than my $1000 Custom Workbenches.
Homeowners use the same tools for most projects. Tape measure. Drill. Pliers. Box cutter. Stud finder. Wire strippers.
Previously, those where in different spots. Now they’re all in this bucket:
It’s the best.
Dad was right all along.
Rabbit Holes
The past month I fell continually down 3 intertwining rabbit holes. Digital Asset Management. Local Data Journal. Graph-based Modeling Tools.
Digital Asset Management
This is a general system for digital asset management. It ties into both of the other rabbit holes.
It took a disgusting amount of time to arrive at something that simple.
Local Data Journal
My Data Journal is awesome, but:
- depends on Google Sheets
- cannot hold images
In fixing those two deficiencies, I basically had to relearn my lesson in complexity. I re-engineered and over-engineered these problems until I’d accidentally created a monster.
Thankfully, I recognized this monster for what it was before it swallowed me whole.
I ended up with something much less sophisticated (and therefore better).
What’s different:
- local CSVs rather than Google Sheets sheets1
- there’s a folder of assets (e.g. pictures) that can be used
- there’s a spot for tools I build to live
Axon - building a Galaxy Brain2
I’ve wanted a general-purpose systems modeler for years. I built 3 of them. This year’s I called “Axon”.
Axon is loosely modeled on Wikidata. It was designed to be a tool-agnostic, minimal property graph - B.Y.O. ontology.
My notes are for concepts. Axon would be for systems, describing things that exist (or could exist).
It works! And would scale hugely!
…alas isn’t useful for one-man use cases.
Axon Extensions
If I know myself. Eventually I’ll find my way back to this rabbit hole. This is what may come next.
Top 5: Self-assessed Productivity Weaknesses
I think about, read about, and write about productivity a lot. Where do I suck at it?
5. Target confusion
When I have too much on my plate, I will spread myself too thin. I will make an inch of progress on 12 things rather than 1 foot of progress on one thing.
I often talk about the benefits of focus, because people are prone to give the advice they themselves need.
This may be my worst trait, because it shows up in different forms 3 times in this Top 5.
4. Setting squishy goals
If you set squishy goals it is harder to fail. If you do not fail, you will fail to learn.
I have to constantly remind myself to crisp up my goals. I’m a recovering squishy goals addict.
3. Systems abandonment & adoption cycles
You might be surprised to hear3 the guy who’s maintained a life-in-a-spreadsheet project for over 13 years is prone to re-building the “good” in search of “the great”.
That said, [[482|#482 - How I Organize My Life (aka AIM 3.1)]] has continued to work well for the past 6 months. Thanks Auto-Properties Plugin (V2).
2. Boom & bust cycles
I’m getting better at this, but was very prone to letting things pile up, then working it all down through a Herculean effort. The opposite of “slow and steady”.
1. Not focusing on first thing’s first
I am not sure I’ve ever once truly “eaten the frog”, so they say. I’ve joked about “if you want me to solve world hunger, ask me to cure cancer.”
I get scared of the biggest elephant in the room, so I pick a fight with the next biggest.
Quote:
I have the smallest virtual footprint you’ll ever find. - Taylor H - who’s virtual footprint I just expanded
Hi, we’re here to kick your puppy. - Don
One thing at a time. Actually ten things at time, not twenty. - Melissa
Footnotes
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I’m actually keeping Google Sheets as the primary read/write surface, but this is where my local backups live. I have some local-only datasets; but they are mostly as proof of concept. ↩
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this was called “Galaxy Brain” because I knew all along it was one of those “see through the matrix”-type ideas that makes nerds go “fwhaaaa” ↩
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If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you won’t be surprised at all. ↩