Eshwar Nag
Our son used to sleep separately in a traditional cloth hammock, but we've been working on transitioning him to the bed. After many attempts and setbacks this year, we finally succeeded. Now, he co-sleeps with us, and it’s the best feeling ever! Bedtime has become so much fun—we cuddle, hug, kiss, and fall asleep with our hands and legs intertwined. I cherish every moment of this experience, and I’m already dreading the day when he’ll move to his own room and won’t be co-sleeping with us anymore.
I returned to Hyper Quest briefly in June and July, driven by a burst of inspiration to create a members-only space where I could share my personal tech journey. I re-organized some of my old articles to fit this new journal format and even published a couple of fresh editions. However, the inspiration was short-lived, and I found myself revisiting my earlier thoughts on blogging. Although I still have a desire to blog on Hyper Quest, I realize that my priorities have shifted this year. I may still occasionally publish on Hyper Quest, but I am not planning to focus on blogging right now
I've been reading Dense Discovery for a long time now and I really like it. My favourite part is the beginning of each newsletter where the writer talks about interesting ideas. They're usually ideas I haven't thought about before, and this newsletter does a great job of introducing me to them. It's run by Kai Brach from Melbourne, Australia. It's surprising to me that Dense Discovery only has 36,000 readers because I think it's so good. I definitely recommend it!
I've started using a new app called Fold Money, developed by an Indian startup, and it's been a game-changer for me in terms of expense tracking. One standout feature is its ability to automatically download transactions from both bank accounts and credit cards. Another feature uses AI to categorize expenses automatically, though this aspect isn't as accurate yet.
While the automatic transaction download works flawlessly, the AI tagging still needs improvement. However, after manually tagging transactions for a couple of months, I've noticed that the app has learned to recognize and tag repeat transactions from the same merchants automatically.
Overall, Fold Money has finally solved my longstanding issue with expense tracking, which I've struggled with due to the manual effort it typically requires. It's a fantastic free utility, and I'd even consider paying for such a service.
I recently watched a video where a YouTuber discussed the distinction between being effective and efficient. Unfortunately, I can't recall the specific video or the creator to provide a link to it.
He says that the difference between being effective and efficient lies in their focus and outcomes.
The difference between being effective and efficient lies in their focus and outcomes.
Effectiveness is about choosing the right goals and achieving meaningful outcomes, while efficiency is about optimizing the process to achieve those goals in the most streamlined way possible. It's better to pursue the right goals effectively than to efficiently pursue the wrong ones. This underscores the importance of prioritising effectiveness over efficiency for overall success.
While this distinction isn't entirely new, framing it in this way helped me create a connection and gain a more nuanced understanding of both concepts.
Expanding on my previous post about Stage Manager, I've made a significant change to my setup. I've abandoned the two-display approach, where I used to have a monitor and my MacBook open simultaneously. While I initially thought this setup would save time and aid multitasking, I found that managing all the open apps and windows was too distracting.
Now, I've transitioned to using my MacBook in clamshell mode, connected to the monitor. I rely solely on the monitor display with Stage Manager enabled, ensuring that I'm always focused on just one task at a time with minimal distractions. While this change may have slightly reduced my productivity, it has greatly improved my ability to stay focused.
I'm a big fan of keeping Stage Manager always enabled on macOS. While I wasn't impressed with its implementation on the iPad, it's a real hit on the Mac.
Stage Manager helps me always have just one window open. This helps me with keeping all the windows automatically organised and allows me to focus on just one window, i.e. one task at a time. This has greatly helped me in reducing distractions and in being able to concentrate better at each task.
I find great joy in working from coffee shops as it enhances my productivity significantly. The act of leaving home with a clear purpose, putting on my headphones, and dedicating myself to a specific task helps me get stuff done. I particularly enjoy working alone in coffee shops, using the time for planning, reviewing, and journaling— tasks that demand intense mental focus and minimal distractions. Coffee shops provide the perfect environment for this level of concentration.
Third Wave Coffee is my ultimate go-to spot. Each time I go, I can't resist indulging in their lip-smackingly delicious Mocha Choco Chip — their standout drink. And here's a fun fact: despite being at a coffee shop and ordering a Frappe, I don't actually drink coffee, I always opt for the non-coffee version of the drink. Sorry, not sorry!