Hosts reflect on 2023 and share intentions for 2024, exploring becoming an independent lawyer, conducting a tools audit, and maximizing workflow efficiency. They discuss goals for the future, including stabilizing creative projects, improving the newsletter, and prioritizing health. Discover the joy of creating furniture with stained glass and their interest in difficult conversations and productivity books. They compare Apple keyboards and mechanical keyboards and tease upcoming discussions on analog and digital books.
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Quick takeaways
Taking risks and embracing change can lead to personal and professional growth.
Maximizing the effectiveness of existing tools is more important than constantly seeking new ones.
Prioritizing stability, improving systems, and taking regular breaks are key for long-term success and avoiding burnout.
Deep dives
Reflection on 2023 and the Decision to Go Independent
The speaker reflects on the events of 2023, specifically the decision to leave their stable day job and go independent. Despite initially planning for stability in that year, they realized it was not a good fit and felt the need to take their shot and model taking risks. They acknowledge that it was a challenging decision, but are proud of what they accomplished, transitioning into a full-time content creator and exploring various creative projects.
Tools Audit and the Importance of Using Tools Effectively
The speaker shares their experience conducting a tools audit, where they reviewed their existing toolset to determine if any improvements were needed. Although they spent time exploring other options, they ultimately concluded that their original toolset still worked well for them. They offer advice to focus on using existing tools effectively rather than constantly seeking new ones, noting that there are now many good productivity tools available and that finding a perfect toolset is unnecessary.
Goals for 2024: YouTube Presence and Downtime Creation
The speaker discusses their goals for the upcoming year, including the desire to have a public YouTube presence in addition to their existing content creation. They express interest in sharing more videos publicly and exploring the potential of YouTube as a platform. Additionally, they express enthusiasm for spending more downtime engaged in hands-on creative activities like woodworking and stained glass. They also mention their intention to prioritize health and get back to Pilates and exercise after a recent illness.
2024 Focus: Stabilization, Systems, and Sabbaticals
The host discusses his goals for the upcoming year and focuses on three main themes: stabilization, systems, and sabbaticals. In terms of stabilization, he wants to prioritize his email list and YouTube channel, aiming to improve quality and consistency. He highlights the success he's had with engaging his audience through YouTube tutorials and offering downloadable resources. As for systems, he plans to address inefficiencies in his business processes and establish better workflows. He also emphasizes the importance of sabbaticals, stating his commitment to regular periods of rest to avoid burnout and enhance productivity. Overall, his focus for 2024 is on creating a stable foundation, improving systems, and implementing scheduled breaks.
Shiny Object: Traveler's Notebook and Keycaps
In this section, the host shares two recent shiny objects. Firstly, he discusses his experimentation with traveler's notebooks, highlighting the appeal of having multiple notebooks in one, while also expressing uncertainty about fully committing to this system. Secondly, he introduces the extended 2048 dark keycap set he recently acquired. He describes the design as modeling the old Apple Keyboard 2 and praises its sculpted profile. While he initially second-guessed the decision to purchase the dark keycaps, he ultimately finds them aesthetically pleasing. The host also mentions the option of using different accent keys to add a splash of color. He concludes by acknowledging the challenges of fully transitioning away from an Apple keyboard due to missing features like Touch ID and the globe key.
David & Mike reflect on everything that happened in 2023 and share their intentions for 2024.
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