Being a full time fiction writer.
I work in tech and have a comfortable life I'm grateful for but if I could translate my base pay to income generated by writing fiction novels, I would do it yesterday.
I would love to hear people's stories of successes and failures!
As a former user who switched to Amex credit cards for all spending, it’s key benefit of automation is ruined.
I don’t think it’s entirely YNAB’s fault. But having to manually input each credit card transaction doesn’t make me feel it’s worth the monthly charge. Then it just becomes a spreadsheet.
EDIT: that is— the lessons are excellent and the mindset is important. But it’s monthly cost is another issue.
Lucky! I love YNAB, but I'm glad that 95% of my spending is on my non-Amex cards and accounts, because the Amex accounts only sync successfully once in a blue moon, even after repeated reauthorizations. Any tips?
Luck I guess. I originally stopped using it when I got an Amex card because of sync issues. Tried it again recently and it was still the same.
Maybe I was spoiled with near instant syncing on my debit card, I used to categorize the gas i just paid for before leaving the lot.
But again, at 15 a month, that’s a lot of effort for a gui on top of a spreadsheet.
The benefit for me was quick transaction logging and categorizing, then a weekly/monthly check up. But with sync issues, those check ups became categorizing sessions, and just took too much time.
I don’t remember if there was a first step in a setting changes because I’ve changed so much troubleshooting, but I’ve had the same issues on 16” since updating to Monterey.
My solution is:
1. Connect headphones, assuming mouse is already connected.
2. Turn off mouse.
3. Join call.
4. Turn mouse back on.
Since then, Zoom works mostly, google meets requires it every time.
I’m creating an account just to reply to this, and for some context: I’m a big Cal Newport fan.
He isn’t arguing against the use of email, but the non intentional default to emailing instead of work. Yes, your ideal scenario- communication between employees will get work done. But in Cal’s scenarios, that one person is having multiple conversations like that through email, and is waiting for the other person to reply. And instead of producing deliverables, they are having these slow conversations.
You mention just get to the email later, but rarely does the application or notification go away after the info is gathered. So your plan of checking email 1-3 times a day is right inline with Cal’s thinking.
Some of his solutions he hand waives away complexities with “we’ll rock and roll” but the idea is email won’t be a springboard for work. It sends pdf’s and reports and minutes great, but planning a project is better done elsewhere.
Hmm maybe I agree with him more than I think I do then. And yeah I've enjoyed at least one of his books and "feel like" I've read another just because of how often it gets quoted to me, haha.
Definitely there are at least two ways of screwing up, and they're both about using the wrong tool for the job. One is to use urgent methods for stuff that's not urgent (which bothers people). And the other, which it sounds like you're alluding to, is using a non-urgent method (email) for things that truly are urgent. Or that are, to use a metaphor, "bandwidth-intensive." You can usually get a heck of a lot more communication done faster in person than you can by email. Although much of it will be lost into the ether, too... unless someone's taking notes. Everybody just use the right tool for the job okay? Great, that's settled!
I would love to hear people's stories of successes and failures!