Hello there! 😁
As you can see, regarding this suddenly pushed weekly journal, as a newcomer, I wanted to write a bit more for the first issue, haha. The reason is that I haven't been very busy with work lately, so I've started to have time to organize the content from various app bookmarks, consolidating them into cubox and flomo. This also gives me a chance to review and read through the information I've filtered in the past, with the aim of not letting it gather dust. Tagging and categorizing have given me a deeper impression and connection to this information. Sometimes when friends encounter certain problems, I remember that I've seen and saved related content, so I click to share. This process has given me some light positive feedback.
Later, during the organizing process, I discovered the newsletter subscription reading method, and cubox supports it. So, leveraging my search ability (cue instant messaging), I gradually added nearly thirty newsletters that interest me to my email. Keeping up with and reading updates has become my way of acquiring information during my free time at work. Since the information in newsletters is high-quality content filtered by the original authors, I gain a lot from each reading and promptly underline and organize it into flomo.
When there are no updates, my appetite has also grown significantly. I started to become weary of the Weibo-style or Moments-style information, so I began searching for higher-quality content. I found websites like read something wonderful and Jixin, which are platforms for reading articles or personal blogs. The content is also filtered information, which aligns well with my requirements.
Newsletter authors will inform in advance about the release times each week or day, mostly concentrated on Sundays and Mondays, or at irregular times. Gradually, I began to look forward to reading such information every day. When there are updates, I read the newsletters; when there are none, I read content from the two websites mentioned above. My daily reading time and volume are not fixed.
What have I gained from this? I've started to cultivate a reading habit and gained a deeper understanding of this diverse world, rather than just slowly expanding through changes in my surroundings. The process of actively expanding has diluted the difficulties posed by my current environment.
It has also rekindled my desire to read words, bringing me a bit closer to the state I desire, which is fantastic. Additionally, I recalled a flomo entry I recorded last year, which is also one of the original intentions of my weekly journal.
Let's get started! 😆
This week's music comes from Ann's "The Best Time." Coincidentally, during the Golden Melody Awards, I was moved by the segment where Ann embraced a tearful Qingfeng after winning the award, saying, "Dear good friend, if you are happy, I will cry before you." As someone who once envied the friendship between Qingfeng and Zhang Xuan, this moment of embrace is indeed the best time.
The Best Way to Acquire Knowledge from Readings#
In this process, what is truly valuable is not the final output of this whiteboard, but the thought process you invest in establishing a knowledge structure while executing steps two to four, and in giving each card and section a title. True understanding and insight often stem from the process of breaking down and reorganizing knowledge. Only after going through this process will this knowledge truly become yours.
The author shares their methods for efficiently acquiring information and managing knowledge. This reminds me of a book I recently finished reading and really liked, "Mr. L Says" by Li Ruiqiu (Lachel), the author of a WeChat public account. In this book, he also shares his knowledge management methods while reading information: [INKP Knowledge Management Method](Chapter 5 - Efficient Learning: Building a Lifelong Learning System P174). Both methods are similar in the form of knowledge maps, where each article and book is a new information project, collecting various information points under the project. Similar information points will form information concepts, and when the accumulation of information concepts reaches a certain amount, similar information concepts will form themes.
Recently, I've been organizing flomo and found that I have been unconsciously practicing this method. For example, I would extract valuable text from my daily browsing, tag it, and link it back to the original source. The tags serve as information concepts, and clicking on the tags reveals the same category of information I've collected, which is helpful for me to trace back and search. However, my current issue is that I need to develop a habit of regularly organizing and rethinking the process of converting the author's words into information I can understand. Therefore, using a weekly journal format to "force" myself to do this is necessary.
As the original author said in the end: "Tools not only allow you to take notes but also help you become a person skilled in learning."
Do You Know How to Manage Knowledge?#
Many visual designers and UI/UX designers believe they should spend a lot of their spare time learning and improving, which is fine. However, there is a misconception that very few people truly think about what skills are worth spending half a year or even a year to learn.
This article provides a clear personal perspective on knowledge management for designers. As a designer myself, I am also doing these things, focusing on and collecting design-related newsletters and major company articles, reading some books, and trying to collect and absorb quality information. This is also a way to improve myself.
A Relatively Successful Life#
Actually, you are already great, just as I am already great. I think from Monday to Friday, we can continue to compare and compete. But on Saturdays and Sundays, we can completely let ourselves go, enjoy life, not compare, and immerse ourselves in our own happiness, whether it's taking photos, writing, or spending time with family.
While writing this, my child is downstairs crying loudly, and their mother is communicating patiently. I used to find it annoying, but recently I feel that this is the only time in a child's life when they are so sincere, not hiding their likes and dislikes. When they grow up, will they also care about others' opinions like we do, and won't even cry anymore?
Hui Ge is also one of my favorite public account authors. The title of this article is humorous. What does relative success mean? It means not comparing oneself to the pursuit of absolute success in worldly fame and fortune, but rather having less anxiety, fewer worries, and striving to make oneself a bit happier.
Don't Mistake Researching AI News for Researching AI#
The AI field is not lacking in news. Never confuse researching AI news with researching AI; these are two completely different fields. I can't say one field is more valuable than the other, but at least I can say these are two entirely different domains. Learning AI news may help one become a decent AI media editor or the most talkative person at a dinner party, but it won't help one become an AI practitioner.
The author's core point is to abandon reading real-time news and evaluations, and instead focus on practical experience, spending time absorbing and learning valuable information.
My Depressed Boyfriend#
He was almost begging me not to sleep, "Don't, don't, don't." I slowly slid down, sinking into a sticky sleep, and finally couldn't hear anything. "I tried my best," I said to him in the last moment before closing my eyes, "You can't really expect me to stay awake all night."
When I woke up the next day, I knew it was too late. We went to the high-speed train station, and he remained silent for a long, long time. During the six-hour return trip, he didn't say a word. I felt like I was near a terrible mine disaster, surrounded by dead silence, yet I could almost hear the charred, rotten cries floating in the air.
This article provides a detailed and nuanced description of how a girlfriend reflects on a depressed person facing intimate relationships after a breakup. It helps to further understand this group. I used to think I could empathize and understand some friends with depression I had known before, but in reality, I am not one of them.
Interestingly, there is a follow-up where the platform contacted the boy and recorded a podcast episode with the girl, which can be considered the boy's perspective on this story.
Discover Productivity Tools - toolfinder#
A website for discovering and recommending productivity tools, categorized into project management, calendar applications, AI tools, email applications, to-do list applications, integrated applications, note-taking applications, and team communication. Most of the software is foreign, but if the product is good, my lack of English proficiency is my problem. Additionally, the website also provides updates on various software's latest news.
Tutorial - Hugo + GitHub Action, Set Up Your Blog's Automatic Publishing System#
This is one of the more detailed tutorials I've seen for setting up a personal blog recently. However, for someone like me who is not a programmer, it is still quite challenging to operate. Therefore, the author also recommended using a third-party hosting blog publishing platform hashnode, which also supports newsletters. So, I followed the tutorial on Bilibili and studied it, planning to try it out for a while since it's completely free. However, I'm still waiting for the email confirming the domain name approval, hoping to publish with my own domain next week.
Personal Blog Recommendation - Pseudoyu#
I came across this blog while researching blog setup recommendations. The author is a backend development engineer in the web3 field and also the author of the tutorial above. He regularly shares his weekly reports, and the content is very sincere. He is willing to share his personal thoughts, and I learn from him. One aspect I particularly like about blogs is that they are personal yet public, not marketing or pretentious posts expecting likes from others.
"Minimalist Diary"#
As the name suggests, it features a minimalist timeline recording method. Compared to a similar app I discovered earlier, "Heartlight," it feels much fresher. While Heartlight has many good features, after downloading and using it for a while, I found I had no desire to open it. The core diary editing method seems a bit incompatible for me: the way images are displayed is as thumbnails, which is completely opposite to what I was used to with "One Diary" on my Android phone.
Additionally, when I was using my iPhone, I intentionally sought a new diary recording app. I originally planned to go all-in with flomo, but then I thought flomo is mainly for recording thoughts and momentary inspirations. Some scattered fragments or daily events still need a diary app for dedicated organization. With information being messy, different apps can be treated as new folders.
After comparing, I still plan to use the minimalist diary, especially since I saw the author is testing a new version and will reward permanent members (¥98), so I might as well take advantage of that...
Durves - Design Pattern Tool#
A tool website for creating ripple grid textures, which can produce some nice effects by adjusting numerical combinations.
Cosmos#
It's recommended as a website that aims to challenge Pinterest. I'm quite curious; the site is quite gorgeous, and I've already submitted my email for internal testing, waiting for a response.
Built for Mars#
A website that collects user experience details, where daily browsing can provide UX inspiration, and you can subscribe to their newsletter.
On Friday afternoon, an old college classmate I hadn't contacted in a long time suddenly messaged me. She discovered the New Year card I sent her 20 years ago when she submitted her resignation that day. The card had the blessing "May you have a prosperous year, everything goes smoothly, and Happy New Year," which touched her. She sent me a message reflecting on how fast time flies. That afternoon, I was also in a bad mood due to work, but the moment she messaged me, I felt that day was worth it. This reminded me of an article I saw: if happiness is composed of one moment after another, then a person's existence in this world, if it consists of fleeting moments in the same eternal darkness before birth and after death, then existence is already worth being happy about.
Also on Friday night, I had drinks with five friends of Teacher K. One of the friends got drunk, and a funny moment was when I helped him to the bathroom, but he insisted on going to the women's restroom to throw up. I couldn't stop him... After waiting for half an hour, many girls were standing outside waiting. When I got impatient, I awkwardly explained to them that sorry, there's a guy inside throwing up... In the end, after knocking on the door with no response, I had to call the waiter to unlock the door. 😅 By the time we got him home, it was already 3 AM. Overall, it was a great night.
That's all. Thank you for reading. If you liked it, feel free to subscribe or share it with other friends so more people can see it. You can also find me in these places to discuss thoughts on efficiency, work, and life:
Instant Messaging: @Yan Guanglin
Email: [email protected]
Of course, likes and comments are welcome to give me some encouragement.