DeveloPassion's Newsletter #156 - Knowledge Workers Unite

Edition 156 of my newsletter, discussing Knowledge Management, Knowledge Work, Zen Productivity, Personal Organization, and more!

DeveloPassion's Newsletter #156 - Knowledge Workers Unite

Welcome

Another week, another newsletter! I hope that you all had a great one 🤩

You might have noticed, but I have been publishing the newsletter on Wednesdays recently. I generally have more time to work on my projects later in the week. But I'm also thinking about knocking on your mailbox more often. I don't want to become a burden, but I feel like we're too distant friends ;-)

This week, I've continued working on the Knowledge Worker Kit and have welcomed new members. It's quite exciting to create and grow a product like this ❤️

Next week, I'm going to take some time off, because it's the Carnival of Binche! Time to celebrate and have fun with friends 🍻 😎

Alright, let's gooooo 🚀

The lab 🧪

I'm spending more and more time discussing with GPT-4, and exploring ways to leverage its potential. I use it to dissect ideas, explore contrarian views, generate article titles, summaries, engaging threads, and much more. There are countless ways in which I manage to improve my workflows and thinking. Actually, the more I use LLMs, the more I realize that I need to pursue my idea of cross-posting right from my Obsidian vault. The Smart Connections plugin is now central to my work, and the more content I centralize and keep there, the more leverage I'll be able to create. The impact compounds.

On other news, the Knowledge Worker Kit and its community keep growing. I don't have enough time to dedicate to it, but I do manage to add content on a regular basis, which feels great. I'm also putting more effort into generating compelling communications to grow interest and "lure people in".

Knowledge Worker Kit and community (BETA)
Who is this for?You are a Knowledge Worker or Lifelong LearnerYou feel disorganized, unproductive, or overwhelmedYou don’t know how to go to the next levelYou want to learn from someone who’s always on top of thingsI have a proven track record of delivering at work and with my side projects. I have worked as a software developer, team leader, project manager, IT architect, information management specialist, CTO, founder, coach, and solopreneur. I have also written and published 3 books, 300+ articles, courses, YouTube videos, digital products, manage communities, and more! And I did it all with a busy life and kids. My personal system works and helps me achieve my goals consistently.You want a solid system that scalesBeing a Knowledge Worker today is much more challenging than it ever was. Getting started ain’t easy, and there are many traps to fall into. Spare yourself some time and benefit from my experience and battle-tested system. I’ll share everything I know with you: my approach, my systems, my routines, templates, guidance, and more! My mission is to help you avoid the pitfalls of Knowledge Work and empower you through technology.After you finish exploring the guide, you’ll have:Clarity in your life and an obvious path forwardSolid habits, routines, and systemsClear ideas about how to “manage” your careerAn effective approach to learning new thingsSolid knowledge management and personal organization systemsKnowledge about how to organize, plan, control, and manage projects (large and small!)A toolkit to prioritize workA system to manage your tasks at scaleEffective means to focus your attention and manage your timeWork methods that will propel your career forwardWhat is this?I’ve been passionate about information, knowledge management, learning, personal organization, PKM, and productivity for more than 20 years. As an author, blogger, knowledge worker, entrepreneur, coach, and father of 3 kids, I needed effective solutions to be and stay organized, focused, and productive. The Knowledge Worker Kit includes everything I know about these topics, and more!What’s included?WARNING: The Knowledge Worker Kit is in BETA. The content will be added and expanded over time. If you buy access now, you’ll benefit from a lower price. The product is already available so that I can find early adopters and get as much feedback as possible in order to make it great for everyone.If you buy access to the Knowledge Worker Kit, you’ll get:The user guideAll the templates and guidanceLifetime access to the private community for support and knowledge sharingLifetime access to all community events (meetups, workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, etc)Ask Me Anything (AMA) Q&As with meIn addition, you’ll also get free access to all future updates. Over time, I’ll continue expanding the kit with new ideas, techniques, systems, templates, and more!What’s in the user guide?The user guide is a growing and evergreen knowledge base. It includes detailed explanations covering a wide range of topics that all Knowledge workers should explore:01. Clarity: values, behaviors, goals, non-goals, priorities, and intentions02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methods03. Career Management and Anticipation04. Learning05. Projects Knowledge Management and Journaling06. Projects Organization07. Planning and Prioritization08. Task Management09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and Action10. Personal Development11. Control: periodic reviews, progress tracking, course-adjustment12. Personal Organization13. WorkThe user guide is a Notion space including tons of articles, how-to guides, guidance, and links to useful templates and resources.You will get to explore the content at your own pace, and to focus on what is useful to you right now, as each section is actionable on its own.Evergreen ContentThe Knowledge Worker Toolkit is going to expand over time. Day after day, week after week. Buy it once, and you will have access to all future updates.Overview of the main topics01. ClarityThis part explores key elements that help bring clarity to one’s life:NeedsValuesPrinciplesGoalsPrioritiesEach of those is important to know what matters, what has value, and what to focus on.02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methodsThis part explores the base elements of productivity systems:Habits and routinesSystems, processes, and methodsThose are key to building an “effortless” life, requiring as little willpower/motivation as possible to make things happen.03. Career Management and AnticipationThis part focuses on career management: its importance, your responsibility, the mindset you need to acquire, and all the related ideas.04. LearningThis part shares ideas about how to…Learn how you best learnLearn more effectivelyExplore new topicsResearchFilter informationLeverage AI and LLMs…05. Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) and JournalingThis part explores how to collect, organize, and link all your knowledge and information. It explores the main concepts of PKM, note-taking, note-making, tools of the trade, and structures/tips to help you keep everything useful, manageable, and maintainable as your knowledge base grows.It also introduces journaling and how to approach it to support your whole life.06. Projects OrganizationThis part focuses on how to organize projects and their information in a way that enables you and your teams to make focused progress.It shares ideas about how to organize project information, how to document projects, how to organize backlogs, etc.07. Planning and PrioritizationThis part focuses on how to plan projects and tasks, how to deal with deadlines, and how to prioritize work using various methods.08. Task ManagementThis part focuses on task management for personal and professional projects. It explores ways to keep tasks under control, how to organize personal work, and how to make the link between your different backlogs and your day-to-day life.09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and ActionThis part focuses on how to make things happen every single day, regardless of whatever is going on in your life. It’s all about techniques, tips & tricks, and tools to help you better manage your time, focus, and attention in order to ACT.10. Personal DevelopmentThis part explores important aspects of Personal Development that can make a big difference in a Knowledge Worker’s life. A sane mind in a sane body.11. ControlThis part is dedicated to control. How to control your progress, your trajectory, your projects, etc. And also, how to adjust course when things don’t go as expected.12. Personal OrganizationThis part helps better organize yourself and your information. It shares “zen” techniques you can use to remain organized, independently of how much information you have to juggle with.13. WorkThis part is all about WORK. How to do the work, how to improve your attitude, your results, and your recognition. It also dives into how to better collaborate with others to achieve your goals and those of your company/group.

The Knowledge Worker Kit feels like a safe and riskless bet. I enjoy growing it, and keep having ideas about where to go next. I want to continue expanding the text-based content first, but then I'll add videos and workshops to increase the overall value and accelerate the pace for newcomers. My goal is to provide our community members with the shortest path from being overwhelmed to being in control and having a clear vision of what to do.

New articles

As promised, I've published an article about the art of note naming:

The Art of Note Naming: Keys to Effective Knowledge Management
Unlock the full potential of your Knowledge Management system by mastering the art of crafting clear, concise, and organized note names – the secret to transforming your chaotic digital world into a seamlessly searchable, highly efficient repository of wisdom

I also published another one in which I'm trying to convince people that using analog still makes sense, but that there's a ton of value in transitioning the information from analog to digital:

Unlocking Potential: The Value of Transitioning from Analog to Digital
Unlock the Power of Digital: Transition from analog to digital for endless possibilities! Convert paper notes to a digital Personal Knowledge Management system, connect ideas, and harness the future of knowledge

Finally, I've published a list of my Top 10 articles about Personal Knowledge Management:

My top 10 articles about Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)
Discover my 10 most popular articles about note-taking and Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)

Quotes of the week

  • Worrying is like paying a debt you don't owe — Mark Twain
  • Never complain, never explain. Let your actions speak for themselves
  • If an action could have a major impact on your life...you must decide and not merely choose — Shane Parrish

Thinking and learning

OCR Automation Workflow: Handwriting to Markdowns (Second Brain)
A simple blog where I share my learnings for the public internet and for my own knowledge management.
Graph Journal | MindOS
A 10 year project to create an Operating System for your mind
Available now at your favorite digital store!
Zettelkasten and the Art of Knowledge Management: Combine your learnings & meaningful life-events into a personal knowledge graph using Obsidian by Binny V A
Obsidian Starter Kit
Jump straight to stress-free note-making with Obsidian
What Is a Note for Busy Professionals in the Realm of Note-Taking?
Always start from the beginning