## Also, open these notes in a new window

Pop each of these notes out into its own window as you work. Make them small. Put them in a corner. You're making yourself a little 'dashboard'.

Your computer makes it possible for you to be infinitely distracted. This is my own anti-distraction toolkit.

Screenshot of Bear showing it's float-over backlink view.

## Are you mad? Why?

You're thinking, he's kidding. He doesn't really do this.

He does! Because now (I'm in Bear, this works with any backlink-compatible Markdown app) now I can see what I'm checked-into. And what I've done in the past.

In Bear that's Cmd+Shift+B.

## The check-out process

Change that green bullet to a white one*, and add a note that you're checked-out.

- ⚪ [[00.15 Work logs, by the day|2026-03-12 10:22]]
- Checked in.
- Paying bill.
- Updated email address.
- Checked out.

*Using Raycast's emoji picker.

## Do the thing

Now just add some brief bullet points telling yourself what you did. It's not an essay, it's just enough to keep you on track.

- Checked in.
- Paying bill.
- Updated email address.

## The check-in process

'Check in' means create a section that looks like this:

- 🟢 [[00.15 Work logs, by the day|2026-03-12 10:22]]
- Checked in.

– that's a wiki-link to a note called `00.15 Work logs, by the day`. A Raycast snippet inserts that automatically, filling the current time.

I'm finding this simple workflow deeply satisfying, and it calms the ADHD-ish brain.

1. Check in to your task.
2. Do the thing you wanted to do. Keep some simple notes.
3. Check out of your task.

Haven’t thought about this in years. Had to get my headphones and put it on.

Was it really as early as ’95?! Reminds me of living in north London in 2001.

Either way, a banger of epic significance.

The red 'get your hands off my money' states have never been shy of asking for a handout after previous weather disasters. I see no reason things will be different in the future.

...and now I move those cards around, updating them with progress, based on what I'm doing now and next.

Ideally I'd customise this with code, but out of the box Obsidian's Canvas is good enough as a proof-of-concept.

...and then progressively less important things should be smaller, and lower down.

Here I've moved them in to a 'cruising' group on the right, and shrunk their cards. So they're still there, not forgotten, but they're not the main thing I'm focusing on right now...

Obsidian Canvas screenshot. My notes are represented as blocks. On the left I have my high-priority 'landing' group with one note. That's what I'm doing right now. On the right is a lower-priority 'cruising' group with a few notes, some of which are minimised. And below I have a closed group labelled 'check-in open'.

A stock photograph of air traffic control flight progress strips.

Ooh this is interesting. I'm using #Obsidian Canvas to stay focused on just a handful of things, and plan what's next and what I need to not forget. Loosely based on ATC flight progress strips.

The idea is that the thing you're working on _now_ should be at the top...

I’m so bad at hashtags hey. Gotta tag my future posts…

A flowchart-like diagram showing BAD THINGS happening if you treat your platform (Shopify) as the primary source, and GOOD THINGS happening if, instead, you start in your JDex.

When managing data, it can be tempting to start work in the platform where the data is held. But if you do this you're giving up control. It isn't the whole picture; it can never be.

Always start work in your JDex: the only place where _you_ are in control.

johnnydecimal.com/20-29-commun...

If you could melt me to atoms and pour me in to a piece of music, this would be it.

#NewOrderTop30

No.2

Your Silent Face

Come on admit it,we all get a bit giddy when Bernard gets the Melodica out 😀🖤

Your Silent Face hasn't been in this list … either something great is about to happen, or an enormous crime has been committed.

Things: Processing your inbox - part 1 YouTube video by Johnny.Decimal

A video follow-up to 22.00.0110 from the other day.

Things: Processing your inbox - part 1.

youtu.be/t-rlvBOMNHw

My Things inbox. Empty!

Sweet lord.

Screenshot of `24.11 Decision log`. The decision is: You have enough to do without thinking about 'linking your thinking' style notes. For example, you were just about to try to record Fried/fried's post [Doing what you think, not what you thought](https://world.hey.com/jason/doing-what-you-think-not-what-you-thought-60bb5bef). And then to figure out how to cross-link that to the task management concept that you're working with at the moment. But no! Maybe in the future, but that's not your focus for now. You have enough other things to do. Focus on your strengths: PRM vs. PKM.

1. Keep a decision log! We make so many decisions and then they're lost like tears in rain.
2. Realising what you shouldn't do is often as important as knowing what you should do.

The Small Business System gives you a place for everything. This fits neatly inside category 24 Processes & procedures.

Screenshot showing my file system folders. Parent folder is '11.14 Licences', then children are '+ Driver licence', '2020 ACT, Australia', and then a file named '2025-05-01 ACT driver licence.pdf'.

I see Johnny.Decimal's strength as Personal Records Management, more so than Personal Knowledge Management. A nice example is applying for a new driver licence, which I'm just doing.

Here's how I keep that organised so that I can find it again, instantly.

johnnydecimal.com/20-29-commun...

Stephen Fry's argument against God and His morals.

Lucy's diagram summarising the post linked in the previous toot. A cartoon me has three ideas for things to-do. We see them go in to his disorganised inbox, then a 'daily' arrow moving them to a more-organised category inbox, then a 'weekly' arrow moving them to a very-organised place. And finally they get done! ✅

I found an artist to provide accompanying diagrams. :-)

(Lucy isn't on social media.)

22.00.0111 Things: cross-link to Obsidian and back Before we tackle my Things inbox, let's review what it is, and why and how I use it.

Wherever possible I like to link apps to each other. My to-dos for my personal and work life are in Things. And my Small Business System JDex notes are in Obsidian. I help myself out by connecting the apps together using their URI schemes and Markdown links…

johnnydecimal.com/20-29-commun...

22.00.0110 Things: why and how I use it Before we tackle my Things inbox, let's review what it is, and why and how I use it.

Alright, let's tackle everyone's favourite: to-dos!

I've let my Things become a bit of a mess. For science, y'know? This is still evolving in my own mind ... I have some good ideas, I think, and some gaps to fill.

johnnydecimal.com/20-29-commun...

22.00.0109 I'm never distracted when I'm cooking Through the day, I often forget what I was supposed be doing. But put a sharp knife in my hand and turn on the gas and I become hyper-focused.

I'm never distracted when I'm cooking.

Through the day, I often forget what I was supposed be doing mid-way through doing it. But put a sharp knife in my hand, turn on the gas, and I become hyper-focused.

How do I bring this same mindset to the rest of my life?

johnnydecimal.com/20-29-commun...

Yeah all of my notes, no exception, start with an ID.

22.00.0108 When I migrate to SBS I'll copy, not move Old systems should be left as static archives.

If you ever migrate from an old to a new system, you should copy your data, not move it. Old systems should never disappear: they should just be left, frozen like Han Solo. Because IDs (like the one in Dave's email) can come back to you years later.

johnnydecimal.com/20-29-commun...

Screenshot of the email highlighting the ID at the end. I put them in square brackets like [D85.21.11]. There's an arrow and a cool-dude emoji because I think I'm pretty cool tbh.

We posted Dave a sticker and it looks like it got lost in the mail.

But thanks to previous-me putting the JD ID in an email subject, I found the mailing labels instantly, with total confidence, and no stress.

johnnydecimal.com/20-29-commun...

22.00.0106 Creating 'dark mode' images Creating a bash script to turn any 'light mode' image in to a passable 'dark mode' equivalent.

I needed a new script to create 'dark mode' images. So I also want to record how I did that, and let my future self know where that script is.

How do I decide where that should go? We review some JD fundamentals: start from the top, and work your way down.

johnnydecimal.com/20-29-commun...

New Order - The Perfect Kiss (Official Music Video) [HD Remaster] YouTube video by New Order

His musical tastes don’t reflect his age! His favourite New Order track is Academic and last week he was re-discovering The Strokes.

I have a hard time getting past the majestic video for The Perfect Kiss.

youtube.com/watch?v=x3XW...