Everyday Systems

Hi All,

New episode -- hope you like it.

Episode 104: Aristocal
Posted by Reinhard on 2026-04-30
Know thy calendar, know thyself.

https://podcast.everydaysystems.com/episode/104/

Reinhard

Many times have I tried to weave habits (repeatable tasks) into a calendar. But it failed.. Time passes much faster than I am able to pay attention / review a calendar app, even when i nail down the time boxing part. Also, no easy way to tick off actually done tasks...

However i like the self portrait analogy a lot.
Upon reading the last episode about rule burden, I was actually about to suggest you take us trough your typical day in the next episode, to illustrate how a day brings up the need (and application) of pariticular systems - and you did just that!

I am always on the lookout for a best possible version of this self-portrait , or a day-default. I see it as something baked in, to then try to follow, and reinforce by repetition.

Also love to hear about the punchcard redundancy, as I am currently also practicing it. One "copy" is handwritten in my notebook and I use it during work hours, while another copy is in gdocs text file, to use on the phone, on the walk. Usually i make first draft the night before on the phone while walking the dog, and then in the morning i make a hard copy in the notebook to kick of the day.

Miran, thank you for this! It definitely takes some practice to get a feel for this kind of approach.

Instead of ticking off, I move or delete whatever hasn't been accomplished. Everything that remains when the day has passed (with maybe a touch more cleanup the next day) was done, implicitly ticked off (and least to the extent that some progress on that front was made). Having the calendar open in front of my all workday long is helpful in terms of it not getting too far away from me.

I'm hoping to do the personal punchcards revisit as a video podcast, since they are so visual. Hoping to get that episode in probably not next month, but possibly the one after (next one I hope will be intelligent dietary defaults, which I also owe you!).

Move or delete. that's a great approach.
April has been a bit hectic, i have to get back on track in the following 4 weeks on all plans but mostly home office setup and discipline, so i might give calendar another go, call it May trial period.

For work hours, currently i'm testing out a lifeloggish sheet to track my time actually spent on a specific project. But it is kind of fiddly and sluggish, and something that might naturally fit better into a calendar.

Man, the lenghts we'll go to try and make ourselves actually do some work...