App Explorer: Notion

This is my first stab at another new concept post. Basically, my goal is to jot down my first reactions/thoughts on using a new app or tool.

A few weeks ago, I decided to download Notion. I’ve heard a lot about it over the years, and it seemed like an interesting alternative to Evernote/Onenote, with some added Trello/Todoist features as well.

So far, I’ve only used Notion minimally. It is a very good Markdown-based editor, although it hides the Markdown from you. You can use standard Markdown commands though, and export notes to Markdown.

Surprise Storm

I was outside at a friend’s house for the last hour, just standing around and talking. When we started, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. About 15 minutes before I left, there were a few sprinkles. But everything was still sunny.

Then, as I headed to my car, it started to lightly drizzle. A quick glance at the radar showed a few showers building to the west, and heading this way.

Distractions Are Easy

It’s easy to be distracted. It’s easy to sit down at the end of the day, turn on television, and turn off your mind. It’s easy to idly scroll through Facebook, Instagram, and other apps and news feeds on your phone.

You know what’s hard? Choosing to do something that makes a difference in your life and the lives of others. Getting up early to train, knowing you’ll like how you look better if you do. Choosing to read after dinner, because you want to continue learning and growing. Removing distracting apps from your cell phone, because in 20 years time you don’t want to look back at a life wasted.

A Relaxing Weekend With Family

For the first time in many months (due to COVID-19), I finally got to spend a few days with my immediate family! I headed to my parents’ house on Thursday, spent the rest of the extended weekend there just relaxing, and then headed back home today (Sunday).

Honestly, this is probably the first time I really slowed down and relaxed in the last few months. When I’m at home, I am very good a keeping myself busy. I intentionally limited my options for things to do (from my normal routine) when I visited family, and so I spent an entire weekend without doing anything work-related (it’s hard to stop thinking about work entirely).

Happy Independence Day!

It’s the 4th of July, the day that Americans celebrate Independence Day. Historically, in my family at least, it’s a day spent with family, normally with some good food (grilled, preferably), and maybe watching some fireworks in the evening.

That being said, every topic I’ve come up with to write about is much longer than I’m willing to work on tonight. And so, as I have a habit of doing… here’s a video to enjoy!