In true 2020 fashion, the past few months were challenging here in the Bay Area. We had multiple destructive fires throughout the region. Given these challenges, my new side project of 5 links was a bit delayed, so I am restarting with October. This month I’m focusing on two areas: entertainment and productivity
Entertainment
Narrated by David Attenborough, Our Planet paints an accurate picture of the human impact on our planet by using stunning cinematography and a compelling narrative. I highly recommend this docuseries to everyone.
2. Chilled Cow –
This curator of the chillest beats is best known for his “lofi hip hop music- beats to relax/study to’ playlist, but has expanded out into other playlists like the buttery smooth “1 A.M Study Session” and uber relaxing “lofi hip hop radio- beats to sleep/chill to’. This background music helps keep me focused during the day and is perfect for kicking back in the evening with a drink or a board game. Chilled Cow’s lofi playlists are often on my Sonos. Find it on Apple Music, Spotify, and Youtube.
Productivity
3. Atomic Habits by James Clear –
This book is a great read for those looking to reevaluate or improve their productivity.
4. Clear Journal by Baron Fig –
I’ve been utilizing a bullet journal for years. Over time I’ve tried various notebooks, often reverting back to blank notebooks from Baron Fig. I found structured journals to be a bit of a waste and would create anxiety when I skipped days. However, the clear journal is the best of both worlds. It has prebuilt sections for a one line a day journal, as well as index and habit tracking. The rest of the book is blank, for the owner to utilize as they please.
5. Notion –

On any given day, I manage multiple projects. For example, In my personal life, I always have a few home or personal improvement projects in flight. As a fine art photographer, I have multiple scenes in various stages of edit, as well as business projects and planning for upcoming shoots. As a Senior Software Engineer in Test at Netflix, I usually have multiple interactive titles in varying degrees of production. Keeping it all organized is a task within itself. Notion has proven to be the best solution for me to keep all of my projects organized. It can seem overwhelming when you first launch the app, but eventually it will click. Here are some resources to help you get started.
How to organize your Notion workspace.
Customize your workspace with minimalist icons.