Rant: How reverting to handwritten weekly reviews unlocked my focus

I mean, looking back, it's striking how productivity culture pushed us toward endless digital tools for tracking every little task. I used to have this battered notebook where I'd do a weekly review every Sunday, just scribbling reflections and goals with a pen. Then, over the years, I got swept up in using sophisticated apps that promised analytics and reminders for everything. But idk, maybe it's just me, but all those notifications and data points started to feel more like noise than guidance. Last month, I dusted off that old notebook and committed to handwriting my reviews again, no screens allowed. The process slowed me down in a good way, making me actually think about priorities instead of just checking boxes. I've noticed my Mondays are less frantic because I have a clearer, tactile map of the week ahead. It's a bit philosophical, but sometimes stepping back from tech reveals that productivity is more about intentionality than innovation.

3 comments

3 Comments

andrewlewis1d ago

You've absolutely nailed something I've felt for years but couldn't articulate. I spent a small fortune on productivity apps, each one promising to streamline my life, but they just added layers of complexity. There's a physicality to writing by hand that forces deliberation, where typing can feel ephemeral and rushed. My own switch back to pen and paper last year cut through the digital static, and I found myself committing to tasks with more conviction. It's as if the act of writing carves intentions into your mind more deeply than any digital reminder. That shift from innovation to intentionality is what truly drives sustained focus, not another app update.

calebp501d ago

Spot the same friction where tools sometimes just obscure priorities.

ruby_murray1d ago

Lol I read something about how handwriting uses different brain pathways than typing.