My decision to switch how I manage my life and knowledge from digital to analog was not easy.
In fact, it was very recent....
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No. 181
**FROM:**
Scott P. Scheper
One American Plaza
Downtown San Diego, CA
**ADDRESSED TO:**
*You*——IF AND ONLY IF——you are committed to growth and learning in the field of *writing*. Whether that be writing copy, or writing a novel, it makes no difference. If this is you, then this podcast is *the* very best thing you could spend your time listening to. Period.
**HOWEVER:**
What I have just said is true *IF, AND ONLY IF*, the following two things characterize you:
1. The first applies mostly to copywriters. If you're looking for trite content like, *The Lazy Man’s Guide to Getting Rich by Drop-Shipping Complete Crap*, then you can stop listening now. I treat *copywriting* and *writing* as the most sacred and beautiful craft there is. I'm focused on things that actually work. This means you'll be challenged to learn the old way. The hard way. The right way.
2. Second, and most important is this: you're the type who can laugh at *Family Guy*, and *Beavis and Butthead*.
Look, I take the craft of *writing* very seriously. Yet Oscar Wilde said it best, ***life's too important to be taken too seriously***.
So it's important you're not a buzz-killington.
If you feel like what I've said characterizes you, then not only does it mean I'm ***writing specifically for* you——it also means this:**
***I even fricken like you!***
I mean, why not?!
The type of person I described above is quite the *unconventional* character!
People committed to growth and learning *WITHOUT* also being pedantic *buzz-killingtons* are rare.
***Which is why, I consider you a friend!***
And it is why, I will address you as *friend*.
So, without further ado...
Please enjoy today's piece I created specifically... for you.
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**START TIME:**
*Monday, 8:19 pm*
## Title: My Decision to Switch from Digital to Analog Wasn't Easy...
Dear Friend,
My decision to switch how I manage my life and knowledge from digital to analog *was not* easy.
In fact, it was very recent.
I had spent the previous four months building out a repository of digital notes. I was under the impression that it followed the same exact method that helped the brilliant social scientist who invented system's theory achieve his impressive output of over 60 books.
My goal was simple, well sorta, My goal was to create genius-level work built to last and be read 200 * after I die.
I spent $1,322.00 for the most premium package of a 6-week course, which proposed to teach me how to achieve this. The idea was to teach people how to create a personal knowledge management environment to store and connect notes and writings.
In addition to a course that lasted 6 weeks, it came with two one-on-one sessions with its creator.
One of the sessions was a 90-minute in-depth working session. It consisted primarily of demonstrating how to use the software called Obsidian. During the session I learned advanced Obsidian plugins, workflows, hotkeys, and tricks for how to master this piece of software.
Soon after the 90-minute session ended, I became an absolute ninja in using Obsidian. From customizing my templates, to hotkeys, to issuing advanced commands and generating pre-populated fields, to creating my own custom theme and layout (Jesus. I couldn't help myself). Man, I felt like I was on the brink of breaking through the wall I always found myself running into with my old tools (3x5" note cards, Moleskine journals off notes, to do list app XYZ, evernote, Trello, Excel, etc.) But then... I tried the analog method one day while reading a book which seemed to inspire a lot of the new-age note-taking gurus.[^1] The book based its ideas on the brilliant social scientist I mentioned earlier. I later found out the book actually got a lot of key parts of his system wrong. Yet I will credit the book for motivating me to stumble into giving the analog form of the system a shot again.
Initially I planned on trying the analog version merely for the purposes of learning it so that I could implement anything I was not currently doing in the Obsidian app.
I also was hoping the book could help me mitigate my fear of stopping the current streak I was on, which finally seemed to have pulled me out of a 10-month-long depression I was in that was deeper than any other sad periods including even the one I had post-divorce!
You see, I was on Day 48 of my commitment to go through my daily practice (which entails things like reading, installing the right mindset, working out, actually getting out of my house, going to my office, etc.).
At the time, I was still using the digital format of getting things done, and the digital format of writing and working on copywriting and writing projects.
Yet things were about to change soon thereafter.
It was a Sunday in early March at 2:16 pm.
I was at my office in downtown San Diego. Before getting down to work, I wrote the following note:
> "One thing I will say is this: I had the thought today that I really wish and hope that I \[do\] not make \[my daily writing practice\] a chore by going insane using..."
By using... well, something I'll tell you about tomorrow.
Until then,
*Always remember...*
*To stay crispy my friend.*
Peace and love.
*Sincerely,*
![[ss-signature.png]]
***Scott P. Scheper***
**END TIME:**
*Monday, 8:27 pm*
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[^1]: Ahrens, Sönke. _How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking: For Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers_. North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace, 2017.