My Minimalist Journey

I have always believed in the value of simplicity. Maybe I’m a bit obsessive-compulsive. I just think I’m a neat-freak. Whatever you call it, my condition has always translated into a very clean, orderly living space.

While I have known a few Mac users who have no ability at all to keep their digital workspace clean and organized, the Mac operating system is inherently a more organized, clean user interface. And so when I discovered Patrick Rhone’s MinimalMac blog, I knew I had found a gathering place for kindred spirits. Clean desktops, sparse menu bars, and Application folders that were more frugal than an elderly widow. A haven for the obsessive-compulsive Mac user.

The MinimalMac blog has reaffirmed my choices and encouraged me to delve deeper into this obsession. But it’s also led me to reevaluate and appreciate the habits I already have in place to make my workflow and digital life easier.

First Things First

When I began my freelance career, I knew I needed a way to manage the perpetual list of tasks and responsibilities that came my way. My first solution was a Moleskine notebook. I opted for the blank large (8.2 x 5.3) hardcover version and a drafting pen that would not bleed or smear. Every day, I would carefully write the date at the top of a new page, copy any uncompleted items from the previous day’s list, and then add new items as the work day unfolded. My Moleskine went with me to client meetings, networking events, coffee shops and doctor appointments.

But the process began to show wear and tear over the months that I used it. Obviously, the handwritten list could not remind me of future tasks that did not need to be on the current day’s list. Nor could it reference files or documents on my computer that the task would include. These and other limitations pushed me into a search that ended with the discovery of Cultured Code’s new task management software, Things.

When I first downloaded Things, it was still in beta, but worked beautifully. And the promise of a companion iPhone app seemed like the capstone to what I knew would be a formidable product. With the ability to give tasks a “birthday”, keeping them off my Today list until necessary, I was able to manage every item thrown my way without worrying that I would forget or neglect that specific task. And though a little experimental drag-and-drop of my own, I discovered that I could drag emails, documents, and images into the Notes section of a task’s information, providing me with quick, one-click access to the important items within a given task.

Once released, the iPhone version of Things became the final piece of the puzzle for my task management workflow. With wireless syncing, and the obvious benefit of having my list in my pocket at all time without having to carry a separate notebook – well, you get the picture. I found bliss. And after the release of the newest version, Things has gotten even better, with an ability to recognize data in an open window, and place it into a new task item with just a simple hot key. Cultured Code is an amazing team of developers, and if the first year of Things is any indication, this will be an application that will be a pillar in my freelance business for years to come.

Staying in the Nest

In many of the articles I’ve read on simplicity and technology on the Mac, the notion of filing systems comes up as a topic. And one of the more progressive ideas involves the use of the incredible search tools that the Mac has at its disposal. Spotlight is a keystroke away, and typing just a few characters almost instantly returns the desired results. And so one of the methods of file organization that users adopt is the single folder method. Basically, you set up one single document folder on your hard drive, and place each and every file you create, download, or receive over email into it. While this might sound frightening and chaotic, there is a method to the madness. Simply engage Spotlight as a search tool, and you can retrieve any file you need to find.

But this method makes certain things difficult for me. While I understand the amazing ability that the Mac OS offers to sort and search, the one-folder method makes it difficult for me to pick and chose the files I want to back up. It’s an all or nothing method, and I don’t like the control I lose with it. As a designer, I work with dozens of clients at a time, and it is imperative that I keep their files straight. Sure, I can name a logo file with my client’s name, thus making it searchable with Spotlight. But if a client sends me 8 images from a scanner, there is very little information in the file name or image itself to tell me to which client the files belong. I need control.

I prefer the nested folder system. My Wet Frog Studios folder contains a number of folders, the most important being the Jobs folder. Within that is a folder for each client, as well as a Completed folder. As jobs are completed, the client folder is dragged into the Completed folder, and once a month, that folder is backed up manually to an external drive. Of course, Time Machine is running daily to keep all of those folders and their contents safe, but I like having a non-packaged “warehouse” of work files that I can access at any moment. It provides me a redundant level of security, and provides my clients with confidence that their investment is safe.

Do I use Spotlight? Sure I do. But I do not lean on it manage the workflow of my design business. I like things in their places, and filing my documents, even personal files, will always involve the neat and clean system that nested folders allows.

A Fever for Reading Later

Of course, design work keeps me busy, but I have an addiction to reading blog articles that pertain to various topics. Apple, software, design, technology, music – all of these are topics I stay on top of methodically. In the past, Net News Wire was my app of choice, but I have since been won over by the beautiful simplicity and minimal design of Shaun Inman’s web host-based Fever°. Regardless of the delivery device, though, the result is sometimes hundreds of articles every day.

Many are duplicates, or a dozen sites posting a link to an original article. This is one reason why I love Fever°, as it allows me to subscribe to any blog I wish, but mark only the most important “can’t miss” feeds as a priority. The rest merely feed the “temperature” of the important blogs. The result is that I can wade through a lot of the trash in any given moment and walk away with a dozen or so great reads each day. A few articles are quick, easy reads and I can handle them between projects or during lunch. But most of the great ones require more attention and time. And that’s where Marco Arment’s great service Instapaper comes in.

Instapaper is a free service that allows you to mark an article for later reading. Once you set up an account, you drag a little button-like graphic known as a bookmarklet from the webpage into your browser’s bookmark bar. This button (“Read Later”) sends the text and URL of the article you wish to save to your Instapaper account. Again, it’s free, so it’s a no-brainer to try it out. But the best part is, like many pieces in my life, this service has an iPhone app available. I’ve forked over the small amount for the Pro version because Marco has created a power service that has made my life less stressful and he deserves it.

How does it help? Well, throughout the day, I stumble upon a few articles that warrant my full attention. I have work to do, though, so I mark it to read later (by clicking the “Read Later” button in my bookmark bar). Later that day, week or month, I fire up the Instapaper app on my iPhone, and pick an article to read. It might not be the most timely method, but it allows me to put my clients first, and still fit my blog addiction in where I’m able.

Conclusion

What I’ve created is a simple workflow for managing my tasks, files and reading habits. It’s about control, really. Not in a maniacal way, but simply because I understand the chaos that life tends to drift toward. Without boundaries in place, systems break down. But thankfully there are tools at my disposal that help me maintain that control.

The point isn’t that my system of levers and switches is the only way to do things. It isn’t. The point is that seeking a minimal, clean and simple workflow requires understanding who you are. Know your needs and build a system to control them. But remember, it isn’t the system itself that’s has value. No, the value resides in the peace that the system brings.

Enjoy it.