Hello, fellow tinkerer 👋 -

Happy Wednesday. If you're like me and live in a country where school-aged children have summers off, you're probably counting down the days until the school year starts (22 days to go...)

I took some time off earlier this month, which was a lot of fun, but is also one more "routine disruption" that I need to recover from. I like the predictability of the school year and can't wait for it to return.

Do you have a love-hate relationship with summer? Please reply and tell me about it so I know I'm not alone. 😁

1) Reflection:

A few years ago, I wrote about doing a check-in with my family to figure out how they were feeling about summer. I asked them to rate their days, on a scale of 1 to 5.

I didn't do this in subsequent years (I'm sure because I forgot), but it's an interesting idea. We assume that summer is a time of joy and being carefree. But, in reality, it can be really overwhelming. Constant activity takes its toll and kids are isolated from their school friends.

My challenge to you for the week is to check in on someone in your life. Ask how they're doing this summer.

2) Product:

I realized that I start a LOT of conversations with, "I was listening to a podcast..." I listen to podcasts every single day: it's how I consume information.

Earlier this year, I was feeling guilty that my book reading had dwindled. I used to be such an avid reader. But I realized that I consume information differently: in small doses, through podcasts.

I also take steps to remember what I hear, which is a different process than highlighting in a book. I have to rely on a podcast's transcript to capture things I find interesting.

I use Readwise to highlight portions of a podcast transcript. Readwise syncs to an app called Reflect (but could also sync to Notion, Evernote, etc). That way, I'm saving ideas and can find them later.

3) Tip:

While "running with a business" and "taking a vacation with the family" can often feel like chaos, one thing has stayed consistent for me: posting on LinkedIn.

Scheduling posts in advance keeps my business running, even when I'm not around (though I can tell that LinkedIn's algorithm "punishes" me for posting and not engaging for a week... still, it's better than nothing.)

If posting on LinkedIn feels hard — and I get it — you can check out my e-course Authentic Online Writing.

Want more ideas?

→ I've substantially ramped up my use of generative AI in a way that doesn't feel gross or like I'm "cheating" as a writer. Here's how.

→ I wrote an article for Zapier's blog about how I keep track of the podcast episodes I listen to. You can check it out here.

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That's it for this issue of Tinkering! See you again in two weeks.

Cheers,
Anna

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