Productivity Systems vs Meaningful Aligned Work. This might be a false dichotomy.
But, every few months, I come across some new productivity idea and get mini obsessed by it. GTD. Anki cards. AI Assistants.
As far as I can tell, I don't have a cohesive system for work or anything. I keep all my tasks in a txt file. Most of my computer files live in my downloads folder or a dropbox sync folder. I have my own "internal" system that's taken bits and pieces from what I've learned.
Recently, I read this article, A receipt printer cured my procrastination
Basic idea is printing out your tasks with a receipt printer (very fast, very cheap, very small). Having it be physical and visible rather than stuck in a digital todo app.
Also saves the headache of manually writing these out on notecards/post-it notes.
I went ahead and bought a receipt printer off ebay. But I have a sneaky suspicion that I'll love this for a few weeks and then drop it entirely.
(also the concern that thermal receipt printers are toxic in daily frequent exposure but there's more expensive paper that's suppose to be neutral/healthy)
It feels like all these systems are modernist hacks to predict and control human behavior rather than trusting its natural eros towards what is meaningful.
On the other hand, meaningful work tied to my identity that's in direct connection to others/near environment, I don't need any system or task manager to do. It naturally flows and gets done.
Then again, there are just thigns that need to get done like paystubs and taxes that I don't have any eros towards so maybe there's a happy medium of systems for necessary but not interesting tasks and trusting natural interest for everything else?