Blog

I post on a variety of subjects. However, the common theme is tech simplicity for business and needing less to live a fulfilling life.

So this is Christmas. A very merry Christmas. I hope you have fun.

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Who’s in your corner?

This episode will annoy some, but I have been thinking about who you have behind you when you get great technical information you need to implement.

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Do this if using email is annoying

One of the best business tool we have is email. However, the problem with email is that it can take up a lot of our time and energy. But there is an easy fix: Delete it!

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Stop having meetings

Having too many meetings can be more of a headache than many realise. The best way for you, the team, the project or even the client to know what’s going on is to have a single source of truth.

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iPhone screen

You don’t have to have all the apps in the world at your figure tips. You just need the ones you often use that help you progress throughout the day.

We all have our own rhythm

Having the best system for our business is the holy grail regarding tech and IT. However, many don’t realise that creating such a system comes from within.

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The simpler it is, the better the outcome

The idea of having all the apps and tools at your fingertips is a lost cause.

I’ve been an Apple/Tech guy for over 30 years, and in those years, the one thing I’ve learned is to use the simplest, easiest and most powerful tools possible.

It’s not been perfect. I’ve been swayed by the marketing of these companies and dove head-first into the rabbit hole of SaaS products and apps.

But I’ve somehow managed to keep my head above water and understand that the grass isn’t in any way greener on the other side.

Just… Keep IT Simple!

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More often than not, nothing works out of the box. It’s annoying, frustrating and a massive time suck! But once you understand the issue and know what you need out of the tech you use, then life becomes easier.

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How can adding something can help you simplify?

It’s so counter-intuitive, especially when Tech Minimalism tells us the opposite, but sometimes it’s better to add something to your toolkit that helps us simplify our business.

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Step back and take stock

Sometimes it’s good to step back from our business and take time for ourselves. It’s a great way to understand how we can move forward. Because being outside the business is better than grinding within it.

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Is your Mac like this?

Having a pleasant, tidy environment to work in is one of the best things you could give yourself. However, many don’t adhere to this regarding their tech, specifically their Apple and Mac systems.

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Stop hacking your tools!

The best solution is the simple one. So if you’re constantly fixing the ‘hacks’ that are supposed to make your life easier, then what’s the point? You’re only ’Sellotaping’ a fix and not fixing it permanently. Right?

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Are you using automation because you’re busy?

I’ve often said that automation is for the lazy and unorganised. However, I also know that it’s a tool to help the busy get organised. The issue I find is that often it’s used due to people being too busy rather than their need for it.

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Never fear the unknown

It’s all too common to fear the task than actually doing the test itself. As a result, we sometimes fall into a place where we feel anxious about trying something new. Even though, deep down, we know it’s probably better for us.

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Basecamp is the modern day Rolodex

I used to run a business in the past with a minimal amount of ‘tech’. And when I say ‘tech’ I mean Rolodex, pen and paper! So for me having a tool like Basecamp is equivalent to that, but quicker, simpler and easier.

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Basecamp is the ultimate blank piece of paper

Now that Basecamp has moved to a per-user pricing model, I think this is the best time for many single-user/small businesses to look into it to see how they can save time and money by implementing it into their workflow.

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Complexity creates complications

When a complex issue needs to be addressed, the simpler the solution, the better it would be.

However, many don’t apply this method, so somehow, the solution becomes a convoluted, complicated and diabolical mess.

Want to remove complexity? Check out Tech Minimalism

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Change can be difficult

Apple released iOS16 last night, and many things changed in the system. This annoyed me a little, but it got easier once I started to adapt to the new features. But like many others, I found it hard to adjust when I initially upgraded.

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Copying a system isn’t the answer

Having a system you’ve created and use daily is the best way to be more productive. However, if you copy a complete system from someone else, you will not benefit from it. On the contrary, I would argue that you’ll get even less productive.

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Technology should only be useful

Here’s a very short guide for others who want to digital detox. I say DON’T. Just be mindful of the tech you use…

Just watched a video where two Vanlifers went on a 72-hour’ digital detox’, but things turned bad and annoying when their van broke down.

I get it, they wanted to see how far they got without tech, and I commend them for it. However, if you chose tech for good and not ’evil’ (harsh), you’ll be fine.

Here’s a very short guide for others who want to digital detox. I say DON’T. Just be mindful of the tech you use…

Delete all social media apps from your phone
Only have one screen with a minimal amount of apps
Only have the essential notifications turned on

All this equals a happy and more fulfilling life without the constant ’nag’ for people and things diverting you away from what you really want to do…

…and that’s to enjoy YOUR life.

Make technology work for you. Don’t become a slave to IT.

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Quality always has a price

Quality matters, no matter what you buy or invest your time on. So when it comes to making the suitable investment to better your life, whether it’s for you or your business, making the right choices should also… matter.

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Keeping your business organised with Daylite

The fewer places you have to hunt for information, the more productive you will be. This simple idea can turn any business with the right tools be a powerhouse of efficiency. For me, I use Daylite to make that happen.

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Apple macOS security features

Having a Mac that’s secure is always a good thing. So when I read an article about how Apple is going beyond just securing your device and data by enabling their macOS system to do more, it got me excited!

Computerworld article: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3672528/apple-wasnt-fooling-when-it-said-it-wanted-to-make-macs-more-secure.html

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Opportunities Board in Daylite

Not long ago, Daylite released their Board view for Opportunities, and I love how they’ve integrated it into the workflow.

About 2 weeks ago, Marketcircle released Opportunities Board for Daylite. I just love how they’ve integrated it into the workflow.

The visual way makes me understand where I am with my prospects, and with the filters, I can see a forecast of how exactly things are going.

Also, the ‘drag and drop’ from one stage to the next is a game changer, as I don’t have to go to each individual prospect to change anything.

Marketcircle has a great blog post on how you can use this new feature. And if you have any questions you can always contact me.

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Email is the only constant

Often the thing you use most and take for granted is the most important in your life. However, we don’t often consider it important until something goes wrong. Think about having a cut at the end of any finger.

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Being nostalgic with tools

Letting go of things is one of my biggest vices. I’m not a hoarder, but it takes me time to get rid of stuff as I get attached to them.

EDIT: There is no longer a comments section, but feel free to subscribe to the newsletter or email me.

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Can’t wait to get Chuck back on the road!

Light off-roading on Salisbury Plain

Can’t wait to get Chuck back on the road!

The day I picked up the truck! (2002)

Can’t wait to get Chuck back on the road!

I can’t stand people naming their cars, but I thought I’d join the crowd. Chuck the K5 Chevy Truck. Kinda has a ring to it.

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If it’s clunky it’ll make you unproductive

The more clunky the app, the less likely you will use it. It’s a simple fact. How do I know? Well, it comes from the clients I work with. Not only that, but it also comes from my personal experience.

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Upgrading your business

Even though change is difficult for many, we all know that changing things in your business will always help make it run smoother. So upgrading the tech will help you future-proof and expand easier.

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Here’s why your Mac is slow or isn’t starting

There are many reasons why your Mac will be slow or not boot at all. But one of the common reasons is that it’s running out of space. Did the Apple Store Genius tell you that iCloud could help? Uh oh! Watch this to learn more.

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Your business needs to evolve

No matter how we run our business, there might be a time that we’ll need to evolve our business to stay in business. But if the tech you use isn’t in order, you will feel the hurt more than you can imagine. So make it easy for yourself.

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Backup is great, but offline is better!

We all know that having a backup of our data is essential. So why is it that when you’re posting something long-form, you use an online tool/platform that could easily not save/update or store your data correctly?!

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Complicated tech shittery

Getting frustrated with tech is annoying and infuriating, so when a company thinks of making a product, they never think about the shittery they’re creating when it has a problem or issue.

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It’s always hard in the beginning

Nothing you do will ever be easy or simple, especially if you’re new to what you’re trying to solve. However, once you dig in and start implementing it, you’ll find that all that hard work was oh so worth it!

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Jump in feet first and learn while doing

Sometimes it’s easier just to dive in feet-first and learn while doing what needs to be done. It can be daunting, frightening and even challenging, but we should always be learning, growing and experiencing new things.

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Using apps you already have

The simpler your workflow, the more you can get done. It sounds simple, but many don’t realise how the apps they already have on their Macs can do more than they think. With the added benefit of not spending more money too!

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What password manager should you use

Having a password manager is one of the best ways to help keep your privacy and security in check. But what one is best for you and why? In this video, I’ll go over some of the best options available.

Apple Keychain: support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mchlf375f392/mac
Minimalist: https://minimalistpassword.com
Bitwarden: bitwarden.com
1Password: 1password.com

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Your life could be a constant holiday

Doing what you want in your life is the ultimate goal. Many like having their two-week holiday in the sun, but what if it was possible to have a constant holiday? Well, you can. It’s called living the life you already have.

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Planning for the worst

It’s never good when your Mac or the tech you use in your business stops working.

But, can you continue working and delivering your services to your clients when that happens?

Do you have a plan in case it does happen?

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The problem with email inbox zero

Inbox zero is great, but if you’re only doing it for aesthetics, you do not understand the whole issue. My mistake has been not explaining what it means when I post screenshots of my email window on 𝕏.

Original post

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The right tools are better than any ‘system’

Having an external individual exert their ‘system’ on you or your team is a recipe for disaster. You can’t change someone’s way of working just because your ‘system’ works for YOU.

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Your email privacy should always matter

Your privacy and security belong to you. No one should be able to know when you’ve read, opened, or clicked a link. Nor should they know what location, device or email app you use. It’s just not right!

MailTrackerBlocker

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Your best idea is usually your first

They say you should always be listening to your body. That way, you can be proactive before getting sick.

The same thing is valid for listening to your gut feeling when doing something in/for your business.

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No question is a stupid question

The very fact you have to ask a question means you’re willing to learn. So if you answer a question, and it’s wrong, don’t think of it as you being wrong. That’s especially true when it comes to the pronunciation of someone’s name.

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Does your tech bring you joy?

Doing something that doesn’t bring you joy is no fun. Doing work with tools you don’t like is no different. There’s nothing worse than doing your work with apps that suck and are challenging to use.

Lets talk about finding the right tools for you!

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Minimise your business tools

The more tool you have, the less work you’ll do.

That might sound counterintuitive.

But the more you bounce from one tool, app or service to another just doing something simple can take more time and effort than you realise.

What to Keep IT Simple? Let’s talk!

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How not to forget your best ideas

The older we get, the more we forget. I know in my case that’s true, so taking notes for ideas, thoughts and things you want to remember for your work is vital. And the ability to take those notes anywhere is even more so.

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Inbox-zero is possible, here’s how...

Inbox-zero is one of the best ways to focus on your business. Being constantly distracted by notifications can remove that ability fast!

Click here for help getting to inbox-zero

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My Mac dock

See, you really don’t need a lot of tools, apps and services to run a successful business. This is my current Mac Dock.

Start your free 14-day Daylite trial

How secure is your client’s data?

Your data is critical and should be secure and away from prying eyes, hacks and phishing attempts. But have you considered the client and project data you hold for your clients?

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You’re wasting way too much time on email

We all know wasting time in our business can cost us money. So why waste time on things that could be simplified? Email is such a powerful tool that we forget it’s a time suck if we’re not using it in the best possible way.

Fix your email

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Too busy to fix your busyness

Busyness is nothing to be proud of. If you’re too busy, there must be a friction point that needs to be fixed. No one should be too busy not to have time to do things they truly need to do. Fix your ‘busyness’. You’ll be happier for it.

Book a discovery call to fix your ‘busyness’

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Work tools and business tools are different

To make it easier on yourself when choosing the right tools and apps, make sure you understand the difference between tools for your business and tools for your work.

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Stepping back to square one

External input can be a great thing, but often we delve so deep into the idea of it being a good thing for us and our business that we lose sight of what would work, is working or will never work.

So stepping back can be an excellent way to see clearly.

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Having everything in one place

We all know that having data for your business in one place is better than having to hunt for what you need in a bunch of tools, apps and service that isn’t efficient.

So why are some still use Post-it notes for important information?!

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Simplifying your tech security

In today’s world, your online security is vitally important to your privacy. So having everything, from your online accounts to your Mac, iPhone, and other Apple devices, safe and secure should be vitally important to you too!

Minimalist Password: minimalistpassword.com
Bitwarden: bitwarden.com

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Making things simpler to have more time

We all want to do many things, but often we don’t have the time to do those things. What if we made things easier and simpler so we can create, or better still, not waste time on silly things to be able to do them?

Click here to learn more…

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Tech that’s easy to use and simple to maintain

Having the tools, you need to do your work should be as easy as everything else you do during the day. Life is hard enough already. We don’t need our tech adding more friction.

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Fearing tech isn’t the answer

We all need to use tech in our lives, whether for work or personal use. Even though many fear using technology altogether, some fear using it due to the wrong choice rather than the tech itself.

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The pitfalls of working remotely

You can get all the advice you can, but if it’s wrong, you’re back to square one and none the wiser.

Working remotely does have its challenges, but if done right, your tech will be future proof and you’ll be a master nomad in no time.

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You don’t have to use all the features

Humans are nest makers. They’re hoarders. And when it comes to tech and the apps they use. They want to use all its features because they have this idea they’re missing out on something. But that’s oh so wrong!

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Getting more out of your Mac

To get the most out of your Mac, whether it’s for your own personal use or using it in your business, you need to make sure you’re using it to the fullest to help you get what you need to be done, quicker and easier.

Get in touch via MacJunky if you’d like help with your Apple devices.

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How to keep track of everything in your business

You will hear ‘single source of truth’ many times over, but what and how is it relevant to you and your business? Well, it’s the idea of keeping and having all data and information in one place to help you be more organised.

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Making things simpler is the ultimate goal

Humans have a great way of making things easier, simpler, and more comfortable.

That shouldn’t just stop because you’re at work. Making your work and life easier should be on top of your list.

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Many don’t understand simplicity

I get it. Not many are ‘in to’ simplicity, nor are they interested in making things easier for themselves. But when speakers talk about making things simple, who seem to have no understanding of what simplicity means, it just gets my goat!

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How to use TextExpander to save you days of work

If you want to be more productive, do less. That might sound like voodoo magic, but with tools like TextExpander you can make the work you do on your Mac way easier and quicker.

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Multitasking is overrated

Multitasking can be good in many ways, but when it comes to working on your Mac, or any computer, it can be a distraction. I’ve found that working on one app or task at a time yields way more productive than trying to do too much at the same time.

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Apple Mail: Organisation without folders

Using Apple Mail is easier when you use it simply. Email is the simplest tool in your toolbox, but over the years, I’ve found many making it more complicated than it needs to be. So I’m going to show you how not using folders will help.

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Wanting and needing are two different things

Not knowing what you need is annoying. But even worse is to get something you want. Why? Mainly because it’s probably not going to work for you.

Just because you see someone with something you ‘want’, doesn’t mean it will be right for you.

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How to keep your Apple Mac secure

There are many ways you can keep your Apple Mac secure. In this video, I’ll go through the most important and give some tips on how to keep your data safe, secure and away from prying eyes.

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Before it gets too complicated, simplify

We don’t wake up one day to declare we want to complicate our lives. It’s a gradual thing that happens.

And it happens while we’re busy working or living our lives. But once we feel burnout coming, we seek a solution to fix it.

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Apple Mail: The power of simplicity

The only app, or service, you will never be able to be without is email.

And on the Apple Mac, the only app that works best is Apple Mail due to its power of simplicity and the ‘it just works’ ethos.

MacJunky

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Always secure your Apple data and passwords

Keeping our data and passwords safe is vital in today’s world. We live online, so whether we like it or not, we need to sure our data is safe should be as important as keeping our keys and wallets safe when we’re out and about.

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Ecamm Live is what I use to record my videos

Making videos is hard. Making daily videos is even harder. So to make that process easier on yourself, you need to use the tools that make your life simpler. For me, I use Ecamm Live to help me record the raw material.

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Don’t focus on the software

Productivity shouldn’t be something you’re taught how to do. It should be you just getting your work done. So using the tools or software should come from the way you work, not from some guru who tells you what you should use.

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Systemising your business

Getting things done quickly within your business gives you more time for your clients and business. So once you have a system, you’ll be able to work more efficiently, be more productive and have plenty of time for yourself.

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Identifying friction points

Everyone at some point will have a problem with their Apple tech and not realise they’ve already identified the issue or friction point. And need to find a solution. So once you know there is a problem, there is no problem.

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Email organisation with an Apple CRM

Getting your email organised can be a nightmare. But what if you could use a CRM in your business to track any email you receive? Whether it’s for a client, a project or a lead. Wouldn’t that make your life so much simpler?

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Be busy doing nothing

Wouldn’t it be great to have all the time in the world to get all your work done? And have so much free time for yourself that you feel so bored being busy doing nothing?

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Online vs offline Apple apps for your business

With many SaaS apps and services, you need the internet to function as a business. But what if you’re away or most of the time you work remotely and have no access to the internet?

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My Mac dock

After being away on my road trip, I thought it was time to switch it up a little and show you my latest Mac Dock setup.

It’s lean and functional, with everything needed to run a business or two.

Your tech foundation is vital to your business

When I talk to small businesses about their Apple tech and how it’s used, they often say they have problems with keeping track of things. My response is always: Having a solid tech foundation will help.

Want to simplify your tech? Click here!

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