CodeMacLife

Sunsetting Minimlr + Life update

Hi. It’s Mark aka Minimlr. Just a quick life update and changes moving forward. I have decided to make some radical changes over the next few months. I’ve completed my coding course and passed. It has given me time to reflect on what I want to focus on in the future.

Software-wise, a lot has changed.

• I bought a MacBook Air M1
• I use Apple’s own calendar, reminders and notes
• I am still using Twos and Upnote.
• I appear to be spending a lot of time in Visual Studio Code at the moment.
• My Chromebook died (reason for buying the MacBook)
• I have decided to leave the whole Google ecosystem and close my Google Workspace account (long-term target)

Why am I sunsetting minimlr.com?

At the start, the whole minimlr blog was, for me, to start writing about minimalism and mindfulness. It sounded fun but I soon realised there were so many other things I wanted to write about. I thought I had boxed myself into a niche I don’t want to be writing about all the time. Also, I have changed as a person in the time I created the ‘brand’, as it were. Looking back, my posts were more about productivity, software and note-taking, digital minimalism, minimalism and life in general. It’s actually broad when I look back. By changing my scope and writing about what I care about, I will write more and do it frequently.

What is changing?

will be changing my username / bio to CodeMacLife. It’s a little cheesy I know, but hear me out. This change makes it clear about who I am, what I write about and what direction I want to move in.

Code. Mac. Life.

Code

- There will more emphasis and interaction with those in the tech/coding community. I will be posting about my coding and what I am currently working on. I think I might start the #100DaysofCode again.

Mac

This part is quite self-explanatory. I love my Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. I will be posting about my use of them and how I use the native software as well as other software on these platforms, including how I use Twos across the Apple ecosystem. Spoiler: It’s awesome!

Life

This part is interesting because I get to write about everything I did with the minimlr handle. It will include minimalism, essentialism, digital detoxes, loving life away from the keyboard, mindfulness and much more.

One last thing…

It was probably the hardest thing to do but I have created a new Twitter account (I know, the shame!). Although I disagree with the handling and policies of Twitter, there are a lot of valuable resources for coding, web development and more importantly…the Twos community. ✌🏻

My Twitter handle is CodeMacLife.

The iOS 17 update will have board for Reminders. I like the Kanban style. You will also be able to add sections like Todoist.

Nice post. For me, I use Twos, Morgen Calendar and Upnote.

I was unsure if I was going to buy another iPad when my Air 3 stops receiving updates. After this announcement, I most certainly will be going to an iPad Pro.

I laughed seeing all those big rooms to operate in. Have they seen the average room size in the UK? 🤣 I think it is a product for the few, not the many.

Haha. Thanks. I was losing interest and the recent report of Twitter failing to protect children left me no choice. As a teacher, it didn’t sit well with me on a platform that doesn’t protect children. Also, I don’t trust or respect Elon’s leadership.

Thank you. At least I can still follow you on here.

Out of those, I would say Obsidian. However, I have moved to Upnote because I need something cross-platform, affordable and a reliable sync.

Day One should have expanded their platform reach. I ended up going with Journey journal because I can use it on any device, including my Linux laptop.

Thank you for your comment. I feel Medium has content better suited for me. Twitter is a mess. I have Facebook now (created two months ago) to keep in touch with some long-distance family, but I don’t use it.

This is a huge update for me. I can visually see what I have attached to my notes in Upnote as well as what I have annotated. Note-taking in Upnote is a pleasure.

I have a love-hate relationship with social media

Scrolling through my bullet journal, Twos App and blog posts, I have noticed a trend — I sign up to a social media platform, embrace it, resent it, hate it and then…delete it.

It’s true. I am in a constant state of flux. I value my time and energy. I also value my own mental state. I lack consistency with what I post and my declarations for social media idealism. I am guilty.

In my recent post, Why I Quit Twitter…again, I state the reason why I deleted Twitter and what I don’t like. It is the same reasons I previously stated for leaving the platform. It’s like I don’t learn.

Am I addicted to the drama or do I simply want meaningful connections?

My ambition is to create a blog that contents with others. I thought social media would be the answer. However, I am starting to realise that my writing is the skillset that will get people to read. I need a narrative that will connect with others. I have stuff to say and things to get off my chest. How to achieve it in a pleasant, sophisticated way is a complete different matter (I’m getting there).

I am failing forwards. I am learning (mostly) from all my mistakes and applying my learning. I understand Twitter is not the answer. The only way to understand my writing is to surround myself with other writers and learn from their craft.

This is why I have subscribed to Medium for the year. I want to read content made by people who have taken the time to write, not horrible tweets about xyz.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. If you haven’t already, please consider following me. I will follow back.

I used Drafts for dictation until I found an app called Just Press Record, which is a one-off payment. It works across my iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch using iCloud sync. It offers me the ability to listen back, read the transcription, cut up the audio, share and edit the transcription.

Morgen Calendar is now my default calendar and task manager. I use Upnote for my notes. Twos is where I jot most things down like I did in Rem note.

Thank you for sharing this. I’m seriously balding and shave now (I go shorter with each shave). I think the notion of embracing who you are and taking action is so liberating.

Great post. I’m now a Medium subscriber and I will be able to read your posts.

I feel they need to repair their trust with the customers they let down. I use Linux, so I have to resort to the web app. This is useless when I am in places with no internet access.

I posted my quitting Twitter post - https://medium.com/@theminimlrblog/i-quit-twitter-again-71036a459079

I Quit Twitter…again

On 2nd June 2023, I quit Twitter.

This might appear odd as I have created a lot of positive connections on Twitter. It’s true I have formed many positive connections on the platform.

However, I have also noticed the toxic side of Twitter and the lack of moderation that would normally stop content from getting on the platform. In the past three months, I feel Twitter has become a shadow of its former self. Divided in so many ways.

In the past three months, I noticed:

• More political point scoring among American users. As a Brit, I really don’t care and I have tried all sorts to block the posts.
• More bots following me. These are mostly linked to NSFW content.
• Fewer users, including people I followed, left the platform. I have followed most of these users to their respective platforms of choice.
• Less genuine engagement. I see ramblings, debates (unreasonable insults), and some of the most horrible, racist and homophobic content out there. Where is the moderation?

I was scrolling through Twitter for content, only to realise I was getting bored of the platform. I value my time and keep a question in the back of my mind each time I go on Twitter — Is this information essential?

Although they are not perfect, I find more value in Bluesky, Mastodon and Instagram. Yep. I said it. I went back to Instagram and curated a wall of positive posts, quotes and ideas. (I didn’t know there is a whole community of book readers on there).

I will be focusing on my own website for the foreseeable future and engaging on my own terms.

Like I said in my first Medium post…

Everything I do now and everything I bring into my life has to add value. If it doesn’t, it goes.

You can find me on Bluesky, Mastodon and Instagram.

If you don’t have a Bluesky invite, I receive invite codes every two weeks. I’m happy to share them.

I've just deleted both of my Twitter accounts. I am Bluesky, Instagram and Mastodon for now.