Show Notes for This Episode of the Soulcruzer Podcast
Episode Summary:
Hey folks, join me on one of my early morning walks where I dive into everything from infantry flashbacks to creative frustrations and the tools I’ve been using to keep my head straight. This week, I’ve been wrestling with some mental blocks, but breaking out my trusty paper journal helped me see things more clearly. Along the way, I talk about the differences between digital and analogue journaling, share my thoughts on populism and politics, and geek out a bit over Google Notebook LM, a fantastic AI-powered tool I’ve been experimenting with. This episode is a blend of reflections, insights, and, as always, a bit of wandering off the beaten path.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
- Infantry Flashbacks: I start off talking about changing batteries in the dark and how it brought me back to my days in the infantry, doing everything by feel and without flashlights. It’s funny how little moments like that can trigger such vivid memories.
- On Frustration and Flow: I’ve been feeling pretty frustrated this week. You know that feeling when you know what you want to do but can’t quite get there? Yeah, that was me. I share how I used my paper journal to work through the block and get myself unstuck.
- Digital vs. Analogue Journaling: I talk about the differences between journaling on paper and using digital tools like Reflect or GoodNotes. Each has its own vibe, and I share how I use them depending on whether I need logical clarity or want to tap into my emotions.
- Hyperlinked Thinking: I’ve been diving into second-brain apps that let me connect my notes with backlinks and visualise my thoughts as a giant web. It’s like mapping out my brain, and it’s so cool to see all the connections come to life.
- Populism and Politics: I reflect on the rise of populism and nationalism, especially in the U.S., and how billionaires seem to be steering what should be a movement for the people. It’s something I’ve been exploring more on the blog.
- Google Notebook LM: This tool has been a game-changer for me. I’ve been using it to synthesize blog posts and even for my learning projects. It’s like having an AI research assistant that works with the exact sources I provide.
- The Case for RSS: I make a case for using RSS feeds to curate your digital experience. It’s such a great way to avoid distractions and create a more intentional space online.
Links and resources I mentioned:
- Blog post on populism and nationalism: this might be stepping out of my normal sandbox…
- Google Notebook LM: is notebookLM—google’s research assistant—the ultimate tool for thought?
- Journaling Apps I Use:
- RSS readers I recommend:
Connect with Me:
- Blog: Soulcruzer.com
- Twitter/X: @Soulcruzer
- BlueSky: Soulcruzer
- Tumblr: Soulcruzer
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Thanks for listening! If you made it to the end, let me know what you think. Drop me a comment, send me an email, or even record an audio reply. I love hearing from you. Until next time, keep walking, reflecting, and creating!
Dude, your ramble was coming in my ears as I took my ramble this morning!
I was particularly interested to hear about the various apps and tools you have used for journaling.
Personally, I keep it simple – I have ‘daily notes’ and flip flop between the Apple Notes app and my note book (I did use Moleskine but now buy them from https://stamfordnotebooks.co.uk/).
Often times I use both each day and they’re mixed with work and personal notes & actions. To your point, I find typing is great for free thinking as I can type more or less at the same speed as thought although it is hard to avoid reading sentences and correcting them. But if I am in a slower mood I will write things down and always write them if I want them to be sticky. I have started to take a photo of the day and put that into Apple Notes with a few comments.
Finally, I did try the journal app that Apple created and it was good but I did not want to have my notes at the whim of the developer so prefer to keep them as independent as possible
Yes. I take your point about your notes being trapped inside someone’s proprietary filing system, which happened to me with my very first journaling app. Since then, I’ve been careful to make sure any notes app I use allows me to export my notes in markdown or json file. I do love a good paper notebook, but not being able to tag the notes for easy recall is the drawback of the paper notebook for me. I’ve heard Apple Notes has gotten pretty good recently.