Why I Mind Map

I do some of my best thinking on walks while listening to some combination of silly pop music and songs from my son’s favorite movies and tv shows. Something about that scenario gives me the mental space to think clearly and deeply about creative projects.

Sometimes on these walks, I can write a whole script for a video in my head; other times, I generate a few unstructured fragments that need to be worked into something better. My favorite tool for building out those fragments is a mind map.

Read more

I Deactivated My Twitter Account

A screenshot displaying a social media profile error message. The profile header shows a placeholder for a profile picture and the username "@hearmikeburke." Below the username, a bold message states "This account doesn’t exist" followed by a suggestion to "Try searching for another." The background gradient transitions from red to blue, indicating a possible error or inactive status on the social media platform.

I was hoping there were enough checks and balances, systems, and/or public pressure for Twitter to weather the storm of a megalomaniac. I was wrong.

I “deactivated” my account a few days ago, and while I appreciate the 30-day cool-down period where I can recover my account, I don’t see that happening.

While I know many are moving to Mastodon; I am not currently planning on joining the herd. Instead, I’ll be here, on my YouTube channel, and on my newly created Tumblr.

I look forward to continuing the relationships I have built on Twitter. I am experimenting with Reeder and RSS, so if you have a blog or other RSS feed for me to keep up with you, please post it in a comment below.

Zombies, Run

A man in sportswear is crouched down, tying his shoe on a foggy street. Unaware, he is near a zombie and several shadowy figures in the misty background, suggesting a scene from a zombie apocalypse. The setting is eerie with a backdrop of dimly lit trees and a hazy skyline.

You hear stories about people performing heroic feats in life-and-death scenarios: lifting a car off of a child, swimming for miles to get back to shore from a shipwreck, etc. Like most middle-aged guys, some part of my brain assumes that I would be able to do the same. A lifetime of living vicariously through action movies and video games leads me to believe that my body is just waiting to be unleashed for its superhero moment, like a Manchurian Candidate of fitness.

But, historically, I have not had many of those experiences in my life, so there is no need for an alter ego, yet. Even if I did, building a heart-healthy lifestyle around life-or-death adventures does not seem sustainable. Unless you fake it.

Read more

Writing Absence Notes With Drafts Actions

As I have explained before, I try to deal with stressful situations by planning ahead, most often through checklists or automations.

Deciding to keep my sick kid home from school and communicating with his teacher(s) and the staff quickly is just such a situation. I have created two Drafts accounts to help me in those times.

Read more

The Automators

While this is probably the most niche recommendation I have in the podcast world, it might be the show which has had the biggest impact on my life.

The Automators is where I was first exposed to things like Keyboard Maestro, Hazel, Drafts, and OmniFocus. Each one has had a dramatic influence on my life. I think you should give it a chance.

Read more