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Now that software has become so bloated, it can take 20 minutes just to resize an image. Most of that time is spent rebuffing pointless AI features that are also bumping up the subscription 😩 Increasingly, I’m using ImageMagick for my image manipulation. ImageMagick is a free, open-source CLI tool for creating, editing and converting bitmap images. As it only runs on the command line, it takes some geting used to. But once you’ve grasped a few techniques, it’ll save you heaps of time. You can also combine it with other tools to automate routine tasks. ...

Writing a book or a thesis involves seemingly endless revisions and it can be very difficult to keep track of them. Also, constant tinkering doesn’t always improve matters. With Scrivener you can take a Snapshot of your current document before editing and then revert or roll back to the original version if it ends up looking worse. I really struggled with the word count in my thesis (it was around 20,000 too many), so Snapshots helped me experiment with removing quotes and peripheral arguments. Sometimes the impact was too great in later chapters, so I was able to roll back to the original version. ...

One of my favourite TV lines ever comes from Tig Notaro in Transparent: “Look, I’m sorry if my boundary is your trigger.” Therein lies an essential truth: boundaries are unlikely to make you popular. But they’ll almost certainly make you healthier. I often ask coaching clients whether they’d rather be liked or be respected. Understandably, they usually reply, “Both!” When I can’t get them to choose, I ask about colleagues and friends. Which of them are the happiest or the most successful? What are those people doing differently? The answer is always that they’re willing to set boundaries. ...

After launching myself into piano playing with characteristic zeal, I suffered a hiatus for almost six months. I had became frustrated with Simply Piano and exchanged it for Piano Marvel. Although Piano Marvel was much better, I found many of the songs unappetising. I was still playing most days, but never stretching myself or learning anything new. I went slinking back to Simply Piano, then got annoyed with it all over again. Finally, I realised the problem: I wanted to hear classical piano, rather than play it. Although I love the idea of playing a Chopin piece, I don’t love the idea of the practising involved to make it sound even mediocre. For me, it’s much better to go and see Isata Kanneh-Mason. Indeed, seeing Kanneh-Mason perform probably contributed to this feeling. ...

The Scratchpad might sound like something your cat would use, but it’s actually a very handy feature in Scrivener. Sometimes our writing can be interrupted by random thoughts; sometimes they’re even useful. With the Scratchpad you can quickly jot them down in a pop-up window and return to the task in hand. It’s not linked to any particular document so is perfect for anything that isn’t obviously related to your current project. The Scratchpad also works outside Scrivener, although it needs to be running in the background. As the Scratchpad floats freely, you can place it alongside any other application. This makes it ideal for taking notes while you’re reading online. ...

Well, it was hotter than Hades during July, so some of my plans were scuppered. Nothing is that much fun when it feels as though you’re being cooked in your own juices. When I looked back, though, I realised I didn’t spend the entire month complaining about the heat. Concerts 🎵 Many of my local churches host lunchtime and evening concerts. It’s the perfect place to hide when the temperature soars. ...

It’s no exaggeration to claim that my PhD was transformed by the Pomodoro Technique. As I was studying part-time, it was crucial to make the best possible use of every spare moment. Without that structure, I’d have been trapped in a cycle of procrastination and recrimination. Since then, I’ve used it to write three books, and dozens of shorter pieces. I’ve also shared the Pomodoro Technique in hundreds of workshops and coaching sessions. That’s given me the opportunity to find out how people are actually using it. As with any technique, you get purists who insist you must use it in a specific way. They want you to pay them money to explain that you’re doing it all wrong. There’s no wrong way to use the Pomodoro Technique. And there’s no right way, either. It’s whatever way is helpful for you. ...

Does this sound familiar? You spend all morning squeezing out a paragraph, then all afternoon trying to make it the best paragraph in the world. The next morning, you reread that paragraph, decide it’s rubbish, then delete it. That’s your inner editor ambushing you before you’ve built any momentum. Although we talk about writing as a single monolithic activity, it actually involves three distinct roles or hats: the project manager, the writer, and the editor. Every piece of writing is a project. As project manager, you create a plan for the writer … who also happens to be you. When you’ve completed your draft, you hand it to the editor. Yes, that’s you, too. No wonder you’re tired. ...

One of the biggest barriers to writing is waiting until we have the time and space: “When I have a clear day, I’ll definitely get some writing done.” If I had 50p for every time a client told me that, I could afford to retire before I’m 97. I’m not immune to this problem, either. Although I’m good at blocking out time for writing, an early interruption often spirals into a pit of distraction and grumpiness. “Why did I bother starting?” 😾 ...

This year has been challenging, to say the least. I’ve needed to focus a lot on mental health and generally being a lot more selective about what I do. One of the most restorative practices I’ve found is learning a musical instrument. I’d already been learning piano and classical guitar, but needed a new adventure. I’ve always enjoyed hearing the bass, but had never even touched one. Last year, I was mesmerised by Tamsin Greig playing bass in the TV series Riot Women. ...