2021 State of the Tools

Most years (2017, 2018, 2019) I like to take a look back at the tools I found myself using and reflect on the extent to which I’m satisfied with them. While it’s certainly a good practice to be deliberate with the tools I choose to learn and use, this is also my attempt to get my tool stack feeling as solid as possible before heading into the next year so I don’t waste my time fiddling with it later.

A few general thoughts, before diving into a more detailed breakdown:

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’ve been leaning into not replacing my core technology as frequently as I have in the past. That means I successfully made it through the most dangerous time of the year for an Apple fan, the fall product releases, without replacing anything in my setup. To be clear, I’m not exactly using ancient gear here (M1 MacBook Air, iPhone 12 Pro Plus, Apple Watch Series 6) but I’m not the absolute bleeding edge, either. That feels right for where I am in my life right now. My hardware is not a bottleneck in my productivity in any way and while it’s fun to have the latest and greatest, I’d rather focus on the work I can accomplish with the tools rather than the tools themselves.

I gave away my iPad Pro to a family member early in the year and haven’t replaced it. That’s partly because Apple hasn’t released a new iPad Pro that felt like enough of an update to justify buying it. At this point, if I’m going to get a new iPad Pro I should probably just wait for whatever the new one will be. Considering my overall trajectory of reducing and simplifying my hardware stack wherever possible, do I even need an iPad? The past year is telling me that I obviously don’t. We’ll see…

With those preliminary thoughts out of the way, let’s dive into an area by area breakdown of what I’m using and how I’m feeling about it.

Keep reading to see the specific pieces of software that I’m bringing with me into 2022.

For Your Attention

The frustration with productivity culture: Why we’re so tired of optimizing our work lives, and what we should do about it. [The New Yorker]
Psychologists say a good life doesn’t have to be happy, or even meaningful. The case for the “psychologically rich” life. [qz.com]
On the link between great thinking and obsessive walking. [LitHub.com]
Sprinkle a little ancient philosophy into your daily routines. [Psyche.co]
A more self-accepting life. [The School of Life]

Until next time!