Steven Ovadia is a father, writer, and librarian.

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PHYSICAL

• Self-syllabus – Every few months, I make a physical list of books I want to read. It’s not everything I want to read. It’s just the ten or so books I want to get through next. Sometimes it’s thematic. Sometimes it’s not. But it makes it easier for me to get through my reading list, while keeping some variety. And it’s fun checking things off as I read them. It takes the mystery out of wondering what I should read next.
• Library card – Related to the self-syllabus, my library card is incredible in terms of access to books and reducing book clutter at home. People think librarians love owning books, but I prefer reading them, only owning the ones I love and want to revisit (or write in!).
• Mechanical pencils – I was a fountain pen person for a few years, but they were a lot of work. I have two young daughters, and no spare time, so mechanical pencils are a more realistic and time efficient writing implement. Mechanical pencils feel great, are neater, and can be erased, which is kind of a game-changer I hadn’t considered. I love these Pentels. Cheap and durable. I have them stashed everywhere for when I want to jot something down.

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DIGITAL

• Org-mode/Orgzly – I use org-mode, part of the Emacs editor, to organize myself. It’s the best, and easiest to-do list I’ve ever used. It’s flexible and while there’s a learning curve, it was well-worth a quick (and fun!) Udemy class. Orgzly is the Android interface I use to manage my to-do list on the go. It’s also amazing.
• WebDAV – WebDAV is the protocol I use to sync my to-do list on my phone. As I use it, it’s basically file space I can access on my desktop and phone, and which I get as part of my Fastmail subscription. It’s easy-to-use and very convenient for syncing tools, like org-mode, but also Joplin, my note-taking app. It’s a solid option if your file-sharing tools don’t work with your digital tools.

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INVISIBLE

• Subscription creep – Pay for what you like for as long as you like it, like software, magazine, newsletters, streaming services, etc. But when you don’t like it anymore, stop paying for it. I try to think about what I’m paying for and if it’s worth it. For instance, I got into WebDAV when I was looking at how much I was spending on hosting certain applications. Support and pay for everything you enjoy! But when the joy passes, empower yourself to shift the money to other projects.

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07/2/25