Stationery Freaks: Recent Episodes
Rob Lambert & Helen Lisowski
In this episode we talk about what's happening to us - as we find digital tooling becoming more important in our stationery world. We talk about the Remarkable 2, Moleskine balance and how we are still stationery freaks! And Rob is retooling his knowledge management and Helen learned nothing about herself, despite sticker journaling for a few weeks.
We cover:
- Woolsthorpe manor, where Isaac Newton saw the apple fall - and the fact you can buy pens made from the very tree that Newton saw the apple fall from
- Rob's bought a Remarkable - will he send it back?
- Rob's doing a workshop in Romania - and has bought hundreds of stickers for an immersive workshop
- Helen's been using the Moleskine Balance app to track habits, mood etc. The interface is calming and clean - she is enjoying
- Helen is using Bullet Journaling more for work than personal - due to working from home more often and "closing down the day"
- Rob's been researching tooling for a Personal Knowledge Management System - and was spending more time fiddling with the system than learning. Helen is using Obsidian, Rob uninstalled it after 10 minutes.
- Rob talks about The Brain as a PKMS. It's an awesome tool - but pricey, and would require a big on-going financial investment.
- Helen has been sticker journaling about her mood and energy levels, and tracking this using stickers. What did she learn about herself? Absolutely nothing by all accounts. Zero insights. Nothing. Nada
- Rob talks about using Zotero and the Remarkable as his new PKMS
- Rob talks through why he's bought the Remarkable 2, and how it fits into his ecosystem of learning and note taking. At the moment, he's keeping it, but there is a 100 day returns promise
- Helen's not convinced about the Remarkable. Truth be told, Rob isn't either.
Find more episodes and subscribe to the newsletter at www.stationeryfreaks.com
In this episode we discuss habits and how we define them and track them using both digital and analogue tracking and documenting. We share our own perspectives of how we develop habits.
- Helen has bought all of the stickers in the whole world (possibly)
- Rob is trying to build the habit of not buying anymore notebooks for a while - and instead, using up the mountain of notepads he has
- Rob has regained the love of Yellow Legal Pads
- Helen spends her life trying to make herself better using structures and systems to try and take away the thinking around habits
- Helen is trying to stop eating chocolate
- We reference Atomic Habits by James Clear as an awesome book about habits (affiliate link)
- Rob talks about how routines and habits that he used to work with in business
- Charles Duhigg's book on habits is also pretty special (The Power of Habit) (affiliate link)
- Helen is tracking how she feels using stickers in a notebook
- Rob used to track habits in ToDoist and simply didn't keep it up to date
- Helen is using Moleskine Balance digital app to track her habits. And reminisces about "Sunrise" app by Dan Ariely - since closed down
- Rob used to do quantified self, then went on to use the fridge of accountability
- Rob is changing his environment to force the habit of weightlifting - and will become the strongest man in Winchester within a month
- Rob references The Diary of a CEO podcast with Tim Spector
- Helen has moved to measuring the impact habits is having on her life, rather than the thing itself
Why not subscribe to the newsletter!
Thanks
Rob and Helen
In this episode we interview Maria Le Van of LeVan Books.
Maria makes her own beautiful notebooks - of which Helen has purchased a few. They are exquisite, hand made and use some top notch material.
In this episode:
- Helen talks about her 6 ink pens - and decides she needs more (or not).
- Maria talks about her passion for glass ink pens, water colour painting and using her own books
- Maria explains how she started making books for her daughter and her friends, before making them for other people
- Maria is self taught and a perfectionist - always ensuring her books meet her own high standards - therefore delighting the customer
- Maria mentions Shepherds book binding (bookbinding.co.uk) - a cool store where she gets many of her materials from.
- Rob realises Sheppards is not too far from his office….credit card ready
- Maria explains how long books take to make and how precise she needs to be
- We discuss GSM paper thickness and their different uses.
- Maria also shares the 5 things she would take to a desert island
- Maria also shares why she set up the Etsy store and how you can get your own custom notebook
Useful Links
You can find Maria on Etsy at LeVan Books - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LeVanBooks?ref=usf_2020
Fancy having a go at making your own notebook? Here’s a kit (affiliate link).
In this episode Rob and Helen share the 5 items of stationery they would take with them to a Desert Island.
What would you take? Let us know on Instagram - @stationeryfreaksuk
In this episode:
- Helen is obsessed with Rob’s A3 learning management system - a video of the system is here on Rob’s YouTube channel.
- Rob talks about his new (old) Waterman Fountain Pen
- Rob bends the rules of the game
- Helen forgets a pencil sharpener
Helen’s 5 items:
- A Mark and Fold desktop scratchpad (part of the stationery pack)
- A Mark and Fold blackwing pencil (and no, we' have no affiliation with Mark and Fold - other than we love their stationery!)
- A Perfectly Penned notebook (aff link)
- TomBow brush pens (aff link)
- A Paperweight her daughter painted
Rob’s 5 items:
- Yellow legal pads (aff link)
- Staedtler school pencils (aff link)
- Craft knife
- The Daily Stoic journal
- A sketchpad
What would you take?
We also encourage you to try last year's stationery advent calendar challenge - here's the first episode of that!
Don’t miss out on joining the community with our newsletter or join us over on Instagram (@stationeryfreaksuk)
Thanks
Rob and Helen
How excited were we when, Sunday Times Best Selling psychological thriller author, Helen Callaghan agreed to be on the podcast?
Helen is a stationery freak, so we dug into her process of writing, typewriters, book soundtracks, choosing colours for books, Moleskines, writing retreats and more.
It was a real joy and we’re sure you’ll be inspired and motivated and learn a lot about the world of writing books.
Some quotes from the show:
- “Self-consciousness is the enemy of creativity”
- On Fountain Pens - “There’s something wonderfully technical about them”
- On writing retreats - “This is what I’m doing now and I’m concentrating on this”
- “You create a plan for the chapter, and then you don’t follow it.”
- “Work on it every day, be engaged in it and a synthesis happens between things in your head.”
- “Inspiration has to be summoned”
Here’s what we covered:
- NaNoWriMo - and Helen’s engagement in it
- How stationery still has an important role in Helen’s life and book writing process
- Why seeing what you crossed out on paper is important
- Why choosing a colour scheme for a book being written is important - and how Helen does this
- Mood boards and music playlists
- The importance, joy and process of writing retreats. Helen mentions Gladstones writing retreats.
- How Helen plans and plots out a book - and why sometimes she often doesn’t stick to the plan
- Why writing plots and twists in a book often surprises herself with where it goes!
You can find out more about Helen, including her social media and published books here on her website.
Thanks
Rob and Helen
In this episode:
- We jump into the topic of career development with a three dimensional approach created by Rob, which consists of:
- DISC
- Strengths
- Happiness
- Rob explains why he prints out loads of selfies using his new Thermal Printer from Vretti
- Helen is obsessed with stickers from Spooky Yeti
- If you’re interested in the Trinity here are some recommended surveys (Stationery Freaks has no responsibility for your data from these sites - nor has an affiliation with them. But we use them often).
- It’s also worth doing an internet search for free versions of the strengths finder - we’ve never used any alternatives so cannot comment on how helpful they are.
- For DISC use Tony Robbin’s free online survey.
- For strengths use Strengths Finder 2.0.
- For happiness, (choose VIA Survey of Character Strengths) from Authentic Happiness.
- Rob has a more in-depth write up on his Cultivated Management website here.
Don’t miss out on joining the community with our newsletter or join us over on Instagram (@stationeryfreaksuk)
Thanks
Rob and Helen
In this episode:
- We explain what mind maps are, how they work and what we use them for.
- For more details on different mind maps we recommend this post.
- We also introduce our new newsletter!
- Helen introduces her new learning of choice - Arabic. And how she is using brush pens and a new notebook for it.
- Rob steals Helen stationery. Video of that here.
- Rob talks about his new Academic planner that makes him look all sophisticated.
- Helen talks about NaNoWriMo and how she’s only ever made it to day 3.
- Helen talks about fine liners
- Rob buys some stationery from Sainsbury’s but is less than impressed with their shop display.
- And Helen adds that TKMaxx isn’t much better for their displays.
https://www.stationeryfreaks.com/episodes/mindmaps
In this episode:
- We explain, with poorly formed excuses, why we've been absent for 6 months
- We talk about consistency, notebooks, etsy and Helen's addiction to stickers
- We talk about notebook usage, whiteboards for bi-annual planning, bulletjournaling and A5 mind mapping
- Rob talks about his countryside productivity retreat
- Helen talks about colours, pens, mood
- Helen's cat makes an appearance
- And Rob talks about the endless nature on digital todo lists like ToDoist (and how it's not always a good thing)
We mention:
Zen Art Supplier
Moleskine
Etsy
Mark and Fold
Todoist
In today's episode we cover:
- How to pre-empt failure
- How Helen thinks through what could go wrong
- Why Rob looks at everything as an experiment - and therefore failures are data for moving forward
- Why resilience is essential
- The old stoic approach of setting a target but not being wedded to the outcome
The challenge -> Subscribe to the podcast as next year we have some cracking content coming your way
In today's episode we cover:
- Habit stacking and what it is
- Chaining habits together
- Forcing your environment to support your habits
- Picking one existing habit and building on it
- Avoiding leaving gaps between habits
- Doing just 15 minutes of habits
- How Helen did a PHD is procrastination
- Talking to your inner 8 year old
- How Helen uses her Bullet Journal to track habits
The challenge -> Choose a habit you wish to develop and decide when would be best to do that habit. Then find an existing habit in or close to that time. Then try to add your new habit together with the existing one!
In today's episode we cover:
- How we track goals once they are in progress
- Rob shares how he tracks his videos using a Mark and Fold notebook
- Helen shares how she relies on the enthusiasm at the beginning of starting a goal to drive habits
- Rob talks about his Fridge of Accountability
- Helen shares how she uses her Bullet Journal for tracking goals
The challenge -> We forgot to set one today!
In today's episode we cover:
- How we got interested in minimalism
- Courtney Carver's project 333
- The Minimalists - Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus
- Stationery Freak -> Someone who tells themselves they can walk past a stationery shop without going in, but they cannot
- How lockdowns have stopped impulse buying from stationery stores
- Helen's Etsy habit
- Maria Kondo
- Sort your life out with Stacey Solomon (and why visualising everything in a warehouse is so clever)
- Why emptying a cupboard and throwing stuff away is so cathartic
- Two recommendations
- Courtney Carver's project 333
- Fumio Sasaki's "Goodbye Things" book (affiliate link)
The challenge -> Pick one cupboard or drawer, empty it and discard that which doesn't spark joy
In today's episode we cover:
- How to turn goals into action
- Triggers that trip your brain into breaking it's subconscious routines
- Habits are awesome as you don't have to think about them
- Can you replace a bad habit with a good one?
- Can a certain place trigger habits?
- Is the theory of 21 days habit building correct?
- Traumatic moments help with building habits (anyone ever forget their gym kit at school?)
The challenge -> Pick one goal and think about what routines and habits you'll need to develop to bring it to life
In today's episode we cover:
- How to break a goal out into smaller parts, such as milestones or mini sub-goals
- Start small - what's the first step or next step
- Copy and learn from someone else
- Rob shares how he writes a book!
- Is there a period of preparation before starting a goal?
- And is this preparation a form of procrastination
- Make the most of the initial enthusiasm to make progress - before it gets challenging
The challenge -> Pick one of your goals and break it down into tiny next steps.
In today's episode we cover:
- Why Helen is learning how to make Japanese food - and how this is a personal learning goal
- Why Rob did a two year HR learning goal for his career - and how painful this was
- How Rob uses Meso-cycles of learning and implementing
- The difference between Task Acquisition and Information Acquisition
- How Rob uses Domestika for personal learning
- The "Two Whys" of learning - career and personal
The challenge -> Identify a simple learning goal you could commit to in either your personal and business life
In today's episode we cover:
How to use your journal to reflect on goals, life and behaviours
Rob butchers Seneca's journal questions (accidentally)
We talk about Benjamin Franklin's two questions to book-end the day
And whether Helen really will continue this habit into 2022
The challenge -> Continue journaling - and maybe use the "what good did I do today" prompt
Benjamin Franklin's Daily Schedule For Success (addicted2success.com)
How to start journaling — Stationery Freaks
In today's episode we cover:
- How Helen uses one notebook and typically has 3 - 6 goals
- Why too many can be overwhelming
- Why Helen works to a 9 month goal setting period
- Why breaking the rules of goal setting can be good
- Why scratching off goals that don’t resonate anymore is good
- But also why sometimes persevering is the right thing to do
- How Rob sets goals by breaking the 10 year painted picture down to 5 years - and then yearly goal within
- Why Rob has around 15 - 20 goals each year, but some are big and some are small
The challenge -> Whatever your method for goal setting, try setting a single goal and writing it in your notebook. And don’t forget to keep trying the gratitude journal
We have a cast on goal setting --> How to set goals (using stationery of course) — Stationery Freaks
Welcome to Day 3 of our 12 days of Christmas advent calendar.
In today's episode we cover:
- The basics of goal setting
- How Helen uses values to test her yearly goals.
- Why Helen only sets yearly goals
- How Rob paints a bright picture of the future 10 years out, then sets 5 year goals and then yearly goals
We have a cast on goal setting --> How to set goals (using stationery of course) — Stationery Freaks
In today's episode we cover:
Journaling and how to get started
Why it is therapy.
Seneca’s daily reflections, a brief science of journaling, tracking goals, working through problem and the difference between a journal and a diary
The challenge -> Write down three things you are grateful for
The Art of Journaling: How To Start Journaling, Benefits of Journaling, and More (dailystoic.com)
Morning Pages | Julia Cameron Live
How to start journaling — Stationery Freaks
Welcome to the first of 12 mini episodes. In today's episode we cover:
The first challenge -> Find yourself some stationery for the next week or so (notebook, pens etc). Write the date on a page and consider journaling. Or leave it blank :)
The basics of journaling and an introduction to our prize.
If you want to be in with a chance of winning one of Helen's very own Dan Ariely's "Perfect Notebook" then simply use the hashtag #stationeryfreaksadvent on Instagram. Feel free to connect with us over there also @stationeryfreaksuk
A new episode every day from 13th December 2021 - 24th December 2021
How to start journaling — Stationery Freaks
In this episode Helen introduces her little notebook of stoic phrases and ideas that she created for her daughter.
Helen explains what the notebook looks like, how she made it, why she made it and what it contains.
Rob and Helen explore a little more about stoicism and how translating some of the key ideas for kids is a good idea.
Rob and Helen ramble chat about a variety of ideas such as:
- Why saying No is important
- How to control how you respond
- Book recommendations for those interested in stoicism
- Why analogue notebooks can be passed down through generations
- And why we feel compelled to create notebooks full of wisdom for our kids.
Episode 16 - The little book of stoicism (for kids) — Stationery Freaks
In this episode Rob and Helen talk their favourite stationery heroes. Each of us present three of our top heroes from this last year.
Our heroes are those people and companies making useful, beautiful or unique stationery. From big manufacturers created amazing pens that work, to artisan craftspeople making one-off notebooks. We’ve got them covered.
- Helen talks about Zen Art Supplies. Again :) - https://www.zenartsupplies.co
- Rob talks about Lescargot Papier - https://lescargot-papier.com
- Helen talks about Papermate Inkjoy pens - https://inkjoy.papermate.com
- Rob talks about Mark and Fold - https://markandfold.com
- Helen talks about ETSY. Yes - the whole of Etsy :) But more specifically:
- Gretel Creates - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GretelCreates
- Unhappy Planner - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/UnhappyplannerStore
- Bones and Blankets - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/BonesAndBlankets
- Rob talks about Escape to the Chateau - and their notebooks - https://thechateau.tv/shop/personalised-gifts/stationery/personalised-notebooks.html
We also nod to Sainsburys (yes, the supermarket), moleskine and field notes.
Join us as we ramble chat through our favourite heroes and why we like to champion small business, why switching off from screens is important and why our stationery buys have shifted towards little moments of joy.
In this episode Rob and Helen talk about derailment, overwhelm, overwork and how they try to get a grip on life when it all becomes a bit too much.
Regular listeners will know it’s been over two months since the last podcast - and that’s because life (and our emotional reaction to it) has got in the way.
In this episode we share how we’re trying to get a grip on life, and cover, amongst other things:
- The difference between overwork and overwhelm
- To Do lists that look like world domination (too much to do)
- Bullet journaling, bucketing by themes and organising the chaos
- Moving to analogue to slow down, disconnect and deal with the constant video calls
- Rob talks about defaulting to learning new skills, crafts and hobbies
- Helen talks about capturing ideas, notes and tasks in the moment
- They ramble on about nature, gardening and finding time for YOU
- Rob talks about buying yet more new notebooks
- Helen talks about the joy of stationery gift boxes
- And both of them share ideas on how they are getting a grip on life
In this episode Rob and Helen talk about lists and why they are so powerful.
They share what lists they use and how they create and store them.
Lists such as:
- Moving House and House Extension lists
- To Do lis
- Editorial Calendar lists
- Travel lists
- Work induction checklists
- Stoic wisdom lists
- And more
They ramble chat about recurring lists in ToDoist, bullet journal, old Filofax systems and how lists can save lives.
Brands and tools mentioned in this post
ToDoist
Paperchase
Moleskine
Filofax
Oxford - Red and Black Notebooks
Trello
Really Moving house move checklist
CJ Hole House extension checklist
Rob’s induction and onboarding checklist in Trello
In this episode Rob and Helen talk about why they started this podcast; because of the potential that stationery offers us.
Whether that is a new brand, a book, an idea or simply the potential to organise the chaos that can be our lives - stationery offers potential.
That new notebook - what magic may it release?
That new organisation system - what order can it bring?
Rob and Helen talk about:
- The potential of new notebooks
- Why squandering those first few pages can ruin a new notebook
- Fountain pens and why you shouldn’t let your kids use them
- The dangers of ink bottles and clumsy people
- Why we shouldn’t merely copy other people’s habits and routines and expect to achieve great results
- Why some notebooks just call for Fountian Pens
We mention or talk about:
- Stationery Island
- Mark and Fold
- Paperchase
- Moleskine notebooks
In this episode Rob and Helen grab their notebooks and talk about what's inside. Helen talks about writing in Orange pen, being obsessed with post-it notes and how she splits her notebook 50/50 between work and life. Rob talks about a notebook that won't fold flat, how teachers are using sticky notes and why social media may not be good for his mental health.
Helen talks about her:
- Process improvement notes
- Interview spiel and questions
- Team Lisowski notes
- and more
Rob talks about his:
- Travel packing lists
- Keynote talks
- Editorial calendar drafts
We do hope you enjoy this episode - why not let us know what's in your notebooks.
Brands mentioned:
- Paperchase UK
- Filofax
Visit the blog - https://www.stationeryfreaks.com/episodes/whats-inside-our-notebooks
In Episode 10 Rob and Helen talk about how to build a personal knowledge management system using both digital and analogue methods.
Helen introduces her drawer full of randomness whilst Rob talks about how this drawer is actually some sort of system.
Rob then introduces how we use analogue and digital methods to create his PKMS as well as explaining how we offered the "Free Style Rap” over some loud drumming.
He then explains the two styles of learning using learning to play the drums as an example, hence the rapping.
Rob introduces the two styles of learning
- Information Acquisition
- Task Acquisition
Before going on to introduce the 4 steps to his PKMS
- Capture
- Curate
- Crunch
- Contribute
Rob explains how notes can be digital and analogue, how he uses Evernote as his digital storage system but a fab Ted Baker notebook as his real learning journal.
But none of this is important unless you put that information into action and learn from it.
Rob and Helen then close out by talking about Bullet Journaling, Washi Tape and UPPERCASE magazine.
Lots of deep learning and useful ideas in this episode - let us know if they resonate.
Products Mentioned :
- Ted Baker notebooks
- Evernote
- UPPERCASE MAGAZINE
Please note we use affiliate links to products mentioned on this page. It helps us to feed our addiction to stationery - you pay nothing more, but we earn a slight commission if you purchase during an active session created by the link. Check out our privacy policy for more.
Note taking may seem quite simple but in reality few people take effective notes, whether during meetings, or in everyday life.
Rob and Helen share reasons why note taking is so hard, how to make better notes and which stationery Rob and Helen use.
They cover, amongst other things:
- Why note taking is important
- Why some people may avoid making notes such as not being able to find them or transcribing rather than listening because it’s deemed faster.
- Why note taking by analogue methods works for Rob and Helen
- Why note taking by hand helps to remember in the now
- How Helen and Rob take notes in different contexts
- The legend / key that Helen and Rob use
- The stationery used (Bullet Journaling, Notepads, Learning note books)
- How slowing down helps to understand, rather than simply transcribing what has been said
- Why laptops in meetings and at conferences is annoying
Products Mentioned :
- Field Notes
- Paperchase
- Black and Red notebook
- Elements of Style book - Strunk and White
- Papermate ink joys
- Pentel Energel 0.7
- Montblanc Ink Pen
- Schaeffer Fountain Pen
- 30x40 design workshop - great architecture YouTube channel. His instagram account is great too.
- Sharpie Ultra Fine
- Papermate Flair
- UPPERCASE MAGAZINE
Please note we use affiliate links to products mentioned on this page. It helps us to feed our addiction to stationery - you pay nothing more, but we earn a slight commission if you purchase during an active session created by the link. Check out our privacy policy for more.
Visit us at stationeryfreaks.com
In this episode Rob and Helen share how they set goals, why they set them, how they track goals and how to build routines to deliver goals.
Rob talks about how we uses a Painted Picture to derive goals, and then uses goals to build routines and habits.
Helen talks about how she sets goals using her values and then builds routines to deliver on them.
They discuss:
- How to use stationery during goal setting
- How to set goals
- How to find the right goals
- How to track goals
- How many goals make sense
- How to build routines and habits
- And how Helen goal of writing a book will eventually, at last, hopefully, maybe be a reality
- Rob also talks about his fridge of accountability and his trusty pencil of choice - the classic Staedtler School pencil
They mention or reference:
- James Clear - Atomic Habits
- David Goggins - You can’t hurt me
- Staedtler Pencils
- Google Calendar
- Todoist
Please note we use affiliate links to products mentioned on this page. It helps us to feed our addiction to stationery - you pay nothing more, but we earn a slight commission if you purchase during an active session created by the link. Check out our privacy policy for more.
In this episode Helen quizzes Rob on how he developed the habit of journaling, why it's important to him and how we goes about doing it.
They cover:
How to get started
What to write about
Morning Pages, Prompts and Stoic Thinking
When to journal
The benefits of journaling
Then they ramble on for a little....
Products, supplies and inspiration we mention
- Moleskine A6 notebook
- TKMax notebooks
- Papermate Flair
- Morning Pages
- The Daily Stoic book - it's on a bargain basement price on Kindle.
- Pentel Energel pens
- Chase Jarvis - super inspiring
In this episode we discuss what annual stationery we buy each year and why.
We cover:
- Basic stationery stuff like journals, yellow legal pads and the humble paperclip.
- Training your brain for brainstorming
- Fountain pens and how they slow your brain down to think clearer
- Mechanical pencils and how Rob's forbidden from using them
- The legacy of old journals or maybe it's just fire fodder for Rob's kids
- And more
We mention or talk about :
- The 1980's called and they want Helen back - she's into these Filofax clipbooks
- Paipur notebooks- and how Helen LOVES these, but alas, they don't seem to be trading anymore.
- Zen Art Supplies - Our new favourite place for stationery.
- Rob's journal of choice is a Moleskine A6
- Rob loves Field Notes, but they are damn expensive here in the UK.
- Moleskine cahiers are Rob's preferred choice of little jotters for ideas, notes and tasks.
- Retractable pencils - be careful as pressing on hard like Rob does could take someone's eye out. These are the less dangerous of them all.
- Paperchase Products Ltd - the shop we often can't walk past.
- We mention how Jerry Seinfeld uses Yellow Legal pads to write jokes.
- Robs Yellow Legal Pads of choice.
- Cheap and cheerful fountain pens and how they slow you down.
- James Clear's article Rob references.
- Uniball Jet Stream Pens.
- Papermate Inkjoy pens that Helen loves.
- Papermate Flair Pens that Helen doodles with.
- Tombow Brush pens that Helen uses.
- Rob typically buys an annual wall planner.
Enjoy
Rob and Helen
In this episode we share our own systems for tracking workouts, fitness and nutrition - using stationery and digital tools.
We cover Helen's fitness goals and how she uses a "nice little notebook" to track her progress.
We cover Rob's fitness goals and how he uses a simple Paper Chase notebook - but spices it up for Instagram by adding silly comments. And how he's trying not to become a robust version of Ryder from Paw Patrol.
We cover Personal Trainers, plant based diets, Jerry Seinfeld's "don't break the chain", Kettlebells, Concept2 Ski Ergs, making good food choices, habit tracking, scheduling fitness and how tracking progress is a useful technique.
We mention:
- Wyldsson Protein Shakes - https://wyldsson.com/product/nutritional-vegan-protein-powder/
- Paperchase notebooks - The one's Rob uses are here - https://www.paperchase.com/en_gb/a6-kraft-cream-plain-notebook.html
- Strong App - https://www.strong.app/
- Mike Matthews and Legion Athletic (https://www.instagram.com/muscleforlifefitness) and https://legionathletics.com/michael-matthews/
- Concept 2 SkiErg - https://www.concept2.co.uk/skierg/concept2-skierg
Hope you enjoy the show.
Rob and Helen
In this episode Helen and I talk about Bullet Journaling and Time Blocking.
I'm not a fan of Bullet Journaling, but Helen is.
I explain why I'm not a fan, and Helen explains why it works so well for her.
We chat about Calendar / Time Blocking, my chosen productivity management, and why that works for me.
Note: There is a tiny bit of bad language in this episode.
We cover:
- Why Rob couldn't get Bullet Journaling to work
- How Helen uses Bullet Journaling
- Why all productivity systems are simply Containers with Rules
- Why Rob uses Time / Calendar Blocking and how it works - mostly because it forces prioritisation
- And why all approaches actually solve the same problem
- We talk about pondering, reflecting and how Bullet Journaling helps with this
- Why Rob separates out "productivity" and "reflection" into two separate systems
- Zoom fatigue - and saying no by filling in your calendar with your work
- How Rob journals - and what steers that journaling
- SAD lamps and journaling
- How to measure productivity using behaviours - rather than just tasks done
We mention:
- Zen Art Supplies - Our new favourite place for stationery - https://www.zenartsupplies.co/
- Todoist - https://todoist.com/
- Leuchtturm notebooks and how Helen found the pages to bleed - https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/notebooks/
- Paipur notebooks- and how Helen LOVES these, but alas, they don't seem to be trading anymore - https://www.paipur.com/welcome
- Google Calendar
Follow us on our LinkedIn page : https://www.linkedin.com/company/stationeryfreaks
Join us on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/stationeryfreaksuk/
Enjoy.
Rob & Helen
In this episode we discuss what's kept us busy during lockdown.
We cover:
- Bullet Journaling
- Journaling
- Zine making
- The compulsion to re-organise unused notebooks
- Buying stationery from supermarkets
- Studying and more.
We mention or talk about :
Todoist for getting things done
Monthly date stickers on Etsie
PAIPUR notebooks - Helen's a BIG fan of these.
Chameleon whiteboards - looks good for all of those agile/creative teams
Journaling and communication
Moleskine notebooks - my journal of choice.
Paperchase Products Ltd - the shop we often can't walk past.
Sainsbury's and Tesco upping their game in stationery supplies.
ZenART Supplies notebooks -
Evernote for studying.
3M Post-it notes for studying
MindMeister for learning mind maps
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Enjoy.
Rob & Helen
In this episode we walk through what it takes to create a conference talk and how stationery can be used during this process.
We cover:
- Outlining the talk using a combination of digital and analogue tools such as Workflowy and Mindmeister
- Mapping out the talk using index cards or sticky notes.
- Visualising the talk in arcs and flows
- Rehearsing and preparing using Powerpoint speaker notes, or, as Rob does it, writing it out long hand in an A4 notebook
- Using pointers and guides during the talk
Follow us on our brand new LinkedIn page : https://www.linkedin.com/company/stationeryfreaks
Join us on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/stationeryfreaksuk/
Enjoy.
Rob & Helen
In this episode we walk you through how to run an appreciative inquiry meetings.
So what is an appreciative inquiry?
- a meeting focused on just the good, the awesome
- not for negative problems - shouldn’t avoid these, but this meeting not place
- it’s about understanding what is working - shine a light on it and keep doing it
- it’s also about designing a brighter future
- as a meeting run with your team also a way to build trust and get people engaged in designing their own work
Step 1 - Invite the right people
Send an invite to only the people needed in the meeting. The more people you have, the harder the meeting as there are more voices, ideas and communication
Step 2 - Plan Ahead
Plan ahead and make sure you have the right kit.
- the stationery list is as follows:
Basic sticky-notes
- large sticky pads
- whiteboard pens
- pens for writing on sticky notes - our recommendation
- A3 paper
- index cards
- sticky tack
On the whiteboard you’ll need four columns for Discovery. Dream. Design. Plan and a boxed area for Offline - where you’re parking all of the negative comments, problems and challenges that people will inevitably bring up.
Step 3 - Create A Safe Place
At the start of the meeting I make sure I do something to create a safe place for people to share ideas.
You'll have your own style but I tend to tell some jokes, play a silly game or do something to stimulate the creative juices.
Step 4 - Start with Discovery
Discovery is all about what’s going well. What are the team doing that is awesome.
- What is working?
- What is excellent about your chosen area of discussion?
- What makes working there so awesome?
Step 5 - Dream
Next step is to dream. This is where I ask the people in the room to start listing how much better we could be.
Here are some sample questions.
- What could we do to improve on what is already working?
- How can we get even better?
- If we had no limitations at all what would our future look like?
- What kind of future would mean we would be unstoppable?
Step 6 - Design The Future
Now it's time to start working through the ideas in the next stage - the design stage.
The design stage is where we put in place steps to make the best ideas a reality.
- What would it take to deliver it?
- If we're doing this work what else has to drop?
- What would be the outcome of doing this work?
- Can we measure it?
- How will we know when we finish?
- Who benefits from this work?
- Do we have all the people we need to achieve this?
- Do we have the skills?
-Does this resonate with the business goals? - dig deep enough to be able to visualise what would it takes to deliver it.
Step 7 - Plan
Now we need to put in place a plan.
We're looking to put in place these things:
- Who is leading this work (and it should not be the manager, unless it is a management initiative).
- Who is on the team.
- Who is doing what.
- When is the next milestone? (Not too far out - a week at most)
- What reporting mechanisms are we using?
- The deploy stage is all about putting things in to motion and building a team around it.
Consider though, that there still won't be a huge amount of detail around the plan. So the next milestone is usually to flesh out the plan and report back to the wider team.
Step 8 - Ensure Clear Outcomes
Close the meeting and set the next steps. Reiterate back to the group what we're doing, why and by when. Fix the next meetings and make sure people are clear. Field any questions. Keep positive.
Step 9 - Follow Up
Follow up with good communications, regular meetings and iterative planning.
Ensure your team are talking to each other and reporting back progress.
Are they stuck with anything?
How is the plan going?
What actions are happening?
In my experience every time I run an appreciative inquiry the team are energised and focused.
Follow us on our brand new LinkedIn page : https://www.linkedin.com/company/stationeryfreaks
Join us on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/stationeryfreaksuk/
Enjoy.
Rob & Helen