Futuristic Learning #1 - Automate the Boring Stuff
And free up some useful time to learn more and create value
Hey there!
If you've been a subscriber for a while, you’ve probably noticed that the emails I sent each week were basically notifications of new articles on my blog. While the articles on my blog are quite useful, I’ve decided to take one step further to make this newsletter more valuable to you.
I’ll be making some changes to the format of this newsletter (I don’t know what the format is lol, it’ll come as I iterate). But …. From now on, I'm going to send you an email each Saturday.
The term “Futuristic Learning” was coined by me (about 3 hours ago). It was inspired by the saying, “Never stop learning” and the intent is to incorporate modern techniques and tools in learning, developing as an individual, and adding value to people.
This newsletter will explore concepts on learning better, creating value and being an all-round smarty pants. I’ll share my stories, lessons I’ve learned, life-changing insights and everything it takes to become a futuristic learner. This may include concepts like telepathy, mindset changes, and my favourite; going to space.
I’m excited for you to join me on this journey! If someone forwarded you this email, you can subscribe below and get this every week.
Here’s your first edition - Automate the Boring Stuff
We all know it! Adulting is hard enough. There’s school, work, laundry, cooking, chores, family, hobbies, side-hustles. Where’s the time to do all these?
Yet, we’re expected to be efficient and produce optimal results. This can be quite tedious until you realize you spend so much time on repetitive tasks that rob you of valuable moments in life.
I’ve been fascinated with the idea of automation ever since I started working as a co-op student (intern). At the office, I’m usually assigned the time-consuming tasks to reduce the workload of senior engineers.
I always felt like assigning these tasks to someone else but I was at the bottom of the hierarchy. There was no one else to send. OR was there?
I started learning how to write programs using Python so I could automate the ‘boring stuff’. I was able to write at least two programs to help me out with some of the tasks and ensure my data revisions were accurate. But I discovered more during my quest for automation.
There are lots of tasks you can automate (in your personal life) and you don’t even need to know how to program. In the past few months, I’ve explored different tools you can use to help you save time, optimize your workflow and increase your productivity in school, work and beyond.
Here are a few:
File Management
Zapier - With Zapier, you can:
Save files automatically
Move files around and organize them
Print files automatically
and more.
Hazel - Automated Organization for your Mac that lets you:
Organize your files
Take out the trash
File Juggler - Windows alternative to Hazel
Idea Capture
Instapaper - Save web pages quickly for later reading
Evernote Web Clipper - Save and annotate screenshots, articles, pdfs
IFTTT - Link apps on your phone and store information automatically
Browser Extensions
Lastpass - Never worry about remembering a password again
Grammarly - Save time editing your writings with this automatic editor
Adblock for Youtube - Automatically skip all those pesky ads wasting your time
Quote of the Week
Recommended Articles on the Blog
Question on My Mind
In today’s world where learning has taken on different forms, is it still worth it to study at the University?
I think it still is. But let me know your thoughts/take on this. Hit reply
Alright! That’s it for this week!
Hope you find something useful to embark on your journey of Futuristic Learning.
Till next week!
If someone forwarded you this email, you can subscribe below and get this every week.
Encouraging