Learn From My Mistakes

Short story of how I break life chaos into small, solvable problems - 4 min read.

It was a disaster.

Years ago, on day two of our “vegetable-style” vacation (you know - 90% beach lounging, 10% food consumption), I realized I’d left my charger at home.

Not just any charger. The proprietary one for my HP iPaq Pocket PC.

Yes, we’re talking pre-iPhone era. Dark times.

This trip was my first brave attempt at going all-digital, swapping out paperback bricks for a sleek mini library of eBooks.

Unlike, as I later learned, my wise wife, who brought real books. Physical ones. With pages.

By the second day, my device was dead. And there was no way to buy that niche charger on a tropical island. I was furious.

I blamed my memory. I almost blamed my wife for not reminding me (that went as well as you’d imagine).

The punishment? Oh, it was swift and cruel.

I ended up reading her soap-opera paperbacks - tear-soaked stories filled with kisses, heartbreak, and awkwardly described hookups.

Not exactly the sci-fi escape I’d meticulously curated for the trip.

I lost brain cells. Good ones.

But pain is a great teacher.

That was the moment I made a solemn pact with myself: create packing checklists and trust only the list.

Checklist 1.0 → Evolution

It started small - just the essentials. But after a few “oh shit, forgot my swim trunks” and “damn, no contact lens cleaner” moments, the list grew.

One time, I even forgot my iPad (fully loaded with TV shows) sitting on the charger before an intercontinental flight. Brutal.

Every forgotten item came with a splash of regret. And the list got stronger.

Tools I Tried (and Cursed)

• Excel - where it all began. Yep, I was a proud Windows PC owner back then. Shocking, I know.

• Google Sheets - cloud power! But removing packed items? Clunky.

• Todoist - before templates were a thing. Why, God, whyyyy?

• Notion - finally, a winner. Buttons. Templates. Automation. Hallelujah.

How I Use It Now

With Notion, I create a checklist once, save it as a Button, and just tap to generate a fresh version before each trip.

You can cross items off with a single click - it’s oddly satisfying.

Start on your laptop, and continue on your phone in the closet. Cross-platform bliss.

I even keep a few standard templates ready to go:

Air Travel Button

Carry-on:

• Passport & docs

• Cash

• Airpods

• Chargers (don’t get stranded)

• Plug adapters

• iPad / iPhone

• Sanitizer

• Chewing gum

• Inflatable pillow

• Earplugs

• Tumbler (post-security coffee = mid-flight happiness)

• Etc.

Check-in:

• Clothes (seasonal)

• Toiletries

• Health stuff (painkillers, melatonin, Band-Aids)

• Travel Waterpik (non-negotiable)

• AirTag

Flight-specific apps:

• TripIt

• Uber/Lyft

• Booking.com

• Airline apps

• Airalo (cheap roaming data)

Road Trips

Shorter, more casual.

Add snacks, drinks, and Waze (just in case, never actually use it).

Beach Days (we’re 3 hours away, including stops - lucky us)

Lightest list, but sunscreen-heavy.

Towels, chairs, umbrellas, and max chill vibes.

The Pre-Trip Ritual

Most trips start early morning.

So I run through the list the night before.

Then a final sweep in the morning - that’s why iPad and AirPods are on the list. (Fully loaded with energy and entertainment.)

Going Beyond Travel: My Weekly Review Button

As a loyal GTD nerd, I took it further.

Here’s what David Allen says:

To avoid reinventing the wheel every Sunday, I made another Button - for my Weekly Review.

(Confession time: I don’t actually do it every week. Please don’t break up with me. I love you so much.)

GTD Weekly Review Template

Before review:

• Clear desk

• Make tea or coffee

• Pick playlist

• Do Not Disturb mode

Inboxes to process:

• Todoist Inbox

• Notion Inbox

• Obsidian Daily

• Spark Inbox (my multi-email client of choice)

• Physical notebook (yes, the analog one)

• JustPressRecord (voice memo brain dumps on-the-go)

During review:

• Review Next Actions

• Review “My Projects” list

• Review Calendar (past & upcoming)

• Review “Waiting For” list in Todoist

• Review “Waiting For” folder in Spark

After review:

• Review Someday/Maybe

• Review Pending and Support files

• Review the “Downloads” folder

• Review the “Desktop” folder

• Review other checklists

• Backup via FreeFileSync

Want the Notion Buttons I use?

Just reply to this email - I’m happy to share the link.

So yeah, I’ve come a long way from forgetting chargers and rage-reading beach romance novels.

Now? I’ve got Buttons, backups, and borderline obsessive checklists.

Do I still occasionally forget things?

Absolutely.

But now it's less about panic and more about progress.

Because over time, I've learned that peace doesn't come from remembering everything. It comes from knowing your system will catch what you forget.

But at least when things go wrong, I can point to a checklist and say, "See? It was supposed to work."

Till next time

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This article from is worth a look - it mixes brain-friendly science (like cognitive load, the Zeigarnik Effect, and multitasking myths) with ready-to-use frameworks (Eisenhower Matrix, time blocking, GTD) so you can actually turn chaotic to-dos into a focused, manageable plan. It's not just another theory dump - it gives you clear steps to organize your day so you feel less frazzled and more in control.

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A deep dive into the quirks, habits, and backstories that shape icons

Cool Facts About Stephen Hawking:

Fixed Schedule: At the height of his career, Hawking routinely left his office by 5 or 6 p.m., believing that a rested mind solved problems better. Late nights were saved only for moments when a true breakthrough was in sight.

Mindful Breaks: He believed in taking restorative breaks on unproductive days - enjoying music or spending time with friends—instead of forcing work endlessly. Leisure was treated as part of his productivity strategy, recharging his creativity.

Lecture Rehearsal: Hawking typed out full lectures in advance and had his computer speak them paragraph by paragraph. This allowed him to rehearse and refine every sentence well before ever presenting it publicly.

Perfect Punctuation: Despite agonizingly slow typing, Hawking refused shortcuts. He painstakingly corrected every typo and punctuation mark, ensuring that each of his ideas was articulated exactly as intended.

Time-Travel Party: Ever the playful mind, Hawking once held a “time traveler’s party” in 2009—announcing it only after it ended—as a tongue-in-cheek test of his own time-travel conjecture. As expected, not a single time traveler showed up.

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