The Thursday Dispatch - 6 November 2025
I currently have a lot of ideas of what to write about. But I’ll leave some of those thoughts for later posts. For now, I want to focus on what I wrote for my Now page this month. If you don’t know, a Now page is a personal webpage that lists what you’re currently focused on — things like projects you’re working on, interests, goals, or what’s happening in your life right now. It’s like an updated “status” page that gives visitors a snapshot of what matters to you at the moment, rather than a static bio. My Now page was recently updated to show past updates, so you can see how things changed over time.
I’ve been trying to update mine once a month as of late. At the beginning of November, I mentioned I deleted any algorithmic social media off my phone. I didn’t want to have quick access to this as I found myself sitting at home at night, constantly feeling the pull of Instagram, even though I knew there wouldn’t be much new I would care about. I frankly hate anything that makes me feel like a junkie or has control over me. I could have been cleaning my place, writing, listening to a new album, indulging in a TV show or movie, really anything other than doomscrolling.
Part of this push away has brought me back to my notebooks. I have three, but they work hand in hand with one another. The first is a pocket Bullet Journal notebook. I had been carrying a Field Notes memo book in a folio with me daily, but found myself wanting to be slightly more minimal, especially since the pockets in my new jeans are just slightly smaller for some reason.
In the pocket notebook, I log everything using the baseline Bullet Journal format. This starts as soon as I wake up and have a cup of coffee made. I sit down at my desk, and the first thing I write is how I feel, which is usually some form of tired. From here, it’s getting anything else on my mind out, from things I need to do, events coming up, or writing ideas that pop into my head. Once I’m at work, I’ll log anything work-related, like who I have working with me and tasks I’d like to accomplish. I also have ways of signifying any attendance issues and documented conversations. Basically, the pocket notebook becomes a snapshot of my day.
The other two notebooks are the same, but one is for home, the other for work. I simply copy what the smaller notebook has, but filed into the appropriate journal. I usually try to do this in the evening, but if I worked late, I’ll simply do it the following morning. This is how I reflect, process, and remember the day that just happened. It allows me to move on while still retaining what I need to. I can also see what unfinished things I need to move to the new day or schedule for a future time.
I feel with the Christmas rush fastly approaching, I needed to do something that would cause me to slow down, remember to breathe, and allow me to process the things I need to. I can say a week in, I feel happier and more calm than I did through the month of October, which felt chaotic throughout. I know this system isn’t perfect, but I know I feel noticeable gains whenever I attempt to stick with it.
Weekly Photo
It’s officially fall here. We’re nearing peak color and the temperatures are definitely cooler. It’s making my walks much more enjoyable.
This Past Week
Weekly Links
- 23 Years of Blogging, the Sense of Wonder Edition by Ton Zijlstra - “Blogging is a feedback loop on one’s sense of wonder.”
- My IndieWeb Journey: Building, Sharing, and Owning Your Online Presence by Ana Rodrigues
Songs in the Chaos
This is my weekly list of songs that either caught my attention or came to mind this past week. I post these throughout the week on a site called Crucial Tracks, where they’re also added to a playlist on Apple Music. Feel free to follow me on either space.
