The Quarterly, spring 2024
Well firstly, shame on all of us for not pointing out that I'd missed a golden opportunity with the previous Quarterly. The newsletter now has an ID: 00.25.
/takes a bow
It's spring in Canberra and here's what we're up to at JDHQ.
The index is now your JDex!
I love this. Thanks to @obsidian_starcaller on the forum, we now have a proper name for the index: your JDex.
The beauty is that it's flexible. Want to personalise yours? Just use the 'Dex' suffix and add whatever works for you. We've already seen Ghil with his Ghil.Dex. (Lucy will probably call hers the Chicken.Dex.)
You'll see us using this more in the future. I hope you like it.
Quick Start: 'Life admin' released (and updated)
It feels like a year ago, but we released this since the previous Quarterly. Time is weird when you run your own business.
I'm really happy with how this turned out. We've developed a really tight Johnny.Decimal area which should be able to contain 95% of your daily life. You get a standard folder template, a 70-page manual, and detailed files which explain our design decisions and point out any exceptions or other points of note. You import these to your notes app of choice and that becomes your JDex. It couldn't be easier.
I use it myself and I couldn't be happier. I genuinely feel more organised! Imagine that. Check it out.
Not only did we release it, we just updated it. I got some great feedback about the Obsidian JDex folder in the pack, and a tip about how to make it work a touch better with Apple Notes. So we improved those, and fixed a few typos.
Community translations of the pack are underway! So far we have Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, and French. If you'd like to help, see the forum post.
Also see the note below re: the Slack channel which will make more sense after you read the next section.
Quick Start: 'Small business' is next
I'm excited about this. We'll start working on the small business pack soon. It'll contain everything that you need to run most small businesses: whether you produce stuff on a computer; make or grow a thing; provide food & bev or other hospitality; a physical service like gardening or personal training; a knowledge service like accounting or consulting; or if you got roped in to being the treasurer for your kid's kindergarten or the secretary of your local beer brewing club.
Fundamentally, they all have the same requirements: contracts, staff, tax, sales, marketing. So we'll work out a pattern and give you the same as life admin: a folder structure to store your stuff, and files so you can create your JDex.
But I have greater visions for this. Running a small business is tough. There's so much to do. And we all have to figure it out ourselves every time. I hate this kind of inefficiency. So I want this pack to grow to be your business operations manual.
For example, you need to do your quarterly accounting. You might want advice on which software to use; how to track receipts; and perhaps a checklist so you can complete it each quarter. I'd like all of that knowledge to be part of the Quick Start pack.
That all won't come on day one, and I'm going to need some help. My idea is to use Slack, with a channel dedicated to each ID. Need help with the books? Head over to #13-11-quarterly-bookkeeping and ask your question there. This way every channel is highly focused.
I'll take the stuff we learn and incorporate it in to the pack. Where life admin comes with a PDF, I think small business will be a website you log in to. This way I can update it near-constantly.
As a result, it will also be an optional subscription. Just want the basic pack? That's $x. Want the pack + ops manual + community? That'll be $x + $y/month.
Slack is open
I've created this Slack, and we're testing it out with the life admin system. Anyone who joins before the small business pack is released will be a free member for life.
Oh yeah we re-wrote the entire website
Honestly, I almost forgot. Perhaps I'm trying to block the trauma! We did, we re-wrote it all. Lucy did most of the words, and I gave the code a nice tidy up.
It started one Sunday and we basically didn't stop for three weeks. It got a big style update -- monospace everywhere! -- and every page got a refresh.
The Johnny.Decimal system changes over time. It adapts to the technology of the day; it evolves as we work on it and create new products.
Most recently -- as a result of creating life admin -- I've realised that IDs should be broader. Like, really broad.
The new website reflects this change, and aligns all of the examples with the life admin pack. Check it out. And tell a friend! Word of mouth really helps.
Spring: YouTube, and focus
There'll be a short Bear series on YouTube, showing how I use its features to manage my JDex. And I've got something for those of you interested in using my system to improve your attention.
I've been using timers and widgets to keep myself on track. It's really interesting: watch the channel for more. And if you have ADHD, I'd love to hear from you. I think I can help and I want it to become something I consciously address.
And I finally installed Obsidian. I see its appeal. So I'll be going down that rabbit-hole, and documenting it all on the channel.
Survey
We’d love to know what you need. Is it Quick Start packs targeted to a specific area of life? More workshops? Other videos? Software? Advice on which apps to use? Something totally different? Tell us!
Ko-fi & Patreon
I'll keep this short as I hate asking. We've got profiles on Ko-fi & Patreon, which are platforms that allow you to support people like us. If a fraction of you gave us just $2/month it'd make a huge difference to our lives. We live on the smell of an oily rag.
Every level of support comes with a shiny Johnny.Decimal sticker and our eternal gratitude.
Ko-fi (our preferred platform)
Patreon
Alternatively, did you know we have an Excel course? It's really good. It took us half a year to record. I meticulously planned it to take Lucy from knowing literally nothing to structured table references and XLOOKUP. It's now just $90.
That's it, from a windy Sunday morning here in Canberra. The chickens are hiding in their bush. I know how they feel.
j.
To subscribe to the Quarterly, email list@johnnydecimal.com with the subject SUBSCRIBE.