Blog

May 2026

• A new website, and a focus on small business [0193]
  

  Big news.

March 2026

• March's YouTube roundup [0192]
  

  Links to the videos we published this month.

• Monodraw: create lovely ASCII diagrams [0191]
  

  Monodraw is a lovely little Mac app and only costs $10.

• Decimal Diary: Happy 1st birthday to the SBS [0190]
  

  Lucy reflects on the Small Business System's 1st birthday.

• Documenting my security practices [0189]
  

  Here's an in-depth look at my security practices. In the hope of making it readable by the layperson, I'll give background where necessary. I welcome feedback.

• A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy [0188]
  

  Last week it was my pleasure to have A Productive Conversation with Mike Vardy.

• Post-incident review [0187]
  

  Here's what happened, how it happened, what I did about it, and what I'm doing to make sure it can't happen again.

• I uploaded your email address to GitHub [0186]
  

  I really did.

• A security incident [0185]
  

  Email addresses have leaked from somewhere.

February 2026

• February's YouTube roundup [0184]
  

  Links to the videos we published this month.

• The 'work log' [0183]
  

  An attempt – again – to be more deliberate in how I work.

• JDex deep-dive: data and storage options [0182]
  

  You can store data in your JDex, or externally. And you can store that JDex as files in your filesystem, or externally. This post is a deep-dive into these scenarios.

January 2026

• 'Powered by Johnny.Decimal' badge [0181]
  

  Show people how organised you are with an official 'Powered by Johnny.Decimal' badge!

• Backups aren't enough: create 'restore points' [0180]
  

  I had to use my backups, and it was scary, and I was unprepared. Here's what I'm changing.

December 2025

• The two-tea-towel method [0179]
  

  My Christmas gift to you: my patented two-tea-towel method of kitchen management.

• Lazy shortcuts lead to mistakes [0178]
  

  That last blog post wasn't ready and shouldn't have been published. It slipped out because I was lazy.

• Standard zero 'AC.00 JDex for …' – what's it for? [0176]
  

  Clarifying a common confusion: what are these 'standard zero' entries for?

• Commercial licence [0175]
  

  Johnny.Decimal now offers an optional commercial licence for those of you who would like to support us.

• Finder folders to Markdown links in Bear [0174]
  

  Want a link from a Bear note that opens a Finder folder? Your Mac does all the work for you: just copy/paste.

• Obsidian links (redux) [0173]
  

  I keep refining how I link back to my Obsidian notes. This feels pretty close to perfect.

• Terminal tricks [0172]
  

  Some neat tricks to get you to your folders faster using the macOS command line.

• Configuration management [0171]
  

  Or, 'what's worth remembering?'

November 2025

• Decimal Diary: TGIF and vintage annual reports [0170]
  

  Wednesday's blog posts will be guest appearances by Lucy from now. This week she tells us about tidying up her vintage annual report collection.

• An invoice disappears [0169]
  

  Well that's weird. At least I noticed. Here's how I'll make sure it doesn't happen again.

• How to remember the Markdown link syntax [0168]
  

  Square or regular brackets? Link first or title first? It took me ages to remember: here's a handy memory tip.

• An(other) advantage of the creative pattern [0167]
  

  As we approach 100 IDs in our creative system, the pattern keeps proving itself. Here's another nice advantage of the system.

• Decimal Diary: Business links and food trucks [0166]
  

  Wednesday's blog posts will be guest appearances by Lucy from now. This week she tells us about researching links for the Small Business System.

• Find the hidden option [0165]
  

  Companies – particularly budget airlines – will try to stiff you. Here's what to look out for.

• 🎁 Holiday season 2025: Buy one, gift one [0164]
  

  Give the gift of organised this year.

• /tmp is bad [0163]
  

  Storing things in 'temporary' folders is (usually) quick, lazy, and wrong. Don't do it.

• Decimal Diary: Not-Kondo and deleting Canva [0162]
  

  Wednesday's blog posts will be guest appearances by Lucy from now. This week she tells us about deleting stuff.

• Work log [0161]
  

  Leaving simple notes-to-self so you can pick up where you left off.

• An anti-distraction trick [0160]
  

  A quick trick to reveal your own bad habits. Shame yourself in to change!

October 2025

• Deliberately [0159]
  

  Take inspiration from Japanese train drivers. Act deliberately.

• Personal Business [0158]
  

  A lovely editorial piece from Charles Broskoski at Are.na.

• Decimal Diary: Confronting mortality and messy passwords [0157]
  

  Wednesday's blog posts will be guest appearances by Lucy from now. This week she tells us about neatening up her life.

• A nice JDex entry: 14.32+1Password [0156]
  

  It struck me that this was a particularly neat entry, so I thought I'd share it.

• The front door and the elephant [0155]
  

  Things are easier to find if you do it the long way.

• Mitsu-bishi 9852 [0154]
  

  Pencil + orange = heaven.

• Bum Man [safe!] [0153]
  

  More people should know who Bum Man is.

• The Japanese web is delightful [0152]
  

  Japan shows us that we should have stopped at 1.0.

• Automated organisation? [0151]
  

  A practical use for 'AI': have it analyse and sort your data for you.

• Decimal Diary: Data leaks and credit reports [0150]
  

  Today's blog is a guest post by Lucy.

• Listmonk on a Pikapod with AWS SES [0149]
  

  I finally found an email list service that I love (and control).

• The Johnny.Decimal Workbook is free [0148]
  

  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

• Globally unique identifiers [0147]
  

  Giving your Johnny.Decimal stuff globally-unique identifiers might be cool. I'm not sure why? But it feels cool.

• How many things are you trying to do at once? [0146]
  

  If the answer is more than 'one', we all know that works out. Use your Johnny.Decimal system to stay focused.

• 'Creative outputs' should link back to an ID [0145]
  

  They aren't standalone things. What was the job for? Link it back there.

• Use your Desktop [0144]
  

  A tip via Lucy.

• Rebuilding the site (again) (slowly) [0143]
  

  I'd like to freshen up the site. But I'd also like to freshen up my brain.

• Naming hard drives [0142]
  

  Naming your hard drives can be tricky. And what do you do with all those stickers? Ah-ha! A beautiful synergy.

• Use the numbers (Luke…) [0141]
  

  Don't go clicking around your filesystem when a JD ID can get you there instantly.

• A regional Japanese mall [0140]
  

  Walk somewhere uninteresting sometimes.

• Give things stupid names [0139]
  

  'Serious' names are boring. Boring concepts don't anchor in your brain. Have some fun and you'll remember more.

• Delete things [0138]
  

  Being neat !== being a digital hoarder.

• Your JDex is your PKM [0137]
  

  Misconception: you have your JDex, and you have a PKM system. No: they're the same thing.

• Be a better human (a technique, not an order) [0136]
  

  An idea I'm trying out to get some of the stuff done that seems to otherwise go un-done.

• Start with a mindmap [0135]
  

  You can never go wrong if you start with a mindmap.

September 2025

• The previous post has been updated [0134]
  

  A site update notification.

• Extend-the-end: a deep-dive [0133]
  

  A deeper look at the 'extend-the-end' pattern documented at 13.31.

• Personal and work systems: how do they interact? [0132]
  

  Many of us have a personal and a work Johnny.Decimal system, often on the same computer. What's the best way to manage this?

• Your computer is your workshop [0131]
  

  Treat your computer like your woodworking shop. Consciously prepare the next job. Clean up when you're finished. Do one thing at a time.

• Obsidian tip: link directly to a header [0130]
  

  I like to cross-link from Things to Obsidian. Here's how to link directly to an Obsidian header within a document.

• Tags are contextless [0129]
  

  Tags are also dumb because, once created, they have no context.

• Don't be lazy, don't be stupid [0126]
  

  Do it right, now; or do it again, later.

• JDU Task & Project Management course: quick update [0128]
  

  I'm working on the next JDU course, which is a complete guide to 'Task & Project Management' using the Johnny.Decimal system.

• Tags are dumb. I'm going to fix tags [0127]
  

  Tags are dumb. They don't work and if you prefer them over folders, you're wrong. So I'm rewriting my blog with tags as the primary mechanism of organisation. I'm going to fix tags.

August 2025

• I created my own platform [0125]
  

  What is it, and why, and what next?

July 2025

• Be who you are [0124]
  

  It's been a tough day. But I realised something really important.

May 2025

• Online reviews are dead [0123]
  

  They had a good run. Let's say the mid-2000s until, well, today. 2005-01-01 — 2025-05-31. RIP online reviews.

• Email [0122]
  

  Love it? Didn't think so. Hate it? Well then let's see how I deal with that.

• Things: processing your categories - part 3 🎬 [0121]
  

  Continuing the Things video series, we look at the steps taken to organise the jumble of tasks in each of my categories.

• Backups [SBS.14.23] [0120]
  

  A small series looking at the Small Business System's section 14.20 Storage, data, & backups. Today: backups.

• Synchronisation [SBS.14.22] [0119]
  

  A small series looking at the Small Business System's section 14.20 Storage, data, & backups. Today: synchronisation.

• RSS: a public service announcement [0118]
  

  RSS is great, and you should know about it. If you do, move along. If you don't, read on.

• Things: principles and priorities - part 2 🎬 [0117]
  

  Continuing the Things video series, we review my design principles, and introduce a simple prioritisation system.

• Data [SBS.14.22] [0116]
  

  A small series looking at the Small Business System's section 14.20 Storage, data, & backups. Today: data.

• Storage, data, & backups [SBS.14.20] [0115]
  

  A small series looking at the Small Business System's section 14.20 Storage, data, & backups. Today: storage.

April 2025

• Things: processing your inbox - part 1 🎬 [0114]
  

  A video follow-up to post '22.00.0110 Things: why and how I use it.'

• Managing customer data (especially exceptions) [0113]
  

  I handle exceptions to my customer data by starting every piece of work in my JDex, not in my online customer portal.

• PRM vs. PKM; getting a new driver licence [0112]
  

  I see Johnny.Decimal's strength as Personal Records Management, more so than Personal Knowledge Management. A nice example is applying for a new driver licence.

• Things: cross-link to Obsidian and back [0111]
  

  Before we tackle my Things inbox, let's review what it is, and why and how I use it.

• Things: why and how I use it [0110]
  

  Before we tackle my Things inbox, let's review what it is, and why and how I use it.

• I'm never distracted when I'm cooking [0109]
  

  Through the day, I often forget what I was supposed to be doing. But put a sharp knife in my hand and turn on the gas and I become hyper-focused.

• When I migrate to SBS I'll copy, not move [0108]
  

  Old systems should be left as static archives.

• Dave's sticker: on the value of adding an ID to your email subject [0107]
  

  Adding a JD ID to your email subject gives you instant recall 2 months later.

• Creating 'dark mode' images [0106]
  

  Creating a bash script to turn any 'light mode' image in to a passable 'dark mode' equivalent.

• Bestie's data [0105]
  

  I look after my bestie's data. She's a pro photographer. Here's how I organise it.

• Everything Everywhere All at Once [0104]
  

  I'm going to try documenting essentially everything I do, and become The Most Organised Man in the World.

• SBS: Question about portfolio; storing brush templates [0103]
  

  On Discord, theoutermost asks the best place to store their portfolio, showreel, & CV. And a follow-up question about saving items used in creative work.

March 2025

• The Small Business System [0102]
  

  After 6 months of work, the Small Business System is launched.

• My data storage & backup strategy [0101]
  

  In case it helps, here's how I manage large volumes of data across multiple machines and keep it all backed up.

February 2025

• Blog questions challenge 2025 [0100]
  

  Responding to Ava's blog challenge.

January 2025

• Goodbye, sweet ladies [0099]
  

  Honouring the three best chickens that ever were.

• JDHQ is on the move [0098]
  

  A new chapter of our lives begins.

• TGIF [0097]
  

  A new Johnny.Decimal initiative: thank god I filed it! (on Friday).

• 21c/Q2 – new habits for a new quarter-century [0096]
  

  Quarter-centuries don't roll round very often. Let's use it to shake things up.

December 2024

• Back from holiday; minimising the office; Decimal.Business update [0095]
  

  An end-of-2025 update: I'm back from holiday. Small business is full-steam-ahead. And I threw away half the office.

November 2024

• Don't type the date by hand [0094]
  

  I use the yyyy-mm-dd date _all the time_, but I never actually type it out. Here's how to have your computer generate it for you, and some other simple how-to-be-better-at-computering tips.

• Is 'private community' an oxymoron? [0093]
  

  I don't like the idea of a 'private community' and I'm disabling it.

• A brilliant use for ChatGPT [0092]
  

  In writing ops manuals for Decimal.Business, I might have come up with a genius use for ChatGPT.

• 'Small business' pre-launch open [0091]
  

  The Johnny.Decimal Small Business System is available for pre-launch sale.

• 'Small business' update 04 [0090]
  

  Designing a structure for your back- and front-office operations.

October 2024

• First Principles podcast appearance [0089]
  

  Saagar Singh Sachdev was kind enough to have me as a guest on his 'First Principles' podcast.

• I don't do Black Friday [0088]
  

  You shouldn't expect any small business to support Black Friday. It's terrifying.

• 'Small business' update 03 [0087]
  

  So we've covered the common stuff: now what about your product?

• 'Small business' update 02 [0085]
  

  How we're trying to design a business system that feels human.

• 'Small business' update 01 [0086]
  

  Category 11 is taking shape; as is the helper app that will create your system.

• Half an hour a day [0084]
  

  An experiment in getting the non-urgent stuff done.

• Using the new '+' [0083]
  

  How I'm using the new '+' notation to represent a sub-ID.

• Coming soon: 'small business' [0082]
  

  Formally announcing the upcoming 'small business' system.

September 2024

• What's wrong with this data structure? [0081]
  

  Seeking feedback on a provisional data structure.

• Headers [0080]
  

  My thoughts on 'headers', which we used to organise the categories in the life admin pack.

• 'System expansion' rewrite [0079]
  

  We've re-written and expanded category '13 System expansion'.

• Video series: Managing your JDex with Bear [0078]
  

  Announcing a video series: how I manage my JDex using the notes app Bear.

• Old vs. new IDs [0077]
  

  How I used to create IDs; how I do it now.

• RSS whoops [0076]
  

  I'm aware of the dodgy items in the feed.

• Increase contrast [0075]
  

  'Increase contrast' mode makes everything feel normal again.

• YouTube: Focus and productivity series [0074]
  

  Announcing a new YouTube series, Focus and productivity.

August 2024

• Slack × Life admin: an experiment [0073]
  

  Announcing a new Slack, dedicated to detailed discussion of the 'life admin' pack.

• 6.0.0 [0072]
  

  Version six of the site is released.

• Bear Pro subscription prize draw [0071]
  

  I've drawn the winners of the Bear Pro subscription prize draw

July 2024

• Site refresh [0070]
  

  We're giving the site its annual service.

• What is an ID? [0069]
  

  A fundamental Johnny.Decimal question: what is an ID, and how much should it contain?

• Standard 'life admin' pack [0068]
  

  We're developing a new standard 'life admin' area, and I've been moving my life over to it.

• File system folders from text, via Excel [0067]
  

  Video: a simple way to create file system folders from text. In this case we create a Johnny.Decimal structure from MindNode.

• The classes of to-do, pt. 2 [0066]
  

  Follow-up on post 22.00.0034.

June 2024

• Ask yourself: why am I saving this thing? [0065]
  

  A mental trick to help you if you can't decide where a thing should go.

• D85 system and the 'creative' pattern: progress report [0064]
  

  A progress report on the new 'D85 Johnny.Decimal business' system, and the 'creative' pattern, which we're using.

• Why my software will be Apple-only [0063]
  

  I'm going to write some software. I'm sorry, but it'll be for Apple platforms only. This is why.

May 2024

• 16,337 words [0062]
  

  WeblogPoMo2024 made me write 16,678 words.

• Regional Chinese [0061]
  

  When we travel to regional towns, our highlight is invariably their high-street Chinese restaurant.

• Ellane learns the command line [0060]
  

  My friend Ellane and I are launching a mini-course, where I teach her how to use the command line.

• RSS feed fixed [0059]
  

  I knew if I waited long enough Astro would do the heavy lifting for me.

• Get up early! [0058]
  

  And by early I mean 05:00. It'll change your life.

• Use JD to organise your tags? [0057]
  

  An untested suggestion: if you do use tags, perhaps you could organise those tags using Johnny.Decimal?

• Goals × life [0056]
  

  Sometimes it's okay to miss an arbitrary target in favour of living life.

• Thoughts on tags [0055]
  

  Tags are an alternative to the categorisation inherent to Johnny.Decimal. I have thoughts.

• Rhodia notepads [0054]
  

  The off-white Rhodia notepad is my favourite notepad. In fact, it's all I'm able to write on.

• Building a winter coop [0053]
  

  We had a day off today, and built a winter coop for the ladies.

• 'Projects' vs. 'events' [0052]
  

  More thoughts on the granularity of IDs.

• Socks [0051]
  

  People sometimes wonder if I'm also neat in real life.

• Granularity of IDs [0050]
  

  'How big is an ID' is a common question; Lucy answered it differently than I would have, and I like what she did.

• Which apps do I use? [0049]
  

  Peter on Discord wonders 'what apps I use to organise yourself, your website, and your business?'

• Learning Swift [0048]
  

  Boy am I glad I learned JavaScript in 2018.

• Request for help: how do I learn Mac software development? [0047]
  

  Help me get started as quickly as possible.

• On holiday [0046]
  

  Nothing today, I have a day off.

• I cycled to the airport [0045]
  

  Fulfilling a life's dream, I ride my bike to the airport for a domestic flight.

• Howcome Johnny is disorganised? [0044]
  

  I'm the guy telling you how to be organised. And yesterday I confessed that I wasn't organised. What's going on?

• Started re-organising system D85 [0043]
  

  I'm re-organising the Johnny.Decimal system that manages 'the Johnny.Decimal business'. Post-it notes are on the wall!

• Two (easy) recipes [0042]
  

  Favourites from my childhood: vegetable soup, and corned beef pie.

• I went to a regional expo [0040]
  

  I went to the CBR expo; didn't eat Grease Monkey; and got conflicting advice. It was very regional.

• How I feel about AI [0041]
  

  A conversation with me from the late 1980s.

• One star [0039]
  

  I propose the abolition of the simple 1-5 star system.

• More than 100 customers? [0038]
  

  Discord user PMunch asks a structural question. I answer with a video.

• Perfect albums [0037]
  

  What's the perfect album? I submit two.

• Quitaversary [0036]
  

  One year ago today, I decided to quit my job.

• Floors chores [0035]
  

  On the power of routines. Saturday is 'floors chores' in this house, no matter what.

• The classes of to-do [0034]
  

  As in, what _types_ of to-do are there.

• I love pencils [0033]
  

  I fell in love with writing again after discovering that I much prefer pencils over pens.

April 2024

• Index cards to the rescue [0032]
  

  In resetting my organisation system, I need to get away from the computer.

March 2024

• JD IDs as a shortcut [0031]
  

  How to use your JD IDs to navigate your file system quicker.

• play.jdcm.al shutting down [0030]
  

  A programming notice.

February 2024

• People and organisations [0029]
  

  Some things are not better sorted by number.

• 'Project' is now 'system' [0028]
  

  An update to a fundamental Johnny.Decimal term.

• Pricing is hard [0027]
  

  I am no salesman.

January 2024

• Just use Buttondown, stupid [0026]
  

  Use the tools built for the job.

• Systems, data, and knowledge [0025]
  

  Thinking out loud about where data can be, and what it is.

• Starting the JD'ing process [0024]
  

  Starting my own journey of re-organisation.

• Johnny.Decimal'ing Johnny.Decimal [0023]
  

  I declare 'organisational bankruptcy'.

November 2023

• Taming Outlook [0022]
  

  On trying to manage work email.

• Test the Johnny.Decimal GPT [0021]
  

  I trained a GPT (barely).

• Renaming a category is 'free' [0020]
  

  On renaming your categories.

• Site content refresh [0019]
  

  A programming notice.

• Defaults [0018]
  

  My 'default apps'.

October 2023

• Notion template (experiment) [0017]
  

  A Notion template.

September 2023

• The freelancer problem [0016]
  

  We start to investigate the 'freelancer problem' (video).

• Anna at Analog Office [0015]
  

  A link to a post by Anna Havron.

• Categorisation [0014]
  

  I realise the power of categorisation.

• The absolute necessity of an index [0013]
  

  I realise the importance of the index.

July 2023

• Being disorganised: $4bn [0012]
  

  We have discovered the cost of being disorganised. It's about $4bn.

• Naming your areas and categories [0011]
  

  Ideas about how to name your areas and categories.

June 2023

• Manifesto part 4: Why aren't we given training? [0010]
  

  When we kept everything on paper, it was someone's job to organise it. This was an occupation: you were trained. You became an expert.

• Manifesto part 3: You had to be organised [0009]
  

  When we kept everything on paper, you had to be organised. There was no other option.

• Manifesto part 2: Information wasn't always free [0008]
  

  Anyone can duplicate anything, instantly, invisibly, for free. We assume this is an improvement. Is it?

• Manifesto part 1: The problem [0007]
  

  When we kept everything on paper, organised people had these things called filing cabinets.

• RSS duplicate items [0006]
  

  A programming notice.

• An old colleague calls [0005]
  

  Johnny.Decimal is useful years later.

• Like rain on your wedding day... [0004]
  

  On not having time to write.

May 2023

• I quit my job [0003]
  

  Johnny quit his job.

• Whatever happened to 'Business Knowledge Management'? [0002]
  

  Why isn't there a 'BKM' like there is 'PKM'?

• Hello, World! [0001]
  

  The first blog post.