Gavin

GavinM (@gavin.create) on Threads In a small prison cell, a man picks up a pen. He’s not writing to complain. He’s writing to teach. To pass on everything he knows about life and copywriting. That man was Gary Halbert. And his pr...

A deep dive into Gary Halbert and his Personal Knowledge Management system.

Your brain thrives on connections, not just neurons.
The same goes for your Zettelkasten system.

The magic isn't in how many notes you take-It's in how you link them. Each connection, like a synapse, strengthens your knowledge network.

Stop hoarding notes. Start weaving ideas.

Now, with practice, I can stretch it to 3-4 hours—if I've slept well and picked the right tasks.

Some days, it's just one solid hour. And that's enough.

It's not about the time you spend—it's the focus you bring.

Most people brush off the Pomodoro Technique—but here's why you should take it seriously.

It works—25-minute bursts, 5-minute breaks.

At first, even 90 minutes felt like a marathon.

Could it be that great developers focus on producing better work, while others are more invested in defending familiar ways of working?

Start simple:
📝 Try a 10-min planning ritual.
⚡ Do it daily, same time/place.
🎯 Over time, routines become habits.

You don't need to force habits—design smarter routines first.

What routine are you turning into a habit?

Ever wonder why some people make productivity look effortless?

The secret: habits vs. routines.

👉 Habits = automatic behaviors (e.g., checking your phone).
👉 Routines = intentional actions (e.g., a morning workflow).

Your Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) system is like a garden. 🌱

Each note is a seed, organizing is the soil, and connecting ideas is the sunlight.

Tend to it well, and it’ll bloom into actionable insights that fuel your growth.

How are you tending to your PKM garden this week?

Grew your newsletter to 400+ subscribers in a year? that's pretty impressive!

Most people are busy. But busy doesn’t equal progress.

When’s the last time you actually moved forward?

What’s one thing you can do today to break the cycle?

You don’t need another fancy note-taking app.

What you really need is to start capturing your ideas.

You’re always a work in progress. Stop trying to be ‘finished’.

What if your productivity isn’t about doing more, but about doing less—intentionally?

This holiday season, I've kept up my morning runs.
Not just for fitness-it’s about clarity.

These quiet holiday moments in motion let me reflect, reset, and plan ahead.

Whether it's running, walking, or just stretching – movement brings focus.

What's your clarity ritual this season?

AI is changing how we work and think, but some things are timeless. Writing isn’t just words—it’s how we process the world deeply. As we reflect on this year, let’s remember: choosing to write is choosing to think.

If you’re thinking without writing, you only think you’re thinking.

bit.ly/406wrly

Final piece: Created a "slow work" space - lo-fi beats, desk lamp only, phone away. Because rushing through December never worked.

The goal isn't a perfect system. It's about creating space for what matters.

What's your workspace reset ritual? Share a photo 📷

🎄Just completed my end-of-year workspace reset ritual. Simple stuff, big impact:

First: Digital cleanup. 50+ tabs exported, notifications cleared, inbox tamed. My machine breathes again.

Then: Core priorities mapped. Not "new year, new me" - just essential threads for the holidays.

[more ↓]

🌙 Year-end reminder: You don't need to have it all figured out for 2025 just yet.

This weekend is the perfect time to simply be present, reflect, and dream a little.

The plans can wait. The moments won't. ✨

Nothing beats a solid 2 hours of intense deep work on a Saturday morning—so much accomplished! Now, time to hit the weights!

Lost too many ideas on the go? 🤔💡 Built an iOS Shortcut + Notion setup for instant notes!

✨ 5-second capture ✨ Siri-enabled ✨ Notion-organized
Game-changer for runs, walks & drives 🚀

Set it up here: bit.ly/iosNotionsho...

#Notion #ProductivityHacks

This transformed my note-taking: I only capture moments of surprise now. Like learning trees have their own underground social network! 🌳

Why? Because surprise = growth potential.

What's the last thing that surprised you?
#PKM #productivity #learning

Claude Shannon taught us that true information is what surprises us. Makes sense—if it doesn't surprise you, you probably already knew it.

👇

I always enjoy writing a permanent note. Digging through my note inbox, making connections, and discovering something new each time. It’s more than a routine—it’s a powerful practice that’s always worth the time.

#zettelkasten #note-taking

New Year’s mindset hack: Don’t wait for January 1st to start moving. 🎆🏃‍♀️

A 10-minute walk today = a head start on tomorrow’s goals.

What’s one small thing you’re doing for yourself this holiday season?

It wasn’t about working more—it was about working intentionally.
A 10-minute check-in saved the rest of my day.

This simple habit is something I’ll carry into the new week.
Because being busy doesn’t always mean being productive.

What’s one small change you made this week that had a big impact?

☕ Mid-morning, I paused for 10 minutes to ask myself:
1️⃣ What have I done so far?
2️⃣ What do I actually need to do?

By writing it out, I saw the tasks that were just "busywork."
It refocused me on the important work I’d ignored.

👇

This past week, I learned something about my mornings.
Some days, I hit the ground running.
Other days, I get caught in a loop of low-value tasks—checking off boxes but not moving the needle.

On those scattered mornings, I tried a quick reset.

👇

Last month, I stopped treating weekends as a pause and turned them into a launchpad:

• 1 hour to plan the week
• 30 mins reflecting on wins/misses
• A few mins revisiting goals

Small shifts, big momentum. What’s one small win you can create today? 🚀

#productivity #weekendplanning #PersonalGrowth

Gavin.create (@gavin.create) on Threads I was drowning in information until I discovered a simple system that changed everything. For years, I juggled random sticky notes, scattered files, and saved links. My brain felt overloaded, and no ...

Yesterday, I wrote a Thread about how I use PKM techniques to organize my digital life. You can find it here:
bit.ly/3VEqTvZ

#PKM #Productivity

Productivity isn't about doing more—it's about doing what matters. I've learned to:

Choose 3 intentional tasks daily
Reflect on my purpose
Let go of misaligned work

Doing less, but better. What can you release today?

#Productivity