Tech Productivity Issue #326 (Avoiding Skill Atrophy in the Age of AI)

Issue #326 (Avoiding Skill Atrophy in the Age of AI) 05/12/25

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I've been playing guitar for most of my life and I often end up learning songs from memory. This happens much more successfully when I create a chord sheet for myself that I use as a basis for learning the more intricate parts of the song.

In a way, this is like journaling. Photographer Peter McKinnon recently posted a video called I tracked my habits for 300 days and it changed my life, where he outlines his own transition to journaling.

I tracked my habits for 300 days and it changed my life

He includes lots of data on the importance of putting stuff down in writing and how beneficial that can be. If you've considered getting into more daily note-taking or journaling, this 30-minute video might be some great inspiration for you.

Now on to this week's hand-picked productivity links!

Tools & Apps

ScreenRecorder.me — A web app for screen recording, to easily create product demos and tutorials right in your browser, no login required, allowing you to capture, edit, and share in minutes.

Reject Cookies — A Chrome extension that attempts to automatically reject all non-essential cookies on consent banners or pop ups. If it's unable to reject optional cookies it will not consent but will try to close the popup.

Refind — Every day Refind analyzes thousands of articles and sends you only the best, tailored to your interests. Loved by 535,000+ curious minds. sponsor

Templates by Paul — A small collection of free Google Docs templates for general use and productivity, covering things like project tracking, problem solving, 1:1s, and lots more.

CryptDrive — An open source office suite, an alternative to MS Office, Google Drive, etc., that offers end-to-end encryption with real-time collaborative editing. Apps included are for rich text, spreadsheets, code/markdown, Kanban, slides, whiteboard, and forms.

RecordsKeeper.AI — A cutting-edge SaaS platform that leverages AI and Blockchain to automate record management and compliance, turning organizational records into actionable intelligence.

Bento — A mobile day planner app for iOS or Android that limits you to three tasks, one large, one medium, and one small task, to help reduce task overwhelm and maximize achievement.

Articles & Resources

Avoiding Skill Atrophy in the Age of AI — An important and timely piece that encourages developers to use AI coding assistants without letting your hard-earned engineering skills wither away.

You Don't Need a Plan, You Need Vision — A suggestion to get away from things like detailed schedules, specific goals, and rigid frameworks, and instead try to foresee what kinds of things truly make you feel accomplished and worthy.

Learning to Think in Opportunities, Not Problems — "Many leaders are notorious for looking past or missing opportunities that would move the ball further down the field. They become blind to opportunities because they are overly focused on problems."

Can a Daily Nap Do More Harm Than Good? A Sleep Researcher Explains — Some tips on proper napping habits, to ensure naps don't interfere with your more important night-time sleep, and how to manage naps when doing shift work.

Learn to Fully Charge Your Work and Life — A personal development course from best-selling author Tom Rath, with 3 hours of video to help you learn the keys to leading your best, fully-charged life. sponsor

Gather, Decide, Execute: Reflecting On My Daily System — The author is in an engineering leadership position at Shopify and he outlines his fundamental approach to managing information and then acting on that information in his role.

7 Habits to Stay Focused in a World Full of Distractions — Seven simple techniques to help you cut down on interruptions and increase your focus, including training your brain’s attention, directing emotions, practice active listening, among others.

Suggestions?

Have a suggestion for a productivity-related tool, article, or other resource? Send me a direct message via X or chat via Bluesky and I’ll consider including it in a future issue.

Stay productive!

Louis
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