What is one thing you actually prefer doing the “slower” way over the “smarter” way?

Question

Simone · Answer

Note taking. Always by hand and in my notebooks: It goes deeper in my brain when I put pen to paper

Sarah · Answer

Kitchen command center: Basic, but took us 5 years to really get our family system down. We've never had a digital planning system / shared Google Calendar /etc. This works well enough:

wall calendar, all activities listed with the time and initials of whose activity it is.

Hanging paper pad for weekly grocery list - inside aisle stuff on the left, outside aisle stuff on the right. At the bottom of the sheet, list out the days of the week and the dinner plan

After you go to the grocery store, cut off the meal plan, tape it to the bottom of the calendar

we take both docs off the wall and sit down for 15 min on Sunday night and go over the week.

Hannah Noah · Answer

In-person meetings at work: I wish it were easier to get to know the people in my department, because they seem cool! And Zoom gives me brain fog.

Veronica Usher · Answer

grocery shopping

Willy Huber · Answer

Using a kettle!: Using an old school kettle is one of my favorite analogue techniques to boil water instead of using a microwave. I use it for tea and oatmeal!

Rachel · Answer

Paper monthly family calendar: You know what eats up time? Creating a calendar event for a soccer game that needs to be uploaded into the cloud and synced to other devices and apps.

Maribeth · Answer

typing my own notes: at work: on my computer. AI notes do next to nothing for me! The point is to listen well and organize my hearing in a memorable way. Being able to refer back to it (and know what I meant) is an added bonus.

everywhere else: ideally in a notebook but the notes app will also do! Plus being able to search on my phone makes relocating the note very easy.

Catherine Davis · Answer

Love letters: Letter writing is truly a lost art. Tell them how you feel. I’ve saved every one I’ve ever received. Tied up with a ribbon in a box under my bed. Just hits different than a folder of saved emails…

Mcfeel · Answer

Pen and paper: taking notes on pen and paper rather than a computer/tablet. i feel like i remember things better!i love everything from Omni, especially their knowledge of pens for lefties.

Staj · Answer

using context clues to figure out the definitions of unknown words

Katie · Answer

Having a physical address book: I bought this beauty from the V&A collection at barnes & noble and bring it with me on trips (see rec: sending postcards). I have addresses and also birthdays. It reminds me of my parents' old maroon paisley address book kept in the kitchen drawer with all of its sticky notes and cross-throughs. It's a whole life of its own.

Rish · Answer

Handmade Gifts: I made this for my girlfriend for Valentine's Day this year, and she absolutely loved it! I painted a record, broke it, and rearranged it. I'm not an incredibly artsy person, but I'm really proud of this! Besides, the point of a handmade gift isn't a Picasso-level masterpiece; It's the fact that you spent hours making something meaningful for someone. For me, a handmade gift will always mean more than some fancy product. Don't get me wrong, I always love a new coffee gadget, but the fact that someone spends hours on a hand-crafted gift makes it mean that much more. For your next anniversary, a special person's birthday, Christmas, or Valentine's Day, try making your gift by hand. Even if it's a handmade card, I'm sure your person will absolutely love it!

Rish · Answer

Making coffee in the morning: You wake up, brush your teeth, and take a shower. What do you do next? For me, it's a simple 5-minute ritual: Like hundreds of millions, I make a cup of coffee. From the smell of the fresh-ground beans to the water first touching the grounds as the coffee wakes up, I love every part of making a cup of coffee, because making coffee isn't just about making coffee. It's a 20-minute morning meditation where you get to brew and enjoy a delicious beverage. Coffee can be about more than caffeination; it can be about enjoying every step of the process that gets you there. Making coffee at home can be a very fun and rewarding hobby (not to mention wayyy cheaper in the long run than going to a cafe), and if it sounds like something you might enjoy, give it a try!

Alexis Roberts · Answer

taking photographs on actual film

Angela Kennnedy · Answer

Baking bread for the week.

Courtney G · Answer

dutch oven cooking: I’m anti-instapot in my household. Homemade ragu takes half a day? Too bad, it’s happening. A pot of beans. Homemade stock. Ghee. Anything that takes a while that could easily be bought at the store or “quicker” in an insta pot— I’m taking the slow way!

K B · Answer

https://tincan.kids/products/tin-can: Watching my daughter discover the joys and awkwardness of a landline

Erin M · Answer

handwritten cards: I was raised on handwritten thank you notes for nearly every gift or kindness thrown my way. Whenever I get an unexpected snail mail for any reason, there’s such a jolt of excitement over the tangible effort someone took to express that they’re thinking of me. It’s obviously way easier to email or text but doesn’t hit the same. Analog all the way. So I’ll be here keeping the Etsy sellers in business (best place for stationery)

Megan Huntz · Answer

Taking a slow walk: Walk slowly and just notice. This is not to get anywhere and not for exercise. Just walking mindfully for about an hour, taking time to observe whats around you and feel your body.

Nicole · Answer

Going into the office: I not-so-secretly love working in a physical office. I love picking out my outfit, hearing workplace gossip, going on coffee runs, attending brainstorms in-person, and I don’t even mind my commute; it’s an opportunity to catch up on podcasts or call a friend before coming home to my toddler.

Evan McAvenia · Answer

dissonant: my friends are building a platform for music discovery based around cds and human curation as an alternative to streaming and algos. very cool stuff powered by some very cool people! physical media and snail mail are back, baby!

E_C_B · Answer

writing stuff down: No digital to-do lists or meeting notes. Gimme a pen and a cute notebook and let me write it down like a proper human from the 20th century

Kelly P · Answer

growing tomatoes: Sure you can go buy a plastic clamshell of tomatoes at the store, no problem. But is there anything better than having a tomato plant on the porch that you can run out to in your bare feet and pull a big juicy tomato off of to put on your toast? Is there??

Leslie · Answer

used bookstores: I keep a list of books I am interested in on my phone and whenever I go to a used bookstore I try to find one. Feels wayyy better than ordering a book online, and used bookstores are the perfect weather friendly activity to fill any spare time.

Analisa Burns · Answer

Answering the phone to say that you can't talk right now: but you can call back in like an hour

Minna Kelly · Answer

A physical monthly calendar: I will simply melt down if I don't have a monthly view of my life on paper

Melanie Bell · Answer

handwritten to-do lists: My brain just processes and retains information better if I’ve written something down. Plus, then you get the satisfaction of crossing something of a list! ✅

huette · Answer

french press coffee canister: Using a French Press instead of an electric coffee maker. Making a cup first thing in the morning is slow and intentional in the best way. Bonus-it’s tastes so much better.

Space Camp · Answer

Sewing by Hand: so meditative

Lily · Answer

research!: the ancient flow art of highlighting and marking up a physical document feels sooo much better than whatever is “most efficient”

Analisa Burns · Answer

Highway 1 to drive LA -> Bay Area: instead of I-5

Maggie Dodson · Answer

driving without directions: I really like to test my memory and try to navigate somewhere based on either intuition lol, or general sense of direction. At times I’m lost or taking the wonkiest way possible, but it’s fun and my mind loves it.