Ecosyste.ms: Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

Awesome Lists | Featured Topics | Projects

https://github.com/slowernews/hamster-system

Ultra-simple framework to organize your life.
https://github.com/slowernews/hamster-system

budget-management file-management folder-structure gtd life-organiser productivity task-management

Last synced: about 1 month ago
JSON representation

Ultra-simple framework to organize your life.

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

        
# Hamster system



Boost productivity and reduce stress by organizing your documents, workflow and personal budget with an ultra-simple system loosely inspired in [GTD](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done), [Todo.txt](https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt), OBTF (One Big Text File), [Bullet journal](https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/finally-understand-how-to-keep-a-bullet-journal/) (notes on paper), spreadsheets, index cards, inbox zero and desktop zero.



### So, how can you start?



- [hamster folder](#hamster-folder---organize-your-documents): organize your (digital) documents

- [hamster flow](#hamster-flow---organize-your-workflow): organize your workflow

- [hamster budget](#hamster-budget---organize-your-money): organize your money

- [TLDR - what does this stuff solve?](#tldr)



---

## Hamster folder - organize your documents



*'Every document belongs to a project'.*



### Container



- root folder: **YOUR NAME**



        First of all create a folder in a partition of your disk.

        ALL your stuff will be stored here.



- main folders: **PROJECT STATUS**



        Inside your root folder there are 2 folders:



        INBOX (folder to store your active projects)

        ARCHIVE (folder to store your inactive projects - often organized in collections)



### Project folders



*[collection] #project @subproject -folders*



- collection: **[ ]**



        Inside ARCHIVE folder you put [collection] folders:

        e.g: [large investor]



- project (derived from twitter hashtag): **#**  



        Inside INBOX, ARCHIVE or [collection] folders you put #project folders:

        e.g: #house in portugal    



- subproject (derived from twitter mention): **@**



        Inside #project folders you put @subproject folders:

        e.g: @building permit



- storage folder [^1]: **-**



        Inside @subprojects you put -storage folders:

        e.g: -drawings



And be pragmatic:



        When reasonable reduce unnecessary nesting by merging folders:

        Prefer: #project@onlyOneSubproject

        Instead of: #project / @onlyOneSubproject



        Prefix for temporary folders: _

        e.g: _standby



        Folders to keep old versions of files: +

        e.g: -plans / +



### File naming



- use a system that fits your needs[^2]. Some hints:



        Prefix for template / boilerplate files: $

        e.g: $curriculum



- version files by using a *modification date* suffix[^3]: **Calendar Versioning**



        e.g: yourfile+20211018



### Navigation



- you only need one *permanent* desktop shortcut to navigate through your documents: 



        Shortcut to INBOX folder



        A shortcut to ARCHIVE is optional - only inactive projects are there.



- and/or a launcher-file finder[^4]. 



---

## Hamster flow - organize your workflow



*'Manage a collection of inputs'.*



- One text file[^5] and a paper notebook collect all inputs:  

    - actionable inputs (*Tasks*) are managed in the paper notebook. Non-urgent tasks eventually move to the *Calendar* section of the text file[^6].

    - non-actionable inputs are managed in the (markdown) text file. Hints:

        - One long file is easier to manage than many short files.[^7] See it as a *flat wiki* and use built-in search for navigation.

        - This file is not *write-only*: progressively summarize and *tree-shake* it each time you iterate your notes. You'll leverage your excitement instead of forcing discipline.

        - Ideally, notes are organized by *project*, not by category. It can be a catalyst for action and reviews.

        - Only store things that surprise you, not stuff you already know.



- Tasks listed in the *Calendar* section of the text file have a due date: **[ ]**



        Dates are inserted before the task description (allowing chronological sorting):

        

        e.g. inserting a scheduled date: [year-month-day=hour]

        [2021-11-29=9h] Doctor appointment



        e.g. inserting a trigger/fuzzy date: [date >>]

        [2021-10-10 >>] Waiting for client feedback after this date



        e.g. inserting a deadline date: [date <<]

        [2021-10-22 <<] Pay electricity bill until this date



        e.g. without knowing the due date: [soon] or [someday]

        [soon] Call Mom

        [someday] Bungee jumping with friends



- Resuming (check also [screenshots](#screenshots)):



        on a paper notebook:

            Tasks (collection of tasks to be done ASAP)



        on a text file with 2 sections:

            Calendar (collection of tasks that can/must wait)

            Notes (collection of thoughts and bookmarks)



### Screenshots



- *Calendar* section on Sublime text editor.[^8]



![superfolder-workflow-screenshot](https://github.com/galfarragem/superfolder/blob/master/examples/superfolder-workflow_screenshot-example.png)



- Easy text-editor navigation with markdown (adaptable to [YAML](https://www.json2yaml.com/convert-yaml-to-json) for data serialization).



![superfolder-workflow-screenshot-2](https://github.com/galfarragem/superfolder/blob/master/examples/superfolder-workflow_screenshot-example2.png)



---

## Hamster budget - organize your money



*'You may not need a personal budget'.*



Does it worth to spend cognitive bandwidth to know that last month I spent €321,83 on groceries? I already know that I spend *around* €300. **What I crave is to feel in control of my finances.**



**How to do it in a practical way? Track your net worth** in a spreadsheet:

 

- List all your assets (cash, stocks, bonds, crypto, real estate, whatever) and sum them. List and sum your liabilities (if relevant). Every case is a case so you must build your own spreadsheet.

- When your net worth is too risky *for your personality* get more tight.

- When you feel confortable with your number you can loosen up a bit.

- I used to track it every month. I've loosen up to every quarter and eventually to semiannual.[^9]



---

## TLDR:



### What does this stuff solve?



Complicated systems always fail on the long-term. Hamster-system aims to be *simple and practical*.



- Hamster folder (organize your documents)

    - Transmission of projects with a predictable structure.

    - Prediction (with acceptable accuracy) of filenames and their location. A file finder is great when you remember the filename but less useful when you don't.



- Hamster flow (organize your workflow)

    - Mix the *good parts* of  many workflow management approaches using your favorite text editor, cloud and a paper notebook. Markdown - if necessary - can be adapted into formats like [YAML](https://learn-the-web.algonquindesign.ca/topics/markdown-yaml-cheat-sheet/) to facilitate data exchange and serialization.



- Hamster budget (organize your money)

    - *Feel in control* of your finances spending a couple of hours every quarter. Minimum overhead.



### Possible painpoint?



This system doesn't have specialized apps nor I plan to add any. However, it is platform agnostic so you can easily adapt it to meet your needs.



### Is this the truth?



Probably not but I test new options and *tree shake* existent ones agressively.[^10]



---



[^1]: This is the deepest level you'll get. It's enough and keeps it simple.

[^2]: e.g: relevant [naming system for architects](https://github.com/slowernews/archi-project). I use a great [free tool for batch renaming](https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/#mainscreen).

[^3]: After a long trial, Semver and then "builds" were deprecated. "Modification dates", aka [Calendar versioning (CalVer)](https://calver.org) are simpler.

[^4]: After having tried most options for Windows (win+type, Keypirinha, Everything, Cerebro, Wox, Zazu, Launchy, FARR), I'm using [Listary](http://www.listary.com/). Pros: Launch and file search without external software, low memory usage (less than 40Mb on win7), fast and configurable. Cons: No calculator function.

[^5]: Hosted in a cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc) if possible.

[^6]: A full featured calendar (Google calendar, Apple calendar, etc) may pay off in "busy" lifestyles.

[^7]: Try to keep it under 2K lines. If you can't, it may mean some excerpts should live independently or even in a more suitable format (e.g. spreadsheet or [public notes](https://github.com/slowernews/notebook)).

[^8]: Hint: on Sublime press F9 (or F5 on Mac) to sort dates.

[^9]: I will stop here. Longer timeframes imply too delayed signals.

[^10]: Org-mode, «wiki notes» (Roam, Foam, Obsidian), Johnny-decimal, (...)



Creative Commons License
Hamster-System by Enio Ferreira is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.