In a world where technology is increasingly conspiring to steal our focus and attention, my goal is to teach you how to be more productive with Apple technology. I want to help you achieve what is most important to you and enjoy your life at the same time using technology instead of becoming another one of its victims. Pretty much everything I make points at that North Star. I believe in this message so much that I’ve staked my livelihood on it.
The Irrelevance of Hari Seldon
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Hi [FORMATTED_FIRST_NAME GOES HERE], I tore through Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series when I was about twelve. At first, I assumed the story would follow Hari Seldon, the brilliant mathematician who kicks off the series by predicting the collapse and rebirth of galactic civilization. Twelve-year-old me loved Hari, and I couldn't wait to see his story unfold. Then the books leapt forward … by centuries. Seldon slipped from living legend to myth, from myth to footnote, and finally into near‑obscurity. Part of my twelve-year-old self was offended by that. I’d been invested in Hari, and how could he become so obscure? Underneath it all, I was grappling with something: If even Hari Seldon—a towering hero—could vanish into the background noise of history, what chance did I have of leaving a mark? After my twelve-year-old brain processed this, I surprisingly didn’t find the thought depressing. I found it freeing. The futility of chasing an eternal legacy felt like permission to let go. The real point, my twelve‑year‑old self decided (and my adult self still believes), is to live fully in the sliver of time we’re given—to savor our brief window of human experience rather than worry about being remembered forever. That little epiphany has stayed with me. That insight became an internal compass. When I start taking myself too seriously, it nudges me back into alignment. By now, it’s so ingrained that I seldom notice it, yet it quietly shapes my decisions and my ability to live in the moment. It colors my work as well. I don’t expect any Field Guide I write to alter the course of humanity, but I can help real people, right now, who face the same messy challenges I do. There’s a quiet nobility in that: sharing what I’ve learned, offering what might help, and trusting readers to judge its value. Recognition is nice, but I try not to clutch it. Anything I build stands on the shoulders of others, and I’m happy to spread credit around. If someone finds my work useful, that’s enough. After all, in just a few generations I'll be much less remembered than Hari Seldon, and that's okay. Looking back, that early revelation about impermanence was probably my first real philosophical insight. Not a bad takeaway for a twelve‑year‑old. Your pal, David Upgrade Your iPhone Without Spending a Dime with iPhone Life (Sponsor) How many of your iPhone’s hidden features have you discovered? Your iPhone is already packed with useful tools — Apple just doesn’t make them easy to find. That’s where the iPhone Life Tip of the Day comes in. Each morning, you’ll spend one minute learning a practical tip that shows you something new your iPhone can already do. No upgrades required. Sign up here to start unlocking your iPhone’s hidden features. |
David Sparks (MacSparky)
In a world where technology is increasingly conspiring to steal our focus and attention, my goal is to teach you how to be more productive with Apple technology. I want to help you achieve what is most important to you and enjoy your life at the same time using technology instead of becoming another one of its victims. Pretty much everything I make points at that North Star. I believe in this message so much that I’ve staked my livelihood on it.
Hello Friend, If you've been listening to the Mac Power Users podcast the last few years, you've heard me slowly come around to the fact that Apple's productivity apps — Reminders, Notes, Calendar, and Freeform — are getting pretty good. But getting the most out of those apps takes some work. Most people use about 20% of what Apple's built-in productivity apps can actually do. The other 80%? It's a hidden ecosystem of integrations, automations, and workflows that Apple never advertises. I've...
The No List App Hi Friend, This week I shipped an app. It's called The No List, and while it might seem like a simple idea, I think it addresses one of the most important productivity challenges we face today. Let me back up a bit. For years, I've been interested in the idea of building my own app. Part of it was the challenge—could someone who spends their days writing about technology actually create some? Part of it was scratching a very specific itch that no existing app seemed to...
My First Draft of this Newsleter. Hi Friends, I very much have an analog side. Sometimes I find slowing down and writing things down helps me process thoughts a little better. That doesn't mean the things I write with paper and pencil necessarily stay that way forever, but quite often, it's an excellent first draft. As an analog explorer, I've gone down the rabbit hole over the years of fancy pens, including fountain pens. But several years ago, I found an old box of pencils and decided on a...