What the NFT??

Have you had an online presence over the past few months? If your answer was yes, you might have noticed a new buzzword floating around the internet called an NFT. Even if you have refused to turn on your computer or look at your phone, you probably have seen a story on the news about the next big thing, "The NFT". Some of you may have no idea what I am talking about. Never heard a single word about the future of collectibles? This article will explain everything you need to know about the NFT.

What is an NFT??

An NFT or "Non-fungible token," is a digital asset that is part of the Etherium blockchain. Each individual asset holds value in the form of cryptocurrency, and has a unique string of data that makes it non-interchangeable (that's what non-fungible means).

For example, say that you have a dollar bill and want to go on a trip to Europe in the year 2021. On your way to Europe, that dollar is exchanged for a Euro at a conversion rate of one dollar for 0.83 Euros. In this example, that dollar bill and 0.83 Euros are considered exchangeable or fungible. This is because the asset (dollar bill) is defined by its value rather than its unique set of properties.

Say you purchased a limited edition shoe that was numbered 10 out of 10,000. That shoe is known as non-fungible because it is not interchangeable with other items due to its unique properties. It is one of a kind. You can't trade five dollars for the shoe because the shoe is not defined by a set value.

Another important quality of an NFT is how the data is stored. The data for an individual NFT is connected to a ledger (known as blockchain) which stores information that can distinguish itself from other replicas. By being connected to a ledger and having a unique set of data, an NFT can take the form of anything. Music, art, a video, you name it.

Access to an NFT is also unrestricted. This means that anyone can look at it online and download it, much like music or a photo on Google. However, unlike music, art, or a photo, when a copy is made of an NFT, the value does not remain the same as the original because it does not have the same data set. Downloading an NFT wouldn't do you any better because that download would not hold the same information that makes the original NFT a part of the Etherium blockchain.

With all of that out of the way, hopefully you have a better understanding of what an NFT actually is. If you still have no idea what I just said, I understand. I was super confused when I first heard about them too! Feel free to go to https://ethereum.org/en/nft/ to learn more, or just google "What is an NFT."

What's the Point?

You may have a slight understanding of what an NFT is now, but I imagine you are questioning the NFT's legitimacy. You might even be sitting there thinking, "What's the point of even owning an NFT when you can just find the exact same item online?" That is a good question and a fair point.

Let me indulge your curiosity a little bit and ask you a question in return. What is the point of buying a painting when you could print out the exact same painting and frame it in your house? Is having the original Mona Lisa the same as printing out a copy that you found online, and hanging it in your room? I would say NO.

Collectibles and memorabilia haven't exploded in popularity over the past 50 years for nothing. This all underlies a deeper meaning in the world of collectibles. A copy and the actual item just aren't the same!

People want to have their own unique asset. People want to take a chance, hoping to see that asset grow in value. People want to have something that they can show off to others with enthusiasm and excitement. The scarcity and authenticity of a rare item is what draws people into collecting. The more scarce that item is, the greater the value will be. This doesn't change whether it is a physical asset or a virtual asset. These properties are what make an NFT so unique. Due to it's one of a kind data backed by the Etherium blockchain, each NFT is a unique creation that is scarce and valuable.

The Future of Collectibles

The freshness and accessibility that NFTs have brought collecting, led by such an innovative and futuristic idea has created an excitement around the hobby. With crazy NFT purchases ranging from $1 to $68 million, people have referred to the past couple of months as the NFT craze. Analysts have said that the collectible bubble is about to burst backed by their reasoning of what happened to Beanie Babies.

What makes me optimistic about the future of NFTs is the fact that this type of collectible is not just another gimmick that people can buy. It is an asset that will mesh perfectly with the technological advancements that are on the way. NFT collecting also follows the exact same collecting concepts as physical items in the "real world," yet there is no risk of your collectible suffering physical damage.

Not being able to hold and touch your purchase definitely makes this world of collecting different, but an NFT can be placed and used in the virtual world. It will take some time for the general public to wrap their heads around it. However, what happens when virtual reality gains in popularity and inevitably takes hold of the world? We all know that the next big thing on the horizon is virtual reality. We are already seeing AR or augmented reality incorporated into our lives. Virtual reality video games are already out there. It will not be too long before people realize the simplicity and excitement that this futuristic gaming platform can provide. The COVID pandemic has already accelerated the push to the virtual world.

Stay with me here, but contemplate for a second the idea that we may be progressing towards the acceptance of a virtual world. Companies are already starting to sell virtual characters and even virtual plots of land. This may seem crazy at this moment but why walk to places and meet people when you could easily do it from the seat of your chair?

The early acceptors of NFTs, who have been building their collection will already have an advantage in that futuristic world. The next big thing could be developing your virtual world and virtual life. NFT's are that first step to having something unique and connectable to the physical world. Why not start early?

My NFT Connection

Throughout my life I have always been an avid baseball card and memorabilia collector. I have collected tons of different collectibles over the years.

When I started to hear about the rise in popularity of NFTs, I figured I should learn some more about them. I read about digital horse farms and digital horse racing, art collectibles, and even purchasing digital houses. Then came virtual trading cards. The possibilities seemed endless! It took the COVID pandemic to really ignite the fire and send NFTs to the moon. It was only a matter of time before I knew that I had to get on board too.

After doing extensive research on the topic, I decided to go with my roots and start collecting NFTs the only way i knew how. Through baseball and basketball cards! ToppsMLB and NBA TopShot allowed me to do this. I first indulged in MLB's new NFT baseball cards and then got involved with NBA TopShot moments. Check out my first NBA TopShot moment above. Pretty cool right! From that first purchase, I was hooked. Now I consider myself an NFT collector. What's stopping you from becoming one too?

To get involved with some of my favorites check out:

- ToppsMLB

- NBA TopShot

- NFL ALLDAY

- MLB Candy

Good resources to better understand NFT's:

- From the Experts: 8 Pros and Cons of Non-Fungible Tokens and How They Compare to Traditional Investments

Until next time,

Tim Phillips

#NFT #TheTimPhillipsExperience #Collecting #Memorabilia #TPE #ToppsMLB #NBATopShot #Moment #Card #Baseball #Basketball #blockchain #Etherium #Bitcoin

Productivity Hacks - Apple Notes

Throughout 2020, COVID impacted so many people across the world in many different ways. Personally, my travel plans, work arrangements, and expectations for the year were completely altered. As a result, I spent a significant amount of time reading, developing a website, and trying to understand how to use the time wisely. This exercise over the past 10 months allowed me to begin eliminating bad habits and improve upon the beneficial habits that I previously developed.

Now that 2020 has finally come to a close, 2021 brings brand new experiences, adventures, and opportunities for development. As discussed in my previous post Productivity Hacks - Apple Reminders, the Apple Reminders app has been an extremely beneficial app that has helped me to organize personal goals, tasks, and gift ideas for various people. Due to it's interconnectivity with other devices and awesome features, the app has been a vital piece in my self improvement journey.

With 2021 upon us, the search for useful tools that can aid in replacing old habits continues. This article dives into the Apple Notes app, a tool that I have found to be fundamental in my personal productivity journey.

The Idea that Turned into a Note

In my previous productivity hack post, I dove into the mental dilemma that thousands of apps pose when trying to pick an app that works for your situation. Keeping this in mind, I looked to identify other areas of my life that could be positively impacted by tools/apps. One such area was my note taking.

In the past, whenever I learned a piece of information that I thought was note worthy, I quickly jotted it down by whatever means was present to me at the time. This meant scribbling the note on a napkin, texting myself the note, or even trying to remember it. At a later date, I would end up going back through the notes to reflect on them. This process hardly worked for me, and was inconsistent in its efforts of storage. I understood that advice and valuable information could come at any moment, but I didn't have a tool that could provide me with record keeping in a moments notice. It just wasn't practical to go get a piece of paper and a pencil while sitting at the beach, or while reclining on a chair watching a show.

Nowadays, most of us are carrying a phone with us at all times. Our phones can store a seemingly endless amount of information on them, and are easy to use. The iPhone finally presented an opportunity to make note taking much more efficient. However, the problem transformed itself from how to take notes into deciding which note taking app to use. I didn't have to go far until I discovered that I was already using one of the best apps for note taking. The Apple Notes App.

In order to ensure that Apple Notes could meet all of my criteria for the perfect productivity improving note taking app, I wanted to compare this application to some of the others. Like I said before, there are a ton of apps on the App Store, all claiming to be the best for note taking. I found apps that were visually appealing, apps that had all kinds of features, and apps that were simple to use. After testing out the options, I realized that it was important to have my knowledge stored in the same location as all of my other documents and data. I didn't want to be searching for notes separately. I also found it important to have an app that could transmit data onto other devices. That way, if I found something interesting on my computer, I could add it to the notes app that was also on my phone. What I came to understand is that the cheapest, simplest, and most compatible app is already installed on everyones iPhone. There is no need to go searching anywhere else to find the ideal note taking app.

Optimizing the Notes App

As someone who likes to learn, it is important for me to have a place where all of my thoughts and information can be stored. Being able to organize notes in respective folders is a necessity for future reference and learning. Having organization is what fundamentally leads to productivity. The folders must also be functional and personal. This is clearly achieved through the features that Apple Notes provides, and some of the folder ideas that I have developed.

One feature that I love about Apple Notes is the ability to pin notes. When pinned, the notes will appear at the top. By pinning these important notes, they will be subconsciously viewed each time the app is opened. This will reinforce the idea behind each note whether you actually read it or not. In other terms, it makes seeing the really important notes easier. Another nice feature is the ability to lock specific notes. This is perfect for notes that contain sensitive information. The ability to transcribe voice into text is also a very useful feature. When taking notes about a book, I use the microphone instead of typing. As I am talking, the app will transcribe what I am saying. This makes it very easy to take notes while reading, as it allows me to keep my train of thought. The search bar in the app even allows you to search through every single note to find that specific piece of information that you may be looking for. There are a ton of other useful features that I won't get into in this post. The best way to find them is to jump right into the app.

As I said before, the organization of folders is extremely important when looking to increase note taking productivity. An example of the general folder scheme that I have developed can be seen in the picture to the left. Some of the folders worth noting include information pertaining to "Career," "Ideas," "Memories, " "Important information," "Lists and Processes," "College," "Volunteering," and "Workouts." These folder names can easily be altered to personal preferences, but it is highly recommended to create a few that represent the overarching ideas of individual notes. Just remember that too many folders can be overbearing and hinder your productivity. Try to limit the folders to what is necessary and see where you get. The outcome may not be perfect at first, but over time will pay large dividends as updates and improvements are made to the structure.

Most of my notes come from information that I have learned throughout my life. Therefore, the folder where most of my notes are contained is the "Learning + Information," folder. Under this category, I created sub-folders for specific notes involving finances, podcasts, learnings, books, meditation, real estate, and stocks. The outline for this concept can be seen in the picture to the right. Such detailed separation allows for the user to obtain information that pertains to a specific subject quickly. For example, if I am trying to find information about real estate, I could easily go to the real estate folder and find all of the notes that I have taken related to real estate.

Similar to the organization of folders, it is also of use to create note pages for important topics. The notes that I have pinned can be seen in the picture to the right. When I open up the app, these are the notes that I see first.

One note that I think everyone should have is called the "Dream Journal." The purpose of this note is for recording dreams from the night before. The writing doesn't have to make sense, and it should be whatever comes to your head immediately after waking up. It is that easy! A few days later, you can then go back and look at all of your past dreams. Besides being cool to see, your dreams can also depict the underlying issues that you may be dealing with.

I also highly recommend making a list called, "Future Goals," so that constant improvement can be at the forefront of your journey. As the name implies, this note contains all of my goals. The categories for goal setting that I have been using include physical, career, financial, mental, personal development, family/relationship, and health. I will dive into goals and goal setting in a separate post!

The note, "Bucket List," contains the places where I want to travel and ideas that I want to accomplish. By having it pinned, I am constantly reminded about these bucket list items, which helps me work towards completing them. Another important note I use is the, "Daily Goals for the day." In this note, I write down 3 goals for the next day before going to sleep. This allows me to create a plan of important tasks for the day ahead. I can't forget to mention my workout note which I update constantly with current weights and times. It is great for keeping yourself on track in the gym.

Additionally, I have created notes for movies/shows that I have seen, books I've read, personal inspirations, and much more. I even have a note where I write down all of the places that I have traveled to, so I can remember the experiences when looking back.

All of these folders and specific notes are essential to boosting my productivity. I understand that to some, the folder names may not fit your style. This whole idea may even seem like a lot. However, I encourage you all to be creative and take the step out of your comfort zone. As I like to say, Just Do It! The hardest part is getting started. When you take that step, who knows where it could lead you! The key is to make folders and notes that will benefit you and your personal style. Have some fun with it.

Overall, I would definitely recommend using the Apple Notes (and Apple Reminders) app. There is so much that can be done with them and they can greatly contribute to you taking control of your life. The key to using both apps is to refer to them as tools instead of something that takes up your time. Fill each app with useful information in order to develop beneficial habits, and you will quickly realize just how productive you can really be. My ultimate goal was and still is to use what I have learned to replace old habits with positive habits in order to boost productivity in my future self. With its simplicity, usefulness, and connectivity, Apple Notes has helped me along the way. I hope that it can help you too!

Until next time,

Tim Phillips

#TheTimPhillipsExperience #Productivity #AppleNotes #UsefulTips #Hacks #TPE #GetAfterIt #DreamJournal #App #BucketList

Productivity Hacks - Apple Reminders

Throughout 2020, COVID has impacted everyone in many different ways. My travel plans, work arrangements, and expectations for the year have been completely changed. Despite these adjustments, I have also been given a bounty of gifts. This includes having more time to myself, more virtual connections with friends, and an increased focus on reflection. As a result, I have spent a significant amount of time reading, developing a website, and trying to understand how to use this time wisely.

This exercise over the past 8 months has allowed me to eliminate bad habits that have wasted my time in the past and identify good habits that have been especially useful. My ultimate goal has been to use what I have learned throughout this experience to replace old habits with positive habits in order to boost productivity in my future self.

The Idea that Turned into a Reminder

As I begun this undertaking, I understood that a list would be necessary to capture my ideas for future improvement. When I started the process of brainstorming and developing a list on my phone, I realized that the very object I was using to create this productivity list was a significant source of my good and bad habits. It became clear to me that I should dive deeper into how I spend time using my phone. I developed an overarching question that could help me answer this. How could I better myself by transforming my phone into a useful tool instead of letting it control my habits?

The endless supply of applications stuck out to me as one of the most important aspects of phone usage. From the categories of AR to Weather, the sheer amount of individual apps can be overwhelming. The colorful pictures and persuasive algorithms in the App Store also contribute to customers downloading unnecessary apps. Reflecting on my past experiences, each app looses it's appeal after about a week and then ends up causing future distractions in the form of notifications or boredom clickbait. Are all of these apps necessary?

After spending time looking through every app on my phone, I was able to sort each one into one of two categories; Those that I depend on each day and those that I rarely interact with. I came to the mind boggling yet already known conclusion that most of the apps I had on my phone were useless. It was time to eliminate these time wasters and keep the apps that were simple, yet provided the functionality that could help me improve my habits.

One area of my life that I found particularly interesting was how I managed my tasks, reminders, and ideas that popped into my head on a daily basis. I decided to ask myself what application do I use to manage this information? To those reading, what do you use? After some time, I was able to identify where I have stored all of this vital information. Surprisingly, I found that there was no need to search for a new app or download something off of the internet. The Reminders app (which comes pre-downloaded on any iPhone) was all that I needed to help boost productivity.

Side note: I would be remiss without stating that there are a ton of other useful features within the iPhone that can boost productivity. I will dive into those in later posts.

The Apple Reminders app has been one of the biggest life savers and productivity tools that I have used. You may be thinking that this isn't a massive realization but I would argue it is. People may know about this app but the sad reality is that I have seen, through my own experience, that not a lot of people actually use it to their benefit.

I used Apple products throughout most of my high school years and I remember never using or even looking at the Reminders app. It seemed useless! Once I enrolled in college, I found that it might be necessary to have a place where I could quickly store thoughts that popped into my head. Reassessing the Reminders app, I decided to give it a try because the app was already downloaded on my phone and there had been a new update. When I looked through the App Store before finalizing a decision, I found a ton of task apps that could be used instead. Overwhelmed, I knew that they all needed to be downloaded, seemed complicated to use, and would just clutter my phone. The fact that I already had this app, and that there was interconnection between my phone, computer, and other apple products made it the optimal choice. Fortunately, I made a smart decision. To this day, I have the app placed at the bottom of my screen due to it's importance to me.

Optimizing the Reminders App

Now let's dive into the useful nature of the Reminders app and how it can help you develop better habits. As I have said from the beginning, the whole point of this "journey" is to optimize oneself in order to increase future productivity while reducing distractions. It is important to remember that simplicity is key. When creating categories, reminders, etc. it is important to ensure that there are no massive paragraphs and only a limited number of categories. I would recommend starting with about 5 -10 categories that encompass all of your reminders. The less categories you have, the easier it is to identify where reminders belong, and the easier it is to determine the purpose of each reminder.

As you can see in the picture to the right, I use a total of 7 categories. As life changes, this list can also be changed. By keeping the number of categories small, I am able to keep ideas organized while knowing the purpose of each reminder. The ability to customize color and an identifying picture for each category provides an added feature that helps to separate reminders. The name of each category is entirely up the user but is something that should not be taken lightly.

The "Target List" category is one that I use everyday. The inspiration for the category name came after listening to Jocko Willink discuss how he approaches tasks during one of his podcasts. For those that have not heard of Jocko, he is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer and best selling author among many other things. During this podcast, he presented the idea that he approaches tasks like they are targets. Like targets, tasks should be honed in on individually. After identifying the target, the target should be attacked with whatever means necessary. Once the attack is complete, the target can be crossed off the list.

I love the way he described this. Instead of distracting oneself and trying to multi-task (literally and figuratively), the focus should be on just one task. All attention should be given to that targeted task until completion. Then it can be possible to move on to the next task and begin a link of task completion.

Ultimately, I decided to name my general task list the Target List. Now, whenever I think of a task that needs to be completed, I quickly open up my phone and type out the task in this category. The idea is simple and makes jotting down information when time is limited easy. When I have more time later on in the day, I can open up the list and remember what I need to get done with simplicity.

As I said before, it is also important to review each task once you have written it down. When I have a minute later on in the day (all it takes is ONE minute), I go back into the list and estimate an amount of time that I think it will take to complete the task. This gives my future self an approximate amount of time in which the individual task can be completed. (Check out the picture below for an example). It is important to ensure that when doing this, the estimated time is reasonable and achievable. This gives you peace of mind to know that the task can be completed quickly. Before I started following this technique, I remember looking at my task list and panicking because there were so many reminders that I needed to complete. Now I know how long each one will take and it gives me a better foundation when I feel like targeting each task.

Once I feel satisfied with the general direction of the task, I check to see if it belongs in any other category. If the task is more general, it will remain in my target list waiting to be tackled later on. If not, it can easily be moved to another category by dragging and dropping. Like I said before, this process takes only ONE minute, so there is no reason that it can't be done efficiently.

Another important category that I use daily is called "Goals." Within it, habit forming ideas are placed in the format of reoccurring tasks. Some examples include meditating for 10 minutes each day, reflecting on my goals every month, and checking my budget each month. The tasks that are in this section are all very important, and have helped me to develop positive habits and eliminate negative habits over the past 8 months. The possibility to make goals reoccurring also allows for reminders at various scheduled times. This includes setting reminders for the morning, or at night once work is over so that I can complete something if there is a deadline. I can be a forgetful person at times, so the reminders app is key in helping me remember.

One of my favorite categories is called "Gifts." Included in this folder are individual categories referring to family members or friends and the gift ideas for that person. Every time that someone mentions an item that they want or are interested in, I quickly write it down as a reminder under their respective category. If you struggle coming up with good gift ideas for people, this a very useful way to eliminate that struggle once and for all. Who knows when an item in the list will be useful in future gift giving endeavors. The sharing feature is also very handy. If someone you know asks for gift ideas for a specific person, it is easy to share your list with them, giving them access to all the items that are contained in the individual list.

I even have created a gift list for myself. In this list, I write down any items that I think I want. Personally, I think it is very important to have a gift list for yourself so that it is almost impossible to make impulse decisions. Once you add an item to your own personal list, you must let that item sit in the list for a month (or any lengthy period of time). After that time period is over, you can consciously evaluate the decision to buy it or not without the impulse decision looming over you. Most people tend to buy things in the moment because of a feeling of excitement. If time is taken to get over this initial feeling, you can evaluate the decision much more clearly and fully understand if you really need the item or not. This has saved me from a ton of impulse decisions.

Other categories that have been useful for me include work tasks, future ideas, groceries and a list of people to contact. They are all pretty self explanatory so I don't feel the need to dive too deep into them. Remember that you can customize the app and it's information however you may like.

As you can see, the Reminders app has been of great use to me. The key to using it is to refer to it as a tool instead of something that takes up your time. Fill it with useful information in order to develop beneficial habits, and you will quickly realize just how productive you can really be. My ultimate goal has been to use what I have learned throughout this experience to replace old habits with positive habits in order to boost productivity in my future self. The Reminders app is one of the main reasons that I have continued down this path to productivity. With its simplicity, usefulness, and connectivity, it has helped me along the way. I hope that it can help you too!

Until next time,

Tim Phillips

#TheTimPhillipsExperience #Productivity #AppleReminders #UsefulTips #Hacks #TPE #GetAfterIt #TargetList #JockoWillink #JustDoIt #App