Mind of a Maker
A daily blog inspired by Matthew Dicks
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
To become better at something, you have to practice. What better way to become a better writer and storyteller than to practice by making a habit of writing daily?
In this daily blog, we’ll discuss Maker-related topics as well as what inspires projects, including YouTube videos, Movies, TV Shows, Disney, Star Wars, LEGO, Books, and more. Everything is on the table, and nothing is off-limits.
Disclaimer: The thumbnail images featured on this blog are often AI-generated. See Disclosure page for more information.
1 Simple Framework For Deciding How To Be Productive Each Day (And Not Just Busy)
The Eisenhower Matrix.
Dwight D Eisenhower sorted tasks in do 4 categories:
• Do
• Decide
• Delegate
• Delete
It has helped me be productive and not feeling (as) pulled in 100 directions.
5 Easy Steps To Achieve Your 2026 Maker Goals (Even If You Never Mark Annual Goals Complete)
Want to FINALLY achieve your 2026 goals? Follow these 5 easy steps.
1. Pick 1 single 2026 Goal (yes, only 1)
2. Set Q1 goals To hit the Annual
3. Set Jan goals to hit the Q1
4. Set this week's goals to hit Jan's
5. Figure out the actions required to nail the week.
Repeat weekly.
My Simple Goal Setting Framework To Get More Done In 2026 (Even If You Haven't Accomplished Goals Before)
To get more done in 2026, I'm using a simple goal framework, slightly modified from Ali Abdaal 's model.
I set goals by level with longer goals informing shorter.
0. Long-Term
1. Annual
2. Quarterly
3. Monthly
4. Weekly
Each goal gets a project.
Review weekly goals daily and everything weekly.
3 Tips To Focus On Boring Work (From A Serial Procrastinator)
Some things just have to be done by a person, and in a 1-person business, that means me.
Since the boring work must be done by me and I want to be successful, here are 3 tips that have helped me get it done consistently.
3 Reasons Notion Is Overpowered For Growing Your Maker Small Businesses
If you're growing your business and are looking for robust tools, Notion is completely overpowered.
Since I first started posting content online, I've used pretty much every popular platform for my content calendar, project builds, and video ideas. I've jumped around from Google Sheets to Monday.com to Trello to AirTable to ClickUp and even tried pulling different note apps like Apple Notes and Evernote into complicated automations with Make.com. Every tool has its drawbacks, but I find my favorite has been Notion ever since trying it out in 2024.
The 4 Most Basic Steps Every Maker Project Has
How do you eat an elephant?
Here’s how I apply this concept to my projects and what it has unlocked for me when it comes to larger, complex projects.
2 Simple Tips For Busy Professionals To Maximize Their Time In The Workshop, Create More Projects, And Tap Into Their Creative Side
Time is a struggle for just about everyone, but especially busy professionals juggling work, family, friends, and other responsibilities ahead of hobbies.
Fortunately, I found these 2 simple tips helped me get more out of my limited workshop time, which helped me create more projects, and gave me the time to think creatively as well.
The Simplest Way For Makers To Overcome Procrastination Mid Build
Personally, I have struggled with procrastination for years, and it has caused months of delays.
Procrastination stems from being unsure of next steps and a lack of planning.
Here's how I started working on it:
Top 3 Simple Tools I Use During Every Build
Tools help us get build projects done (and are just fun to collect), but there are 3 simple tools I have used on every project for over a year.
3 Common Pitfalls Makers With Day Jobs Fall Into (And How To Overcome Them And Build More)
Making things is an incredible superpower that most people wish they could achieve, but there is a problem: we’re all busy all the time.