My tendency towards information has always been “when in doubt, save it.” This means that I have a lot of weird old files on my computer. Sifting through these is like looking through a time capsule containing all of the odd obsessions and aspirations I’ve had over the past decade.

Sometimes these files can be left as they are, but the more recent ones (last 4 years) often hold connections to aspirations/ideas I currently hold. These are worth processing into my GTD (Getting Things Done) system to extract next actions, reference items, etc. Currently, I’m working through some Firefox bookmarks that were saved in pre-GTD days.

It’s tedious and distracting work. Every link is something I saved because it interested me, so it often reanimates with that same interesting power when reviewing it years later. The easiest links to process were to concepts or authors I’ve since decided aren’t worth reading. Those are almost gone now. I may use a HIIT timer to mechanically force myself to spend <30 seconds per item so I finish processing the bookmarks within my lifetime.