Alright, let me tell you about this ‘chuwong’ thing I tried out. It wasn’t some fancy software or anything. It actually came from this old timer, Chu Wong, I knew from a previous gig. He had this peculiar way of keeping track of project tasks, totally old-school, and I was drowning in digital notes, reminders, and flags that just weren’t cutting it anymore. So, I thought, what the heck, let’s give Chu Wong’s method a shot.
First thing I did was get a plain notebook. Yeah, paper. And a specific pen color – blue for tasks, red for problems. Chu Wong was very particular about this. He said it forces you to slow down. So, I went and bought a notebook and some pens, feeling a bit silly.
Getting Started
The core idea was simple: one page per day. You list the main things you absolutely must do. Not a brain dump, just the critical stuff. Then, as you work, you make super brief notes next to each item. If something new comes up, you jot it down on the next day’s page, unless it’s on fire right now.
Sounds easy, right? Well, the first week was a mess. I kept forgetting the notebook. Or I’d scribble too much. My digital habits were fighting it hard. I wanted to link things, search things, paste screenshots. This paper thing felt slow, disconnected.
- Day 1-3: Mostly empty pages or just random jots. Felt clunky carrying a notebook again.
- Day 4-5: Started actually trying to follow the ‘one page, key tasks’ rule. Forced me to prioritize brutally before writing.
- Day 6-7: Had a ‘problem’ task. Used the red pen. Felt weirdly satisfying to mark it red.
The Grind and The Point
I stuck with it, mainly because I’d told Chu Wong I would. He just chuckled when I complained it was slow. “Thinking is slow,” he said. Annoying, but maybe true.
The process forced me to really think before acting. My digital notes were often a mess of half-baked ideas. The notebook demanded clarity before writing. If I couldn’t state the task simply, maybe I didn’t understand it well enough.
There were days I skipped it, went back to my digital tools, felt faster… but then ended the day feeling like I’d spun my wheels. The ‘chuwong’ method, for all its Stone Age feel, made me more deliberate.
So, What Happened?
Did it revolutionize my life? Nah. It’s still kinda cumbersome. I still use digital tools for detailed stuff, collaboration, anything complex. But for my personal daily focus? That simple notebook, that ‘chuwong’ ritual… it helps. It cuts through the noise.
It’s like using a basic wrench instead of a power tool sometimes. The power tool is faster, yeah, but the wrench makes you feel the connection, understand the force you’re applying. This method is like that wrench. Slow, manual, makes you pay attention.
It’s not for everyone, probably not even for every project. Sometimes you just need speed. But when I feel overwhelmed, I pull out that notebook. Forces me back to basics. Guess the old timer knew a thing or two. Still feels a bit dumb sometimes, carrying that notebook around, but hey, if it works, it works.
