Notes from The Grimoire: Turning the Page on June 2025
Tap here to jump down to the TL;DR
Welcome to my first official Grimoire Update! I think it's important to show that I'm walking the talk here and also that it could be helpful to provide a long-running example of how the flexibility of the Grimoire concept fits into real-life.
On the final Friday of each month, I'll be reviewing my PACT in The Scroll, tending to my toolkit in The Garden, and sharing what's next on The Workbench. It may change in the future, but that's the structure for this edition.
Ready? Let's get into it.
The Scroll
My PACT for June was:
I will publish one post each week for the month of June.
Here’s how it went:
Purposeful
Did I stay connected to my 'why'?
Yes! In fact I found that my why became even clearer and received a surprising amount of external validation when one of my stories was Boosted on Medium.
Actionable
What specific steps did I take?
I'll admit, my biggest concern was that I would quickly run out of things to write about. So I took the following steps to make sure I at least had the ideas in place, that way I could focus on getting into a writing and publishing routine.
I did a little bit of basic research to find out which posting frequency made the most sense for my audience and writing style.
While I'm not generally prone to getting hung up on analytics, putting a little bit of effort into understanding the best time to reach my audience is tightly connected to my why. I want my work to be helpful and empowering, but if I'm not taking steps to make sure the right people see it, that kind of defeats the purpose.
As I was formulating my ideas for The Attentive Archive, I got into the habit of writing article ideas (or simply things I wanted to learn more about) on small sticky notes and tacking them onto an index card under the header "Blog Post Seeds."
At the beginning of the month, I sat down and reflected on what I might want to write about, pulling 6 of those sticky notes and turning them into rough outlines in simple text files.
Then I developed each one into a Content Brief: gathering the scientific foundations, SEO information, and so on into a single document —again, the point being to make it so that, when I sat down to write, that was all I had left to do.
Continuous
How consistent was I?
The very first article was meant to be about 4 ways I fight Executive Dysfunction. As I started to write, a strange side-effect of this process happened: I began noticing more and more ways executive dysfunction showed up in my life. I also saw all the techniques I was already using to beat it.
When it hit 3000 words I knew it wouldn't make sense to keep it in a single piece, so that article grew into the Cornerstone Series, which was enough to fulfill my PACT for the month, and then some!
Where did I struggle? (or what derailed me?)
I'm happy to say I was not derailed! But I did have some struggles with feeling like what I had to say was meaningful in a way that could be helpful (hello, perfectionism). When I explained this, a very good friend perceptively encouraged me by reminding me that that feeling is just part of being who I am, and only serves as proof of my sincerity —I hope that's true!
Trackable
Did I do it?
Yes! Since I did not want to simply write about what I do, but to talk about why it works and give proper terminology while making it entertaining and accessible enough to be readable— it felt like a massive undertaking. But it has turned out to be some of the most interesting and fulfilling work I have ever done.
How did I track it
I used two of The Commencements to keep this going. The overall goal of publishing four articles felt daunting at first so I used The Pebble to break it down, making tiny goals for tough days like draft one sentence, find one source, and so on. I created a daily habit in HelloHabit called Write One Paragraph and I checked it off as long as I completed whatever my Pebble was that day.
To track the weekly goal, I created a Loyalty card specifically for this PACT. It had five simple boxes, one for each week of June, plus an extra so I could include all of the [Cornerstones[(https://attentivearchive.com/cornerstones-home/). I added the dates under the boxes for the day the article would be published, and the underlines are to remind me that it is scheduled and ready to go. Excited for that last punch on Tuesday!
I'll be turning in this Loyalty card for a gorgeous set of Arcana Tarot Playing Cards from Dead on Paper.
The Garden
Tending the tools.
Watering (What's Working)
Index cards: Summer is upon us, and I've been stripping down my capture method to lighten my sweaty pockets. I grabbed some Kraftex and made this little folder to keep in my pocket with my cards for the day. This setup is great for quick captures and reminders, and it keeps my notes from disintegrating in my pocket on a hot summer day.
VS Codium: I use a developer environment as a lightweight text editor to draft my writing in markdown. It's a nice distraction-free, local-first, and extremely customizable interface where I can also leave notes to myself to revise certain sections, add pictures, or even use Zotero to cite sources.
I sync the files between my phone, laptop, and computer using Proton Drive so I can make updates anywhere I go, and since they're text-files I don't have to rely on an internet connection to be able to get words on the page.
Weeding (What's Not Working)
Digital calendar: I'm benching digital planning for now, I have found that I prefer, and retain information much better, when I physically write things down. Plus any time I can eliminate a reason to grab my phone during a focus session, I take it. This month I started using a pocket-sized analog calendar and I'm loving it. I still use a digital calendar for event and appointment reminders, but it's no longer the source of truth when it comes to my schedule for now.
Planting (What's Changing)
Task Batching (Chunking Similar Tasks Together): In the immediate aftermath of graduation I didn't slow down or stop to take a breath. Instead I continued at the same breakneck sprint I had adopted for finals, applying for jobs and tinkering with projects for more than 12 hours most days, and crying a lot (just keepin' it real). I was beyond burned out, and I'm still in recovery.
Over the past couple of weeks I have employed an Alchemy, The Anthropologist, to take some time to check in with reality, evaluate my intentions, and rough-sketch a sustainable path forward.
A large part of implementing this change is developing a new routine. I need more exercise, and I need to stop trying to do everything every day. So I am iterating on a new weekly routine that has a "theme" for each day, and trying out different ways to incorporate intentional movement that don't involve getting scorched by the oppressive sunshine.
The Ness Labs Community: During the reflection period I described above, I realized there is a bit of a gap in my social circle when it comes to being a neurodivergent writer, advocate, and entrepreneur. So, after being an active reader for several months, I finally joined the Ness Labs Community last week, where I hope to connect with like-minded individuals and continue to foster a sense of community and belonging.
The Workbench
Planning, building, and getting curious for the month ahead.
In the Works
On the workbench right now are some exciting ideas for building and supporting our community, including a private Discord server with regular co-working or body-doubling sessions, writing sprints, building a bot for recurring reminders, and maybe a logo to make things feel more official! Stay tuned to find out how it goes đź‘€
Current Hyperfocus
Playing Balatro and writing about The Cards sent me down the rabbit trail of cartomancy and the history of fortune telling with standard 52-card decks. I'm also re-teaching myself how to play Pyramid Solitaire, which I used to really enjoy but haven't played in decades.
PACT for July
I will review my budget twice a week for 4 weeks.
I'm not bad with money, but I have a lot of physical anxiety around finances which causes me to feel avoidant toward my budget, and I would really like to make some tangible progress on that (just writing this sentence elevated my heart rate).
I have a book called "ADHD Money" by Tina Mathams coming in the mail within the next week or so, which was just published this month, and I am excited to dig in. I hope to finish this PACT with a better understanding of how to manage this very important life-skill without kicking my nervous system into overdrive. I'll let you know how it goes.
That's the update! As you can see, the toolkit I assemble from my Grimoire evolves with me as I learn and grow. My hope is that sharing this process transparently helps you feel more empowered to build and adapt your own. Thanks for stopping by!
P.S. Don't forget to catch up on The Cornerstones before the final chapter, The Alchemies, drops on Tuesday, July 1st. Read it here! I'm really excited to share them with you, and you just might need them for the next series...
✂️ TL;DR
The Goal (The Scroll): My PACT to publish weekly in June was a success, largely because one article idea exploded into the Cornerstones series. My biggest struggle was fighting The Inspector (perfectionism), but I used The Pebble and a Loyalty Card to track progress and get the work done.
The Tools (The Garden): This month I'm "watering" physical index cards and a simple text editor (VS Codium) for distraction-free writing. I'm "weeding" my digital calendar, and "planting" new habits like themed days (task batching) to recover from burnout.
The Plan (The Workbench): Looking ahead, I'm exploring community features like a Discord server. My current hyperfocus is cartomancy (thanks, Balatro!). And my PACT for July is to tackle financial anxiety by reviewing my budget twice a week.