Announcing the Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide

Apple has been quietly building a complete productivity ecosystem into every device you own. But without proper guidance, these apps feel basic, disconnected, and underpowered.

The Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide reveals the hidden 80% of Apple’s productivity suite (Notes, Reminders, Calendar, and Freeform) that transforms free apps into a system that rivals anything you can buy.

Use Code APSLAUNCH for 10% off for a limited time.

Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide – Pro Edition

Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide – Essentials Edition

I’ve been teaching Apple productivity for over a decade. And for years, I recommended third-party apps for everything—task management, note-taking, project planning.

Then I started really digging into what Apple built. Smart Lists in Reminders that rival any GTD app. Smart Folders in Notes that work like Notion databases. Calendar automation that thinks ahead. Freeform boards that visualize better than any mind-mapper.

The revelation? Most people paying for productivity apps already own something just as powerful. They just need someone to show them how it all fits together.

In this Field Guide, I’ll show you exactly what these apps can do when you understand the system Apple designed but never explained.

Essentials Edition – $49

The Complete Video Library

  • 90+ HD screencasts covering every app
  • Smart Lists, Smart Folders, automation workflows
  • Integration techniques that tie everything together
  • Perfect for self-directed learners
  • Lifetime access, learn at your own pace

Pro Edition – $99

Everything in Essentials PLUS 6 Live Workshops

Join me for deep dives where we’ll build YOUR system:

  • Apple Notes – Transform it into your second brain
  • Reminders – Customize your task management implementation
  • Calendar – Automation that thinks for you
  • Freeform – Visual project management mastery
  • Automation – Connect everything with Shortcuts
  • Integration – Make it all work together

Live Q&A in every session. Can’t make it? Recordings included.

​Best of all, there is a launch discount, APSLAUNCH gets you 10% off for a limited time.

Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide – Pro Edition

Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide – Essentials Edition

​I’ve been watching Apple slowly improve these apps over the last several years. Many of these apps were way too rudimentary to be useful years ago. That is no longer the case. The Apple Productivity Suite has finally matured into a powerful set of tools, and I believe they deserve a comprehensive guide. That’s why I’ve created this Field Guide to help you unlock their full potential.

Focused 241: Less but Better, with Austin L. Church

Freelance business coach Austin L. Church joins Mike and me on this episode of Focused to talk about avoiding burnout and building more sustainable systems.

This episode of Focused is sponsored by:

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The Inherent Value of the Creative Act

I’ve been thinking about the idea of the creative act and how it inspires joy in humans. I recently watched a documentary about a group of jazz musicians who were lamenting how no one is really willing to pay them what they’re worth. Club owners barely compensate these musicians, so why don’t they just take jobs digging ditches or doing something else more stable? I think the answer lies in the joy of creation.

As humans, I believe when we are creating, we are being our most natural selves. That act brings with it a high, and for jazz musicians, whose craft is rooted in real-time improvisation, they get to live in that high on a regular basis. It’s almost like the market has figured that out without really naming it. It knows these musicians will take less, because the non-monetary compensation of creating in front of an audience is just that powerful. It’s not just about the money—it’s about the act and the sharing of it.

That really resonates with me. I naturally gravitate toward anything that lets me express creative energy—whether that’s making music, building furniture, or what I create as MacSparky. My frustration with the administrative side of MacSparky probably reflects that pull toward the creative parts. I’ve lived this trade-off before. When I used to play jazz for money, I often accepted gigs that didn’t pay much because I just wanted to play. The same logic often shows up in how I price MacSparky products: I don’t optimize for maximum profit. I want to earn enough to be able to keep going, but I also want to get the content “out there”. I want the ideas to spread. I want to share what I’ve made.

I’m also aware of how fortunate I am to have structured a life where I get to live in that creative space most of the time. That didn’t happen by accident. I made conscious and unconscious choices to get here. If I had gone full throttle into being a high-powered attorney, sure, I’d be making more money. But would I get the same high? Not likely.

This reflection also helps me clarify why I’m so resistant to using artificial intelligence for the actual work of creating. I see AI as an incredibly useful assistant, especially for administrative things, but when it comes to the core act of making something, I want that to come from me. Because that’s the joy. That’s the whole point.