I don’t know about you, but I could use a mental break…

I’m preparing to move back to North Carolina at the end of the year and I’m reaching a logistics overload. Honestly, functioning is hard enough when things feel normal and steady. Functioning while everything feels like it’s going haywire is even tougher.

One of the (few) newsletters I subscribe to and read in its entirety is Consciously Cait’s 4x4, where she shares four cycle syncing tips, four things she loves, four recipes, and four habits to try. 

In the latest edition, she shared a new-to-me tool called Goblin Tools. 

First of all, goblin is objectively one of the funniest words ever invented. Sometimes, I really do feel like my brain is a goblin playing tricks on me — like when I misplace everything I own or forget why I went into my bedroom by the time I get there. 

Goblin Tools is “a collection of small, simple, single-task tools, mostly designed to help neurodivergent people with tasks they find overwhelming or difficult.”

If you ever feel overwhelmed by what feels like the smallest of tasks, check it out…There are a few different tools you can use from your browser (free) or in the app ($.99):

The “MagicToDo” takes any task (like ‘write a newsletter’ or ‘do the dishes’) and breaks it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. 

I doubt I’ll use the app itself as a task management system, but sometimes it is helpful to have someone else do the breakdown process for me — especially if I’m feeling super overwhelmed!

I’m in the process of renewing my passport, and this particular tool will definitely come in handy. Is it just me or do most government processes feel like they were built to bring us to an emotional breakdown?

The “Formalizer” can help you convert the tone of a sentence or email…

I was recently writing a cover letter (groan) and felt like I was automatically writing like a corporate robot, which is not how I want to come across. Sometimes I need a little extra help figuring out my tone, and then I can edit to put it in my own words. 

The “Judge” can help you interpret the tone of someone else’s sentence or email…

Perfect for those of us who constantly feel like everyone hates our guts (I am “us”). 

The “Estimator” helps you estimate how much time a task will take to complete…

I have a hard time determining how much time things will take, which often leads to procrastination. This will take 30 mins or less? Time to put on my favorite podcast and get to scrubbin’ dishes.

The “Compiler” takes a jumbled list of tasks and turns it into a clean list of individual tasks to export…

Great for speech-to-text aficionados or folks who have a bunch of to-dos lying around in various places. 

The “Chef” takes whatever ingredients you feed it (like a list of leftovers in the fridge) and gives you suggestions for what to cook…

I would pay an absurd amount of money for an app that will then make the suggested meals for me.

This tool was created by a freelance software engineer named Bram De Buyser (aka, the app can be a bit buggy sometimes but updates are frequent and you’re supporting an independent developer who won’t sell your data). You can also use the tool for free on the website: https://goblin.tools/

If you decided to try it out, let me know what you think.

Peace, love and workflows,

Andrea