Samuel is in the final week of his break before jumping back into master’s work, and he’s using the downtime to fine-tune his systems and reset his mindset for the year ahead. He shares a few takeaways from How to Take Smart Notes—especially around linking ideas—and talks about building out Stream Deck workflows that speed up podcasting, research, and even launching games. The main focus is his annual “theme of the year” tradition: after a successful 2025 “Year of Relationship,” he’s naming 2026 the “Year of Balance,” with practicum and heavier program demands coming up—and a deliberate goal to avoid burnout while still making room for the people and projects he loves.

Highlights

• Finished How to Take Smart Notes and wants to tweak his “second brain,” especially by linking related notes more intentionally.
• Stream Deck is becoming a one-button workflow hub (audio production, show prep for “Going Through Who,” research tabs, and more).
• Set up game-launch shortcuts too—less about “saving seconds,” more about fully using the tool he already owns.
• Explains why he prefers “year themes” over New Year’s resolutions (plus a quick tangent on “science,” skepticism culture, and not being a jerk).
• 2025 recap: “Year of Relationship” brought more intentional time with friends, new groups, and deeper community ties.
• 2026 theme: “Year of Balance,” especially with practicum approaching and the need to protect mental health and prevent burnout.

How to Take Smart Notes: https://a.co/d/cQOSzFq

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Samuel is back behind the mic for a catch-up episode, talking about how his master’s program has taken over schedule-wise, why he had to step away from his job working with kids, and how he’s rebuilding his space and systems to better support his brain, his projects, and his people. Along the way he plugs new voice-acting work in Bill Meeks’ Everly Heights universe, reflects on a deep conversation about faith and disagreement on the podcast Agenda Fluid, and explains how Tiago Forte’s “Building a Second Brain” and the PARA method are helping him stay organized without pretending there’s a one-size-fits-all solution. He also teases his upcoming “year theme” episode and the annual Diamond Club New Year’s stream-a-thon for Children’s Miracle Network.

Highlights in this episode:

• Why the master’s workload forced Samuel to give up his job working with kids (and what he took away from it)
• Decluttering the home studio with his mom’s “organization wizardry” and the saga of oversized academic textbooks
• Voice-acting as Louis Loop in Everly Heights Tales and helping introduce listeners to Bill Meeks’ new shared universe
• Guesting on Agenda Fluid to talk religion, faith, disagreement, and why “enemy mindset” and outrage politics are so harmful
• Living with anger as an epilepsy trigger, why Samuel refuses to lean into rage, and how that shapes how he shows he cares
• How “Building a Second Brain” and the PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) power his Notion setup, tabletop campaigns, joke file, Bible notes, and more
• Why organizing is a coping strategy for him (not a moral high ground), and his argument that everyone needs the system that fits their own brain
• Teasing the upcoming “Year of Relationship” recap and next year’s personal theme, plus the Diamond Club New Year’s stream-a-thon for Children’s Miracle Network

Building a Second Brain: https://a.co/d/7BbihaL

Everly Heights: https://everlyheights.tv/everlyheightstales/

Agenda Fluid episode: https://agendafluid.com/podcast/is-religion-necessary-in-a-scientific-world/

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this episode of Samuel’s Thoughts I’m finally back and talking about my new approach to content without pressure and I do my review of The Wild Robot.

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this Samuel’s Thoughts I went to WWE Smackdown in Knoxville Tennessee and I wanna talk about it! What is it like being in the crowd of a live show and what feels different from watching on tv.

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this episode, Doctor Who is back so here are my first thoughts after watching of a new companion, a planet that messes with expectations, and a mystery setup to solve.

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this episode of Samuel’s Thoughts a catchup on what is going on then I go Vlog Brothers style to respond to one of my friend Donovans questions on his podcast about how I handle being informed in the stabby age we find ourselves in.

How Minds Change: https://a.co/d/cO9fBAc

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this episode I talk about the year that was and look forward to my new theme of the coming year.

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this episode I talk about setting up a new computer and talk about Saturday Nights Main Event but it’s not the regular wrestling breakdown you were expecting.

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io
“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod
(https://incompetech.com)
License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this episode, I try out some odd mints before recording, look into a robot that could help farmers, and review Cyberpunk 2077 now that I have finally finished it!

A robot could help farmers: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yxw9wr3j4o

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this episode I’m joined for another car ride with Jacob as we test out my new Neewer CM28 microphones and have a conversation about positivity in content and why negativity is such a tempting path.

How Minds Change: https://a.co/d/7akGesS

To find previous episodes go to:
tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put
this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out
how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

Music from https://filmmusic.io

“NewsSting” and “News Theme” by Kevin
MacLeod

(https://incompetech.com)

License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

On this episode where I hit a wrestling fandom milestone, I talk about the two PLE events this weekend. Bash in Berlin and No Mercy!

To find previous episodes go to: tscn.tv/st

To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/tscnst

Want to support our content? Go to tscn.tv/support to find out how!

Send feedback to: [email protected] or leave a comment below!

“Big Rock” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/