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Wisdom · Reflection · HourLife Premium

The lines worth keeping, and one of them back on Today each week.

Keep the quotes, lessons, and principles worth remembering, with their source and why they matter, and let one come back on Today in turn.

  • Words, source, and whyEvery entry keeps the words, who said them or where you read them, and a “WHY DOES THIS RESONATE?” note, so a quote still means something when you reread it a year on.
  • One on Today, in turnToday shows one entry at a time and moves to the next on a cadence you choose, from daily to monthly. It works through your entries in the order you saved them, so every one comes round.
  • Reflections over timeCome back to an entry and add a dated reflection on what changed. Insights names the one you have returned to most.
HourLife Wisdom: The Wisdom list with “Presence is a gift people can feel.” on the rotating card, the type filters, and entries badged Book and Person.
The Wisdom list with “Presence is a gift people can feel.” on the rotating card, the type filters, and entries badged Book and Person.

Your first three entries

  1. Save a line you already know

    Open Wisdom, tap "+" and type it under "WORDS". Add who said it under "SOURCE" and pick a type, such as Book or Person, then tap "Save".

  2. Say why it landed

    Answer "WHY DOES THIS RESONATE?" in a sentence. It shows on the entry's page under "WHY THIS RESONATES".

  3. Leave Today on

    "Today" under "SURFACE IN" starts on. With three entries saved, Today's "WISDOM" card works through them, one a week unless you change the cadence in Settings.

Every step, in detail
  1. 1 Open Wisdom and tap "+" to open "Add Wisdom".
  2. 2 Type the quote or lesson under "WORDS", then add who said it and pick a type such as Book, Person, or Podcast under "SOURCE".
  3. 3 Answer "WHY DOES THIS RESONATE?", and add a goal or tags if you like.
  4. 4 Under "SURFACE IN", leave "Today" on if you want this entry to take its turn on Today, then tap "Save".
HourLife Wisdom: The rotating card, how often Today moves on, and whether new entries start with Today on.
The rotating card, how often Today moves on, and whether new entries start with Today on.

A library you can search

Wisdom opens on the entry Today is showing, then everything you have kept, newest first. The chips sort it by where the words came from, a second row narrows it to favorites or one tag, and search reads the words, the source, why it landed and the tags.

Sample · eleven entries, on Tuesday, Oct 20 · try the chips and search

Wisdom

Lessons worth keeping · 2 this week

◷ ROTATING DAILY

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Coach Zoe
View all ›

ALL ENTRIES

  1. Write the why while it's fresh.
    OWN
    surfaces in 1 place
  2. A small routine can hold a large life.
    Paterson · Jim Jarmusch FILM
    surfaces in 1 place
  3. Presence is a gift people can feel.
    Family conversation CONVERSATION
    surfaces in 1 place
  4. Rest is part of the training, not a break from it.
    a podcast PODCAST
    surfaces in 1 place
  5. The obstacle is the way.
    Ryan Holiday · The Obstacle Is the Way BOOK
    surfaces in 3 places
  6. Make the first version small enough to throw away.
    ★ Priya Nair · design review CONVERSATION
    surfaces in 2 places
  7. To every thing there is a season.
    Ecclesiastes 3:1 SACRED
    surfaces in 2 places
  8. Tired is not the same as done.
    OWN
    surfaces in 1 place
  9. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
    Coach Zoe PERSON
    surfaces in 3 places
  10. What is essential is invisible to the eye.
    Antoine de Saint-Exupéry · The Little Prince BOOK
    surfaces in 1 place
  11. We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
    ★ Seneca · Letters from a Stoic BOOK
    surfaces in 2 places

What each chip takes in

Books Book, Article 3
People Person 1
Sacred Sacred Text 1
Conversations Conversation, Podcast 3
Experience Original, Film 3

An entry saved without a type has no badge and shows only under All. Your own words, the Original type, are set upright with an OWN badge; everything else is in italics.

The five dots on a card

One for each place under SURFACE IN.

The count beside them is how many are on. Seneca’s card, below, reads two.

  1. Today, the rotation that feeds Today, Morning and Evening, and the widget
  2. Morning, the Planning flow tile
  3. Before habit, which the form does not offer
  4. Reviews, the Monthly review tile, which the Weekly Review reads
  5. Yearly review, the Annual reflection tile

The “N this week” beside the title counts entries saved in the last seven days. Long-press a card to Edit, Favorite, Archive or Delete it; the ⋯ menu holds Insights, Settings and Archived.

Which entry Today shows

It is not random. The entries with Today on stand in the order you saved them, and each time the cadence turns over, Today moves to the next. Weekly is the default, so each week from Monday belongs to one entry, and the list comes round again after 10 weeks.

Sample · the eleven entries, twelve weeks from Tuesday, Oct 20 · change the cadence, drag the day, switch Today off

  1. Mar 14We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
  2. May 2What is essential is invisible to the eye.
  3. May 23Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
  4. Jun 9Tired is not the same as done.
  5. Jul 4To every thing there is a season.
  6. Jul 30Make the first version small enough to throw away.
  7. Aug 18The obstacle is the way.
  8. Sep 6Rest is part of the training, not a break from it.
  9. Oct 3Presence is a gift people can feel.
  10. Oct 16A small routine can hold a large life.
  11. Oct 19Write the why while it's fresh.

Each row is an entry, oldest first. Bars mark the days, over the next twelve weeks, that Today shows it.

WISDOM

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

- Coach Zoe

Mon, Oct 19 to Sun, Oct 25. Next: “Tired is not the same as done.”

The ROTATING DAILY card, Morning and Evening modes and the Daily Wisdom widget all show this same entry.

The app keeps no record of what it has shown. It works the turn out afresh from the date and the count, so saving, archiving or switching Today on an entry changes the count and moves every week after it. Save one today and see the order shift. “Today surfacing cadence” is in Wisdom’s Settings.

What an entry keeps

The form asks for the words and lets the rest wait. The entry’s page then holds the one note on why it landed and a dated reflection each time you come back.

Sample · Seneca, saved on Mar 14

CancelAdd WisdomSave

WORDS
We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
SOURCE
Seneca · Letters from a StoicBook ⌄
WHY DOES THIS RESONATE?
Most of what I dread never happens, and the dread costs more than the thing.
LINK TO (OPTIONAL)
Goal
TAGS (OPTIONAL)
#stoic #worry Add tag
SURFACE IN
TodaySurfaces on Today MorningPlanning flow Monthly reviewReflection prompt Yearly reviewAnnual reflection Custom
  1. WORDS. The quote or lesson, typed or dictated. Save stays off until there are words.
  2. SOURCE. “Name · title or work”, and a type from Book to Original. The type sets the badge and the chip that finds it.
  3. WHY DOES THIS RESONATE? One note, shown on the page as WHY THIS RESONATES. Search reads it too.
  4. LINK TO. A goal, when Goals is on. The goal’s page lists the entry.
  5. TAGS. Each tag becomes a # chip over the list.
  6. SURFACE IN. Today puts the entry in the rotation, and starts on unless you change “Show on Today by default”. Monthly review puts it in the Weekly Review’s pick. Morning and Yearly review are saved and lit on the card, but no screen chooses by them yet; Morning mode follows Today. Custom has no options yet.

‹ Wisdom⋯

We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.

Seneca · Letters from a Stoic BOOK

WHY THIS RESONATES

Most of what I dread never happens, and the dread costs more than the thing.

REFLECTIONS +

  1. Aug 6 · 8:18 AM

    Reread it before the move. The boxes were the easy part.

  2. Jun 24 · 10:05 PM

    Worry is a forecast, and mine are mostly wrong.

  3. May 28 · 7:40 AM

    Caught myself rehearsing an argument that never came.

  4. Mar 20 · 9:12 PM

    The meeting I dreaded all week took twenty minutes.

SURFACES IN

TodayWeekly Review

TAGS

#stoic#worry

Seneca’s year on Today

Every reflection was written in a week the entry came round.

The entries with Today on, as they grew from one to 10, and the days the weekly rotation gave to Seneca. Saving an entry midweek can cut a turn short, as on Jun 9.

From Mar 14 to Oct 20 the entries with Today on grew from 1 to 10. Seneca was on Today Mar 14 to May 22, May 25 to May 31, Jun 8, Jun 22 to Jun 28, Jul 20 to Jul 26, Aug 3 to Aug 9. Reflections on Mar 20, May 28, Jun 24, Aug 6. 10 entries on Today 1 2 3 4 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
  • Entries with Today on
  • Seneca on Today
  • A reflection, numbered as on the page
  • Today, Oct 20

Under the tags, “MORE FROM” lists up to four other entries with the same source. The ⋯ menu holds Edit, Favorite, Copy text, Archive and Delete; an archived entry leaves the rotation and waits under Archived.

Ways in, and where it comes back

Most lines are met somewhere else first, in a book, a show or a passing thought, so three other modules can save straight to Wisdom. What each one fills in:

Way inWordsSourceTypeToday
“+” in WisdomAdd WisdomWhat you typeWhat you typeYour pick, or none“Show on Today by default”
Brain“Save to wisdom” on an inbox itemThe item’s textNoneOriginal, or your pick when the form opensOn
Learning“Wisdom library” on a captureThe noteThe item’s titleBookOn, with your reaction as why it resonates
Media“Save as Wisdom” after a takeawayThe takeawayThe film or show’s titleNoneOn

Brain saves straight away or opens Add Wisdom filled in, depending on its conversion mode.

  • Today, Morning and Evening

    The WISDOM card shows the rotation’s entry, with its source after a dash, or its type when there is no source.

    WISDOM

    Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

    - Coach Zoe
  • The Daily Wisdom widget

    Medium, large or on the Lock Screen. It follows the same cadence as Today, and a tap opens the entry.

    DAILY WISDOM

    Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

    Coach Zoe
  • The Weekly Review

    One entry with Monthly review on is the review’s quote, a different one each week of the year. Seneca, Saint-Exupéry, Priya and Ryan Holiday take turns here.

  • A goal’s page

    An entry linked to a goal is listed on that goal.

  • Day by Day

    Each entry shows in Calendar’s Day by Day on the day you saved it, captioned “Wisdom”.

  • Search

    HourLife’s search finds an entry by its first fifty characters, with the source under it.

Insights reads what you hold onto

“Insights” in the ⋯ menu counts what you have kept, charts six months of saving, and asks how much of it you have thought through since.

Sample · the eleven entries, on Tuesday, Oct 20

You’ve collected 11 pieces of wisdom.

3 this month, 1 this week.

Lately

You’ve added 3 this month.

Entries saved each month: May 2, Jun 1, Jul 2, Aug 1, Sep 1, Oct 3. 0 2 4 May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
1this week
3this month
11all time

These count calendar weeks and months, from Monday and the 1st. The “2 this week” on the list counts the last seven days, so the two can differ.

Reflection

You’ve reflected on 36% of your wisdom.

Reflections turn saved quotes into ideas you’ve actually thought through.

4reflected on
8reflections
5resonates
MOST REVISITED

We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.

4 reflections

Where it comes from

9 entries name a specific source.

Every type you have used, by how many entries carry it.

  1. Book3
  2. Conversation2
  3. Own2
  4. Film1
  5. Person1
  6. Podcast1
  7. Sacred1

How you organize

#craft is your most-used tag.

Ties go to the tag first in the alphabet.

2favorites
10tagged
5distinct tags
  1. #craft3
  2. #presence3
  3. #health2
  4. #stoic2
  5. #worry1

Tips

  • Write the "WHY DOES THIS RESONATE?" note while it is fresh. It is what makes a quote useful when you reread it months later.
  • Set "Today surfacing cadence" to "Weekly" or slower if you want to live with one idea for a while instead of a new one every day.
  • Turn "Today" off for entries you want to keep but not meet every few weeks, so the rotation reaches the rest sooner.
  • When an entry comes round on Today and means something new, open it and add a reflection. Insights tracks the one you return to most.

Questions

About Wisdom day to day.

  • How does the app choose which quote I see?

    It takes the entries with "Today" on, in the order you saved them, and shows the next one each time the cadence turns over. With the default, "Weekly", that is a new entry each week. It is not random, so every entry comes round in turn.

  • Can I keep an entry without it showing on Today?

    Yes. Switch off "Today" under "SURFACE IN" when you save or edit it. To start every new entry with it off, turn off "Show on Today by default" in Settings.

  • Can I save my own lessons, not just quotes?

    Yes. Pick "Original" as the type. Your own words are set upright rather than in italics, with an "OWN" badge, and the "Experience" filter finds them.

  • What is the difference between "Why this resonates" and reflections?

    An entry has one resonance note, what made it land when you saved it. Reflections are a dated list you add to each time you come back, and can edit or delete one by one.

  • Can quotes from my reading go straight into Wisdom?

    Yes. Learning's "Wisdom library" toggle saves a captured note as a Book entry with the item's title as its source, and Media's "Save as Wisdom" keeps a takeaway with the film or show's title as its source. Brain's "Save to wisdom" turns an inbox item into an entry.

  • Is Wisdom free, and does it sync?

    Wisdom is part of HourLife Premium. Entries sync through iCloud with the rest of your data, so they are on every device signed in to your account.

Works with

Where Wisdom hands off to the rest of HourLife.

  • Today

    Entries with "Today" on take turns in the "WISDOM" card on Today and in Morning and Evening modes.

  • Goals

    An entry linked to a goal is listed on that goal's detail page.

  • Brain

    An item in the Brain inbox can be saved straight to Wisdom with "Save to wisdom".

  • Learning

    When you capture a note in Learning, the "Wisdom library" toggle also saves it as a Wisdom entry, with the item's title as its source.

  • Media

    "Save as Wisdom" on a media item keeps your takeaway as an entry with that item's title as its source.

Read and try

Books from the library that Wisdom puts into practice, and something to try on paper or in the browser.

Already have HourLife?

Wisdom is under Reflection in the module list, and it is part of HourLife Premium. "+" adds an entry, and the ⋯ menu holds "Insights", "Settings" and "Archived". Today, Morning and Evening modes carry a "WISDOM" card, and there is a "Daily Wisdom" widget.

Wisdom is in the Library, under Reflection. If it isn’t there, turn it on in Settings → Look & Feel → Modules. It needs HourLife Premium.

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