Why I swapped VLC for Screenbox on Windows 11

VLC on Windows 11

For as long as I can remember, VLC media player has been a staple on all my PCs and laptops. VLC is the ol’ reliable of software – feed it virtually any media format, and it just plays it without fuss.

But recently on Windows 11, I noticed a frustrating issue: launching VLC took anywhere between 10 to 30 seconds. Double-clicking an MP4 and sitting through a 15-second delay just to watch a local video quickly wore thin.

So, last week I replaced VLC with an app that uses the same VLC engine, but which opens instantly and is arguably prettier, Screenbox.

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Cynefin and GTD: the weekly review as a sense-making practice

The Getting Things Done (GTD) weekly review is often described as essential maintenance for your productivity system. You gather loose papers, process your inboxes, download your head, update your projects and review your calendar. This keeps your system current and trustworthy.

But the weekly review can do something deeper. It can help you notice when your understanding of a situation is no longer accurate.

Seen through Cynefin, the weekly review becomes a regular opportunity to notice what has changed and adapt our response.

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One act of self trust

In yesterday’s post, I suggested that the deeper outcome of productivity is not optimisation but self-trust.

Self-trust does not appear because we find the perfect system. It develops through experience.

Each time we make a realistic commitment and follow through, we give ourselves a little more evidence that we can rely on ourselves.

Start with something small

Large commitments can feel important, but they are not always the best place to begin.

Choose one small action that would make life slightly easier for your future self.

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Why trust matters more than optimisation

Productivity advice often focuses on optimisation.

We are encouraged to find the fastest tool, the most efficient workflow, or the perfect morning routine. There is always another app to install, another system to refine, another technique to master.

But the deeper purpose of productivity is not efficiency.

It is self-trust.

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How I make Windows 11 less annoying

My primary screen on Windows 11

Over the last few months, I kept reading comments on social media about how bad people think Windows 11 is.

“Surely it‘s not that bad,” I kept thinking.

And then I set up a new mini PC with a clean installation of Windows 11 Home, logged in for the first time and thought, “What in hell‘s name is this?!”

It was then that I remembered that I have made a number of significant tweaks to make Windows 11 feel… well, less like Windows 11.

Here’s what I do…

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