7 Things I Stopped Doing in 2025

I stopped chasing new tools

I used to be constantly searching. Always some new tool out there that promised to fix everything. Not anymore.

I've realized: most of the time, it was just distraction. I burned energy instead of creating.

I ditched plugin collections

I had them all. EQs, reverbs, expensive plugin miracles. Still didn't sound better, just louder. At some point, I got it: I can't buy skills. I want to hear again. Understand. Learn.

Now I work with Logic's stock plugins. I try to recreate what others sell for money. It sharpens my ears and saves cash. Classic sampling, crate digging, it's fire. Old records, chopped textures, dusty loops. That's soul. No plugin will ever match the feeling of finding a loop that hits you straight in the chest.

And those new AI plugins? The ones trying to tell you how you should sound? They piss me off. I don't want an algorithm mixing or generating my music. I want to hear for myself. Music isn’t a conveyor belt. It's craft. And heart.

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I replaced API hell with real creativity

Notion, Make, GPT integrations, sure, it looked fancy. But it was expensive. And annoying. Tokens, limits, bugs. Now I use Apple Notes and Shortcuts. All native. No API circus. No subscription. And it works. My system is smaller now and it works. I can focus on what actually matters.

I trust my DAW – not subscriptions

Logic has everything I need. I just never used it fully. Now I sit down and dig in. No plugin addiction. No AI escape. I take my time. I'm done upgrading, I want to settle into what's already there.

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I use Apple Notes instead of 10 note apps

I deleted Notion. Too heavy. Too expensive. Too much. Now I write in Apple Notes. Simple. Fast. Clear. I use the Forever Notes framework for structure. With Shortcuts and GPT baked in, no token hell. And guess what: I forget less and find notes faster.

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I choose depth over trends

I used to run. Now I stand still. Look at what I already have. Ask myself:

Do I really use this? Most of the time, no. I want depth instead of speed. I want to stay with something. Really feel it. That’s my new standard.

I only do what feels right

If a tool stresses me out, it's gone. If a workflow drains me, I change it. I want to feel what I'm doing again. Making music. Writing. Thinking clearly. Without clutter. And I've learned to notice when I’m trying to optimize too much.

Less tools. More clarity. More music.

2025 was a turning point. I saw how much time and money I was burning on tools I barely used. Everything promised to simplify, just made things more complex. I had Notion, Make, GPT integrations, expensive Logic plugins. All connected. All synced. But no space to breathe.

Now it's lighter. Because it's less. I use what’s already there. Apple Notes, Shortcuts, Logic. I go deeper instead of wider. And that shift changed not just my workflow, but my mindset.