Prepare reMarkable 2 New Year [2024]

The end of 2023 is here and preparing for 2024 can make it your best year yet! Take a couple minutes to prepare your trusty reMarkable 2 can help enable your 2024 success.

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Why is it important to pause and prepare for the coming year?

As modern humans, the change in years is traditionally the time when we look back at the past year and set goals for the followng year. This pause can give us the space to consider what worked and didn’t work in the previous year. It can also be an opportunity to reset, dust off old strategies, and cleanse the uneeded flotsam from our lives.

As our focus at EffectivExec is productivity and wellness, we’ll focus this annual reset on how to best prepare your reMarkable 2 for the coming year.

reMarkable 2 annual maintenance to prep for 2024

As a former manufacturing executive, preventative maintenance is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. There’s a saying “if you don’t schedule maintenance, your machine will schedule it for you.” This is still true for digital devices like the reMarkable 2. Take a few minutes to maintain your reMarkable 2 paper tablet will ensure that it’s fully functional for the upcoming year.

Physical maintenance of the reMarkable 2

The first place to start with any maintenance program is taking care of the device. This starts with cleaning, replacing consumable parts, and ordering replacement components

Clean your reMarkable 2 – start by removing your reMarkable from whatever cover or case your using. Then give it a quick wipe down with a cleaning cloth or two to get the inevitable dirt and grime off the surface. You should also inspect your device for any noticeable damage or dirt in the charging port.

Replace the Marker Nib (or alternate stylus) – the nib of your Marker or Marker Plus will wear down over time, so if it’s been a while you should change the nib

Consider replacement items (e.g., stylus, cover, extra nibs)

Though the reMarkable two is an amazing stand alone device, some accessories complete the experience. Updating or buying backup accessories can make your reMarkable feel new in 2024:

• Stylus (OEM) – Has your Marker or Marker taken some abuse over the last year? Consider a new Marker or an upgrade to the Marker Plus to start 2024, The integrated eraser comes in handy when marking up PowerPoint slides or just taking daily notes.
  
• Stylus (non-OEM) – If your reMarkable has become a daily part of your life, then getting a backup stylus would be a good decision. We’re big fans of the Staedtler Noris Digital Jumbo, but there are lots of other compatible EMR pens that can be backups or daily drivers.
  
• Nibs – nibs are the part of the reMarkable system the wear out the most quickly. Re-stock your briefcase with OEM reMarkable nibs or some damn good off brand ones.
  
• Cover (aka case) – a new cover can make your reMarkable 2 tablet feel totally new (without changing any of the electronics). We’re a big fan of the KuRoKo Slim Lightweight Book Folios case, but there are lots of reMarkable cases out there now.
  
• Type Folio – If you’re looking to widen your use of the reMarkable platform to typed text, the Type Folio could be the upgrade for you. The typing functionality allows distraction free typing (we actually write many of the EffectivExec articles on it). For a detailed review – check out this article on the Type Folio.

Digital maintenance of the reMarkable 2

Once you’ve maintained your device and it’s accessories, it’s time to take house cleaning to the digital realm. Cleaning up files during some holiday downtime can make it easier to find the right files in the new year.

Delete PDFs that are no longer needed on reMarkable 2

We’re big fans of using the reMarkable to read PDFs (especially while traveling), but it can result in consumed storage on your device. Deleting files that you don’t plan on revisiting or referring to can free up precious storage on your reMarkable. Cleaning up your hard drive is especially important if you’re using “read on reMarkable” alot to read internet content on your device. The recent v3.10 software update now allows you to archive documents (so they are just in the cloud and not your device) – learn more about the reMarkable v3.10 post.

Move ‘dormant’ reMarkable notebooks into folders + tag for easy search

Hopefully you took our advice to set up your reMarkable with folders, but as you stack up new notebooks, it can be worth revisiting your device organization. You can move notebooks that are important references but not currently in use into a new layer of folders. We also recommend moving notebooks that have a common trait (e.g., customer meetings or Keynote presentations) into folders.

Additionally, adding tags to special kinds of notebooks (like Monthly planner) can make them much easier to find in the future. Learn more about tagging with our deep dive on this powerful tag feature.

Update software – tablet and reMarkable app

Updated software is essential to securing new vulnerabilities, as well as adding new features (such as checkboxes in v3.8 and the recently released v3.9). Navigate to Menu >> Settings >> Software >> Check for Update if your reMarkable isn’t syncing to the newest software update (need to be connected to WiFi).

Sync reMarkable to ensure backups of key files

When you connect to WiFi, your files will automatically backup to your Connect account. If you keep your reMarkable on airplane mode (which we recommend), you’ll need to disable airplane mode for syncing to occur. Backing up your notebooks will ensure access in case your reMarkable is lost or disabled.

Planning for 2024 on reMarkable 2

Once you’ve taken care of your equipment, it’s time to start preparation for 2024. According to strategy expect Rick Arthur, this means setting short term goals along with a long term vision for what you want your life to look like. I find that writing these goals (just like all of the writing I do on my reMarkable) makes these goals stick better and makes them more ‘real.’

Lay out goals for 2024

The leadership experts Korn Ferry lay out a handful of really useful tips for goal setting. These include thinking big, starting with the end in mind, and assigning metrics to your goals. Personally, I find that breaking life into categories (e.g., family, professional, fitness, financial) and then defining goals within the SMART framework (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) is a really great place to start.

Regardless of the goal setting technique, I always write my goals down and sometime share them with close friends.

Consider a digital planner template on your reMarkable 2 in 2024

Digital planners can add some structure to the reMarkable that can be helpful in planning the days, weeks, and months to make sure that you’re effective as possible. Some of the better purpose-made planners contain great formatting and hyperlinks between pages.

Some reMarkable-specific planners for 2024 include:

• myExceptionalLife – includes every possible feature and place to organize your life; downside is that the file size is rather sizable
• OnPlanner – customized planner that you build on their website prior to purchase
• Laurel Studio – day, week, and monthly planners for busy professionals

Are there changes to your daily/weekly organization that you want to make?

As part of your end of year process, it’s worth considering what changes you want to make to your work and personal life style. Having the slower holiday to reflect on what worked and what didn’t work so well in 2023. Think through what practices you want to double down on (e.g., setting boundaries, prioritization, meditation, fitness), and what practices you want to depreciate in 2024 (e.g., scrolling, over spending, under saving, settling for scraps, lack of connection).

Wondering what features we’d love to see on the reMarkable 3? Check out this post.