PowerShell Snippets, ChatGPT, and the Spiritual Experience of Not Rebuilding a Folder Tree by Hand
PowerShell Snippets, ChatGPT, and the Spiritual Experience of Not Rebuilding a Folder Tree by Hand
MRI Calm – Build Log / Workflow Notes
There’s a moment in every creative system where you realize the project isn’t failing.
You’re just bleeding attention into tiny decisions that should have been automated three days ago.
This week, my villain was not a broken microphone, a glitchy render, or a tragic chord progression.
It was a folder tree.
“Create Day 05. Exactly. Every time. No mistakes.”
Not because folders are fascinating (they’re not). Because small, repetitive tasks have a special talent: they feel harmless, and then you look up and realize you’ve spent your best thinking hours naming things like you’re filing paperwork for a government agency that hates you.
The Real Problem Wasn’t PowerShell
The problem wasn’t that I “couldn’t use PowerShell.”
The problem was that I didn’t want to become a PowerShell person in the middle of running a daily pipeline.
I didn’t need a deep spiritual understanding of shells.
I needed one thing:
Copy. Paste. Done.
And that’s the part people miss when they talk about learning tools.
Sometimes learning isn’t “become a programmer.”
Sometimes learning is: reduce friction so the creative part survives.
What ChatGPT Actually Did (The Useful Part)
I didn’t ask ChatGPT to teach me everything about PowerShell.
I asked it to translate intent into execution.
My intent was simple:
Make a clean Day 05 folder tree.
Create placeholder files with exact names.
Put it in the correct root path.
Let me verify it instantly.
ChatGPT turned that into a drop-in snippet I could run in seconds. No guessing. No “maybe it went somewhere.” No manual clicking until my wrist files a complaint.
The value wasn’t “code.” It was reducing a multi-step, error-prone task into one repeatable command.
Why PowerShell Snippets Feel Like Cheating (In a Good Way)
Once the snippet is correct, it becomes three things at once:
Fast: Seconds instead of manual clicking.
Accurate: Exact spelling, exact structure, every time.
Automatic: Reusable for Day 06, Day 07, Week 02… without reinventing it.
And here’s the best part: it lowers your chance of “small mistakes that become big messes later.”
Because in automation land, “almost right” is how you end up with duplicate files, weird naming drift, and a workflow that slowly stops trusting itself.
When the structure is dependable, your brain stops hovering over logistics and gets back to the work that actually matters.
The Three Rules That Keep Snippets Reliable
Always set the working folder first. If you don’t
cdinto the right place, the script will work perfectly… in the wrong location. Which is a special kind of success.Use variables for repeatables. If Week and Day are variables, you only change one line when you move forward.
Verify with
tree /F. Proof beats vibes. Always.
Day 05 Is Where “Calm” Becomes Infrastructure
MRI Calm isn’t about novelty. It’s about predictability.
And predictability isn’t just a sound design principle—it’s a file system principle.
Because the listener needs fewer surprises.
And the creator does too.
Day 05 is the day the project stops being “a concept” and starts being “a system you can run.”
It’s not glamorous.
It’s not “content.”
It’s the part that makes everything else possible without you quietly unraveling in a pile of mismatched filenames.
Tools That Make the Workflow Disappear
These are the kind of tools that help you stay in flow—because they’re reliable and quiet when they’re doing their job.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Logitech MX Keys S
Slim, quiet, reliable keys with smart backlighting—my default typing surface for long writing sessions.
Check price →Logitech MX Master 3S (Bluetooth Edition)
Comfort sculpted, scroll wheel that flies, and multi-device switching that just works.
See details →Elgato Stream Deck +
Physical knobs + keys for macros, audio levels, and scene switching—editing and live controls at your fingertips.
View on Amazon →BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2 LED Monitor Light
Even illumination without glare, so the cross-hatching (and spreadsheets) stay crisp into the late hours.
Buy now →Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1)
USB-C lifeline: HDMI, SD, and the ports modern laptops forgot. Toss-in-bag reliable.
Get the hub →Listen While You Build (Blues Albums)
🎸 Listen to Our Blues Albums
Three full albums — hit play below or open on YouTube.
Support MRI Calm
If you want to follow the project as it grows (and hear how the “system” evolves):
YouTube (subscribe): http://bit.ly/44ArQcq
Spotify: https://bit.ly/41Vktg6
Day 05 wasn’t flashy.
It was steady.
And that’s the point.
Sometimes calm isn’t created. It’s maintained.
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