Counter Productive
Convincing myself to work less, rest more
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Life Hacks
Habit change hack: Replace, don’t remove
Whenever I want to change my behavior, I try to remember this rule: Replacing something is psychologically easier than just removing it. Example: I eat an ungodly amount of nuts. If you give me almonds, cashews, or pecans I’ll snack on them all day unconsciously. Nuts are generally healthy, but are domino foods – easy …
TimeOut: this simple Mac app may save your eyes
Use this app to automate the 20-20-20 rule (and give your eyes a break)
Mastermind? Try a “Minimind” instead.
Being part of a mastermind is great in theory – Get a bunch of smart brains together. Focus on a theme or topic. Get advice from different perspectives. But time and time again, the masterminds I was in would reach a point of slow decay: crash and burn, failing to live up to expectations. It …
How I wake up early without being a morning person
The moment my sisters had kids, they said goodbye to a normal sleep schedule. My sisters are not morning people. But they wake up at any hour of the day to tend to their newborns. Hanging around parents made me realize that the capability of waking early – and doing it – is more important …
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Mindfulness lies just beyond the meditation app
It was the ultimate irony – I learned how to meditate to decrease stress. But I stressed out about not meditating enough. A friend pointed this out to me when I complained about breaking my meditation streak on Headspace. So I asked myself, where did the stress come from? Even deeper irony: it came from …
My experiment with second degree dinners
For the past month, I’ve been doing something called Dinner with Strangers. The idea is to make new friends through trusted second-degree dinners (inspired by Nat Eliason), which has benefits like… Meeting new people Less creepers because participants are vetted through your network (hence “second degree”). Dinner parties are cozy, intimate environments good for conversation …
What I do to people I judge
Judging people tires me out. It feels good in the moment, like crack for my ego. What someone posts on Facebook. The type of clientele at an event. Sometimes even friends or family who I don’t agree with. But it gets me nowhere. I’m just left stewing in my own judgment. So I wondered out …
Give Yourself a Laboratory
I didn’t expect to learn so much about business from my barber. Let me tell you about Zac Reese. At the tender age of 23, Zac opened Danckuts, one of the most popular barbershops in Orange County. Interested patrons must book with Zac at least 3 months in to get an appointment. Naturally, I …
How to plan an event so people show up
Let me know if you’ve seen a Facebook event that reads something like this: “Hey…so I’m thinking about getting some KBBQ this or next week…Suggestions? Anyone down?” Time: TBD Location: Somewhere in Korea Town This type of event usually crashes and burns, because it’s NOT a Facebook event. It should be a status update instead. …