Weekly Mix #190 - Unsolicited Advice, Questions, Basecamp & Working on the Right Things

Weekly Mix #190 - Unsolicited Advice, Questions, Basecamp & Working on the Right Things

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Happy Monday!

Though lockdowns have been implemented again here in Nova Scotia, the weather has been steadily improving.

I've spent more time outside in the past couple weeks that I have in a while, most of it doing activities like golf and cycling with friends and family.

Activities like golf and cycling can sometimes feel like a "waste" of time: they aren't the most efficient way to exercise, they're time-consuming, and often you aren't working towards a concrete goal.

But I've come to appreciate how important this time is for my own mental health. There are no doubt a variety of factors: sunshine, the exercise, social time, and less time on my phone.

Part of it could just be being outside too. Nat Eliason, among others, has become a prononent of spending as much time outside as possible, even if working on the computer.​

Either way, this summer I'll be making a concerted effort to a) do more of these activities, and b) not feel bad about it.

We'll see how it goes!

Quick reminder:

Ship 30 for 30, the 30-day writing challenge, is down to a few spots left for their May cohort. You can get $20 off here.

What I Worked On

Short Essays: The People Make the Work and The Deep Generalist​​

Have a wonderful week!

Graham

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Links

📖 99 Additional Bits of Unsolicited Advice - Kevin Kelly - ​I added his 68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice to the newsletter last year, and he's back for more this year. Guaranteed to be something useful for everyone.

📖 How to write a user manual - Khe Hy - I wrote last week about how Remote Work is Here to Stay: it won't be for everyone. JP Morgan announced employees would be returning full-time to the office. This article outlines how you can write a "User manual" for your work style. We do this at Unito, though we probably don't use them enough.

📖 The best questions I ask myself - Catherine Andrews - A great list of questions for "sticky situations." Questions like:

Am I attempting to mind-read somebody else's intentions in this situation?

How could I give myself what I'm hoping this other person will give me?

📖 What really happened at Basecamp - Casey Newton - Tech company Basecamp, with their two outspoken founders, banned "societal and political discussions" on the company's internal chat. About a quarter of the company left as a result. The discussion about how to deal with these issues is an interesting one. Here's another account. And the original memo.

📖 I'm not languishing, I'm dormant - Austin Kleon - An alternative perspective on the article I shared last week about "languishing."

📚 Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most - Greg Mckeown - Greg's first book, Essentialism, has been one of my most-gifted, and one of my favourite reads in the past couple years. Excited to get into this one.

🎧 [HOUSE OF SPOILS] HOUSE RADIO - This playlist is a mix of easy-listening, upbeat songs, perfect for working if you don't mind lyrics, or as a weekend playlist.

10 Tweets

​​​​Julian Shapiro on how to tell when you're working on the wrong thing​

​Lessons from a year of being a full-time creator - Janel​

​Steph Smith on how to ask for advice​

An extra-special Tweet this week (via Liberty newsletter) because I like it so much.

One of the hardest things to appreciate (it almost never happens) is prevention. It's hard to know what the consequences of preventing something will be, but it's important!

This plaque was put up for the member at this club who denied Bernie Madoff membership, which probably saved them millions!

Pink Polo Shorts

@PinkPoloShorts

So can confirm this pic.twitter.com/2jCrO1IOEv twitter.com/TadAllagash/st…

Tad

@TadAllagash

Favorite Bernie Madoff story (besides him owning 300 pairs of Belgian loafers) is there’s a plaque at Lyford Cay for the member than blackballed him pre-scandal (saving the members $millions)

April 23rd 2021

64

Retweets

436

Likes

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