Weekly Mix #229 - How to do a think week like Bill Gates

Focus, Imitation, Think Weeks & Building New Old Homes

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Happy Monday!

I don't usually comment on the news, but having visited a friend in Ukraine for 3 weeks in 2016, and meeting all the wonderful people there, I can't help but feel more tied to the conflict there.

War is never good, and I hope it stops soon.

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This week was the latter half of my trip to Alberta and BC for some skiing and visiting friends. It's been a wonderful trip.

I've been thinking a lot this week about the expectations we set for vacations.

It's one reason why the piece on Bill Gates's think weeks stood out to me this week.

Twice a year, he takes a 7-day trip to the woods, removing all other distractions, and just reading, writing, and thinking.

When I'm away for work, I think I'll finally have the time to do a lot of reading, and writing, and thinking. The stuff that I wish I had more time for during a normal week.

But the reality of a lot of travel—particularly time-consuming activities like skiing—is that there simply isn't time.

There are challenges that don't exist when you're at home: where to eat, how to get where you're going, checking in, checking out, driving from one place to another.

Unfamiliar places can be a great way to break up your routine, but they consume more time too.

Next time I plan to write down my expectations ahead of time, consulting previous trip journals for reference.

Travel journals are a great way to reflect on trips, and get a more accurate representation of how you spend your time.

And then you can plan your next trip accordingly.

Have a great week.

Graham

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Links

📖 Desperation-Induced Focus - Ravi Gupta - Particularly for the startup people out there, this piece is a good reminder. Whenever I'm chafing/frustrated at something, usually it's because I feel like there's a little too much process, not enough focus.

📖 Imitate, Then Innovate - David Perell - It took me a long time to realize this, but the fastest way to learn is often to imitate others. Try and copy a great book passage, or an essay. Try and paint or speak in the style or someone else. The faster you master imitation, the faster you can find your own style.

📖 How to do a Think Week Like Bill Gates - Runaway Suitcase - Bill Gates is well-known for the 7-day trips to a cabin in the woods. He would take 2 each year, and spend the whole time reading, writing, and thinking. I love the idea and would like to introduce something similar at some point. It's hard to truly eliminate all distractions.

📖 Designing a New Old Home: Part 1 - Simon Sarris - I've always been interested in designing and building my own home, and have spent some time over the past couple years starting the process. This 2-part series is a great intro on where to start and things learned.

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Photo of the Week

Wrapped up the skiing on our trip with a couple days at Fernie with friends. Cold but beautiful!

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