Reading Time: < 1 min It’s popular to say that our attention spans are getting shorter (though not like a goldfish), but that may not be entirely true. Studies are mixed, but it’s not clear that they’re getting shorter. Tools like TikTok help play into this idea, where users are fed an endless stream of very short videos to help […]
The balance between lift and attribution
Reading Time: 2 min I’ve shared a few times on here how precise attribution of online activities is becoming more and more difficult to track. It feels like companies are collecting every bit of information that they can about us, which is true, but it’s becoming trickier to put all of the pieces together. Ad blockers and cookie policies […]
Is the meta work worth it?
Reading Time: 2 min One of the big challenges of productivity is determining what meta work (the work around your work) is worth your time. For me, a big one is playing with productivity tools; while I might find some gains in new tools, I also tend to spend a lot of time tinkering with them. I internally consider […]
Benjamin Franklin’s self-doubt led to the signing of the Constitution
Reading Time: 2 min On September 17, 1787, Benjamin Franklin gave a speech at the Constitutional Convention which led to the signing of the Constitution. Franklin wasn’t convinced that the document was perfect, but he also knew that maybe he was wrong and he encouraged everyone to move forward. Here’s part of what he said: “I confess that I […]
Movie tickets are sunk costs
Reading Time: 2 min The idea of a “sunk cost” has always been interesting to me. I understand it rather well, but it often feels counter-intuitive. As a result, I love finding new ways to explain it to help me widen my understanding. If you’re not familiar with the term, Wikipedia defines it as “a cost that has already […]
The Sunday Summary: Defining the problem, writing down ideas, and staying connected with others
Reading Time: < 1 min In an effort to help me keep up with everything I post each week, here is my latest “Sunday Summary” of my posts from the week. Mon, July 15: Three ways of learningYou can learn from books, from others, or from your own experience. If you can do all three, everything will accelerate. Tue, July […]
Authentic reach-outs
Reading Time: 2 min I try to stay in touch with many people in my life, as relationships of all kinds are generally a great thing to have. I also notice when others reach out to me, which is always appreciated. While there are a lot of people that I know I need to reach out to, I also […]
Multiplexity
Reading Time: 2 min I know a lot of people through my personal life and a lot of people through my work life, but there’s an important third group — people that are in both. In the book “Friend of Friend“, author David Burkus calls this “multiplexity”. He explains: “While we may want to categorize people into just work […]
Change your defaults
Reading Time: < 1 min One of the biggest problems people face on their phones is getting sucked into a bout of “doomscrolling” — just mindlessly going through never-ending social media feeds. Most of us open social media apps with a bit of purpose in mind, but it’s easy to get sucked into the feed for longer than we intended. […]
Writing down an idea feels like a detour
Reading Time: < 1 min At first glance, writing down ideas or thoughts seems like a waste of time. If you have an idea, act on it. If you have something to do, do it! When it comes to to-do lists, we’ve all learned the value of them (and the satisfaction of crossing off items), and the same should be […]