2023 Reflection  “The best way to hear god laugh is to announce your plans.” Overview Though I’ve been doing them for years, this is the first time I’ve decided to publicly share my yearly reflection, which is part of my Yearly Ritual. I was inspired to do so by Tiago Forte, after he recently shared his own. As I mentioned in a recent newsletter, writing for an audience shifts one’s context in a powerful way: you go from journaling to storytelling. There’s a certain courtesy that an author needs to extend to their audience. A good author has to keep in mind that they’re guiding rea ..read more

In this series we’ve explored different ways to set personal boundaries. As critical as setting boundaries may be, it’s what happens after we set them that determines their usefulness. Maintaining personal boundaries is a life-long process. There are two ways we can approach this process. These two ways are best exemplified by two diverging ways sacred buildings were constructed in the east vs the west. It all boils down to a philosophy of time. Japan is home to some of the most well preserved temples in the world. Where brick and stone ruins litter much of Europe, these wooden buildings ..read more

I love adventures. One of the best things in life, to me, is to experience what was once unexperienced, to know what was once unknown. Traveling is fun, but it's also a way to see the world differently and, after that, a way to build on how I experience myself. This deep attachment to adventure and new experiences is also why I can be very uptight with how my trips happen. Time not spent sinking my teeth into life is time wasted, so I like to optimize my trips around how much time it takes to get from one destination to another, how much value I get out of my money, and how unique-to-location ..read more

We talk a lot about how the Bullet Journal method is an incredibly flexible tool that can be adapted to many needs, goals, and lifestyles. As the holiday season approaches, we’re sharing the many ways in which The Bullet Journal method is a great gift.  The holiday season is upon us, and it's time to spread some joy and warmth with thoughtful gifts. Emphasis on thoughtful. While every gift should be appreciated, there’s a special joy that we only give to people when we pick out a gift that really speaks to them. That’s why these gift suggestions are unique picks that are chosen to fit som ..read more

  When we say “pay” attention, what exactly are we paying attention with? Author Oliver Burkeman puts it this way: “At the end of your life, looking back, whatever compelled your attention from moment to moment is simply what your life will have been. So when you pay attention to something you don’t especially value, it’s not an exaggeration to say that you’re paying with your life.” Our attention is our most valuable resource. At no time has this been more true than in this age of the attention economy, where it has been commoditized for profit. There are now so many compelling dist ..read more

There are few things more fun for me than exploring the Big questions. What’s the meaning of life? What is Right? What is Wrong? What happens hereafter? That said, it’s not what I want to talk about right when I roll out of bed. For some reason however, my partner does. Like, really does. It became a sensitive spot because mornings are near sacred for me. I dedicate this time to taking care of my body, mind, and do my most important work. On the other hand, it’s also important to me to connect with my partner. I felt like I had to choose between connecting with my partner, or connecting with ..read more

We all have needs. It could be the need for connection, belonging, validation, acknowledgment, safety, certainty…the list goes on. When it comes to our relationships, one of the only ways we can get our needs met is to express them. The problem is that many of us choose not to, and suffer. Why? There are many reasons for this that are beyond the scope of this article. Here I’ll focus on one reason related to our exploration of boundaries: the fear of disconnection. Though I’ve always had strong professional boundaries, this hasn’t always been the case in my personal life. I would convince myse ..read more

The Inner Garden In our hyper connected world, the distance from one mind to another narrows in every moment. The boundaries separating us steadily fall away, giving rise to the age of hyper-reactivity. The more reactive we become, the less we’re able to understand each other. What if this alarming decline in productive communication isn’t due to how connected we are with one another, but rather how disconnected we are from ourselves? Most of us struggle to identify our own boundaries let alone those of others. We usually become aware of them only after someone has crossed ours, or we’ve tres ..read more

I got up early. The weather was perfect so I decided to go for a run. At the end of the run, I sat in a park and meditated. After a shower and a shave and some journaling, I was fully primed for a productive day.  Somewhere between the time I put down my pen and went to check my email, I snapped out of a 45 minute Instagram trance. What struck me was my change in state. I had gone from feeling centered and motivated to work, to feeling anxious and lonely. It’s no secret that using social media comes at a cost, but it can also provide real value. My partner and I connected by going down ..read more

A full version of this article was first published on Space and Quiet. I’m always writing about how much I love the flexibility of bullet journaling. In particular, I love that the bullet journal can be anything I need it to be: diary, planner, notebook, sketchbook etc. However, a bullet journal doesn’t have to be used for everything. I have experimented with the bullet journaling system for over a year, using different methods of planning, tracking and logging. Now I have a customised system that works incredibly well for me, and there are just three tasks&n ..read more