“Ideas are, at their root, combinatorial. New ideas are combinations of two or more old ideas.”
How to Cultivate Your Imagination
Five Lessons from Meeting a Stranger Every Week for a Year
“At times, it’s easy to feel disenchanted by the routine of catching up with the same people, doing the same thing, and having the same conversations. What I learned in my experiment is it’s important to go out of your way to meet people who are not like you, with different backgrounds, expertise, and experiences.”
The Importance of Intentional Hustle
“Most people start working on their logo for the next three months. But in order to make things happen you need to be able to turn your art into a business.”
How to Access Breakthrough Knowledge and Minimize Noise
“Identifying potential breakthrough knowledge is actually fairly easy. There is a question that I ask myself before I consume any media that works as an incredible filter. I simply ask: Does this have the potential to fundamentally change my life?”
The Art of a Great Question
“Now, just about any question you have you can put into Google or Quora and you’re going to get an answer. So, if you’re looking at the laws of supply and demand, the supply of answers is filled. We’ve got answers up the kazoo, but how many great questions do we have?”
Why Food Tastes Better in Bowls
“A bowl that we pick up and touch is more likely to set an expectation of a hearty, filling and healthy meal. That weight in the hand is likely to make your brain think the food is more substantial and you’re likely to rate it as more intensely fragranced and aromatic than for exactly the same food sat passively on a plate.”
10 Ideas For The Interested This Week
“Men are what their mothers made them.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
What I Learned From Sharing 1,000 Self-Improvement Ideas In 100 Weeks
This week marks the 100th edition of my For The Interested newsletter.
It’s not a goal I set out to achieve, but I’m proud of the accomplishment and thankful for the 19,000 subscribers (!) who joined me along the way.
Since each week’s newsletter includes 10 actionable ideas to help you improve your work, art, and life, that means I’ve shared 1,000 such ideas in this time as well (you can see them all archived here).
Doing so has taught me a lot about how to get better at things, but it’s also showed me what happens when you stick with a creative project for 100 weeks.
Here’s what I discovered and I’m sure you will too…
13 Life-Changing Habits to Try Every Day
“Ask yourself: How often am I unreachable? The answer is: Not often enough. Build some of this time into your daily practice. You’ll be better for it. And the world will not notice, I promise.”
What Happens When You Commit to an Email-Free Morning for Five Days
“Finally it was 11:00, and I had my first important realization of the week: I had 20 emails, and zero were urgent.”