🏃♂️ Don't move too fast.
Late start to the week. I’m actually writing this on a Thursday as I took Monday off.
But let’s get back to it!
✍️ Quote of the week:
“Sometimes we need to let go of what we think we have wanted all along to make room for what’s been trying to find us.”
🎶 Song of the week:
📖 What I’m reading:
The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali - This book goes over some of the things we are born with and nurtured into. We all have our own unfair advantage regardless of social and financial status.
Note this book is hard to come by as it’s only shipped in Europe and the hardcover and audiobook versions haven’t been released yet.
🧠 Top 2 learnings:
Reading habits- At the beginning of this year I set out to read more books and I’m really shocked I kept up with it. At the start of previous years for the past 3 years, I’ve done the same resolution only to come up short with a few chapters in January and slowly tapering off as the weeks pass by. But this year has been different. Here’s my tip on sticking with it:
- Read for enlightenment, not retention. I’ve realized that I’m not going to retain everything I read and that’s ok. I tend to read these books for reference points anyways and listen closely to the parts that speak out to me the most. I think most people set out to read a book to understand every page which deters them away from reading altogether, or at least that was it for me. Every book will teach me something, even if I’m already an expert in it.
- Audiobooks. This doesn’t help for books that have no audiobook component to them. But I find it easier to listen to a book as I work or exercise. Also listening at 1.3x speed allows me to really get through a book quickly.
- My bullet journal. I know this sounds rather repetitive but my bullet journal has helped me continue to read every week. It’s like my accountability coach that I know I’ll feel bad if I don’t complete my reading quota for the week which is two chapters a day.
- Teaching. As I read each chapter I like to talk to my wife and friends about the new thing I’ve learned from the book. It helps me retain the information and helps me apply new perspectives on it. Einstein once said, “if you can’t explain it simply then you don’t know it well enough”.
Traveling - In 2013 I moved to New York City with no money and a dream. You’ve probably heard this story told many different ways from others but mine turned out to be a flop. I lived there for a few weeks before I shockingly realized NYC wasn’t really for me. But why? Ever since I was a kid I dreamt of moving the city and making it out on my own. I had an apartment in the Upper East Side, I was making $160k which; as a 23-year-old, was good money. I went to parties with new friends. But yet, I felt so empty inside.
My biggest issue with NYC was I never cultivated any lasting relationships there. People I met that were cool weren't in NYC for long and people that were from NYC had already a close group of friends. So I had two options; move back to Texas as a person who failed or keep being miserable in NYC. Most people don’t realize there's a 3rd option. Which is coming back to friends and family that welcomed me back with open arms, and a learning experience I would have for the rest of my life. You see, I could have turned 1 miserable year into 10 miserable years, but I listened to my heart. I started to appreciate my hometown more. I grew stronger connections to those around me. I met the woman I would marry. I used it to help me grow into the person I am today. For that, I'm truly grateful for that decision I made.
Sometimes we need to let go of what we think we have wanted all along to make room for what’s been trying to find us.
🤑 Crypto
Here we go! The Ruple crashes, gas hits $113 a barrel, US inflation climbs, and Russia and Canada freeze citizens’ bank accounts.
Here’s the bullish case: With more fiat currency being restricted more money will pour into crypto as it becomes a safe haven against government oversight and inflation concerns.
Bearish case: With the recession looming less money will pour into crypto because fewer retail investors (you and I) will have to put money into crypto. You can't keep buying dips if you already bought the last 7 dips.
I only look at the technical analysis once every few days and I'm seeing a bearish divergence on the weekly. This means we might have a really good pump over the next few weeks. This is all indicative of what happens with tensions moving higher in Russia. If it's one thing the market hates its uncertainty and these are truly uncertain times. The world is holding its breath and waiting.
🖍 Designer thoughts:
Being a creative director - Not a lot of people know this but one of the biggest accomplishments Steve Jobs ever pulled was taking two people that disliked each other and having them work together. Everyone knows about Jony Ive and his contribution to design at Apple but not everyone knows about Scott Forstall; the engineer that laid the foundation of iOS software back in the day. There were so many disputes between them they wouldn't even be in the same room together if not for Steve Jobs making them work together. When Scott Forstall was pushed out of Apple a year after Steve Jobs's passing, Jony Ive took over and led both hardware and software design at Apple creating what we see today in many aspects of all Apple devices.
I tell that story because most designers think of themselves as individual contributors. They’re often given tasks for them to complete in a work setting. There's another side to that being the art direction. What happens when a designer has no task, no direction, and no push? What happens when they have no other people to dispute them or to push ideas further? That’s where creative directors come in and they can take many forms (CEO, art director, Head of Design, etc). There’s a holistic approach that comes into being a creative director. The vision, the purpose, and the execution. They all come together to create a brilliant product.
If you want to go fast then go alone. If you want to go far then go together.
👴 Dad thoughts
I took a trip out to Vegas this past week and left my daughter at home because... well... it was Vegas. To my surprise, she did well as my wife and I was away. I love seeing her grow up to be so independent, but at the same can be saddening. Looking at her now, she gets dressed on her own, eats on her own, and is fully potty trained. The mundane ritual of our mornings and afternoons that were once so hectic is now getting easier. But as it gets easier physically, it gets harder emotionally. As a dad, it's nice to feel needed. The success of fatherhood is that you raise kids who aren't socially inept and who are successfully independent. So the more we achieve that goal the more it becomes harder to let go of someone that relied so heavily on us. They don't teach that in the parenting books.
Have a great week!
📬 PS: Please do reply to this email if you have anything to add / any questions. I quite enjoy replying to comments/emails as a source of procrastination from revision.
📬 PPS: Please hit the reply button and let me know what you thought of this email if you have a spare few seconds. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what was useful about it and what could be changed. Thanks <3
