Luck is the Opposite of Efficiency
I have a repeating to-do item in my Todoist: do something to increase luck. To remind myself of the things I can do to get more lucky, I include the following subcategories: Do something nice/kind Meet...
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Remembering to Be Emotionally Non-Reactive (Electric Hot Tub Emergency)
Not our house, not our hot tub. My wife and daughter really wanted a hot tub. Eventually they convinced me. And with all the money we’ve saved by not traveling or eating out during the pandemic, we...
View ArticleLow Risk, High Reward, Lots of Dice Rolls (or Act Smarter)
Nothing in the universe is truly random; reality is governed by cause and effect (at least on a macro scale). But many aspects of life appear random because we don’t have infinite knowledge or...
View ArticleWhat Is the Limiting Factor?
In terms of reaching your goals, or progressing in a given area of your life, what is the main limiting factor? I think it’s worth spending some time and effort to consider this question. We might have...
View ArticleWhy Small Repairs are Important
Last week I fixed two things in our house: A drawer that wouldn’t open and shut smoothly A gate latch that tended to catch and get stuck Each repair took less than twenty minutes, including cleanup and...
View ArticleClean-Up Days vs. Build-Up Days (in physiology and life)
Over the past few years I’ve been trying to put on some additional muscle. Overall my progress has been slow. This is due to genetics, my inconsistent training, my distaste for eating large quantities...
View ArticleSuperpower Habit: Learning How To Not Self Reject
Recently I submitted some beats to Timbaland. He’s been reacting to beats live on his Twitch stream. Anyone can submit. I picked a few Momu tracks that my friend Mark and I have been working on and...
View ArticleTen Years Later, a New Pivot Point
Ten years ago I wrote this post about pivot points. Pivot points are conscious decisions about how to live your life differently. Examples could be quitting alcohol or drugs, leaving a toxic...
View ArticleBe Stupid Faster
I’m in a life phase where I’m doing a lot of things for the first time. Kia and I are remodeling our Oakland house. I’m managing projects and coordinating teams of software developers. I’m parenting a...
View ArticleDoing Training, and Natural Talent is Not Holding You Back
Following the World Chess Championship, I’m starkly reminded that there are many levels to the game that I will never personally experience. Magnus and Ian are freaks of nature in their ability to...
View ArticleHaving More Fun With It, Getting Better At It (Instead of New Year’s...
This year I wasn’t in the mood for revving myself up for ambitious goals or New Year’s resolutions requiring a lot of discipline. My family is recovering from Covid, we’re still in quarantine, and the...
View ArticleMore Kind but Less Nice
I don’t think I’m a “nice guy.” At least in my adulthood, I’ve gone after what I wanted, looked out for my own needs, and set clear boundaries. But I am naturally friendly and agreeable, and I enjoy...
View ArticleWho Am I Trying to Impress?
In my twenties and thirties I remember being very motivated by wanting to impress and/or outdo other people. I’ll show them, I thought to myself. I would achieve this or that, at which point those...
View ArticlePlay Yourself as a PC
Sometimes I catch myself living my life as an NPC (non-player character). Doing the same thing, day in and day out. Making safe but boring choices. Focusing too much on distractions that don’t really...
View ArticleHow I’m Using My Distance Vision (through time, in life)
Walking along the Embarcadero every day, I have long unobstructed views. I can look east across the bay, north toward the Ferry Building, south toward the ballpark. Sometimes I try to identify people...
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