List one task, do it, cross it out
I have the reputation, at least among some friends and family, of being 'good in a crisis' – such as (to give a somewhat minor example) the day last year, deep in lockdown, when a shard of flying flowerpot ended up halfway through my partner's hand, sending her to hospital and upending our finely calibrated work and childcare plans for the week. In such circumstances, I never get stressed by having to change my plans, or add to the anxiety of the situation by freaking out. I just get on with whatever needs doing, calmly and resourcefully.
Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
Here is a potentially familiar scene. You are exhausted after working a full day, the sort of day when you felt like your attention was drawn in 20 different directions, where you were ricocheting between obligations and meetings and running six minutes late to pick-up and realizing that if you didn’t put that load of laundry in the wash now, at 9 pm, the rest of the week could very well collapse in on itself. You answered emails while stirring something on the stove. You answered different emails while half-listening to a story from a family member or roommate. You might have squeezed in some time for exercise, but you spent most of that time thinking about work: either periodically checking your phone or making mental to-do lists. You put your kids to bed, you let the dog outside, you turn off the lights, you’re ready for a much needed good night’s sleep — but then you can’t put yourself to bed.
How to improve your relationship with your phone
Gone are the days when phones were strictly used for voice communication. Your phone allows you to take photos, read the news, listen to music, track your exercise routine, follow your friend’s whereabouts, keep up with the life of celebrities, collect art, and buy virtually anything you can — or even cannot — afford. Today, phones have turned into a collective gateway to the world, and your relationship with your phone has a massive impact on what you consume and what you create.
The quiet and powerful advantage of mindful leadership
It’s hard not to be inspired by someone who has learned the art of self-mastery.
Three rules for better work life balance
Have you answered a work email during an important family event? Or taken a call from your boss while on vacation? According to behavioral scientist and Harvard Business School professor Ashley Whillans, "always-on" work culture is not only ruining our personal well-being -- but our work, as well. She shares which bad habits are stopping us from getting what we need out of our free time and three practical steps for setting boundaries that stick.
Go deeper on Better Human.
Keeping track of human interactions
My system on how I keep track with whom I meet and what we talked about.
I prefer to read the weekly news
The new system I adopted gave me more time and peace of mind.
Self-reflection
A short overview of my preferred self-reflection framework.
Strategies that helped me to procrastinate less
If you struggle with procrastination, I might help you improve your current situation.
How to keep your digital self safe
A short and actionable guide on how to stay safe online.
Ask me anything
I would love to write about topics you all are interested in. If there is a topic you would love to see covered, you can add it to the thread on Better Human.
Bonus
I am one of the first users of Refind. Refind is one of the best tools I know to curate your reading list. The 5 most relevant links from around the web + key takeaways, every day. It reduces noise and brings some peace into the hectic endless feeds. It is also making my weekly MEMO possible. Refind is invitation only. You can use this link to gain free access to the tool: https://refind.com/niklausgerber?invite=HSQxLEEaLD