In the latter half of 2019, it seemed like every month I was coming across references to Matthew Walker's book, Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams. Whether it was from podcasts, YouTube videos, or on a tour of a biotech company, the book was everywhere. It has exploded in popularity in the …
Tag: 2020 Challenges
#26: Limón mandarina
When we first arrived in Costa Rica and went to the supermarket to buy groceries, I noticed that next to the 'normal' limes there was another variety. To be honest, at first they sort of looked like reject limes, since their zest was pockmarked, like my early pubescent face with acne. However, I always love …
#25: Curiosity and Self-Respect
Yesterday I followed up my Core Values post by writing about the three values I chose that I felt are already a guiding part of my life. Today I wanted to comment on the two I added that I wanted to make a higher priority: Curiosity and Self-Respect. I spent some time trying to decide if I should …
#24: Adventure, Knowledge, and Recognition
I mentioned in my last post that I had gone through the list of Core Values on James Clear's website and selected five: Adventure, Curiosity, Knowledge, Recognition, and Self-Respect. Today I want to write some thoughts on the three that I think are already a high priority in my life: Adventure, Knowledge, and Recognition. I realize this is the …
#23: Core Values
After I finished reading James Clear's Atomic Habits, I began to go through some of the other resources on his website and came across the idea of Integrity Reports. At the end of each year, he reflects on the year that passed and plans for the year to come by asking three questions: What are the core …
#22: Available Offline
I was looking through Instagram and came across this post by Thomas Frank. He talks about having a conversation with his mom that somehow led to Mississippi and how he realized he couldn't think of another city in the state other than Jackson. Like most of us looking up anything factual, he instinctively reached for his phone …
#21: Batched Connections
This post will be published about an hour before my self-imposed (and financially backed) deadline. Partly because I'm on vacation and we were at the beach and partly because when we got back to the apartment, the power was out and the wifi is currently my only source of internet connectivity. It has been a while …
#20: Language Slots
I remember when I moved to Montpellier and started learning French, people would ask me if I had started to dream in French yet. "That's when you know that you can really speak the language," they would say. Over time, two things happened: 1) I did start incorporating some French into my dreams, and 2) …
#19: Interviewing
The last time that I conducted a formal interview was in 2004. I was in a communications class during my undergraduate degree, and I interviewed a British professor at Boston University for an assignment. He was a scientist, which lended a commonality, and also had been knighted, which led a high degree of intrigue. I …
#18: Adventure List
Shorter post today as we are packing and getting ready for tomorrow, but at the same time I would like to blatantly crowd-source some advice. Most people are familiar with the idea of a Bucket List, where you create a list of things that you want to do before you die or 'kick the bucket'. …
Chortles and Harrumphs 