YULETIDE REFLECTIONS
24 DEC 2017
It’s hard to believe it is nearly the end of the year. 2017 has been a crazy one, full of unexpected turns and big life events. Emma and I moved in together, we took a train trip across Canada, I officially graduated the VFC program and said some nice words about it, and I’m still working at Mosaic on a project I love. It’s hard to believe it all went so fast, and we crammed so much into it! As we approach the holiday extravaganza of feasting and spending time with family, I wanted to reflect a bit on the value of reflecting.
If there was a theme for this week, it would be “reflection”. From a series of articles on reflecting back through 2017 by the best in the world, to the value of self care and “closing the damn laptop” once in a while, I hope you find time to reflect on what is important to you this year. I even included some handy tools to help with that.
All in all, this year has been a whirlwind adventure, and if you’re reading this, you were undoubtedly a part of that. Thanks for your presence, attention, and friendship, and know that you are important to me.
All my blessings for this festive season.
With gratitude,
Brendan
Things I’ve Been Reading, by length:
Words that Matter 2017 on Medium [7 articles x ~10–30 min] (4/5)
Medium asked some of the most influential writers and public figures of the year (Reid Hoffman, Hillary Clinton, Sam Altman, Roxanne Gray, etc.) to describe 2017 in 1 word — a task I think everyone should do as a form of reflection on the year. My personal favourite was Merge by Sam Altman, which is another reminder that the future is creeping up on us. Note: some articles may be behind a paywall, but if you open them in an incognito browser it goes away!
Hunch by Bernadette Jiwa [208 Pages] (3/5)
This short book has been causing me to reflect on the value of intuition in a data-driven world. My friend Charlie put it well, and I’m paraphrasing, that intuition is how you take the first step, and data is how you know you’re right. Many companies have shifted to a data-driven design model, which in many cases is superior, but it’s worth acknowledging that data analysis is only ever half of our brain. It’s our intuition, our gut, our reflective feelings, that often guide us when there are limitless options and blank space. An artist doesn’t stare at a blank canvas and hope for more data; they follow intuition to begin, and maybe iterate towards the end. Maybe it’s time we integrate both styles of learning into our creation practice.
Let’s Bury the Hustle by DHH [4 min] (5/5)
DHH is one of my favourite writers today. Despite creating the Ruby on Rails programming language, being a champion race car driver, and a founder of Basecamp (a company daring to be different in a world of VC hypergrowth), he is also one of the best tech writers out there. This one is particularly poignant. A stark reminder that self-care is the most important, and grinding ourselves down doesn’t serve our greatest potential. One of my favourite quotes, particularly important in this time of the year:
“Put in a good day’s work, then close the damn laptop. Waste some time on the rest of the human experience. At this time of the year, eat some damn duck. Watch a shitty Xmas movie. Help decorate that stupid tree. Dare to be so bold as to embrace the ordinary every now and then.”
Something I’ve Been Using:
A Leather Notebook, Ruled Lines, 5 ½” x 8 ¼” (5/5)
I’ve been doing Morning Pages — or rather Morning Page — (almost) every morning for the last few weeks and I have found it very therapeutic. I quietly sit at my kitchen table, sip my tea, and just write about whatever is on my mind. It never gets posted anywhere, or read by another human being, and allows me to vent all my frustrations and errant thoughts before jumping into my day. The clarity it has afforded me has been enlightening. And all things considered, the cost of this gorgeous leather notebook is pretty marginal for consistent clarity every day. Any leather notebook will work, I just really love this one.
YearCompass (5/5)
This is the best yearly reflection tool I’ve found, bar none. I do think their 3-hour estimate to complete the whole thing is a load of hooey, as it’s taken me almost 3 times that amount and I am about half-way through, but it’s still amazing. If you are looking to reflect back on the last year and set some meaningful goals for the next one, be sure to give this a go. It might just change your life. A particularly impactful thing has been to keep them over time, over a series of years, and read back over them to see how much you’ve grown. It’s amazing how much we can accomplish over longer time frames.
Project I’ve Been Working On:
If you’re reading this, you’re already in the know, but I’ve set the goal for myself to produce 50 newsletters in 2018, where I will share a few of the best things I’ve been reading, writing, and reflecting on. I hope it continues to serve as a meaningful use of your time, and a great filter between the noise of the world and the pulse of the things you care about. I promise never to waste your attention, as it is truly a gift.
Something I’ve been listening to:
A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi Trio (5/5)
This is the quintessential holiday album for my family’s holidays, and always has a place in our house during this festive season. Regardless of your cultural, ethnic, or religious beliefs, the music is soothing and, in my opinion, fits the spirit of the holidays. Soft jazz, children’s choirs, and the essential Charlie Brown theme always make the moment feel more winter-esque. I hope it serves as an appropriate background for whatever you find yourself doing this holiday season, hopefully surrounded by the people who mean the most to you.
