RadReads 140
This Week: Join the “Manage It” Facebook group, first principles of workflow, GTD primer
Good Morning, Squad ⚡️
Happy Weekending! This issue is going to be a bit shorter given a late night (10:30 pm 😂) at the National concert.
I’m excited to share that my Quartz colleagues and I just launched Manage It, a community for managers by Quartz At Work and I’ll be co-moderating this Facebook group! Think of this group as “digital laboratory” of articles, ideas, advice and discussion for new managers, seasoned executives, or anyone who aspires to lead others. Please come join the conversation.
And our Patreon streak is back on, thanks to the generosity of Drew, Nanci, Mathias, and Cory. Thank you all for your generosity and support of the #RadFam and join us for as little as one coffee a month below.
🎧 First Principles of Workplace Design: Tiago Forte
Rad Awakenings Podcast | Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS
We bring back one of our favorites, Tiago Forte for a two-part episode. The contemporary genre of productivity writing is essentially “squeezing water out of a stone” and finding ways to make every minute more impactful. That’s useful, but Tiago actually builds up cohesive system from first principles, eschewing anything that is “hacky.” This is a 2-part conversation, where we take turns interviewing each other and geek out on work flow, resurfacing old ideas, deep work, social isolation, and blind spots. A huge shout out to @canthardywaitwho compiled some sick show notes. More on Tiago’s work in the postscript.
A Pragmatic Guide to GTD
15 Minutes | Hamberg
Not only was “GTD” was most actively used acronym in the podcast above, but it’s been a part of my workflow for over 10 years. As this primer will show, it’s not for the faint-hearted. But I’ll call out three things that make GTD unique: the ability to “offload work from the brain,” agenda contexts (e.g. tags for all colleagues), and the review process (to help ensure that you do some damage on your bucket list.) If you’re looking to implement GTD, there are only two tools to do so: Omnifocus or Things.
How to Find Common Ground
4 Minutes | The New York Times
Jim Henson had a practice of writing letters to his children that they could read, should he pass away. Don’t be sad that I’m gone was both optimistic and light-hearted. In this article, conservative writer (and nevertrumper) Erick Erickson shares his take on this practice — though with very different surrounding circumstances. Following the outrage that accompanied his political views, he and his wife both got ill, causing him to reflect on community, social media, and decency in disagreement. My favorite line: “The kitchen table is the most important tool they have to reshape their community.”
John O’Donohue: The Inner Landscape of Beauty
51 Minutes | On Being Podcast | Transcript
This is one of the most beautiful podcasts I’ve ever listened to. I’m not particularly spiritual (though I do feel a strong pull in that direction) yet I’ve listened to this podcast seven times (the uncut version, to boot). I find myself daydreaming about O’Donohue’s language, reflections on nature, challenging dualities, musings on love and friendship, and so much more. It’s hard to describe, but it’s truly breathtaking.
John O’Donohue: The Inner Landscape of Beauty
51 Minutes | On Being Podcast | Transcript
This is one of the most beautiful podcasts I’ve ever listened to. I’m not particularly spiritual (though I do feel a strong pull in that direction) yet I’ve listened to this podcast seven times (the uncut version, to boot). I find myself daydreaming about O’Donohue’s language, reflections on nature, challenging dualities, musings on love and friendship, and so much more. It’s hard to describe, but it’s truly breathtaking.
Below the Fold
FROM THE COMMUNITY
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LAST WEEK’S MOST READ
🎯 13 ways to turn your career into an f-ing rocket ship (11 mins, Hackernoon): I’ve been thinking a lot about the 5/25/150 rule for relationships (think Ari Gold’s 300 phone calls)
NYC CREW
🗽 Check out Maria Lambert’s 4-week Koru mindfulness course and Mathias Jakobson on facilitating transformative conversations.
