My Most Viewed Story in April
My All-Time Most Viewed Articles
For more stories like these and a guide that teaches you how to effortlessly write three stories a week, check out my weekly newsletter.
Remind yourself of your accomplishments
Writing comes from confidence in yourself.
“You need to write every day if you want to be successful.”
That’s some Stephen King rubbish. Writing will make you a better writer, duh.
But life gets in the way. We can’t get all bank on writing a best-selling novel. It’s 2021, and I have a panic attack anytime I walk into a bookstore. There are so many novels, and I can’t even choose one unless I know what I’m looking for going in. It’s a paradox.
- Laundry
- A one-hour gym session
- Lunch with your grandma
- Dentist appointment
- Another 8-hour day at the…
It wasn’t from a random Medium bonus
“I’m just popping in to give you this bag.”
That’s what I thought when I saw what was on my computer screen.
What was in the bag, you ask? Well, it wasn’t a bag of marbles, I’ll tell you that much. I could use what was in the bag to buy quite a few marbles, though.
A quick Google search tells me you can actually get a bag of 100 marbles for about $10 on eBay. That’s not too bad, but it’s crazy to think I had hundreds as a kid. I really don't know where they went. …
These will make you change what you think about deep work
The flow state is life-changing.
You know what they say: once you go flow, then nothing after that feels slow.
Okay, no one says that. Not even me, but that’s beside the point
The flow state isn’t a place, rather a feeling. The funny thing is you don’t realize you’re in a state of flow until much later, if at all.
Reaching the flow state is like going to sleep. It’s 9 PM, you’re in bed early because you want to get two extra hours of sleep. The lights are off, and you try and fall into a deep slumber.
…
Being the best of the best is overrated anyway
Multifaceted people are opportunists.
They don’t push for more gigs; they’re naturally pulled toward them. That’s because they’ve shifted their mindsets to think less about being perfect and more about being helpful in as many ways as possible.
Multifaceted people are good at a lot of different things. They understand how the nuances of one skill connect to another. They’re masters of none.
Being a perfectionist is overrated anyway.
I convince people to pay me real money.
My side hustle as a digital consultant and content creator began in a tiki bar. I didn’t know it at the time, but one random Thursday night would change everything.
Leaning…
Join a community of like-minded creators before you jump ship
Years ago, I helped create a machine that churned out ideas on the fly.
The machine was a startup, and we sold bottles of matcha green tea. I believed in the product because it was a healthy but tasty alternative to the usual cup of coffee.
I was a recent college grad selling a tangible product to real people. I watched people consume my tea with my own eyes. I was flabbergasted when people said they liked it.
“This is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before. The calories aren’t half bad either. Can I buy some?”
My business partner and…
I want to make this type of content for the rest of my life
Have you ever had dinner with somebody you don’t know?
It’s an opportunity to learn about someone who has an entirely different perspective on life than you. There’s ample room for both of you to learn something new.
An older gentleman once invited me into his home for dinner, and I realized something about my future. Specifically, I recognized where I’d like to be when I was his age.
My vision came when he showed me all of the photographs on his wall.
They weren’t the usual run-of-the-mill family photos like my mom has framed all over the place. They…
Everything you hear and read is an opportunity to learn something new that you can use later.
“I’m not posting on Instagram until I actually have something to share. Until then, I grind in silence.”
A business partner said this to me in a coffee shop. I was buzzed off caffeine and laughed without paying him much mind. But, looking back, there’s something genuinely inspiring about what he said.
The fact is many people share their whole lives on social media.
- Twitter is for social commentary.
- People use Instagram to show just how great their lives are.
- LinkedIn is for attention seekers who probably hate their jobs.
I’m not above scrolling through my feed to waste some…
Use photography and writing to create synergy between two different mediums
I haven’t written about photography because it seems counterintuitive.
They’re two completely different mediums, yet I love them both.
Coffee table books are my favorite. They’re like pieces of aesthetically interactive furniture. The best parts aren’t the beautiful, glossy photos but the seamless orchestra of words and imagery blending together.
As I ponder the future of my publication, I realized that I have strayed from photo content. Photography hasn’t been on my mind lately. I don’t have an excuse, so the best way for me to actively think about my favorite art form is to actually talk about it. …
Keep baking sourdough bread; just make less of it.
Returning to “normal” actually sucks.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy more and more people are getting vaccinated. The overall population is safer as a result, and that’s what matters most. But working from home was just so convenient.
- Snacks were available at any given time
- My dog was my only coworker (even though she liked to bark when she knew I was on a Zoom meeting)
- I saved a lot of gas money
My anxiety with the world reopening is complicated. It’s more than figuring out how to return to work to teach students safely. …
