one of the underrated features about doing hard things is the act of increasing your elasticity
each time you get to the other side of something "impossible," you're expanding your capacity to take on other things that feel out of bounds
I think about this Rick Rubin quote at least once a week
a single piece of work will never be a complete reflection of us and that's exactly why it's worth consistently releasing your "art" into the world
the most meaningful work I’ve done this year is arriving at a place where I’m able to clearly see and accept my parents for who they are
cultivating a stronger sense of self and getting to know my own needs more deeply the last few years set the groundwork for:
- deepening my
"if you think you're enlightened, spend a week with your family"
– Ram Dass
during holidays, I used to dread slipping into versions of myself that I'd worked hard to outgrow
from turning inward, I've learned every triggering interaction is a path towards a new reference point
"
@patrickc
said something along the lines of: 'If you think about it, the highest leverage activity any human can have is inspiring other humans to do what they’re capable of.' In many ways I see Lambda School as the realization of that." -
@Austen
👏
It’s time. I’m excited to share three updates on what’s ahead 🥁
1. I'm doubling down on my newsletter and adding a paid supporter plan
2. I'm introducing a series to the newsletter called A Call to Eudaimonia
3. I'm writing my first book (!)
If my writing has resonated with
during the most "optimized" periods of my life, there was no silence or stillness to be found. I filled every moment with creation and consumption – podcasts at 2x, streaks to uphold daily, calendar scheduled out in 15min increments
the systems I'd constructed to hold my life
spent the final weekend of 2023 retreating into the redwoods with friends to reflect on the year, setting fire to what no longer serves us, and breathing life into intentions for the new year
a weekend of magic, healing, and being free ✨
one of my intentions for 2024 is doing the damn thing
whenever I hit resistance, it's interesting to observe a desire to figure out steps 2-5 before taking the first step
turns out doing the damn thing is largely about trusting that clarity will emerge as you take each step
'tis the season of reflection
in the spirit of turning inward, I'm sharing Atlas for the Inward Bound 🎁
a collection of 100+ essays exploring our inner & outer worlds written by some of my fav writers to support you in walking towards your truest self
this month marks six months since I first kicked off my sabbatical
back in June, I wasn't sure how it would all unfold
it's clear to me now that I've moved through four very distinct stages: rest & mobilize –> exploration –> experimentation –> execution
essay in bio✍🏼
sabbaticals & side projects made even more fun & meaningful by collabing with friends along the way
shout out to the Psych Club crew for a month of work, life, and emotional unblocking
appreciate y'all
@DennisBXiao
@kasratweets
@melodaysong
@nopranablem
@wes_yen
(+Carl) 🫶🏼
one of the coolest things about living in SF and being alive in 2023 is that you can simply:
read a book that really resonates with you, work with the author to plan an event, invite a bunch of people from the internet, anddd proceed to hang out with those fascinating people
So wild to see people doing meetups around the themes in my book, thank you to
@cissyrxhu
- who is writing some fascinating stuff on sabbaticals right now - for hosting this in SF.
Hope to make it out there later this year :-)
as a part of today's essay, I'm excited to share the accompanying guide – How to Sabbatical: a tactical guide 🧭
a collection of essays and resources from thoughtful folks who have designed and embarked on their own sabbaticals
every 12/31, I write myself a letter reflecting on the last 365 days & share wisdom for the next 365 to be opened in one year’s time
today marks 10 years since my first letter
happy new year’s eve, y’all 🫶🏼
I hate cold water and other reasons why I run into the sea
every first of the month, we run into the San Francisco bay at sunrise, shouting our intentions for the month. in the moments between running into the water and surrendering to the waves, something profound happens
we
excited to share a series where
@nopranablem
and I reimagine knowledge work as an emotional act
we often view emotions as a distraction, brute forcing our way to impact
what if tapping into emotions *is* the gateway to flow & unlocking new dimensions of capacity?
✍🏼link in bio
on Sunday, I crossed the finish line at my 3rd major marathon in Chicago, marking the halfway point on my six world majors tour
today's essay is a reflection on running marathons as an act of avoidance, coming alive along the way, & learning to run towards myself
link in bio✍🏼
it’s been nearly a year since I started writing "more myself"
I was inspired by several writers who self express with so much care that I found the courage to open up my corner of the universe
✍🏼 essay linked in bio
one of my favorite times of the year is upon us: annual review time
I'm starting earlier this year to allow for more time to reflect on how 2023 has unfolded and to connect the strands of ideas & feelings in ways I couldn't have connected day to day
essay & template in bio✍🏼
@andrewchen
Not checking work emails until I step into the office every morning and reserving my first 2 waking hours for meditating, journaling, working out, walking, and audiobooking
@sashachapin
when I first started shadow work, I shared wild revelations about parts of myself with friends
several of them laughed and said, "yeah, that part of you is so apparent that *I* know her"
first tech sabbath in the books! for 24 (turned 36) hours, we collectively put down technology and spent the day returning back to ourselves
on Friday, we kicked off with a dinner and a shutdown ritual
on Saturday, we ran into the chilly bay, took a trip to the farmers market,
there’s something so beautiful about turning the page to a new chapter of life
for so long, I’ve focused on the anticipation & joy of what’s to come, unable to sit with the grief of honoring what has been
today, I'm saying farewell to an apartment & neighborhood that has bore
no better way to start Saturday & a new month than by grounding into our intention for the next 30 days and sealing it with a plunge into the bay (and a scream into the void)
to a month of whimsy & presence🤸🏻♀️
one of my favorite weekends every year is retreating to the woods with my husband for our annual partnership retreat
these weekends have become anchor points in our partnership, preceding many of the most meaningful decisions we've made in our relationship
the most important question I've continuously asked myself this year is "in what ways am I not free?"
I spent my life trying to optimize routines, calendars, goals – all to realize how rigid my life had become
asking this question gave me permission to move towards a freer life
a weekend going down rabbit holes with the
@rabbitholeathon
crew
from modern day human flourishing to designing your dream syllabus to the impact of food on culture to the sociopsychological significance of music to riding flying taxis and more
a thread on what we uncovered🕳️🤠
happy first of the month!
time to set an intention for the next 30 days and create a new reference point of strength that future you can borrow from
here's to a month of trust & magnetism 🪄
if you're based in SF and are (or drawn to) paving your own pathless path, join me and others who rewriting our scripts next Wednesday, 12/13, at
@thesfcommons
🪄
s/o to
@p_millerd
for sponsoring our hang!
happy first of May!
grateful to reset and recommit to myself every month in community with these humans – truly no better way to start the month
here's to a May of honoring my truth🫧
Over the last few weeks, I've been creating the Personal Finance Almanac to capture all the best personal finance resources floating around Twitter/Medium combined with the frameworks I've put into practice for managing my own finances💰
for most of my life, I was obsessed with optimizing for the destination. most of my journey towards goals felt like a slog
last year, I overhauled my approach to goal setting
I decided to focus on aligning my life with identities I wanted to step into first and foremost
happy first of the month from the hard things crew!
kicked off the morning with an intention setting & plunge into the Bay
here’s to a month of depth & community ⚡️
went for a walk with a friend yesterday and we got talking about what types of people we tend to gravitate towards
"people who think and feel at the same time"
do you ever stumble upon a little corner of your world where it feels like the sun is shining brighter, the grass is greener, and the laughter is louder
and think: damn I’m so lucky to exist in this universe 🥹
one of the coolest feelings is stumbling across someone's work that embodies so much energy & alignment that it creates a new reference point for what self-expression can look like
it's time for a How to Sabbatical refreshhh 🔁
back in August, I curated the guide, featuring stories from thoughtful humans who served as reference points for me as I embarked on my sabbatical journey
the guide's back with more essays & new perspectives
link in bio
the emotional embracement playbook is live!
@nopranablem
and I have been experimenting with ways to embrace our emotions while working
in today’s essay, we’re breaking down the 4 steps so you can join us in integrating this practice into your day-to-day work
link in bio ✍🏼
one of my favorite aspects of Psych Club is seeing friends commit to & deepen their craft
doing a coaching session with
@wes_yen
was one of those experiences 😌
sabbaticals & side projects made even more fun & meaningful by collabing with friends along the way
shout out to the Psych Club crew for a month of work, life, and emotional unblocking
appreciate y'all
@DennisBXiao
@kasratweets
@melodaysong
@nopranablem
@wes_yen
(+Carl) 🫶🏼
one of the best analogies I've heard about feeling our emotions through is to think of our body as the planet
the planet moves through different seasons and weather patterns
sometimes, the sun is shining. sometimes, the raining is falling. sometimes, the wind is howling
retreating to the redwoods with friends this weekend to reflect on the year
I started doing annual reviews 3 years ago – it feels extra special to be grounding into 2024 intentions alongside friends
can't think of a better way to wrap 2023🌲
If 2020 taught me anything, it's that it's impossible to know what the next 365 days will bring. Rather than anchoring new intentions and goals to January 1st, make your way to the starting line more frequently.
Today's the 1st of March - time to reflect, reset, and redouble.
new month, new week, new intention
kicked off the morning grounding into our intention for July, rooting friends on as they run into the bay, and sealed it with a dance party
to a month of embodied agency & possibility🔮
I've been skeptical about using AI for inner work
I appreciate AI for many things, but using it to navigate my inner world and being more human felt misaligned and unsettling
then I came across
@thyselfai
and it made me rethink AI's role in helping us become more ourselves
any time I find myself in FiDi, I’m reminded of a version of myself who used to love putting on suits, working in finance, and existing in the hustle and bustle of downtown
I used to view her as someone from a past life. it feels so easeful now knowing that all versions of me
It’s wild how powerful reframing is. There are days I absolutely don’t want to do xyz, but promise myself I can get on with my life if I do it for just 10mins. Once I get beyond the friction of starting, I forget how daunting it felt and those 10mins magically turn into an hour+
starting before momentum kicks in may never get easier, but each time we tackle a new thing, we collect another reference point for how capable we are
you start appreciating the toil that comes with running a marathon, writing a book, backpacking solo, etc
I used to wonder what living in every city I visited would feel like – it was exhausting to always dream of realities I didn't have
what a relief to finally be able to hold the duality that I can both absolutely love a city I'm visiting AND be overjoyed to come home to SF
first order of business in doing the damn thing:
rang in 2024 with intentions and a plunge into the Bay with our largest crew yet and a portable sauna🫡
it's not enough to *think* my way to becoming the person I strive to be
the real work happens in answering the call & trusting the phone's ringing for a reason
there won't be a perfect time. it's always time
here's to 2024: year of doing the damn thing
happy first of the month eve!
on the first morning of every month, a group of us meet at sunrise, share our intentions for the next 30ish days, then run & dive headfirst into the SF Bay to remind ourselves that we can do hard things
🥳AWESOME NEWS! Today
@srcasm
+ I soft-launched The Community Fund, a $5M fund focused on early-stage community driven-companies. Yeah, I'm a GP now! Thx all. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
And, we’re looking for founding members for our investment team! Learn more + apply.
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whenever I'm on a meditation retreat, I'm reminded that life is just a series of experiments
we convince ourselves that we have to have it all figured out, get it right the first time, know the long game
what if we set ourselves free and just experimented our way through life?
feeling overwhelmed vs feeling abundant are two sides of the same coin – it's simply a matter of capacity
how much capacity do you have to hold everything coming at you vs unfolding before you?
special shout out to everyone who came out this morning, screamed into the void, and kicked off April in extra silly fashion
here's to a month of being & whimsy 🦄
we're always talking about finding someone to grow old with, but really, it's about finding the person who grounds you in your youth and reminds you what it means to be carefree & at ease
✍🏼 How to Sabbatical
today's piece explores how to eject ourself from societal games, going inward to face ourself, and experimenting our way to expression
plus some tactical thoughts on how to design a sabbatical (AND a bonus guide)
link in bio
Insightful piece by
@FirstRound
featuring
@FrontApp
’s
@collinmathilde
On the importance of discipline: “Concentrate on a single metric. If it’s not improving, resist the easy comfort of letting up and focusing on something else. Stay the course.”
one of the things I missed most early on in my sabbatical was working alongside "colleagues" I respected and working towards a shared mission
in Sept, I launched Psych Club, a community of builders, creators, writers, who are committed to expanding our collective consciousness
@tomcritchlow
Was feeling this back in October & somewhat solved the "not having coworkers or peers invested in each other's work" problem!
@cissyrxhu
started a 1month Slack experiment with a few other friends bought into the idea, and I added async "feeds" (via Slack, Discord). Think of it
🗣️ Putting out the call to experiment & redesign what modern day human flourishing looks like
This week's essay introduces my vision for designing and running community experiments using our lives as petri dishes in pursuit of advancing our collective well-being
Yes, we need
one of the underrated features about doing hard things is the act of increasing your elasticity
each time you get to the other side of something "impossible," you're expanding your capacity to take on other things that feel out of bounds
@kevinleeme
- Where did I spend my time over the last 7 days? (broken out by categories)
- What activities energized me? Which ones drained me?
- What 20% of actions drove 80% of results?
- What will I do more of next week?
- What 3 goals am I hyperfocused on for next week?
under all your layers of comfort and security is a self that's eager to try new things and rewrite the narrative of all that you can be
water and nourish that self. give your self the freedom to become all that it can and will be
peep our partnership retreat template 👀
- pre-retreat checklist
- 3-day retreat schedule
- list of topics & activities
- agenda & questions for each day
a mix of aligning on the big stuff (partnership values, upcoming season's intentions) and the tactical (finances, travel)
it's a moment of pause to acknowledge who we've become
for a weekend, we *truly* see each other, our aspirations, our fears
we find the words to articulate what we seek in our partnership in our next season
🔗today's essay (plus retreat template!)
As I ring in 4 years in San Francisco, I'm grateful to this city for deepening my capacity to feel things and come alive
It’s pushed me to explore my edges, redefine what I thought was possible, and free me from the expectations of who I *should* be
as a part of reimagining what flourishing looks like in the 21st century, I'm hosting a Flourishathon where we'll brainstorm ways to be more human and design experiments to run in our own lives
Friday, 3/8, 4:30-6:30pm
DM me if you're in SF and are interested in joining! 🌿
1 year ago, all semblance of our physical world disappeared. After weeks of living almost entirely online, my reliance on screens felt unsustainable.
In search of a better way, I've spent the last year testing thoughtfully designed products to power my daily life.
[a thread]
one of the best decisions I've made in recent memory is going news sober
untethering myself from the news cycle is what's freed me up to get more involved at the local level (volunteering with orgs in SF, doing my own research, community building)
I used to fear that if I
As I build out the Personal Finance Almanac, I'll be sharing a weekly round up of interesting personal finance convos happening around Twitter 💬
[a thread]