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Document whatever’s in front of you
On Sunday evening, I saw a man sitting at the back of a vintage shop in Daikanyama. He sat on a small stool, with his backpack tucked between his legs. His right hand held a blank notebook open, his left held a black pen. He drew the scene in front of him—racks of pants, shirts,…
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Be mindful of what you’re getting good at
A friend of mine had moved from Toronto to Hong Kong for work. When he first arrived, he didn’t know anyone. He had a decision to make: He could get really good at spending time by himself, including sitting at home in the evenings and watching TV. Or, he could get really good at socializing.…
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In praise of the early morning flight
Flying in the morning means waking up really early. It’s exhausting and inconvenient, so it deters a lot of people. The type of people who decide to make this tradeoff, and show up, are usually particularly responsible. They’re punctual. They want more time at their destination, so much so that they’re willing to wake up…
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Make a list of pains you prevented
When you warm up and stretch your muscles before exercise, you’re preventing pain. You’re lowering the chances you’ll get injured. It’s useful to remember the purpose of preparation is to help you get ahead of pain. Your present feels ordinary, maybe even slightly boring, because your past self didn’t borrow from its future. It may…
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AI is useful because you can blame it
Imagine you’re about to do something brave. Maybe you’re writing a cold email to someone you admire, or applying for a job. If you wanted a second pair of eyes or gut check for your email, you needed to ask a smart friend. That way, you’d feel confident—at least another person thinks your work is…
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Three lessons from giving dishes an extra rinse at dim sum
When I was growing up, my parents and I went to dim sum every Sunday afternoon with my grandparents. The first thing we did after we sat down was order a teapot of boiled water to wash our cutlery. We started by pouring boiled water in our cups, which we then poured over a pair…
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Respond to mistakes with guilt and gratitude
When someone points out or fixes a mistake you made, you can decide to respond with guilt for making the mistake in the first place, or gratitude for their support. Guilt helps you create change. It also makes sure you don’t make the same mistake again. Once you have made the change, you don’t need…
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Aerial roots can strengthen a tree’s foundation and absorb water and nutrients
Every tree has roots that set the foundation for the trunk and branches in the ground. I learned recently that some trees, like banyan trees, also grow aerial roots from the branches. Like the roots in the ground, some of these roots can absorb water and nutrients from the air. As these roots grow and…