Category: Creativity
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Wisdom starts with walking
One of the more useful practices I’ve cultivated this year is treating stress like a pet dog. When I experience high stress, I imagine a dog who desperately needs to run outside to use the bathroom. It would feel cruel and irresponsible to keep them cooped up inside, and they would eventually take care of…
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Your routines are your opinions
There is a private library in the outskirts of Kyoto, called Kissa Fang. The books are meticulously organized. When you enter, a staff member hands you a wooden block. Any time you take a book off the shelf, you place the wooden block as a placeholder. This routine also enforces two opinions: read one book…
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Bias for novelty
If you’re used to the same routines every day—same route to work, same apps and websites, same friends—then you have a lot to gain by exploring. Try a new coffee shop, restaurant, or bar. Visit a nearby local town. Don’t order your favorite dish, set out to find a second favorite. Don’t be surprised to…
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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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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…
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The schedule is your project’s most important feature
Imagine you come across a job post you’re interested in. You spend a week editing your resume and cover letter for the opportunity. When you go to apply, you don’t see the post anymore—in the time you were editing, the company took the listing down. Or, as you were submitting, you looked more closely and…
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Make a list of things you want to do while you wait
Sometimes, small chunks open up in the marble of the day. A restaurant asks you to wait. A friend runs late. A meeting ends early. In these moments, life presents you with the rare gift of spare time. You could sit down and use your phone. You could also make something more energizing happen. Here’s…