26th December 2022

Long Form

1. On Walking as a Productivity System
2. An essay on the future of Blockbuster Franchisees
3. A link to ALL of Jeff Bezos’ Annual Shareholder letters. A masterclass is writing.
4. An short piece on the effect of sound on the taste of drinks.

Quotes

1. “From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached.” - Franz Kafka
2. I have the worst plan for two years, and the best for ten.
3. Sometimes the hardest decisions a person can make will most likely lead to the best outcomes.
4. You just need to have the courage to eliminate everything that doesn't directly feed what you really want. - James Clear
5. “99% of the world is convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre middle-ground. The level of competition is thus fiercest for 'realistic' goals, paradoxically making them the most time- and energy-consuming.” - Tim Ferris

Books I’m intrigued by

1. The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal
2. Metaphors we live by George Lakoff & Mark Johnson
3. Klara & the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Fun Stuff

1. Party City, uniquely dealing with a helium shortage, has six months to get its average closing share price to $1, else face NYSE delisting
2. A fun exercise with 40 questions to ask yourself at the end of the year.
3. The original Walkman came with two headphone jacks for dual listening, but it turned out consumers preferred to listen solo.
4. A gorgeous selection of images from the New York Times depicting 2022.