Hello 2022 ✨
Considerations: Week 1 of Jan. 2022
Considerations is a thoughtfully curated newsletter focused on creative inputs for multi-disciplinaries.
Cold Intro:
Hello friends,
2021 Was a rollercoaster 🎢 of a year (I think I said the exact same thing about 2020 lol). Being unreasonably vague, I’ve had a wild year. I got a new job as a product designer earlier this year. 💍 I got engaged (to my middle school crush)!
But I’ve also been reclusive this past year. (More than I would like to be.) Part of that’s because I’ve been dealing with some chronic jaw pain and have
On the flip side, one of my big goals this year is to invest more time and energy into good friends and cultivating smart and thoughtful communities.
Quick shameless plugs: I’m going to experiment more with email newsletters this year.
Q3 Newsletter. (Also called Q^3 or QQQ). I’m excited about this one. It’s a quick, yet thoughtful weekly newsletter that features one quote, question, and one quest to ground and uplift your week. Sign up for Q3 here.
Funky Bass Cat’s Blockchain Hot Tub Party (coming soon). I’m also starting a Crypto/NFT newsletter (coming soon) focused on education, practical how-tos, and highlighting cool web3 projects.
Ideas Disrupt (coming soon). This one I want to focus on entrepreneurship, ideas, and product thinking. I’ll likely niche that down further as I go, but for now, the plan is to discuss world-changing technology treads and how to apply them to your ideas.
Here are some interesting things I’ve been considering lately:
1. PYM Mood Chews Are Amazing
I don’t recall how I came across these little delights, but I’m glad I did! Essentially PYM (Prepare Your Mind) Mood Chews are “all-natural amino acid mood chews that help you feel calm and relaxed.” They were created by Zac Williams (Robin Williams son) as a supportive anxiety and stress relief product. I purchased them via Amazon, but they also have a website where you can buy or subscribe.
2. Cal Newport’s Time-Block Planner
My dad actually gifted me one of these planners last year. (He’s a big fan of Cal Newport’s podcast.) The main difference between the time-block planner and a normal planner is the focus on scheduling your day completely in advance and getting feedback on where things go awry. The big takeaway I’ve had so far is how little time I actually have for creative projects and how much time little things like running errands adds up. If you are looking to up your productivity game, give the time-block planner a try. Buy it on Amazon or TimeBlockPlanner.com
3. Brilliant App
Brilliant is a super cool interactive learning app. It’s fun, playful, and jam-packed with insight. It’s subscription-based, with a focus on STEM learning. You can find Brilliant in the Apple App Store, Google Play, or visit their website, Brilliant.org.
4. Hey Email
Hey is a (relatively) new email app by the makers of Basecamp. It’s a beautiful app that rethinks the way email works. It was built with privacy in mind, for example, it blocks email trackers from seeing if you’ve opened an email or clicked on links. Check out Hey.com for more details.
5. Take charge of your finances with the True Bill App
Subscriptions are tricky. $10 dollars a month doesn’t sound like much, but when you factor in you are likely subscribing to dozens of apps and services, $10 dollars can quickly become hundreds of dollars a month. (Sidenote: one trick I’ve heard about is doing the math and thinking about subscriptions as yearly costs before signing up. $120 a year ($10 * 12) has a different emotional response versus $10 a month.) True Bill is a financial app I’ve been using to keep track of where my money goes. It also has some nifty premium features, like automatic unsubscribing to subscriptions. Find it on the Apple App Store, Google Play or learn more on TrueBill.com
6. You’re Probably Breathing Wrong: Read Breath
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor is one of my favorite reads of 2021. It walks through the science and history of breathing and how our modern world is rife with bad breathing habits. There’s a lot of practical advice and instructions on various breathing modalities. I have sleep and energy problems, so my interest in breath and books like it are personal. One key takeaway I’ve learned is breathing out of your nose is much more healthy than breathing out of your mouth. And in fact, mouth-breathing can cause a whole host of health problems. Find it on Amazon and your local book store.
7. Music Finds: San Holo and Lake Street Dive
San Holo: San Holo (say that 5 times fast) is a great DJ / Synthwave musician. I’m a fan of his latest album bb are u ok? (great album name by the way).
Related Artist: The Midnight, FM-84
Spotify, Apple Music, YT, YT Music.
Lake Street Dive: I discovered Lake Street Dive last year at the outdoor festival Moonriver. Such an enjoyable listen and the lead singer’s voice is so good.
Related Artists: Alabama Shakes
Spotify, Apple Music, YT, YT Music.
8. Interesting Clicks
I hope you enjoyed this edition of Considerations. Have you discovered any interesting articles, books, music, or what-have-yous recently? Email me at josh [at] renaissance life [dot com] or leave a comment below.
Other Newsletters:
Bookaholics: If you are into books join my free monthly book newsletter
Practices: Considerations will have a sister publication called Practices. Where Considerations is about creative inputs, Practices is about creative output.
Q3 Newsletter. (Also called Q^3 or QQQ). I’m excited about this one. It’s a quick, yet thoughtful weekly newsletter that features one quote, question, and one quest to ground and uplift your week. Sign up for Q3 here.
Funky Bass Cat’s Blockchain Hot Tub Party (coming soon). I’m also starting a Crypto/NFT newsletter (coming soon) focused on education, practical how-tos, and highlighting cool web3 projects.
Ideas Disrupt (coming soon). This one I want to focus on entrepreneurship, ideas, and product thinking. I’ll likely niche that down further as I go, but for now, the plan is to discuss world-changing technology treads and how to apply them to your ideas.
Share Considerations (or my other newsletters) with a friend and if they sign up and I’ll give you one year of Practices for free (email me to confirm invite):
Thanks for your time. Be Well. Keep creating.
— Josh Waggoner
Renaissance Life
Insta: @Renaissance.Life
Twitter @wiggidywags