Issue #109 | Subscribe

Temple run. By Nevena Nikolcheva.

After many recommendations on using index cards to capture ideas, distil topics, and more, I finally decided to try this technique.

I ordered a box full of 4x6-inch cards and started experimenting with various ways to fill these index cards in a way that would be more helpful than filling out a diary or a journal.

For example, this week, while writing a chapter for my upcoming book on Japanese philosophies, I pulled one card out of the box and wrote a bullet-point summary and benefits of a Japanese practice to help me think and structure the chapter better.

The idea wasn't groundbreaking, but doing this exercise and keeping the card at my desk helped me overcome writer's block, and I was finally able to finish the first draft of the chapter.

While this was a good effort to get into the habit of using index cards, I'm considering doing something different. For example, I could fill out a few with my wins over the years or reflections on getting out of a bad situation to make a box of motivational index cards that can help me endure the rough times.

I don't have anything concrete now, but I'll write about my process if it materialises into something meaningful.

Now:

Speaking of good ideas and meaningful practices, I'm halfway through writing my book on the various Japanese philosophies and practices I've learned and picked up over the last few years.

As I keep writing the remaining chapters, I've started working on the typesetting process for this eBook and experimenting with some layouts. Here's how a sample chapter looks right now:

You're going to love this book. It's brief, mindful of your time, and will introduce you to a world of tiny, powerful practices and ways of living in a format that is easy to comprehend and apply to your daily life.

I'll share more about the format and contents when I open up pre-orders for this book at an early-bird pricing next week.

Now, let's move on to the rest of this newsletter issue:

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Your Next Read

The Unfair Advantage

We all have some qualities we're extremely good at or past experiences that have put us in an advantageous position compared to others. This book will help you find that hidden unfair advantage in you.

Personal Growth

Apps & Services

Claude 3

The latest and greatest AI model

I've had a good experience with Claude (a ChatGPT alternative), but these new, updated models are on another level. I love how well-crafted the responses are from both the free and paid models — Sonnet and Opus. Available on the Web and is free to start. Costs $20/month to get access to the best model.
Filerev

Clean up your unused Google Drive files

Conveniently locate and delete unused, large or duplicate files from your Google Drive, freeing up your limited cloud storage space. Available on the Web and is free for one scan a month.
Side Space

Add a vertical tab manager to Chrome

Add an Arc-styled sidebar to manage, group and organise your open tabs on any Chromium-based browser. You can even group related tabs automatically using AI. Available for Google Chrome and is free for up to 5 spaces.

Handy Shortcut

⌘

Shift

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Quickly peek at all your open tabs in Safari on macOS.
•••

Interesting Reads

It Was Gezellig

2 min read

Firesides

While it's hard to translate this age-old Dutch concept into simple words, I've tried vividly capturing my recent encounter with this feeling in this short blog post.
Einstein’s 7 Rules For a Better Life

15 min read

The one I'll engrave in my mind: "Do you view these problems as crises? If you do, you probably feel despair at them, as there’s very little that’s empowering about facing a crisis. But if you view them as a puzzle, you might be inclined to think about a fresh approach to solving them."
AI Could Actually Help Rebuild The Middle Class

34 min read

A fresh take on the latest hot question: "Will AI take my job?" The most interesting shift in job functionalities will be AI making expertise available to the masses.
It’s 2024, and Being Cringe Is the New Cool

7 min read

Clickbaity title, but the ideas around handling awkward situations in this short blog post are sound. The one that caught my attention: "Reframe what it means to be awkward."

Videos

This is a good approach to using index cards to break down complex projects into tiny actionable steps.

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