Today I’m going to take a little time to think about editing. In the context of my life. I’ve always been ‘editing,’ but there’s always room for improvement; to do it a little bit better.

According to McKeown in ESSENTIALISM (bold emphasis mine): An editor is not merely someone who says no to things. […]

With zero-based budgeting, accountants use zero as the baseline, and this means every line item in the proposed budget must be justified from scratch. Not using last year’s numbers as the baseline for next year’s projection (usually the practice). Zero-based budgeting is more ‘cumbersome,’ but it forces scrutiny and provides clarity.

I had applied “zero-based budgeting” in my own life when I moved to Sweden […]

If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.

I’m thinking of the standard I set for myself. Let’s say the job market, for example. I’m thinking about what makes me a clear choice for the role over the other person. In other words, a HELL YEAH! (copying Derek Sivers). […]

Look: See what really matters. It’s not about regurgitating the facts but about figuring out the point (in the case of journalism, for example). It means making those relationships and connections (between the set of facts) explicit. McKeown says:

In every set of facts, something essential is hidden. […]

It’s still winter, but without the snow, so Mister Pops the cat and I took a stroll together in the neighborhood.

This is the first time we are using the cat carrier backpack and also his first walk outdoors […]

I stole the above quote from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson.

Travel—don’t wait. Move (country)—don’t wait. Change (work)—don’t wait. On hindsight, I’m super glad I did all of that before COVID came and made itself a more of less permanent part of our lives. Now I get to […]

Short-term pain for long-term gain. Reading is hard work. Practicing is hard work. Working out can be quite a struggle, but yes, the reward comes after the struggle. I look better and feel better. Because of that, I read even more voraciously and have more stamina to practice (my Swedish).

I’ve always loved reading (still do), and […]

The above quote from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson is super important. It’s super important because this is how we differentiate. We get paid (very well) for our unique knowledge and demonstrated judgment.

We may be salaried workers or business owners—to me, it doesn’t matter […]