Month: October 2026

From previous experience, you may have noticed how tree trunks are generally NOT supposed to bend over sideways…. Yesterday, I was out in the dark at 6 AM, shivering in the snow, whacking my apple trees with a broom. “Seriously you guys,” I scolded them. “You didn’t see this coming?” It was first snow. Most…

photo by Ayush Bhoyar via Unsplash In a dim back alley in Beijing, my step father was clutching the $1000 in his wallet, grimacing, as we strained to see the three 1800s coins a tattered man was holding out to us. If they were real, they would be worth $50,000. If they were fake, nothing.…

Making yourself “do hard things” is prerequisite for every cool thing you want in life. But humans are weird, and making ourselves do things is often unreasonably difficult. The writer knows she needs to write, but finds herself procrastinating exactly when it matters. The business owner knows this sales call could make cash flow for…

by Smithsonian/ Henry Ossawa Tanner ca. 1913 via Unsplash One of the biggest problems with “Just DO It!” advice is aim. What on Earth are you supposed to “just do?” A choice is required, an assessing of the field. Aim. If you are choosing a niche, a topic, a product, a career, a relationship. Choosing…

photo by Kezadri Abdelhak via Unsplash It feels like a hard season for making things right now. I know some great writers who have gone quiet recently. Or are starving. It’s easy to talk about productivity or discipline at times like this. But when we’re crouched at the edge of the ice, feeding the fires…