Learn From My Mistakes

Short story of how I break life chaos into small, solvable problems - 2 min read.

As mentioned last time, I took a couple of days off - productive ones, of course.

The kind where you replace thermostats in the house and call it self-care.

Why the upgrade?

Google had announced they’d stop supporting the early generation of Nest thermostats (which I owned).

Naturally, I took this as a sign from the universe to spend money.

This time, I went with Ecobee.

It plays nicely with both Apple HomeKit and Alexa - which means I can now yell at clouds and my thermostat, and one of them actually listens.

Highly recommend.

(And no, this isn’t sponsored - I guess sarcasm and thermostat enthusiasm aren’t Ecobee’s target demographic.)

Bonus win: my energy provider had an instant rebate, so I got two smart thermostats for close to the price of one.

That must be what Olympic gold feels like.

Except sweatier. And with fewer podiums.

The only downside?

Shipping took a week and a half - practically medieval when you’ve been Amazon Primed into expecting overnight teleportation.

Installation? Incredibly boring.

Wires in, devices self-calibrated, and suddenly I had two adorable, unemployed Nest thermostats sitting on my desk, staring at me like abandoned Tamagotchis.

(If you know what that is - congrats, you’re the target audience for this newsletter.)

Naturally, I decided to sell them.

To Facebook Marketplace we go: photos taken, cheesy listing written, and now it’s time for pricing.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

Of course, my thermostats were better than the others.

Because I (!) took care of them.

So I priced them 10% higher than comparable listings.

And I knew exactly what I was doing.

This, my friend, is the Endowment Effect - the tendency to overvalue what we own just because we own it.

And it’s not just thermostats.

We do this with our ideas. Our routines. Our half-baked projects.

We fall in love with what we built - and suddenly, anything that challenges it is “not enough evidence”, which we are glad to ignore.

It’s bias dressed up as conviction.

Whether you’re selling, decluttering, or clinging to an outdated plan - keep an eye on the Endowment Effect.

Your “perfect” idea might not be worth what you think.

We like to believe we’re being rational.

But more often, we’re just defending what’s ours.

Our tools. Our assumptions. Our version of “how things should be.”

Ever wonder why it’s so hard to kill a project, even when it’s clearly not working?

Because we don’t just own things.

Things start to own us.

And the scariest part?

This bias isn’t always loud or obvious.

Sometimes it shows up as certainty.

As a quiet resistance to change, dressed up as “logic” - which has little to do with critical thinking, as Dan Ariely brilliantly explains in Predictably Irrational.

So what does all this have to do with thermostat pricing?

Glad you asked.

I intentionally priced high to give myself headroom - room to negotiate, room to make the buyer feel like they scored a deal.

It sold in less than 24 hours.

Proof that pricing psychology beats pricing perfection - and that I’m basically a behavioral economist now.

Till next time.

Our favorite digital finds

Tools, apps, and services that actually deliver

Short & Sweet

Short articles worth your attention

Stoop Coffee: How a Simple Idea Transformed My Neighborhood - 6 min read.

This isn't just a feel-good story about free coffee - it's a masterclass in how low-effort generosity can radically shift neighborhood vibes. Made me rethink what "community-building" really looks like.

A Cool Guide to Rewiring Your Brain for Better Habits and Growth - read time unknown - it’s reddit!

This thread is a goldmine of tiny habits with big emotional returns - like drinking coffee outside or folding laundry without podcasts. Proof that "life-changing" doesn't have to mean expensive, complicated, or digital.

Why We Can't Stop Procrastinating (And What To Do About It) - 7 min read.

This one hits where it hurts: procrastination isn’t just about poor planning, it’s about emotional self-regulation. If you’ve ever cleaned your inbox instead of doing the actual task - yup, same.

Add this to your shelf

If you're looking for something to read, this book's worth considering

Misbelief is like a guide to why people believe crazy things, packed with easy tips to spot irrational ideas. Ariely digs into psychology with fun examples, showing how to avoid getting fooled by your own brain.

Teaser: Ever met someone who thinks the moon landing was fake? Ariely breaks down why their brain buys into it!

A Workspace I Envy

A handpicked desk setup that caught my eye this week

The shelf is definitely upside down, but other than that, it's a simple, inexpensive, and aesthetically pleasing setup.

Unpacking the routines of interesting people

A closer look at how fascinating people structure their day

Interesting facts:

Lived in a Tiny Apartment with a Leaky Bathtub: In his early 20s, Tony lived alone in a cockroach-infested apartment with a leaking bathtub. He says it was the most transformational time in his life.

Cured His Stutter by Accident: Tony used to stutter badly. While trying to motivate himself using affirmations, he noticed it accidentally fixed his speech. He never stuttered again.

Lives on 4-6 Hours of Sleep: Despite running dozens of companies and doing 12+ hour seminars, Tony only sleeps about 5 hours a night. He says he’s “trained himself to need less.”

Morning Priming Ritual: Every morning, Tony does a 10-minute routine that includes gratitude, cold plunges, deep breathing, and visualization - he calls it “priming the mind.”

Almost Died from Mercury Poisoning: At one point, Tony was eating so much seafood that he developed mercury poisoning. His energy crashed, and he had to radically change his diet and habits.

Rebounder Obsessed: He swears by a mini trampoline (aka rebounder) to reset his physiology. He jumps on one before every event, speech, or big meeting.

Watch-worthy clips

One video that got us thinking, and we think you'll like it too

Nice recap of some powerful techniques to stay disciplined. My favorite, of course: "remove choice, create systems." It's only 5 minutes long, but watch it on 1.5x.

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