Learn From My Mistakes

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

I met a bush of Poison Ivy for the first time. The bush won.

Thirty minutes of yard work turned into a few weeks of red spots and wool-sweater-in-July itching. 

I'm on week one.

My Yorkie pretended to be a service dog and offered moral support (by demanding more treats, obviously).

I discovered two things:

1. If your spouse says “Let’s clear the thickets in the backyard,” ask if we own hazmat suits.

2. Scratching feels amazing for three seconds - and then worse for three hours.

You might not relate to the rash, but you know the pattern.

The Poison Ivy Principle: quick relief spreads the problem.

On skin: scratching the itch.

At work: peeking at email/Slack/news/social/RSS “for a sec” before real work.

Feels like progress. Isn’t.

It’s just scratching your brain. The urge is real. Dopamine loves anticipation, not results.

The problem: I never know when to stop.

“One more scratch and I’ll finally satisfy the urge.”

Nope. 

That just moves the finish line.

“One more and I’m done, one more Insta reel…” So close… one more.

More rubbing, more damage. Longer recovery. Fewer results. 

Hard to tell if the previous sentence is about scratching the rash or doom scrolling. 

It is intentional.

So I did something weird: I hired the itch.

Gave her a name - Scratch - and a job: handle all the “just a sec” checks.

Then I gave her a contract even HR would envy (short version):

Job title: Novelty Coordinator (Part-Time)

Office hours: 11:30 and 4:00, 30 mins each.

Scope: News, socials, RSS, Reeder inbox, Youtube recommendations (separate item for sure).

Outside those hours: Scratch is off the clock. No unpaid overtime.

It felt silly for five minutes.

I’m kidding - it is not silly. It is stupid.

But: it’s 7 a.m. as I write this.

I have no idea what’s going on in the world. I haven’t opened my inbox with the curated newsletters I love. I haven’t even had my first sip of coffee (I’m cheating on it with green tea in the mornings).

My curiosity is itching my brain.

My hands and legs are covered in a rash.

When I’m done writing, I’ve got a tiny dilemma: how do I distract my brain from scratching while my limbs are actually itching?

If you’re still reading, the itch won. Prove me wrong.

Till next time.

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Short & Sweet

Short articles worth your attention

5 Tricks to Never Run Out of Ideas Again - 4 min read.

Five practical tweaks to keep ideas in stock. And yes, separating draft mode from edit mode is half the magic. I’ve just edited this.

10 lessons in productivity and brainstorming from The Beatles - 5 min read.

Turns out McCartney was running design thinking with guitars: defer judgment, test messy, don't repeat bad ideas. Steal the playbook, no screaming fans required.

10 Powerful Cognitive Razors: Infographycs - 3 min read.

Your brain's "cut the nonsense" kit: 10 cognitive razors you can actually remember and use before lunch.

Add this to your shelf

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

Imagine a self-help book that's short, sweet, and actually useful. No vague hustle talk, just four ancient rules to stop arguing with your own brain. For me, the big reminder is: don't make assumptions.

A Workspace I Envy

A handpicked desk setup that caught my eye this week

This desk radiates calm… which is exactly why I'd ruin it in 24 hours with tangled cables and coffee stains. Never seen that over-the-monitor lamp before - already googling.

Behind the Persona

A deep dive into the quirks, habits, and backstories that shape icons

Cool Facts About Christopher Nolan

No Smartphone, No Email: Nolan ditched the biggest distraction machines. He doesn’t carry a smartphone, doesn’t use email himself, and writes on a computer with no internet so he can think in the “in-between moments” instead of doom-scrolling.

Photochemical, Not Endless DI: He prefers timing on film, which he’s said can take “three or four passes” in about half a day - versus weeks in a digital suite. Faster decisions, less tinkering.

Single Camera, Fewer Distractions: For dramatic scenes he insists on one camera (multi-cam only for stunts). He watches dailies and keeps coverage lean so the edit isn’t buried in footage nobody needs. 

Cuts the Movie in His Head: He memorizes the footage and mentally edits at night. When he hits the cutting room, he already knows what he’s looking for - speed through clarity.

Photochemical, Not Endless Digital Intermediate (DI): He color-grades the old-school way - on film, not in a digital suite. With a good timer, that’s 3-4 passes in about 12-14 hours, instead of 7-8 weeks doing a DI. Faster choices, less fiddling.

No Reshoots; Cut for Clarity: He doesn’t do reshoots (that’s re-filming scenes later). He’ll put extra explanation in the script so everyone’s aligned, then in the edit he trims hard - leaving just enough for the audience to get it on the first pass. Clean.

Phone-Free Sets (Chairs Are Fine): He bans cell phones and smoking to protect focus. - and yes, the infamous “no chairs” rumor was debunked; actors can sit. He’s even joked about banning UGGs to keep the on-set “reality bubble” intact. 

Short, Intense Schedules: Oppenheimer was a “57-day race” with strict rules and rapid-fire filming - proof that tight timelines can sharpen focus (and still ship a 3-hour epic).

Uniform to Reduce Decisions: The suit/waistcoat isn’t a vibe; it’s a system. He wears the same outfit daily so he never has to think about clothes. 

Analog Loyalist, CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) as Seasoning: He champions film and IMAX, photochemical finishing, and uses CGI sparingly to enhance photographed reality - never to replace it. It’s “animation vs. photography,” and he wants the latter to lead. 

When Practical Is Faster (and Cheaper): For Tenet he crashed a real 747 because, after running the numbers, it was more efficient than Computer Graphics or miniatures. For Oppenheimer, his team built the Trinity blast with layered, in-camera effects instead of CGI. 

Office-Hours Writing, Walking Breaks: He treats writing like a day job - work in the morning, revisit at night, and walk to shake ideas loose - then returns to pages with a cleaner head. Structure first, then pages. 

Watch-worthy clips

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

What if "have fun" is the KPI? Hudson lays out a simple case for joy as the shortest path to getting more done.

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