I’m making gifts for family that I know they will love and appreciate. Gift giving is only as much about consumerism as you make it. To reject getting joy out of seeing someone else get something they would love is a bit short sighted.

It’s a win-win for everyone. Plus, if the person misses the obvious thing, you know what not to trust them with in the future!

I have and will continue to make a small number of obvious omissions or minor misspellings in my work when I submit it to my bosses for review. Not in the majority of my work, but mostly when they may have some resistance or hesitation on a course of action or a part of the project.

If I can trick them into contributing to the project by fixing or improving it, they end up feeling ownership of it in a way they wouldn’t have otherwise. I do this on purpose, and turn a hesitater into a champion of the work. It’s our project now!

Yeah. There are quite a few takes here that are classic Sam Harris. People are going to blame the loss due to their pet issue, which is dumb, but here are my pet issues that are not dumb!

I am in my 40s, kids, office job, etc. I have read 114 books so far this year, and am aiming for 120. Every one of those books are books I enjoyed. If it doesn’t grab me, I put it down. I put one down yesterday after two chapters.

I have always been an avid reader. Buying an ereader (kobo) has been the biggest game changer for me. I carry it everywhere and use it constantly. I can check ebooks out from the library and they automatically load on my device. If I go for a walk, I’m reading while I do it. I read during my rest times during a workout. If I have 3 spare minutes, I’m reading a book. Are most of my books “fast food” from a literary perspective? Absolutely. Sci-fi, fantasy, and romance are my jam! I’ve never not been a reader. Books were an escape as a teenager and never stopped being a huge part of my life, even decades later. I listen to podcasts or audiobooks when mowing the lawn or doing dishes, but those 114 have been ebooks or paper books. However you consume them, finding what you love is huge for building the habit.

I occasionally read non-fiction, but it’s actually work to do it. The best way to read is to find a good story and let it sweep you away! Stuff that is harder to get through is going to create a little friction. That friction makes you hesitate to pick up the book. That next YouTube video or TikTok is going to be easier at that point. If reading is work, you’re less likely to do it. Trying to read “good” stuff has caused me to slow down.