Hey, Matt here!
Welcome to a new week. This week's mail comes to you on a lazy St Brigids Day in Ireland. Big thanks to the new subscribers since last week, if you haven't done it for a while, maybe YOU could help me by sending this mail on to a few trusted friends? They can join the fun here.
A reminder that you can find me on the web and on Threads AND that I'm writing (nearly) every day in 2024, you can catch up with my daily notes here.
Thanks for joining me - now, onto the good stuff!
Monday Motivation. Let this week be the one where you get more done, by doing less things simultaneously. Discover the joy (and benefits) of single tasking.
Review. My weekly review process can help supercharge your progress. Just 10 short questions that will help you reflect and get focused.
Visibility. Do you feel unnoticed by your boss? This TED Podcast talks about ways to fix that problem.
Difficulty. Some amazing life and career advice from Sir Michael Caine. It's a really short video, but a cracking example of stoicism in action.
85%. We're conditioned to believe that nothing less than maximum pressure will get results. The truth is that you might find it is much less than that. It's about working smarter, not harder.
Stress. How stress drains your brain and makes you forgetful, and what you can do about it. This TED talk explains what is happening and some simple solutions.
Organise. The excellent Zen Habits explains simple ways to find the joy of being organised. This is some top level, easy to follow advice that will help everyone. Savouring the deliciousness of clearing down is something I enjoy, my favourite hour of the week is emptying my email inbox.
Gezellig. If you've ever been to Amsterdam, you'll know the feeling. How to be cosy like the Dutch.
Light. Morning light is crucial for happiness. Some practical ways to get it, even if you're not a morning person.
Crown. Bonhams are auctioning off all the props from The Crown. Ideal if you want to own the gates from a fake Buckingham Palace, or a dress worn by Claire Foy.
Monopoly. Fascinating insights into the hidden world of Monopoly. Not quite the celebration of capitalism that I originally thought it was!
Untranslateable. This was in one of the very first Stuff newsletters, but the site has been updated. Words and phrases from around the world that are difficult to translate. You can discover what poireauter means, or when to say Qué Sopa.
Finally. QWERTLE. Utterly baffling (and very clever) daily word game based on the keyboard positions of the letters you guess.
🔈 Stuff to Listen to...
🎧 Andy Weatherall was a pioneer of the underground dance music scene. With an ever evolving and truly eclectic style, he was the finest of DJ's across multiple styles and genres.
He's a true hero of mine. My monthly mixtape is inspired by the range and fearlessness of Weatherall as a curator.
Alongside hundreds of DJ mixes, productions, remixes and live memories - Weatherall also created the Black Notebooks, a series of playlists spanning multiple styles of music.
After his death in 2020, these were put online as a fantastic memory of a renegade spirit. With only 90 tracks, this is a perfect playlist.
Highly recommended.
Stuff someone said.
Why love your work? It won’t, of course, love you back.
Mandy Brown
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