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Hi from Dublin, I'm Matt...

I'm back in Ireland after time in Spain, holidaying, living, and working remotely for a month. It was good to 'strip back' life, no TV, not much news cycle and very few 'things' around us as we started a second home from scratch. More to come on that, but I'm refreshed and ready to get back into life in Dublin.

Thank you for being a part of Stuff. If you received this email from an excellent friend, and would like to subscribe, please go here. If you'd like an archive of Stuff from the beginning of 2022 - it's here.

Onward with the Stuff that MattRs this week...
  1. Monday Motivation:   Let this week be the one that you begin to let go of perfectionism.  It doesn't lead to better performance or outcomes, and perfectionism is often the enemy of 'done'.  After all, everyone else is just winging it, why shouldn't you be?
  2. Your new superpower:  Build rituals, not routines.  Anyone can build rituals into their daily lives that help them approach tasks in a more mindful way.   I use rituals to delineate the parts of my day that need different focus or a shift in mindset, and I'm not the only one.  
  3. Essential Reading:  How to simply simplify your life. This short essay suggests one way to make life easier, and it is an exceptionally effective way.   If you want more, here are 75 other ways that will help.
  4. Take care:  A straightforward way to clear your mind right now. Take 60 seconds with this marvellous tool and shoot anxiety into space. Try it, I guarantee you will feel better about your day ahead.  (I recommend bookmarking this stuff).
  5. TWIL:  'Knolling' is the act of laying things out neatly prior to a photograph.  I realise I've done this a bit in the past.  There is even a dedicated blog!
  6. Meatballs with your Billy?  I've spent a lot of time in Ikea over the last few weeks. I wonder how many of these clever tricks I have fallen prey to? (Answer - most of them!)
  7. It was a bright cold day in April:  Improve your typing speed by 'typing along' with your favourite classic literature. Absolutely brilliant way of building your keyboard skills.
  8. Like Spotify, but for natural soundscapes:  Earth.fm does exactly what it says on the tin, click the link and you'll be taken somewhere in the world with the ability to listen to nature around you.   It's very beautiful.
  9. Quick game of Doom II?  Classic Reload is an excellent resource that preserves over 6000 classic computer games that you can play directly in your browser.  Ideal for reliving your youth!  
  10. Finally: This might not be 'fun' in the true sense - but this excellent site recreates the fiendish TV quiz show 'Only Connect' in your browser. Giving it a go made my head spin!
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Stuff that MattR'sMatt Rutherford
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My aural stuff for you this week is from the brilliant Kelly Lee Owens, a Welsh musician and producer who has put out some great electronic music over the last few years.

LP8 is the latest release, co-produced with 'noise artist' Lasse Marhaug. It's a bold and futuristic take on music, sounding like it has come from the future to share a message. I love the sounds on here, which seem like a natural progression from previous work.

Listen to Kelly Lee Owens - LP8 on Spotify here. 

Stuff that someone said:

“We buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like."   Tyler Durden (via @chuckpalahniuk)
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If you ever need an Icebreaker for a meeting, check out The Questions: it's my free pile of random questions to kick start your conversations.

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