Edition 59: If I hear “times like these” one more time….

Well.

It’s been a while, I know. To say the beginning of 2020 has been overwhelming would be an understatement. There are many things I could write to you about, especially about leadership in this moment, but I’d rather post to you some questions to think about, ones I’ve been thinking about myself. 

What kindness can I show my team and my colleagues today?

How can we prepare for whatever is next?

Crisis is a time to return to your values, but it’s also a time to stretch and find new things. How can we emerge better, as people and as society?

Am I OK today? No is an acceptable answer.


I will try to write again soon, but tell me first: What can The Middles be to you right now? Community? Advice? A letter now and again to say you are doing just fine? Reply, and let me know.

Recommendations

I have discovered Pabst Blue Ribbon Hard Coffee, and I need to tell you it is delicious. 

Drinking isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy coffee and booze, well, get some. 
Reading // Exploring // Testing // Eating
Reading //
A Cosmology of Monsters which is labeled as horror, but really not *that* scary. However, it is really well told.

Three concepts I am exploring //
Zettelkasten, a method of information management and notetaking that creates a second brain. I am very forgetful and my attempt at this has been helpful for me so far. 

The Tour of Duty compact, introduced to me by my friend Lars Schmidt who has been open-sourcing his HR thinking during coronavirus.

Mind gardens, which stems a bit from the Zettelkasten rabbithole I’ve been in. It’s publicly publishing your thoughts and concepts (sort of what I do here)

Downloading //
Probably too many note-taking apps. You can see many of them here.

Eating //
Most of us have been cooking. A lot. One of the better recipes I’ve tested is this really simple mango coconut pudding, which basically requires gelatin, mango, and two cans of coconut milk.