Keep Two Thoughts

Increasing the things you can influence by looking for alternate strategies.

On turning stories about you into stories about us.

Lessons from the Chicago 7 - If getting elected isn't your first priority, you won't get to achieve your second priority.

Making a difference in just one life.   Links: The video of the man moved by AOC after RBG died

The joy, privilege, and importance of voting.

We start with two lessons: begin and keep going. And then we look at the knots we tie ourselves into.

People are too raw right now. Maybe sarcasm isn't the way to go.

Bagels at home. A little planning and preparation make seemingly complex tasks doable.

On making small adjustments and deciding not to wait.   Links: Why wait

When the mountains that surround you become your mountains. Redefining your place in the world. Note: When this was originally written, there were fires throughout the US Pacific north west.

On making adjustments (or not) to my books and training because we're all constantly changing.   Links:   My current list of books

A reminder of the many forms of privilege and what to do when it's spotted.

My Eulogy for Kimberli Diemert, my wife, at her funeral August 26 2016.

Learning to tell someone a story they already know.   Links   Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Daily Show   "The Ballad of Penny Evans". Lyrics

Continuing to go high when they go low.   Links:  

Ignoring marketing advice and respecting my readers.   Links:   Austin Kleon Newsletter

Stretching our attention span beyond social media posts and reconsidering James Baldwin.   Links:   Pew Research Anil Dash's post   Merlin Mann building a better to-do list part one and part two

The debate on sending kids back to school in the early months of COVID in the US.   Links: The Importance of Reopening America's Schools this Fall CDC report on children and the flu COVID and lung scarring and heart damage CDC report on Multiple Inflamatory syndrome in children.

The importance of nothing.   Errata: The date given in this episode is incorrect. The essay was originally published a week earlier on July 28, 2020.

What probability tells us about large and small numbers.   This was not part of the newsletter and was a separate essay I wrote July 24, 2020.

Focusing on the verb not the noun.   Links:   Eugene Wallingford: Persistence wins, even for someone like you Austin Kleon: The noun and the verb

On giving good notes to creative people.   Links   My presentation on Getting the most from your time Aline Brosh-McKenna on Scriptnotes Jose Molina's Note quote

A look back at staying social while leaving social media giant Facebook.   This was originally posted as an essay on Keep Two Thoughts - and was not the newsletter for July 14, 2020. We'll resume with those essays next week.

Finding the role you're meant to play. We do so much more than our job title. Links: Interview with Josh and Eliza In the original essay I shared plans of what I was planning to do next and pointed to this blog post called " Cups and Balls I also menitoned and linked to this essay on a coding mistake I made .  

It's not a competition - find your place, find your pace.   Link:   Take a Breath video from try! Swift WWDC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf3L44h6mks&t=107s