Nicholas Bate

On Writing, 159

You wish to write?

Long-form?

Turn off ALL the distractions.

Go write.

The Greatest Productivity Tips, 161

‘You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage to say no to other things.’

Stephen Covey

True productivity requires strategic elimination, not just addition.

Chocolate Sunday Dozen

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. Charles M Schulz

1. Choose quality over quantity every time.
2. Explore the incredible range of new producers whilst avoiding the marketing buzz words, 'single estate' etc.
3. Eat slowly for maximum pleasure. That really is mindfulness.
4. Perfect at a break on a hike with a brew of coffee.
5. Add a few chunks to your trail mix.
6. Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food. Michael Levine
7. Dark chocolate after dinner replaces dessert beautifully.
8. Pair thoughtfully with wine, cheese, or fruit. Great chocolate elevates everything around it.
9. Store properly in a cool, dry place. Heat and humidity are chocolate's enemies, not time.
10. Learn the origins like wine regions. Madagascar vanilla notes differ vastly from Ecuadorian earth tones.
11. Temperature matters more than you think. Let it warm slightly in your hand before that first bite.
12. Keep emergency chocolate in your desk drawer. Some days demand immediate intervention.

The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain. Thomas Jefferson

Anderson Layman

is right here.

Michael Wade Substack Catch Up

here. 

Saturday Reading

You’d prefer it in easy chunks? Maybe 45 minutes? Varied? Time travel? A whodunnit? A historical adventure?

You’re in luck. You need Love, Life & Legacy, a collection of three short stories.

Ahhhh…you seek something darker? A different time? Conspiracy? A hero set to save the world? The origins of Covid-19. That’ll be Bram, A Spy Story.

Actually you’d prefer the full saga, the hero’s quest! Three arching novels which take you from the south of the UK to a magical Scottish island and then to Europe.  A tale of love, self-realisation and destiny. The Molly Trilogy which starts here. 

Or a detective story set in Paris and the south of france. Thrilling yet romantic. Pierre Lambert, Detective. 

All available via kindle, machine or app. Happy reading. De-stress, expand the mind and scroll differently.

 

You’d prefer it in easy chunks? Maybe 45 minutes? Varied? Time travel? A whodunnit? A historical adventure?

You’re in luck. You need Love, Life & Legacy, a collection of three short stories.

Ahhhh…you seek something darker? A different time? Conspiracy? A hero set to save the world? The origins of Covid-19. That’ll be Bram, A Spy Story.

Actually you’d prefer the full saga, the hero’s quest! Three arching novels which take you from the south of the UK to a magical Scottish island and then to Europe.  A tale of love, self-realisation and destiny. The Molly Trilogy which starts here. 

Or a detective story set in Paris and the south of france. Thrilling yet romantic. Pierre Lambert, Detective. 

All available via kindle, machine or app. Happy reading. De-stress, expand the mind and scroll differently.

Catch Up Friday 35

1. 25 Mini Standards.
2. The Writing Primer.
3. Bram, A Spy Story: a story of coming of age, of Queen and country and the origins of Covid-19. “Once you start reading this book, it’s difficult to put down. Initially, you are immersed in the delights of Oxford academia, only to then be exposed to the starkness and brutality of Moscow during the Cold War. Bram, a brilliant Oxford chemist, turns spy whose mission is to save the world from a highly dangerous and ubiquitous threat. This book is characterised by most of the attributes of a good spy story with action, heroic exploits by a larger-than-life protagonist and a strong plot. Well worth a read.”
   
4. How to Start your Very Own Business.
5. Instant Productivity.
6. Seven choices.
7. 22 Essentials.
8. How to Create your Home Office.
9. plus The Start Up Myths
10. Stay STRONG
11. Crazy Bold Experiments
12. Just say NO to PPT
13. The Marketing Primer.
14. Being the Best version of you, the book, back in stock.
15. Redundancy
16. Hunter-Gatherer 21C
17. Tackling Stress.
18. Manage that career
19. Be Bold 101
20. You still haven’t read Being The Best?! 
21. Things They Don’t Teach at Business School
22. the secrets of success
23. Life Tips 101
24. Zen & Art of Cubicle Freedom
25. Carnage At Kodak
26. The Very Best Drugs You Need
27. Billions of Light Years Away In Another Galaxy
28. 22 Routes To Your Non Fiction Book
29. Lists For The Life You Love
30. How To Lessen E-Mail Pain
31. Professionalism 101
32. 21 Ways to Improve your Zoom Conference Call.
33. Productivity Primer
34. 101, redux
35. The Basic Basics

The Greatest Productivity Tips, 161

Start playing with AI with the intention it might assist, that it might boost your productivity.  If you are unsure where to start try ChatGPT and/or Claude. Focus on your questions. Make them precise stating what you seek and emphasising as many parameters as possible. 

Go experiment. 

Incredible. Every One a B-side.

• P.S. I Love You - October 5, 1962
• Ask Me Why - January 11, 1963
• Thank You Girl - April 11, 1963
• I'll Get You - August 23, 1963
• This Boy - November 29, 1963
• You Can't Do That - March 20, 1964
• Things We Said Today - July 10, 1964
• She's A Woman - November 27, 1964
• Yes It Is - April 9, 1965
• I'm Down - July 23, 1965
• Day Tripper - December 3, 1965
• Rain - June 10, 1966
• Eleanor Rigby - August 5, 1966
• Strawberry Fields Forever - February 17, 1967
• Baby You're A Rich Man - July 7, 1967

Mmmmm

1. To
2. be
3. sure,
4. it
5. is 
6. rarely
7. easy.