Getting more of what you put in. Think about it... You wake up everyday. You feeling behind. Other times, tired. You're stuck at work. You're unproductive - You label it as "busy." Because if you were productive, you would've felt accomplished. Yet you didn't. You have no goals. You have no systems. You have no clarity. Your to-do list is Mount Everest - You never reach it. Distractions are everywhere: 37 unread emails TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat Arguments with your colleagues Fantasies of your 12:03 PM lunch And so on. This is not your life. You're better than that. I know it. I believe in you. You can achieve much more with much less effort if you have the right methodology for doing things. This is your life. Take control of it while you still can. Stop working for work's sake. And start working for the meaning of it. Bottom line... Start prioritizing meaningful work. How? As seen below. 1. Identify what you're working on If you don't know what you're doing, you're wasting your time, energy, and resources. 2. Assess your time Assess how much time you have. Your time is limited. It's finite. It's money. It's dollars. Dólares si Español. Time is dollars. Once you realize how much time you have, you can't waste it working inefficiently. 3. Work in sprints Apply the Pomodoro Technique. Divide your work into 10-minute sprints. (It's a "sprint" because you should focus on one task in a short time.) Work intensely in those 10 minutes. Accomplish the most in those 10 minutes. 10 minutes is good enough: Long enough for meaningful work. Short enough for your attention and urgency. "We practice improvement through work, work through improvement, one sprint at a time!" ~Agile Actors, Medium. 4. Aim for speed Solve problems fast and efficiently. Don't overthink. Don't be perfect. (You'll never be anyway.) So drop the act - The act of perfectionism. Speed. Not haste. Speed optimizes for efficiency and output. Haste does things haphazardly. "More haste, less speed." 5. Eliminate distractions Time is short. Just 10 minutes. You can't spend it on distractions. 6. Focus on the solution Focus on the solution, not the problem. The time you take dwelling on a problem is the same amount of time you take solving it. So you might as well solve it anyway. Recall that time is finite. Solutions, not problems. 7. Push the needle You have only so much time: 10 minutes. You can't afford to spend it on meaningless tasks. Focus on the things that push the needle the most. Incorporate Pareto's Principle: 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort. And 80% of the effort goes to the last 20% of the results. Focus on the things that matter. There are a few. You think you need 10 steps to accomplish something? Nope. You need only three. Find those three. Focus on the things that matter. 8. Reward yourself After 10 minutes of work, Have 10 minutes of play. You put some serious effort in the last 10 minutes. Reward yourself. Enjoy yourself. But also enjoy it in moderation. Don't over-enjoy too much that it doesn't reciprocate your hard work. Similarly, don't work too hard that you can't enjoy yourself after. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Don't be like Jack. Be like Jude. And score goals. 9. Assess your work once done Before you realize it, Subconsciously, You'll have accomplished your desired outcome. You'll stun yourself. "That's it?" You thought it would be hard. It's easier than pie. Simpler than the alphabet. Easier than you thought. Congratulations. You've done meaningful work. All the best, . . . ~T.K.K Join other smart folks who get weekly insights in under a minute here.

Note to College Grads Somebody asked me: What advice would you give to a recent college grad starting a full-time job to be successful? And, of course, I have numerous thoughts on this. To preface: I'm not a career expert. Nor am I a counselor. Just some random Black Gen Z on the internet 11 months into his career who plays with data for a living. So, objectively, I wouldn't categorize myself as "successful" yet. But I'm still happy to share my learnings with those coming after me, including these. I don't know everything yet—still figuring it out—but I hope this helps somebody. PS: Updated as necessary. 1. Establish your value proposition Your value proposition is the value you provide. It dictates how useful you are in a setting. It answers the question: "What value do I provide?" And I see four tiers to this: Yourself Your team Your division The Enterprise a) To yourself To feed others, you must feed yourself first. And the way I see this happening is by continuous learning. Learning new skills is imperative for being more valuable anywhere you go. Learn a new, applicable, and marketable skill that will keep you in demand no matter the market downturns. Cultivate in yourself a habit of learning - your value will never expire. I talk more about learning and how to be good at anything here. How to provide value to yourself: Stay learning and applying new skills. b) To your team Each team has a different dynamic - learn how you fit and contribute to the picture. Observe your team members and complement them wherever the chance arises. If a team project needs Skill A and you're good at Skill A, capitalize on it and deliver some results. Your value proposition will thus become noticeable to the team. How to provide value to your team: Know where your skills are needed in the team and apply them. c) To your division Things get trickier here because the scope is much larger than your team's; kinda like leaving your country to explore a continent. A division has multiple teams, hence the disparity. Many people are comfortable in the their team's precincts but not to a division because of the potentially countless eyeballs. However, if you play your cards wisely, you can reap substantial benefits from sharing your talents. People outside your team could use your expertise too; wherever possible, complement them too. Bonus points if you're in a client-facing role - You're subconsciously selling yourself to them through your service to them. It's through this route that opportunities arise through comments such as, "Hey, you did a good job for my team! I've an opening at my place I'd like you to consider if that interests you." :) How to provide value to your division: Replicate your value in any divisional setting when the chance arises. d) To the Enterprise This is an extreme one, and the good kind. And the larger the scope, the more ways to scale your impact. It could be: Good PR Volunteering Outstanding academic achievement. List is endless. Anything goes, provided it's within the bounds of all that's acceptable. Be a good ambassador for your company - It's through you that many people learn about your employer. Like a water drop that causes ripples in the ocean, it's encouraging to see how you can showcase your value to the company. How to provide value to your company: Explore any opportunity to do so, do your best always, and have a positive image. Provide value wherever you go. 2. Work towards a goal. Have a 3-5-year goal you want to achieve and curate everything to it. Visualize where you want to be in X years and hold that goal clearly in your mind. Then, ensure that everything you do in your job matches up to it, no matter how big or small the task. Example Assume you're a Business Analyst wanting to become a Product Manager. Start by identifying overlapping skills: Analysis, problem-solving, and excellent communication. Highlight relevant tasks. As a Business Analyst, you're soliciting requirements, analyzing data, and communicating with stakeholders - tasks proportionately important to a Product Manager. You'd then take on projects relevant to your desired role that liaise with any product management teams around you so you can "drink their wisdom." Certification and coursework can also help with gaining the necessary PdM knowledge. Often your employer provides free education for professional development. Network with current Product Managers, learn their work, and help them wherever possible. And the rest apply: LinkedIn, interviews, etc. All to prove the point of: Have a goal Curate everything you do to it. 3. Be Patient You will likely spend the first 6-8 months trying to figure out your job. Four if you’re fast. It's okay to not know everything from the get-go; nobody does. And learning is a huge component of it. Be patient. Stay hungry. Stay curious. Stay learning. 4. Gather a support system You'll need a support system to thrive in your early career - No one can do it alone. Find some allies, sponsors, peers, mentors, and coaches. Ally - Someone you "feel" is on your side. Sponsors - Someone more achieved in the workplace (usually a senior) who knows your work and can advocate for you. Peer - Someone at the same level as you also seeking the same growth as you. Mentor - A guide to your growth who shares with you the lessons from their experiences and advises on the best steps to take in yours. Coach - A more hands-on person who gives you practicable steps to advance your career and improve on your overall performance - like a game coach would do. These people can be in or outside your workplace and also have varied career experiences: Mid-Career, 10+ years ahead of you, etc. Your support system will immensely expedite your growth. 5. Mind the conflict Conflict in the workplace is inevitable; Good thing it's also avoidable. There is healthy conflict and not-so-healthy conflict. It just is. Learn to pick your battles wisely and also escalate what needs escalation. In case of conflict, prioritize: Logic Empathy Fact-finding Solving the problem Tactful communication Finding common ground Maintaining the relationship 6. Invest in skills Gaining skills is the best way of inculcating value in yourself. So, in your early career, skills become your best friends. Chase skills first, promotions later. Hone in on 1-2 skills really well - The current economy handsomely rewards specialists who know their stuff. And two insanely powerful skills I've seen so far: Leadership Communication 7. Strive for excellence Excellence, in my books, means doing your absolute best. So do your best always. Put your best foot forward. There's always someone out there watching you who’s either: Inspired by you Competing with you, or Waiting to grant you an opportunity Regardless, someone is always watching you from somewhere and for some reason. Do your best always. 8. Build relationships Network and create relationships. You won't be self-made in your career—you will need help advancing through its different stages. Even think about it: You will need to build relationships if you are to gather a support system as in no. 4. You will always meet people wherever you go. Network with those you'd love to build a relationship with Besides, life is 80% relationships outside of your career —at least one of them will be your next opportunity. 9. Supercharge your performance As learned from Alex Hormozi and Codie Sanchez: "Find the hardest worker in the room - Double their output." Find a super-achiever, learn how they think and how they work, and formulate your own ethic from that. If you want to earn like the 1%, you have to work like the 1% and emulate the 1%. 10. Overcommunicate Only if need be. One of my former managers told me, "I'd rather you overcommunicate with me, and I have the full story, and we're on the same page, than under-communicate and miss a lot of details." And I thought that hit home. Constantly communicate enough on the job to ensure everyone is on the same page. That way, you are transparent. TL;DR All the best. . . . ~T.K.K Updated as necessary. Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle for weekly insights delivered in under a minute.

All you need to know about Blockchain. I like Cathie Wood's description of everything new related to the Web: "More unfinished business of the Internet." Because it just got more interesting...and decentralized. It's revolutionary, redefining transport, communication, and information transparency as we know it. And because it's birthed Web3 and cryptocurrencies, I'm also following this field. I'm talking about Blockchain. What is Blockchain? Blockchain is a decentralized public ledger that stores, records, and shares digital transactions across a computer network. How Blockchain works Think of it as "a chain of blocks." Each block is a computer on the network, and each computer has a unique ID called a hash. Jargon: Computer = Block = Node. Same thing. Each computer has two hashes: Its own and that of the previous computer. Each participant on the network has a copy of the entire blockchain and its transactions, hence the transparency. Blockchain transactions are secure, so you can't tamper with them. Blockchain is decentralized - it's free from a central authority. If something happens to one block, the whole chain and the hashes of each block are altered. Blockchain's most popular use is transactions. Blockchain Features Transparency: Everyone can see blockchain transactions. Immutability: No one can edit a transaction once it's on the blockchain. Security: Just like crypto, blockchain uses advanced cryptographic techniques to secure data. Decentralization: Blockchain is decentralized, so there's no central authority to govern it. Consensus Mechanisms: This is how nodes "agree" on a transaction in a blockchain. Bitcoin uses Proof of Work (PoW), while Ethereum uses Proof of Stake (PoS). How to create a Blockchain Choose the right tech stack: Using programming languages and environments such as Python, JavaScript, and Go. Design the Data Structure: You choose how to compose each block, its hash numbers, and the information that will traverse the blockchain. Choose a consensus mechanism: For now, either Proof of Work or Proof of Stake. Connect each block. Test and debug. Deploy. Blockchain Use Cases Cryptocurrencies: Read about cryptos here. Smart Contracts: These are self-executing contracts that trigger an action once a specific condition is met. Think of a Smart Contract as a vending machine. When you insert some quarters into the machine and select a snack, the machine automatically operates once you've chosen a snack (e.g., Mint Chocolate for $2.25) and will dispense it to you. Similarly, a smart contract has several predefined codes that will trigger once a specific condition is fulfilled, e.g., paying 3 ETH for an NFT. NFTs: NFTs are digital assets minted and distributed on the blockchain. Watch this cool NFT video. dApps: Decentralized apps built and run on a blockchain. Supply Chain Management: Blockchain can track the movement of goods along the supply chain. Voting Systems: You can vote on the blockchain because your votes are publicly visible and hard to tamper with. This will likely reduce election malpractices worldwide. Healthcare: Health professionals can secure patient data on the blockchain and trace drug distribution from suppliers to pharmacies and to the final patient. Pros and Cons Pros Increased trust and transparency because all nodes share the same ledger and approve its transactions. Enhanced security from the cryptographic techniques used to craft blockchain. Reduced costs by eliminating the transactional middleman. Improved tracing of goods along the supply chain. Cons Accessibility: At its basic form, blockchain requires internet access, limiting places that have none. Scalability: It's hard to scale blockchain because the existing ones (Bitcoin and Ethereum) are slow, have high costs, and can't transact huge volumes at a go (versus Visa.) Regulation: Bitcoin is unregulated, and unregulation breeds illegalities. Governing the blockchain might be the only cure here. Energy Consumption: Ethereum's Proof of Work consensus, for example, consumes enormous amounts of energy enough to raise environmental concerns. Conclusion Blockchain is a big, transformative, and legendary technology that's just warming up. It can revolutionize industries worldwide and empower us to rethink new transportation applications. I think blockchain is one to watch out for in the future; like all pieces of tech, it's evolving. But one thing is for sure: As it stands, the future is decentralized. Until then, . . . ~T.K.K References Blockchain - Wikipedia Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle for weekly insights delivered in under a minute.

The first of many - Meeting the modern philosopher. I met Dr. Jordan Peterson on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024 during the book tour for his latest book, We Who Wrestle with God. The book analyzes the Bible stories and explains them from a scientific and conscientious perspective. Pittsburgh was one of his pitstops, so I snagged a VIP pass to meet him. ($492, in case you're wondering.) Who is Jordan Peterson anyway? Jordan Peterson is a Canadian clinical psychologist and a 3x best-selling author who has written: Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief (1999) 12 Rules for Life: The Antidote to Chaos (2018) Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life (2021) All of whose themes revolve around psychology, mythology, religion, personal development, literature, and philosophy. He also has an extensive academic career as a Psychology professor, having lectured and extensively researched at Harvard University and the University of Toronto. Tammy's husband and father to Mikhaila and Julian Peterson, Jordan is also the founder and architect of the Future Authoring Program and Peterson Academy, the latter of which is coming soon. Learn more about Jordan Peterson here. My notes In Jordan Peterson's language. On Writing Writing is the deepest form of thought. When you think, you translate your thoughts into words through writing. This is why I write. On Righteousness To sin is to miss the target. Biblically, sinning is going contrary to God's command. Thus, you miss the target of spiritual salvation. On Inspiration The USA is a country where people's success encourages others; It's called The Land of Opportunity for a reason. It's also partly why capitalism thrived while communism crumbled post-Cold War. Great players are inspirational people. They don't just win the game - they inspire other players to win it as well. Always aim upward. On Adventure At 75 years old, Abraham left Midian to seek an adventure on God's command. God promised Abraham (nee Abram) an eternal covenant and an eminent reputation. And there is nothing that protects you more than a reputation. On Sacrifice Christ is the Spirit of voluntary self-sacrifice. His life epitomizes the willingness to die for humanity's malevolence. On Integrity If you don't speak up, something will happen. Abraham spoke and saved his nephew Lot from Sodom and Gomorrah. On the other hand, Jonah refused to speak, and a fish gobbled him up for three days. When you lie, you live a lie and enact a life full of lies, not your life. Stop lying. Freedom of speech, defined by the First Amendment, is not about insulting or attacking others but speaking the truth against tyrannies. On Faith You should have immense faith that you accept whatever happens to you as the best thing that could ever happen to you. Don't lose faith, no matter what. Prayer is a faith catalyst that most religions emphasize on its importance. Prayer is also a form of gratitude - At least you're not on fire. On Responsibility Sacrifice yourself to the highest possible, self-imposed responsibility you can take and watch yourself bloom into the incomparable reward it brings. With responsibility comes meaningful suffering, and that is life's essence. And that reward mostly justifies the suffering. The greatest game to play is the highest possible aim you can give yourself. You don't need politicians to change the world if you take personal responsibility and do it yourself. Do not under any circumstances abdicate your moral obligation like Jonah. "What would you tell 23-year-old Jordan?" There was also a Q&A session where attendees asked 517 questions through a QR code. And with limited time, Jordan can answer only so many. But, of course, I still took my shot, so I asked mine. Interestingly enough, you could upvote the intriguing questions, which would bump them higher on the list. But anyway, Jordan answered three questions. And thanks be to God, the last one was mine. "What would you tell 23-year-old Jordan?" His answer: As summarized by Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jordan would tell his 23-year-old self to: Stop drinking. Marry Tammy sooner. Stop making a fool of himself. Conclusion Jordan is someone I emulate to be as a motivational speaker, not a psychologist. (People dub me for motivational speaking; we'll see.) I also like how he speaks on the spot and sometimes with his laptop. There's a fandom theory that goes: Jordan is a having a conversation with himself and we have the pleasure of listening in. And I thought that was true. Needless to say, Jordan is indeed a man of our times. It's like seeing Plato, Aurelius, or Socrates alive in the 21st century - Jordan, to me, is their 21st-century counterpart. This isn't the last time I'm meeting him. First of many, God willing. Until then, . . . ~T.K.K

If you put the work in. Here’s how I attempt to be excellent at everything I do. PS: Let’s start with one thing because doing many at once is diluting. Plus, if you learn how to excel at one, you can replicate it in another. PPS: I don’t know everything. 1. Know what you want. If you don’t know what you want, then everything else is futile. 2. Be reasonable Be reasonable with yourself that you can achieve what you want, given your circumstances. As a case study, I’m 23, with Math, Data, and Leadership experience. I can be a rocket scientist if I want because I can attain the necessary resources for this. On the other hand, I’m an immigrant, so I can’t be POTUS. 3. Start with the basics. I love the First Principles way of thinking - breaking down a problem into its simplest basics. With First Principles, I ask, “What are we getting ourselves into?” “What is this?” “What are our options?” And so on. It’s mostly from First Principles that I determine next steps. Let’s say I want to bake cookies. With First Principles, I can deduce, “Okay, I know what a cookie is and what an oven is, flour, milk, sugar, etc. How can I mix all these to get a cookie? A recipe. Okay, next step: Google ‘Cookie Recipes’ online.” 4. Execute The whole point of learning something is to execute it, correct? 5. Connect the dots The more you learn, the likelier you will expose yourself to new information that can relate to the old. You started with A and now find yourself at B - Learn how B relates to A. Similarly, if you get to K - make the connections from A to B to D to K. And so on. You want to be a Math guru, yet Math has numerous topics—Trigonometry (T), Calculus (C), Measurements (M), Logic (L), etc. Despite varying concepts, they relate to each other in some way. It’s your job to find these connections and identify their relationships. I think the ability to make connections and inter-relate concepts is a sign of high intellect. 6. Know the final outcome Step back to review what you’re learning and assess if it’s leading you to your goal. If so, proceed to step 7. If not, return to step 1. Don’t climb the stairs of the wrong building. 7. Bridge the “Connecting the dots <------> Final Outcome” gap. You will have some initial knowledge now that you’ve reached step 5. Between where you are currently and your final destination lies a massive gap to remedy. There are two possibilities: Using Learned Information: If the gap is something you know, repeat steps 4 & 5. If your goal is to run a marathon and you know how to run 100m, then repeat the 100m runs X more times because a marathon is essentially a 100m run X-times over. Using New Information: If the gap pertains to something new, restart from step 3 with the benefit that you’ll have new First Principles to deal with. If your goal is to start a business, you will begin with market research. Once you become good with research, you pivot into Product-Market fit - you’re a noob at this. You’ll have to start all over again learning the PM-fit essentials. 8. Review the process Do this once you’ve bridged the gap in step 7 - You’ll most likely have completed the intended task. Maybe you’ve done a lot, maybe you’ve done little. Maybe you put too much effort, maybe you did the bare minimum. Reviewing this will help you see if it suffices your final outcome. “I’ve just knitted my first dress…but did I like how I did it?” “Did the dress turn out as I wanted?” “Could it be any better - how I knitted, the final piece…or both?” Once you’ve accomplished your task, you should ask yourself these sorts of questions to comprehensively review yourself. 9. Refine Even though you’ve done the job, your process won’t be 100% efficient, especially if it’s your first time doing it. Find these defects in your learning and fix them ASAP to make your entire learning experience more efficient and execution more effective. The dress could be better. I can run faster in five minutes. The cookies should have more chocolate. Just because the job’s done doesn’t mean you did it right. Zero-defect your shortcomings. 10. Iterate Refinement and repetition go hand in hand. Iterate your learnings over and over. You don’t need 10,000 hours - You need 1,000 trials. People will say that’s unreasonable…and that’s why the elites are out of this world. Iteration coincides with mastery (step 12) because you feed your attempts into memory. 11. Document Document the process by journaling, vlogging, creating a manual, etc. When you document it, you’re subconsciously teaching yourself twice, further ingraining it deeper in your memory. It’s also here that you will have grand expertise in your skill. You now know what works and what doesn’t. You will save others from stressing out about finding a working methodology. Because you can always get better, the documentation is a work in progress. Play the Infinite Game, where the goal is not to win…but to keep playing the game. 12. Master Repeat steps 1 to 12 until you function on autopilot. Until it becomes your sixth sense. Until you do it effortlessly. If you can do this with one thing, you can do this with anything and excel at it. Peace, . . . ~T.K.K

All you need to know about the Decentralized Web. I'm trying to make sense of this new and vast field, as I'm considering investing in it someday. It's the future of innovation, and I'm as futuristic as they come. It's the democratization of the internet as we know it. Welcome to Web3. What is Web3? Web 3 is simply a decentralized internet powered by blockchain. Think of it as the decentralized web. Meaning if blockchain can decentralize currencies (e.g., crypto), then it can decentralize the internet as well. Read more on blockchain here. Web3's main goal is to address some of Web 2.0's shortcomings - privacy concerns, censorship, and the lack of transparency in online communications. But what's Web2? Web2 is the current Internet as it is, characterized by the dominance of social media, e-commerce, and cloud computing. And while Web2 brought its own merits in innovation and connectivity, it also has its demerits in data privacy, censorship, and tech monopolies. Many enthusiasts consider Web3 a radical departure from the current web massively controlled by big tech. Web3's main principles Web3 builds on the principles of decentralization, privacy, accessibility, interoperability, and trustless transactions. *Why is Web3 unhackable? For three reasons: Decentralization, immutability, and cryptography. Decentralization—Blockchain distributes data across many computers, so hackers can't exploit a single point of failure. Immutability - You can't change data that's already on the blockchain. It's immutable. Unchangeable. Thus, it's hard for anyone to alter the data without the network's consensus. Cryptography - Blockchain uses cryptographic techniques to store data - the same ones used to make cryptos. Each block in a blockchain is connected to the previous block using a unique cryptographic hash (or ID) which makes it impossible to change past transactions. Pros and Cons Pros Users own and control their data. Users have greater privacy because they own their data. Imagine owning your social media and deciding who can access it. Transparency: Because it's on a blockchain, anyone can audit publicly available Web3 transactions. No intermediaries are required as transactions happen between peers. Innovation - Just as we innovated with Web2, who knows where we'll be with Web3? Cons Scalability—Web3's complex requirements for consensus mechanisms and node validation make it hard to scale. Hopefully, interoperability can fix this. Security—For every piece of tech that brands itself as "secure," hackers are always attempting to prove the contrary—hacking smart contracts, cryptojacking, etc. There are "51% attacks" where a chain breaks if malicious miners control more than 51% of it, and a broken chain is susceptible to manipulation. More here. Accessibility—Current blockchains have high transaction fees and slower speeds, which limits widespread adoption. Web3 Use Cases The Metaverse—A huge virtual reality space where users interact in a computer-generated pseudo-world. It is decentralized, allowing users to control their own data and assets. Cryptocurrencies—Digital currencies created through cryptographic techniques. In Web3, cryptos are the default medium of exchange. Read more about cryptos here. Blockchain Games—Just like a regular game, only that it's on the blockchain, meaning all your points are permanently stored and seen on the blockchain, and no one can take them from you. Transparent supply chains—Web3 provides an immutable record of transactions on the supply chain (because it's on the blockchain), so everyone can track their products along the delivery cycle. Decentralized Finance (DeFI): Imagine performing all your financial transactions without needing a bank. That's DeFi for you. Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) are digital, unique assets minted and stored on the Ethereum blockchain. They showcase proof of ownership and authenticity of each asset. Watch this 90-second NFT video. Decentralized Identity (DID) - DIDs help users control their digital identities. Web3 apps use DIDs to confirm your identity. Decentralized Applications (dApps)—Apps built on blockchain. Since dApps are open source, no entity controls them, plus they use blockchain to store data and smart contracts to automate actions. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)—These are orgs run by rules in a transparent computer program controlled by DAO members, not a central government. Closing Thoughts Web3 is the future of the Internet, or, as Cathie Wood would say, the "unfinished business of the Internet." Most of it is still abstract right now, so it's hard to comprehend it fully right away. I think Web3 will be an online democracy for sharing ideas, which, as far as the current status quo is concerned, will bring forth free speech. Given our current standards, the promise of greater control, user privacy, and innovation opportunities all seem too good to be true. The convos for a decentralized internet have just begun, and we're still in the beginning phases. Looking at the decades ahead. And like I always say, The best is yet to come. Cheers. . . . ~T.K.K References Web3, metaverse, the next internet | Deloitte Insights What is Web3 and why is it important? | ethereum.org What Are the Scalability Issues of Web3? Blockchains Scalability (doubloin.com) The Rise Of Web3: What Cybersecurity Concerns Should We Look Out For? (forbes.com) Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle for weekly bangers delivered in under a minute.

Welcome to The Law of Reverse Effort An idea I'm pondering on: Trying too hard is something we get entrenched in every so often in our lives. And ironically, the harder we try, the poorer our results. And inversely, the less pressure imposed on ourselves, the more we bloom. Crazy, right? This is The Law of Reversed Effort. It states that: "The harder we try with the conscious will to do something, the less we shall succeed." ~Aldous Huxley He goes on to argue: “Proficiency and the results of proficiency come only to those who have learned the paradoxical art of doing and not doing, or combining relaxation with activity, of letting go as a person in order that the immanent and transcendent unknown quantity may take hold.” And I thought that made sense. The harder we try to do something, the easier we make it for ourselves to fail...and the harder we fall. And we humans, the control freaks we are, want to micromanage everything to perfection—too much for our own good. Well, what are you going to do? I don't know. At least, not yet. I don't have all the answers yet. But what I can do, however, is the following: i) Rest As I mentioned last week, I'm incorporating more rest and relaxation into my regimen, and coincidentally (but not surprisingly), my output skyrockets after that, both quality and quantity-wise. ii) Do your best So long as I know, I've given my all to something—a project, idea, or relationship—that suffices for me. You won't regret doing your best ever. iii) Don't stress I'm of the school of thought that stress is self-imposed...and not worth reducing one's lifespan for. Especially, again, if I know I've done my best, I likely won't regret the outcome. Which leads to... iv) What will happen will happen. I always say that: I can guarantee the effort, not the outcome. But if the right effort is guaranteed, so is the outcome. It's The Art of Surrender—letting go of control, doing your best (again), and having faith that all will happen according to your best wishes. You can only do so much, you know - so do what you can and let the universe do the rest. The rest will happen as it should be. v) "If something fails, it wouldn't be my fault." Another mental model I'm practicing now. Essentially, I'll want to work so hard that if what I'm working on fails, then at least it isn't because of me—rather an external factor. Think Usain Bolt, the fastest man alive. The only reasons he'd come in second place in a race would be: His age Broken leg The weather Slippery track Maybe the winner was just faster And so on. Circumstances outside his control. But definitely not because of lack of personal effort. I want to imitate that. I'll work hard enough that if what I do fails, then at least it won't be because of me. vi) Play the long game Another good mental model I'm adopting. If I know what I'm doing now, I'll still do it 60 years from now (shamelessly), and I won't stress about it. I have a time horizon long enough to know that even thirty years from now, my output will be vastly incomparable to my output today. It all comes down to tweaking your weak points, refining, and iterating consistently over a stupidly long time. And that saves me the pressure of trying too hard too soon. Big Think explains The Law of Reversed Effort in a splendid article here. But that's it for this week. Until the next one, Peace. . . . ~T.K.K

My Week of Doing (Almost) Nothing. DISCLAIMER I don’t give advice - Just notes-to-self. This is a trial - I don’t know how far it will go, but the last time I did it, it worked. I just invented The Nothing Week. And, of course, there are many tunes to this. Here, I’m looking at it from a rest and relaxation perspective considering how fast-paced my life is getting these days. Hence, the case for the Nothing Week, which, as the name dictates, is a week to do completely nothing. Completely nothing? Not quite. But I downscale most tasks. First, it doesn’t take away the necessities such as working a full-time job (unless you take time off) or attending classes to get a grade. For me, I’m at a point where I over-optimize most of my free time during the day. Working on a side project. Playing chess. Reading a book. I will always have something planned for my extra time. And while that has its productivity merits, it also has its burnout demerits. I just had an epiphany: As hardworking as I am, most of what I do is self-imposed. “I must do this.” “I must do that.” I realized that I didn’t need to view all my self-imposed commitments as responsibilities, hence why I penned this idea. And from knowing that, I realized two things: Rest is productive. Recharge is productive. After all, you emerge a better, more productive, and energetic person from the rest you just had. And so I thought: "If I could just put off these unnecessary tasks and recharge for a week, that would be great." And what do I get in return? More sleep. More hobby time. Pushed back meetings. Delegated or eliminated micro-tasks. Guilt-and-worry-free for something I think I’d be doing. Lessons I’m learning 1. Rest is necessary. It’s just as crucial as work. Even God rested after creating the world. 2. Rest is productive. You’re energized to tackle more tasks. Think of refueling a car: You refuel it when it’s stationary, not when it’s in motion. Imagine doing so with the engine on. Catastrophe. 3. The unnecessary can wait. Or if possible, deleted. Eradicated. Completely. 4. Peace of mind is the reward. If you’re a naturally hardworking person like me, you deserve to treat yourself to time that’s dedicated to not working hard at all. Ironically, that’s the subconscious reward you’re seeking—Peace of mind. 5. You focus more on what matters. Think: Pareto’s Principle - The 80/20 rule. I’m a huge Pareto fan. “80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.” You’ll want to optimize the little time you have for results. Meaning you focus on the points that matter. 6. It’s never that serious. Nothing ever is when you think about it. The work we do, the things we say, the stakes at hand - They’re seldom that serious. Your 80-year-old self would definitely coincide with that. The things that matter: Your basic needs Living in the present Whether your life made meaning Your relationships - family, friends, and acquaintances. It’s interesting how a simple walk outside will remind you of these. Everything else? Not so serious. 7. You control your time. You can do whatever you want. Even though it’s your ‘nothing’ time, you decide what you want to do even if impromptu. Think Retirement: Why do retirees want to travel the world, go fishing, or visit their grandkids? Because that’s what they decide to do during their free time—their ‘nothing’ time. Same for you: If you have nothing to do, then you might as well do something. Ski trip, travel, cook up a recipe on a whim, attend a concert. You have all the time right now. You might as well use it somewhat. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 8. I realize what I can control. And I control a lot. Downtime tasks. How I do my work. My interactions with people. And many more. You have 52 weeks a year. 40 if you work full time. Try doing nothing once every four weeks. And see if it works for you. Peace. . . . ~T.K.K {Written during my Nothing Week.} Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle for more bangers delivered in under a minute.

My Five Weekly Lessons in Under a Minute. This week The Top 1% Skill You'll never be fully ready. Start now. Macro action, micro problems The Power of Your Mind The Camaraderie of Success 1. The Top 1% Skill I learned this from Dan Koe. We either spend too much time planning or fantasizing about the end result. And too little time executing. Most of the time is lost in the middle. Instead, if we lessen the time between ideation and execution: It hastens progress. It creates momentum. It generates quicker feedback loops. You learn faster. Especially regarding hastening progress, if you're guaranteed success after 1,000 iterations, then you'll accomplish it faster in five years (or less) than you would in ten (or twenty...or more) if you decreased the time between each iteration. You probably won't need the 10,000 hours of mastery anyway—story for another day. But for now, decrease the time between ideation and execution, and watch the magic grow. 2. You'll never be fully ready. Start now. The perfect time doesn't exist. You'll never be perfectly ready. You don't wait for the right time to act. The time is now. Instead, act now and make the most out of it. Or more figuratively, Instead of waiting for the perfect time, start now, and make the action perfect. Of course, "perfect" will never exist. But the more you execute, the higher the chances your work looks like perfection. Maybe not to you, but to others, it's a masterpiece. That's when you know you're winning. You'll never be fully ready. So start now. 3. Macro Action, Micro Problems Seneca said: "We suffer more in imagination than in reality." And because of this imaginary suffering, we create imaginary problems blown out of proportion. Hence, macro problems. With micro action. (Ironically, the only action here is worrying, which is more inaction than not.) Once you start taking action, you'll realize the problem wasn't as big of a deal as you first thought. After all, the first step is always difficult. After that, everything becomes simpler. Action and problems are inversely proportional. More action equates to less problems, and vice versa. Macro action, micro problems. 4. The Power of Your Mind I first heard of this idea from David Goggins, and I agree: Your mind is your greatest asset. Metaphorically, your mind is your greatest weapon in this world. Because if you can control your mind, you can master anything you set it to. I'm currently piecing together a primer that demonstrates the power of the mind - it touches on some points from Think and Grow Rich, Manifest Anything You Can Imagine, and Earl Nightingale's lectures. But in the interim, understanding how your mind can navigate you during your most dire circumstances is crucial. Figures why they talk about mindset being everything. The toughest battle is the one you have with your mind. Win that one first, and you'll win any hurdle life throws at you. Master your mind. The rest will follow. 5. The Camaraderie of Success Self-explanatory. Until next time. . . . ~T.K.K Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle for weekly bangers delivered in under a minute.

My Five Weekly Lessons in Under a Minute. The Rule of 36 You attract your own kind. You are stronger than you imagine. You have so much potential it's scary. Luck doesn't exist. You create your own. 1. The Rule of 36 People like instant gratification. They like seeing instant results. Quick money. Fast money. And the likes. If you achieve those in that short timeframe, consider yourself lucky. But from what I've seen, the real magic happens at around month 36. 36 straight months of focused daily consistent effort toward actualizing your dreams. Worst case: A (bi)weekly cadence. But the shorter the difference in iteration, the quicker your feedback loops, and the more metrics you can track your progress toward your goals. And by 36 months, it's not a habit anymore - it's a lifestyle. It takes one day to take action. It takes seven days to create momentum. It takes 14 days to create consistency. It takes 30 days to build a habit. It takes 60 days to build a character. It takes 90 days to build a lifestyle. You already have a lifestyle in three months. What about 36? 2. You attract your own kind You attract your character. If you're a good person, you attract other good people. And the converse is also true: If you're a bad person, you attract bad people. But here's the kicker - you don't just attract people; you attract characteristics. You attract values. You attract vibes. If you do good unto the world, you attract good people who also do good unto you. Similarly, if you do bad to the world, you also attract bad people who also do bad stuff...and they do it to you too, and that hurts. Be yourself. Be a good person. Be a person of value. And you'll attract the right people. Because you attract your own kind. 3. You are stronger than you imagine. There will be setbacks, Mishaps Inconveniences Tragedies Setbacks Traumas And other perils along your way. You will feel devastated. Lost. Uncertain. Hopeless. Guilt. Like you don't know what you're doing. You will feel many things. But one thing for sure is that you will rise up above it, no matter what. You will rise up again, more formidable than before, and more concrete than ever. And the fact that the setback still didn't stop you is a testament to your strength. You're stronger than you think you are Give yourself credit for that. You're stronger than you imagine. 4. You have so much potential it's scary. I wish people knew how much potential they possess in their minds - it's not even funny. I'm currently penning something on how the secret to success begins in the mind. And the good thing about human beings is that we all possess it—our own innate minds to cultivate our grounds for success. "If you're human, you have a mind." ~Carerra. However, it's sad that many people are trudging through life for life's sake. Wake up Go to school for school's sake Go to work for work's sake Return home for home's sake Eat Sleep Repeat It's sad, to be honest. It's like a pot that simmers but never boils. Living...but not really living. If only people knew how much potential they had, then life would be much more meaningful. Just know that however much you have of it, it's scary...in a good way. And if you do realize it, good. Use it. 5. Luck doesn't exist. You create your own. I'm starting to believe that luck in the presence of hard work doesn't exist. If you work hard enough to get guaranteed results - which, in many cases, you do - then luck is not a factor. Rather than being lucky, you were well prepared for the right opportunity and skillfully maneuvered it with the resources you had to your advantage. It's not luck when you put in 10,000 hours throwing 10,000 career shots, 300 of which won you games. It was all sheer hard work and intense preparation. "The harder you work, the luckier you become." ~Carl Karcher Successful people master this. They work hard enough to increase their luck surface area. They work hard. And thus, produce their own luck. They create their own luck. I go more in-depth here. . . . ~T.K.K Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle for more bangers in less than a minute.

How to Win Life - 1st Edition Preface This was originally meant to be, "How to cultivate self-respect," but after reading it a bunch of times, it looked more like a life cheat code. This is a first edition - I'm pretty sure more will come as I grow older (and hopefully wiser.) I’m likely also going to make this a personal primer. Idk — we’ll see. I'm only 23. Without further ado, let's go. Enjoy. 1. Set your values. Have a creed. Have your core values. Faith Love Vision Family Valiance Courage Integrity Dexterity Hardwork Community Determination Et cetera Whatever works for you. Don't negotiate them. They are non-negotiable. Don't compromise them. Have a personal philosophy by which you live. The older you grow, the more personalized your philosophy. Understand it's susceptible to change as you progress throughout life. 2. Have a mission. Set goals. Big goals. Audacious goals. Life-changing goals. Goals that change who you are as a person for the better. Find an obsession. "Obsession isn't something you tell yourself to start—it's something you force yourself to stop." ~Zach Pogrob. Exploit a niche. There are millions around you. Play the long game. Play it long enough to see your magnified Future-You and start living by their standards. If you don’t know what to do (yet), that’s okay. Try. Keep trying. Try different things. Multiple things. Because by not trying different things, you will never realize what you like vs what you don’t like. And when you do realize what you like, your skills can always transfer to that in one form of another. (Think: Transferrable Skills.) A man on a mission cannot be stopped. Find something that will give your life meaning. Set a lifelong goal for you to achieve within your lifespan. Visualize it everyday. Pursue it daily, no matter the cost. 3. Do hard things. Do the things people are scared to do. Math Chess Fitness Marathons Consistency Public speaking Personal Finance Hard Conversations Etc. Your 2.0 Self is on the other side of accomplishing something hard. Life is hard already. Choose your hard. Good habits are hard. Bad outcomes are also hard. Refer to no. 8. 4. Put yourself first. You can't fill from an empty cup. Put yourself first, then you'll be in a better place to assist others. "I'll take care of me for you if you take care of you for me." Jim Rohn. You have to be at your full capacity first before being able to help others. How can a car take you places if it's on E? Of what use is a tired camel if it can't carry you? How can you take a 3-hour call when your phone is on a five-minute charge? You're not selfish for taking care of yourself and putting your needs first. If you don't respect yourself, no one will respect you. And no one will do that for you. If you put yourself down for others, they likely won't respect you or the help you give them. 5. Set your standards. Aim high. Don't settle for less. Have your boundaries. Raise your bare minimum. Know your worth. Else, people will disrespect you. Whatever your goal is, add 20% to it, then add 20% on top of that 20%. Shoot for the galaxies, not the stars. Everyone can see the stars - few notice the galaxies. 6. Be self-accountable. People don't like hearing, "It's on you." Back your words up with actions. Few people master this. You should ensure that you are indeed who you say you are. Do the things you said you were gonna do when you said you were gonna do them. If your alarm is for 7:00 AM, wake up at 7:00 AM. If you were to attend a meeting at this time, attend the meeting at this time. If you have three tasks to complete that day, complete those three tasks that day. Own up, accept responsibility for your shortcomings, and make amends. Fewer people do this. 7. Take care of yourself. A more subtle way to self-care. Prioritize all aspects important to you. Physically. Don't drink. Don't smoke. Proper nutrition. Rest when needed. Work out regularly. Get a good night's sleep. Prioritize physical fitness. Protect your health and well-being. Drugs aren't good. Stay away from them. Financially. Have a good income. Live under your means. Ensure positive cashflow. Secure your investments and retirement accounts. Career. Find your Ikigai. Find your mission. (See no. 1.) Corporate isn't for everyone. Neither is entrepreneurship or freelance. Do what fits you. Ensure you're doing something meaningful with your life—a meaningful job. It's what you do in these 80-or-so God-given years that brings fulfillment to your life. Socially. Have mentors. They're a cheat code. Have a support system. Amass a personal board of advisors. Keep your family and friends close. You need the right people in your circle. Gather a tribe of soldiers and kinsmen around you, not leeches. Nurture the right relationships because life is 80% relationships. Spiritually. Practice your faith. Live it. Make yourself right with God. See no. 13. Ensure you're spiritually attuned with yourself. It's an eternal battle between the flesh vs the spirit. Mentally. Read good books. Have positive affirmations. Be careful what you feed your mind. Your self-talk. The apps you scroll. What you see everyday. The media you consume. The people you surround yourself with. Et cetera. Stress isn't worth it. Don't bag it. Don't stress yourself. It shortens your lifespan. Practice gratitude - It could've been worse. Your mental health is more important than you think. It won't matter in three months. Don't fuss about it now. 8. Practice self-awareness. Know your limits. Be brutally honest with yourself. Understand what you can and cannot do. If you can do something, do it. If you can't, don't. Let others know upfront what your capabilities are. Self-awareness is a good pivot point to start challenging your limits. See no. 9. Self-awareness will come at the cost of disappointing others because you won't fulfill their expectations of you. That's okay so long as you fulfill your own. Check no. 10. 9. Challenge yourself everyday. Question everything. Challenge your limits. You are your limits. Raise them. Challenge your beliefs. Evolve first before life forces you to. Relocation is a good life hack - It literally forces you out of your comfort zone. Do the things you said you couldn't do - Things you never thought you could do. If you don't challenge yourself, life will challenge you...and more so beyond your limits. Do the things they said you couldn't. Do it twice; thrice just to make sure, and take pictures. 10. Constantly reflect on yourself. Embrace growth. Embrace learning. Embrace self-mastery. Foster a growth mindset. You're never gonna have it all figured out. That's okay. Nobody does. You're always a work in progress. Accept that. There are always lessons to tell your: 10-year-old self 17-year-old self 34-year-old self 50-year-old self 71-year-old self. Continue reflecting on and learning about yourself. Refer back to no. 8. 11. Have a life of your own. Have your pastimes. Live life on your terms. Have your own hobbies. Be unique. Be authentic. Be yourself. Everyone else is taken. It's okay for others to ridicule you for not going out Friday night and choosing instead to stay in by the fireplace and reading a good book. 12. Don't force things. Let things be. Embrace stoicism. Don't force relationships. Don't force circumstances. Don't force life to happen. What will happen will happen. The people who will stay will stay. The universe repels neediness - neediness is unattractive. It's repulsive. Don't force anyone to stay in your life who has clearly shown they don't want to. 13. God above all. Acknowledging the presence of God puts you in your place. At any moment, your achievements could be wiped out in the blink of an eye if God says so. When you read the Bible, you will relate to many characters whom God led just like you: Judges: Gideon, Deborah, Samson, etc. Prophets: Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, etc. You're walking the same path as the men and women of the past. Put God first. TLDR Set your values. Have a mission. Do hard things. Put yourself first. Set your standards. Be self-accountable. Take care of yourself. Practice self-awareness. Challenge yourself everyday. Constantly reflect on yourself. Have a life of your own. Don't force things. God above all. . . . ~T.K.K Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle for weekly bangers delivered in less than a minute.

Transforming responsibility into privilege in three words. Last week was a huge epiphany in pursuing my projects and passions. My job (Business and Data analysis), my association (Kenyans in STEM Association), and Carerra's Chronicles. And it's easy to get lost in the thick of things. What initially started as a passion or a hobby, if left unchecked, can often become a burdening responsibility. Most of these, I think, are self-imposed simply because "we have to." "I have to write a blog post this week." "I have to do three podcasts next week." "I have to attend my child's recital tonight." "I must pick my kids up from school every other day." "I have to fly out to LA for multiple business meetings." Self-imposed burdens, which, when we fail to achieve, cause some self-deprecation within us. But as I learned last week, it's more of a perspective switch. I look at the things I'm doing and the tasks I have to accomplish, then note one commonality between them— I wanted to do them. I volunteered to do them. And now, I get to do them. That's the big reframe. By switching from "I have to" to "I get to," I notice the privilege in what I do - the work I nearly started taking for granted. Not everybody sings in the choir. Not everyone gets to work for a huge bank. Not everyone has a gym they go to everyday. Not everyone gets to build a STEM association. Not everyone gets to publish a blog in their free time. And so on. By saying, "I get to," I've noticed that I'm grateful for what I volunteered to do. It was fun when I initially wanted to pursue them, and now that I'm pursuing them, I wouldn't say I like that fun to deteriorate under the name of responsibility. Sure, of course, something can scale so big that you'll need multiple functions to operate it, most of which are outside your expertise. Instantly, you think you must do it (or 'you have to'), not remembering why you started—to enjoy it. That would have me beckon in a growth mindset: "I get to enjoy the fruits of my success and share them with someone as well." And with that, instantly, I delegate the miscellaneous tasks to others who get to do them. And just like that, you don't have to lead people - you get to lead people. You get to be a leader and lead others. Also, this is not permission for me to lower my standards and do the bare minimum. If anything, I can't take it for granted that I'm doing these things, and that motivates me to pursue them with the highest enthusiasm possible. I advocate a healthy balance, of course —doing something at your optimum best while still finding the love (or passion) to do it. "I don't have to do this—I GET TO DO THIS." And watch your worldview change. Until next time. Happy Easter. . . . ~T.K.K Subscribe to The Weekly Chronicle for bangers delivered in less than a minute.