Writing
Notes from
the inside.
I write to think. These days, I’m focused on the themes beneath The Inner Operating System: nervous-system regulation, attention, energy, stress, and intentional living.
Browse all 53 articles ↓Recent notes
View the newsletter archiveSimple morning practices for a healthy nervous system
Eight free, biology-aligned resets for starting the day calm, grounded, and focused.
Read noteThe Power of Approach Goals
How to reclaim attention by moving toward what you want instead of fighting what you don’t.
Read noteA change is coming
Why The Inner Operating System has become the central focus of my work and writing.
Read noteAnnual Reviews
Honest reflections on work, life, and what I’m learning.
2024 Annual Review
The Year of Kaia: reflections on fatherhood, health, business, and the lessons of 2024.
2023 Year In Review
Olá, Portugal — reflections on moving to Lisbon, preparing for parenthood, and the lessons of 2023.
3 Years in Business: Annual Review 2022
A breakdown of our third year in business, including the lessons learned and money earned
2 Years in Business: Annual Review
A breakdown of our second year in business, including the lessons learned and the money earned
Annual Review 2021
Highlights & lowlights from last year, plus focus areas for this year.
Why I Quit Google to Work for Myself and What I Learned In My First Year
Why I left a "dream job" to start my own company and what I learned (and earned) during my first year in business.
From the archive
The full collection of notes and essays.
The Protégé Effect
What research and personal experience suggest about learning through preparing to teach, explaining, and sharing ideas.
How to Say No
Three practical ways to say no, protect your time, and make space for what matters.
Pausing
A personal reminder to pause before reacting—and create space for a more thoughtful response.
Simple morning practices for a healthy nervous system
8 resets I use to start my day feeling calm and grounded
A change is coming
After 100+ issues, a new direction
The Power of Approach Goals
Reclaiming attention in a world designed for distraction
2024 Annual Review
The Year of Kaia: reflections on fatherhood, health, business, and the lessons of 2024.
Making Decisions, Easily
How asking “What’s the next most obvious step?” has helped me navigate decisions with more ease.
2023 Year In Review
Olá, Portugal — reflections on moving to Lisbon, preparing for parenthood, and the lessons of 2023.
Little Defeats
Small choices add up. How collecting little wins can shift your focus from perfection to progress.
Becoming a Better Morning Person
My experience with morning walks, daylight, and finding a routine that leaves me feeling more awake.
3 Years in Business: Annual Review 2022
A breakdown of our third year in business, including the lessons learned and money earned
Reduce the scope, stick to the schedule
How doing a smaller version of a habit can help you stay consistent when life gets busy.
Complete Your Stress Cycle to Avoid Burnout
Learn the importance of completing your stress cycles so you can avoid burnout.
2 Years in Business: Annual Review
A breakdown of our second year in business, including the lessons learned and the money earned
The Done List
The Done List is the To Do List’s sidekick
Make More Money
Reflections on whether money is the only true metric of my success
Deconstructing Happiness
A simple recipe for happiness from Dr. Gordon Livingston
The Trap of Comparative Suffering
How self-compassion and empathy can combat comparative suffering while having long-term mental health benefits
We're Moving! Here's Why
Why we're moving and our plans for The Semi-Nomadic Experiment™️
Annual Review 2021
Highlights & lowlights from last year, plus focus areas for this year.
Relationship Meetings
How this simple practice keeps our relationship happy & healthy
Bird by Bird
How to accomplish anything by going one step at a time
Going Pro with Habits
How support and accountability can help turn good intentions into lasting habits.
Inspiration is Action
How beginning the work can create the inspiration you were waiting for.
Pause > Reflect > Progress
A simple and timeless recipe for living an inspired life.
Why I Quit Google to Work for Myself and What I Learned In My First Year
Why I left a "dream job" to start my own company and what I learned (and earned) during my first year in business.
Befriending Yourself
On the importance of being friends with yourself
Beating Zoom Fatigue
Research-backed tips to prevent video calls from draining your energy.
The Rule of Thirds
How "The Rule of Thirds" can shift your perspective on personal growth.
Pausing with Purpose
How taking smart breaks can prevent a disagreement from turning into a fight
The Four Horsemen: Relationship Pitfalls to Avoid
How to avoid the "Four Horsemen" of Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling in any relationship in life.
Removing Obstacles
How clearing junk food out of your mental "pantry" can make you more focused and less distracted.
The Balance of Being vs. Doing
Why "productivity advice" leaves me feeling unsatisfied and what do to about it.
Start Slowly
Why it's okay to be slow and take your time.
Why You Need to Start "Going First"
This timeless advice from professional volleyball player Gabby Reece will profoundly change how you approach the world.
Search Inside Yourself: How to Develop Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
An intro to the transformative leadership program born at Google and now taught at organizations across the globe.
Seeing Similarities: The Science and Practice of Empathy
How seeing similarities can help us build empathy
Implementation Intentions
Why implementation intentions make habits easier to master
Savor a Screen-Free Morning
How to reset your defaults for more peaceful, productive, and purposeful mornings
How To Get Back on Track (The One Minute Reset)
This practice helps me overcome distraction and procrastination. It's a sweet blend of mindfulness, breathing, and practical productivity that you can do anytime, anywhere.
How To Become a Better Listener
One question at the heart of better listening
Why Multitasking Hurts More Than It Helps
The truth about multitasking and why single-tasking is a superpower in an increasingly distracted world.
Taking a Break: Why Making Rest a Ritual is Important
The importance of taking real breaks to sustain your energy and productivity.
Red Yellow Green | The Traffic Light That Can Transform Your Meetings
A powerful way to build trust, strengthen relationships, and foster psychological safety within your team.
Breaking News: How to Rethink Your Information Consumption
The importance of an “information diet” when creating a healthy relationship with the non-stop news cycle.
How To Ask For Help
Why I’ve found asking for help difficult and what I’ve learned about how important it is to do.
12 Months, 0 Drinks: What Not Drinking Taught Me
What I learned about energy, time, and decisions by living a year without alcohol.
Secret Society of Stillness
Reflections on a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat.
Strengths, Stories, and Showing Up: How to Interview Better Than Most
The strategies for acing an interview that I learned while at Google.
Be Curious and Let The Rest Follow
Why cultivating “intense curiosity” can help you beat decision paralysis and make learning anything more fun.
Your New February’s Resolutions, or, How to Keep Going
How to maintain consistency with a new habit even after you feel like you’ve failed.
Give Yourself the Gift of Quiet
How creating a practice of silence can lead to a more calm, focused, and intentional way of living and working.