| Sunday, 13 April 2025 |
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Good morning [%first_name |Dear Reader%],
Good morning. How are you doing this Sunday? I’m writing to you from yesterday, which was a bright, hot, and still Bengaluru Saturday afternoon. Gabru is lazing behind me on the sofa. The drone of the ceiling fan is getting remixed in my ears (despite the best efforts of Apple’s Airpods noise cancellation algorithms) with “Star Treatment”, the first song from Arctic Monkey’s 2018 album, Tranquillity Base Hotel & Casino. It feels more suited to tomorrow, Sunday, than today.
How is mango season faring for you? Have you managed to find reliable suppliers or stores to get your weekly stash? Would it be an Indian summer if we didn’t have mangoes to help us cope? I had largely dialled down cardio exercises in favour of just strength training these last few months, but I am planning to restart the former soon to burn at least some of the calories from the mangoes each day!
I didn’t get any answers or tips from you folks to my question a few weeks ago on how best to give a street indie a bath. So, I took Bribo last week to a nearby pet salon for his very first shampoo, bath, and pedicure!
And here he is, all shiny and happy afterward.
As you can see, it’s been a busy and eventful week for me. I even got photobombed by a crow as I was taking a photo of a beautiful sunset over the neighbouring wooded area.
Here’s everything we have for you today:
1. Habits, Streaks, and Goodhart’s Law
2. The First Principles universe is still forming ✨
3. Audiobooks 📚
4. An Ode to Spring 📸
1. Habits, Streaks, and Goodhart’s Law
Are you a fan of habits? Micro habits? Atomic habits?
Who isn’t these days? We have internalised the importance of habits as the method to, well, productivity.
If you’re a fan of habits, and if you aren’t a Boomer or Gen X, then chances are you might also be a fan of “streaks”.
Anyone who’s ever found themselves marching around their bedroom to reach 10,000 steps, or frantically completing a Duolingo language exercise to stay on the leaderboard, will be familiar with the mantra “Don’t break the streak!”
Streaks can motivate us, help us build good habits and aid us in reaching our goals. If you’re looking for a way to stick to a New Year’s resolution beyond January, a streak could help.
Why Do Streaks Help Us Meet Our Goals?
Streaks work for two reasons: what behavioral economists call loss aversion and potential gain, said Dr. Katy Milkman, a behavioral scientist at the University of Pennsylvania.
Let’s start with gains: A streak can be profoundly motivating for people, Dr. Milkman said, “because there’s something bright and shiny that they can reach for. There’s a prize, in a sense, that’s making you more motivated to get a thing done.”
Loss aversion, Dr. Milkman said, is the idea that the pain of losing something can be more extreme than the pleasure of gaining the same thing. So once you’re on a streak, research has suggested, the fear of losing it can be stronger than the motivating power of simply gaining another day.
These dual motivators can keep us on track to reach our goals. Plus, being able to cross something off your to-do list every day can add meaning to your life.
A Surefire Way to Be More Productive by Nell McShane Wulfhart, The New York Times
Over the years, I’ve relied on “streaks” to help me track calories, drink more water, read books, complete work tasks, meditate (try to!), and even spend quality time with family.
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