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One of my blogging inspirations, Rohan Rajiv, came out with a post today curating his top 5 articles on the Climate Crisis.

I’ve been searching for a while now for a well-rounded and balanced list of articles and resources on this topic, so I’m thrilled Rohan has put this together.

Rohan summarises that 1) our understanding of our global environmental situation has matured immensely in the past 2 years, and 2) our reality is in fact so grave it is necessary to update “Climate Change” in our lexicon to “Climate Crisis”.

I realised that even though I’ve worked in renewable energy for the past 3 years, my understanding of humanity’s impact on the planet has likely become outdated.

This has inspired me to set aside time this weekend to delve into these resources.

If you’re interested, I hope you will too.

Happy reading!

Most of us don’t need a reminder on how to ride a bike. It’s natural and automatic.

It’s muscle memory.

However, unlike breathing, which is done subconsciously from birth, riding a bike is a learned skill, and that distinction is important.

It’s an activity that, at one point, we found hard and awkward. But with time and effort, it became natural and part of our subconscious.

So if we have a formula for turning hard things into automatic actions, why should we stop at cycling?

What if we worked to develop muscle memory in other parts of our lives?

What about active listening? Rather than thinking up a reply while the other person is talking, we focus with intent on what they are trying to say.

What about asking “Why?” when faced with a complicated problem? Rather than jumping straight into solution mode, we first pause and seek to understand why we’re in our current situation before we act.

What about a daily gratefulness practice? Rather than ploughing through the day like we’ve got an endless supply, we take a second to be thankful for the current moment.

For me, I’ve been experimenting with muscle memory through daily blogging. It’s been two months since I started, and perhaps the biggest impact it’s had on my life is how it has forced me to be more open, attentive, and curious. It’s forced me to notice what’s going on in the world around me, and to try and share what I see in a thoughtful and generous way.

Is there a muscle memory experiment you’d like to run? I’d love to hear about your experience if you try it!

New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup campaign kicked-off today with a scintillating match against South Africa. As the two teams tipped to meet in the final, to see them play against each other in their first Pool match was a real treat.

What stood out to me in the build-up to this match was an amazing quote given by All Black’s coach, Steve Hansen.

The most important thing for any team is you turn up with attitude and intent. When you have that you can express your talent.

It’s not always going to go your way, but if you don’t turn up with the right attitude and intent, a good team is going to give you a punch on the nose and hurt you. You can’t just turn up… you have to build it and slowly get clarity of your game.

What you want is the execution of the stuff you’ve been working on, and you’ve got to stay clear-headed, and not get over-excited or under-excited, but stay in the zone mentally.

Attitude and intent is a game played in the top two inches. A clear mind, steely determination, and grounded self-confidence are needed for the natural talent to emerge.

Upon reflection, this model of thinking isn’t reserved for elite sportspeople. In our professional and personal lives, we’re constantly faced with challenges that require us to persuade, debate, re-think, re-frame, and improve.

The attitude and intent we bring to each of these moments matters.

As taller buildings started going up in the early days of the industrial revolution, many of them began to include lifts. But instead of receiving praise for transporting people up many flights of stairs, the lifts were criticised for being too slow.

Hearing their customer complaints, the lift companies got to work trying to build a faster product. The problem was faster lifts required better pulleys and larger motors, which made the costs untenable.

It wasn’t until an engineer re-framed the problem that a solution was found.

What if the speed of the lift isn’t the problem?

What if traveling in a lift just feels like a long time because all you can do is stare at the wall and think about being suspended in mid-air?

This line of thinking led to an idea: what if we installed a mirror?

Once mirrors were installed, people became distracted during the journey and the complaints disappeared. People even commented on how fast the new lifts were, even though their speed had not changed.

Re-framing the problem saved a lot of money whilst also improving the customer experience.

It’s a nice reminder for us to look at our personal and professional challenges from multiple angles before investing in a (potentially) costly solution.

There is an old and rather fanciful story about J.P. Morgan.

It is said that a man approached Morgan with an envelope which contained a guaranteed formula for success. The man said he’d sell the formula to Morgan for $25,000.

Morgan gave his word that if he liked what he saw, he’d pay the man.

When Morgan opened the envelope, he took out a single piece of paper, spent a short moment reading its contents, and promptly paid.

Two things were written on the piece of paper:

1. Every morning, write a list of the things that need to be done that day.
2. Do them.

Regardless of whether this story is true or not, it’s a helpful reminder that it is often the simple tactics that 1) help us clarify what’s important, and 2) ensure we only focus our energy on things that bring us closer to our goal.

Back in 2011, I spent 3 weeks traveling the Gulf of Mexico with Mike Horn as part of his Pangaea expedition.

Mike is a force of nature. He’s considered one of our world’s foremost explorers, with his achievements including a 2-year unmotorised circumnavigation of the world along the equator, a 6-month swim down the Amazon River, and the first expedition to the North Pole in winter.

Just a touch over 50 years of age, Mike is halfway through his next challenge: a circumnavigation of the globe via the north and south poles.

I’ve been following his updates, and the latest one shocked me.

His boat, Pangaea, a 135ft icebreaker that will drop him off on the ice caps of the far north, is the closest a boat has ever come to the North Pole.

This is a sad record; one that Mike and his crew are lamenting.

As our earth continues to warm, scientists predict that within the next 20 years, the Arctic’s ice caps will completely melt during the summer; having untold consequences for the region’s wildlife.

Mike’s expeditions have always served to communicate, in some way, the beauty and fragility of our planet. But we shouldn’t have to see records broken in this way to make us understand the urgency required for a global climate turn around.

I’m not going to end this post with platitudes, but I hope this story serves as another example in the undeniable body of evidence that something must be done.

This is a week of reflection for me. And in doing so, my mind has found itself repeatedly returning to a theme: Breadcrumbs in the forest.

Most readers of this blog will have people in their lives who are 1) a few years further along life’s journey, and 2) role models for a good life.

These people are often parents, mentors, colleagues, and grandparents.

Although these people can’t provide an exact blueprint for how to live, because each of our circumstances and experiences are unique, they can provide a guide for how to approach each phase of life.

Their ideas on how to live a good life are like breadcrumbs in the forest. They are hints, gentle nudges, and quiet words of wit and wisdom left on the trail for the next generation to find and follow. These ideas help us avoid the pitfalls so we can experience more of the good that life has to offer.

Today, I’m remembering Grandma’s breadcrumbs. In particular, her consistency of spirit, kind-hearted care, and simplicity of living.

Are there people in your life who’ve left breadcrumbs in the forest for you to follow?

Consider letting them know, and thanking them, for the gift they’ve given you.

Early this morning, my beautiful Grandma Audrey passed away.

Today is not a day for writing, but one for reflection, remembrance, and sadness.

Today is a quiet one.

When Columbus landed on the Bahamas in 1492, he thought he’d reached India.

And I don’t blame him. Up until that point, all of the great thinkers, scholars, and scriptures had only pointed to the existence of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

However, what I found most surprising about this story is Columbus maintained the opinion that he’d found India until his death in 1506. He was convinced he knew the whole world, and could not accept that he’d discovered a new continent.

There are a number of lessons I took away from this:

1. Just because we believe something, it doesn’t mean it’s true. If we want to hold an erroneous opinion all our lives, no one will stop us. Recognising the possibility that we’re wrong is a huge step toward developing humility and an open mind.
   
2. The greatest thinkers and leaders were wrong in the past, and they’re likely to be wrong again in the future.
   
3. We remember people for what they contribute, even if they set out to achieve something different. We remember Columbus for his discovery, what he took to the grave is irrelevant to us today.

H/T: Yuval Noah Harari and his delightful book Sapiens for this anecdote.

When are you at your best? Could it be when you’re:

• Having fun
• Spending time alone
• Laughing with friends
• Working on interesting problems
• Appreciating nature
• Learning new things
• Taking care of your body
• Helping others

We’re all different. We each have a unique recipe for rest and rejuvenation.

Multiple conversations this week have opened my eyes to the importance of 1) knowing which activities help me be my best, and 2) scheduling time to make sure those activities happen. No excuses.

What’s your recipe?

Warren Buffett has a maxim on praise in the workplace that I’ve tried to practice this year: Praise by name, criticise by category.

Public. Specific. Individual. That kind of praise is powerful.

Public. Specific. Individual. That kind of criticism is destructive.

Mistakes and errors are unavoidable. But when they happen, we always have a choice as to how we communicate our disappointment.

We have control over whether we build up, or tear down. Whether we blow up, or listen. Whether we protect someone’s self-esteem, or destroy their confidence.

By discussing mistakes at the level of team, product, or project, rather than at the level of the individual, it affords a safe space to reflect on what can be done better next time.

It invokes reflection and introspection, rather than a defensive response.

It’s a long term investment, rather than a short term bet.

There’s always the certainty that the opposite of what I might believe in might also be true
-Ken Burns

There is a profound depth to this quote by documentary film extraordinaire, Ken Burns.

Certainty.

Opposites.

Might.

True.

No matter how learned we are, there is always the chance that we could be completely wrong.

What would happen if we entered into every conversation, debate, or disagreement with this level of awareness and humility in mind?

Ready to go on a (2 minute, fun) journey?

I promise, at the very least, this will give you something fun to show your (nerdy) friends at your next hang out.

Go to any Wikipedia page. Any. It could be the page for the Big Mac, the Boston Red Sox, or Brexit, it doesn’t matter.

Next, click on the first link in the main text of the Wikipedia article.

Now, repeat this process for all subsequent articles.

After about 10-15 clicks, you’re going to arrive at your final Wikipedia destination: Philosophy.

Every time. Ok, well, about 97% of the time.

I wish there was some (philosophical) explanation to this phenomenon, but it’s really quite simple.

There is a Wikipedia Style Guide, which covers how the lead sentence in each article should be written. The first link in each article should always take the reader to a broader subject area. Eventually, the read reaches the topics of Mathematics, Science, and Language. Following on from those, we eventually get to Philosophy, the mother of all sciences.

No meaningful reflection today. Just a cool fact, and something to experiment with.

The Rugby World Cup starts in less than 2 weeks, and coming from New Zealand, it’s inevitable that the odd rugby-related post will make it into this blog over the coming 6 weeks.

Every four years, all of New Zealand, a stadium of 4 million, watch with bated breath as their sporting pride takes the field.

The national rugby team, the All Blacks, are the most dominant professional sports team, in any sport, ever. They have an astonishing 84% winning record in the professional era.

Given this, it’s understandable that there is massive pressure for the All Blacks to perform, and win, at every World Cup.

This past weekend, the All Blacks trotted out to face Tonga in their final preparation match before the World Cup begins.

What astonished me, and what I wanted to share today, was a decision made by the coaches in the 65th minute to create what I call “Artificial Pressure”.

With 15 minutes left to go in the match, and with the game already in hand, they decided to pull a player off the field and play one man down.

Why place your team under unnecessary pressure? As the coach, you know if any player gets injured in these final 15 minutes, you’ll be destroyed by the media. Why take such a risk?

Well, there may be some method to the madness, but a bit of back story is required.

Despite winning the first ever World Cup in 1987, it took the All Blacks 24 years to win their second. In the years between these two victories, when the All Blacks failed to win rugby’s most coveted prize, they were criticised as being the best team in the world that simply choked in the do-or-die games.

The lesson here: consistently being the best in the world doesn’t matter when you can’t win the games that matter most.

The All Blacks developed a reputation as “chokers”, one which was finally relinquished in 2011 when they broke the 24 year World Cup drought.

However, there is still a fear amongst New Zealanders that the All Blacks could choke again in the high-pressure moments.

One such high-pressure moment is playing with 1 man down. In rugby, playing with 1 man down is a very plausible scenario. One high-tackle, or repeated infringement, could see a player given a yellow card, meaning they are sent off the field for 10 minutes. This can completely shift the momentum or score of the game.

In my mind, this decision to play a man down in the warm-up game against Tonga was a masterstroke by the coaches.

With so many young and new players in the team, who haven’t had a taste of the World Cup, the coaches created Artificial Pressure to help their players acclimatise to the do-or-die environment.

This decision made headlines around the rugby world, and sent a message to all other teams that the All Blacks are mentally ready for battle.

Bring on the World Cup!

Note: There is definitely a lesson in here on how we can create Artificial Pressure for ourselves when we’ve got something important on the horizon, like a presentation or negotiation.

I won’t drone on about it though, the actions of the All Blacks’ coaches provide a good blueprint to experiment with Artificial Pressure in our own lives. Namely, creating, experiencing, and thriving on the pressure before it’s real.

One of the things I love about living in Europe is the access to low cost airlines. Affordable flights for weekend getaways are a luxury when you come from New Zealand, a place where the closest country is a 3 hour flight away.

Ryanair is the leading low-cost airline in Europe, with 730,000 flights per year to over 200 destinations.

Despite being the market leader, they are horrible to travel with.

In return for a rock-bottom fare, you get safely from Point A to Point B.

And that’s about it. Everything else is painful.

• You must check-in online or face a £50 fee
• You can only take a small backpack the size of a laptop, or face a £50 fee
• You must pay £20 to be able to sit next to others in your travel party
• You must pay £20 to be able to take a carry-on bag on the flight

But despite the above, at least Ryanair are clear on where they stand. There are no illusions. They aren’t kidding themselves.

They don’t act like they offer both a great price and a great experience, but fail to deliver on both; like so many other airlines and companies do.

Through their product offering, they’ve communicated to travellers, “If you want a better experience, pay more to fly with British Airways.”

They’re like the movie villain we end up liking. Despite their faults, we still root for them. Because they’re real. Because their story is true. Because they’re not kidding themselves.