Last week, Spain became the first European country to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. Australia banned it last December.
I mention this because it’s interesting to see how badly social media impacts us. It distracts us, it reduces our attention span, and it creates too much noise between the ears,
As humans, we were not evolved to handle such a large amount of information and feedback.… Read the rest
When meeting someone new, I often ask my favorite question. “If you didn’t have to work to live, how would you spend your time?”
Most people answer “travel” or “buy things”, so I go deeper. “OK, and once you’ve traveled the world, once you have the house(s) and car(s) or whatever, then what?”… Read the rest
Have you seen the viral priority test? (BTW, it wasn’t written by Sigmund Freud),
It’s a little psychology experiment in which you’re told the following is happening at the same time:
You’re asked to resolve these in sequence.… Read the rest
Here are the tools I use to Get Things Done (GTD).
Tasks are assigned to me through various channels:
There are several filters in my Gmail, so that only those that may have a task remain in the inbox.… Read the rest
There’s a new and growing trend while working from home, and it’s called microshifting.
Instead of working a typical 9am to 5pm job, microshifting chunks the day into smaller shifts. The first shift may involve deep focus, the next meetings, the next a break, and then more deep focus.… Read the rest
I’ve been working from home since 2017. At this point, I couldn’t imagine returning to an office full-time.
Then COVID hit, and most of us needed to work from home (WFH). We seemed to enjoy that.
When the restrictions were lifted, CEOs started forcing their employees back to work.… Read the rest
Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving today. We celebrate about a month before Americans partially because the harvest season ends earlier here than in the US.
It’s a moment in which both Canadians and Americans eat turkey and express gratitude for the year.
In this spirit (the gratitude, not the turkey part), I wanted to share my thanks for
Writing these emails is a daily pleasure, as it helps collect my thoughts around various topics.… Read the rest
Yay, it’s Friday!
That means we can eat, drink alcohol, and party all night, right? I mean, we have all day tomorrow to recover, right? Right?
While it is tempting to “let loose” on Fridays, it’s actually not very good for your overall health.… Read the rest
One of the best routines I’ve adopted in recent years is meditation. It’s now a regular part of my morning routine.
The routine begins with waking up and is followed by
In the pursuit of stoicism, you often bump against Alan Watts.
Alan Watts was a British writer, speaker, and self-proclaimed “philosophical entertainer”. He was known for popularising Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu philosophy for a Western audience.
Here are some excerpts of Alan’s thoughts about not taking life too seriously.… Read the rest
Here are some practical ways you can apply stoicism in your work.
Focus on what you control and accept change
If a project start is delayed, redirect your energy to tasks you can influence instead of dwelling on the delay.
Keep your emotions in check
During disagreements with colleagues, create space between what they say and how you reply.… Read the rest
There are many ways to introduce calmness in your life. And the calmer you are on the inside, the better consultant you can be on the outside.
One of these effective ways is stoicism.
Stoicism is an ancient Greek philosophy that teaches you to focus on what you can control and accept what you cannot.… Read the rest
If the soon and inevitable arrival of AGI causes an existential threat, congratulations, you’re human.
You’re probably asking tons of questions, including
While studying Engineering at McGill University, I learned about the law of friction. Loosely defined, this law says it takes a larger force to initially move a stationary object than it does to keep the object moving once in motion.
This is because in order to move a stationary object, you need to apply sufficient force to overcome the static friction of the object.… Read the rest
Last week, I was almost able to fully disconnect and unplug. It was a nearly magical experience.
Here’s the week captured in a single photo.
This week, I’m driving down to Boston for Northeast Dreamin’, and my “good vibes” mood continues.… Read the rest
This summer has been full of transitions and milestones. So much so that it’s taken its toll.
As a result, I’m listening to myself and taking some more personal time.
Here’s the plan for the coming 2 weeks:
This Sunday, I will join my parents at a lake-site cottage that they’ve rented.… Read the rest
One of the largest advantages of being an independent Salesforce consultant is working from home. And of course, “home” doesn’t necessarily mean your residence.
It’s been a while since I went full digital nomad, so it’s time to change that! Starting in November, I’ll spend about 2 months in South America.… Read the rest
While I was on vacation recently, a friend of mine joined me. This was a remote location, and my friend had to work. So he brought his laptop.
But he also brought a portable monitor. I must have been living under a rock, because I never knew these things existed!… Read the rest
I recall an article from several years ago about mobile phone usage. The article basically said that low-income families now have access to the same information as high-income families.
That is to say, they both have a mobile phone capable of accessing this information.… Read the rest
When I started writing these emails, about 2.5 years ago, I was inspired by my business coach. He’s been writing 7 emails a week for years, and I figured if he can do it, so can I.
For me however, 7 is too much, as I appreciate having some down time.… Read the rest
You have numerous advantages as a Salesforce digital nomad. Most importantly, you can choose where and when you live. And when given that optionality, warmer weather is usually beneficial.
Neuroscientists have discovered that sunlight, temperature, and seasonal cues can change your memory, sleep patterns, appetite, and even risk tolerance.… Read the rest
One great way to reflect on your Salesforce career is to take a break.
It doesn’t need to be something dramatic like a sabbatical or extended vacation. But time away from the keyboard, the community, and the ecosystem can be very helpful.… Read the rest
Every once in a while, it’s important to reflect on your career’s trajectory.
Some questions to ask yourself can be
As a Salesforce consultant, it’s not uncommon to become close to your client. After all, you struggle together and you succeed together. So it should come to no surprise that you bond with them.
This closeness may spill into your personal life.… Read the rest
It’s been a while since I spoke about being a digital nomad. I used to share this passion almost every Friday, so it’s time for one now.
For the last 4 years, I spent summers in Montreal, Canada and winters in Malaga, Spain.… Read the rest
Being able to achieve a deep focus and to have a strong concentration are valuable skills for Salesforce consultants.
These skills, like any other, can be cultivated. You may not be very good at them today, but you can teach yourself to become better
One fantastic way to start this process of growth is to meditate.… Read the rest
Knowing the difference between a scarcity and abundance mindset is the just first step. Achieving this mindset is the harder part.
If you don’t know how to start, here are some great starting points:
Encourage open communication
Show empathy and support
Promote inclusivity
Lead by example
Share and learn from failures
Create a trusting environment
The takeaway
Not only will building these attributes make you a better consultant, it’ll make you a better person overall.… Read the rest
Things that happen in the world aren’t intrinsically good or bad. It’s our perception of them that makes them good or bad.
People often have a scarcity mindset, which generally focuses on taking and being self-serving. Others have an abundance mindset, which is about giving and sharing.… Read the rest
Every once in a while, it’s good to slow things down. Work life can get very busy as a Salesforce consultant. So every once in a while, it’s OK to go to your happy place.
Your happy place could be the gym, spending time with friends, a particular destination, meditating, or any number of enjoyable activities.… Read the rest
Everyone goes through challenges. We all have personal and business obstacles. Once you understand this, the knowledge gives you power and understanding.
Today, when someone is overly angry or upset or just overreacts to a situation, my opinion of the situation is different than it used to be.… Read the rest