This week I encourage you to consider this quote from the most interesting man in the world, Matthew McConaughey. He was on the Modern Wisdom podcast last week, which I will link here: Episode #863 - Matthew McConaughey

“I like to say ‘Life’s a mystery going forward, and a science looking back’. When you look BACK, we can all connect every single dot. It’s mathematical, scientific, how we got to this table. We’ve got plans for this afternoon, but we’re not sure what’s going to happen. Everything looking back, it’s all connected if we go back and look at it.

And there’s a whole lot of ‘I thought this was the end’ - well it was the end, but it was the beginning of this thing. Or I caught that red light and therefore made me 60 seconds late to get to that cafe, where I met that movie producer, or that woman who became my wife, or whatever. It doesn’t make sense at the time, but looking back, it’s all a science.”

Go back for yourself and try to trace the lines of all of the things that had to happen for you to get to this point in your career, to meet your significant other, to get into this shape physically. Most things don’t make sense in the moment, but looking back to connect these dots is not only a fun exercise, but it can also strengthen our resolve that in the future, those events we don’t understand will eventually be a dot connected.

Brain - Improve Your Focus, Improve Your Life

For the entirety of this year, I have been working on my ability to focus. We talk ad nauseam about all of the distractions in our world, and while the short-term implications of those are concerning (Time spent on social media, phone within reach at all times, audio in the background everywhere, etc), it’s the long-term effects that worry me the most.

I have always been a little scatter-brained, but I think we can all admit that it’s slightly concerning that if we were to sit down in a room and attempt to meditate for 10 minutes with no other stimulus, that we would really struggle.

We all subliminally know that the only way to get good work done is through periods of deep focus and blocking out distractions. Here are a couple of suggestions from a piece in the American Psychological Association:

1. Single-Task Practice

This has been the most impactful for me - Choose one task (e.g., reading, writing, or a hobby) and commit to focusing on it for a set time, gradually increasing the duration.

Goal: Work up to 20–30 minutes of deep focus before taking a break. Doing this every day helps your brain compartmentalize on one action, and over time, assists in your ability to block out other noise.

2. Minimize Distractions

Create a dedicated workspace free from unnecessary interruptions. Use tools like website blockers (e.g., Freedom or StayFocusd) to limit access to distracting sites.

Studies show that multitasking can reduce productivity by up to 40% because of "switching costs"—the mental effort required to refocus after interruptions

3. Active Observation

Spend 10 minutes observing your surroundings. For example, sit in a park and focus on describing what you see, hear, and smell.

This trains mindfulness and sharpens your sensory awareness - for me, it helps me encourage myself to be present and grounded in whatever moment and environment I am in at the time.

4. Use the Pomodoro Technique

Work in focused intervals (e.g., 25 minutes), followed by a 5-minute break.

This method keeps your brain engaged while avoiding burnout.

My calendar today looks a lot different than it did on January 1, in large part to some of these suggestions. I have become more regimented in blocking off times in my calendar for structured work.

For example - Every morning from 8 - 10 I now have a block on my calendar to focus specifically on my most important tasks for the day. I have a 30-minute block in every day to produce / listen to content for this newsletter. I try to catch up on emails during the 11 - 12 block, and some time between 12 - 2 I have a 30-minute block to get up and move around. All of these actions are simply an intentional practice to help encourage focused work around the most important activity, but it doesn’t happen naturally. The world is vying for our attention - we have to fight back with structure and practices like above.

Body - Understanding Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

There’s a common misunderstanding in the fitness and nutrition spaces that the majority of the calories we burn in a day comes from the effort we output in the gym and through physical activity. While it is certainly a big part of the equation, it’s helpful to understand the basics of the four pillars of calorie burning that cumulate into our TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

TDEE is the total amount of energy your body uses daily and is a crucial number to understand for anyone focused on fitness, weight loss, or general health. Let’s break it down step by step.

TDEE is made up of four main factors:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR is the energy your body needs to maintain vital functions like breathing, circulating blood, and keeping your organs running while at rest. Think of it as the calories you’d burn if you stayed in bed all day (Most people don’t consider that their body is naturally burning calories on its own throughout the day).

You can estimate BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation:

• For men:

  • BMR=10×weight (kg)+6.25×height (cm)−5×age (years)+5

• For women:

  • BMR=10×weight (kg)+6.25×height (cm)−5×age (years)−161

2. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

This refers to the energy you expend during daily activities like walking, cleaning, fidgeting, or even standing. The more active your lifestyle, the higher your NEAT.

For a sedentary person, NEAT can account for 10% of total calories burned in a day, while for an active person, NEAT can account for 30%+.

3. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

Every time you eat, your body uses energy to digest, absorb, and process nutrients. This is called the Thermic Effect of Food. On average, TEF accounts for about 10% of your total caloric intake, with protein requiring more energy to process than fats or carbohydrates. Hence the recommendation for weight loss periods to focus heavily on protein consumption.

4. Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)

This is the energy burned during intentional exercise, such as running, lifting weights, or yoga. The amount varies depending on the intensity and duration of your workouts.

Weight loss and weight gain is not an exact science, so it is helpful to know all of the factors that go into your body’s daily calorie needs. If you can focus on small improvements in daily activity, increases in protein consumption for a higher thermic effect, and increased efforts in the gym, you will be well on your way to a higher TDEE, and with calories the same, well on your way to hitting your weight goal.

Book - The 10 Most Recommended Personal Development Books for 2024

I often get the question “I am picking back up on my reading journey, what book should I read?” I have a shelf full of recommendations, but I am also always interested in hearing what others are recommending too. As you look to set your reading goals for the remainder of the year and for 2025, pull from this list for the Top-10 most recommended books in 2024, based on an AI comparison of articles written on the subject this calendar year:

1. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear - A guide to building good habits and breaking bad ones through small, incremental changes using evidence-based strategies. It's practical and applicable to almost any area of life.

2. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey - A classic that explores principles of leadership, personal growth, and effective habits for personal and professional success

3. "Deep Work" by Cal Newport - Focuses on the value of deep, undistracted work in a world filled with distractions, helping readers increase productivity and achieve meaningful results​

4. "Can't Hurt Me" by David Goggins - A blend of autobiography and motivational guide that teaches mental toughness and overcoming adversity​

5. "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl - A profound exploration of finding meaning in life, even during suffering, based on Frankl's experiences in a concentration camp

6. "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg - Offers insights into how habits form and provides strategies for creating lasting change through the concept of the "habit loop"

7. "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie - Timeless advice on building relationships, communication, and interpersonal skills

8. "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson - A refreshing take on personal values and prioritization, encouraging readers to focus on what truly matters in life

9. "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill - Combines interviews with successful individuals to outline a 13-step formula for achievement and success

10. "Daring Greatly" by Brené Brown - Explores the power of vulnerability in fostering creativity, connection, and courage, challenging societal norms around perfectionism

I’ve even got a side-bar challenge for you this week - pick one to two of these books, find a local book store in your city, and go buy them. This is on my list for 2025 to get better at - stop sending money to Amazon, start spending it locally. Join me -