I want to be a better writer. I started a new habit on January 3 — write in public every day. The experimental habit started off well, with content on topics that I was truly interested in. But after only 2 weeks, I fell off the train, reducing my efforts to 3, then 2, and now only 1 time a week.

Willful daydreaming will never be a completely mindful practice. Feeling the Earth under our feet as we walk, noticing the pressure from the seat we’re sitting on, or the feel of the steering wheel in our hands while we’re driving is an important exercise in centering our minds and reducing anxiety (worrying about the future) and depression (thinking about the past). But allowing our bodies to fall into the very natural process of background thinking is a valuable habit and practicable skill in moderation.

I have an on-again, off-again relationship with meditation and mindfulness practice. Over the last few years, I've tried a fair share of meditation apps, programs, and podcasts to help practice mindfulness.

Yesterday, in under 30 seconds, "Buddhism TikTok" taught me the true meaning and purpose of mindfulness that I didn't know after years of exercise. It wasn’t about finding inner peace or calming nerves to help me work more proficiently. It was about presence.

After reflecting on the experience, I realized that by providing myself with the space for mental preparation, I was able to handle urgent requests and messages with greater acuity. It's true, you might say I could take a few minutes to compose myself when I log in, but I'd argue that creating your digital workspace every morning is just like keeping a productive physical workspace. Set yourself for success.

I've been thinking about the concept of reframing problems a lot lately. I found myself stuck in the process of drafting a case study, which, if you know me, is not typical. Both in writing and on paper, I have an easy time finding words. My problem has always been editing and reducing unnecessary text, but this time I just didn't know where to start.

Research is something that I’m personally passionate about. Although I’m admittedly not great at intentionally refining my process, the amount of research and learning I do online has helped me create a rough framework for my process.

I go into my research process expecting that it will be messy before it comes together - I also accept the fact that there may not be a conclusive answer or solution to my questions and that it is an evolving process that involves raw data consumption and copious note-taking.

To be productive beings, we need to give ourselves a chance to take breaks and recover. Just like your muscles, your brain needs time to rest in between sets. When we don’t schedule breaks, our brains tend to lose focus and gravitate towards new activities that are engaging and less intense. Be it Instagram, Reddit, or even TikTok, we need to give ourselves permission to relax our minds so we can be focused and productive when we need to be.

When we get too caught up in our constructed environments and our hopeless circumstances, it becomes hard to see beyond our own blinders. We think briefly about all the repercussions of our actions or our inaction and we let our minds project worst-case scenarios when in reality we should be thinking rationally about what our next step will be. Our lives are decided by the actions we take at each moment, not by playing out what could happen.

For me, it's golf. After college, my days of heavy practice and focus turned into recreation. Without the competitive streak, I ended up spending time on the course or the driving range without much direction. Sure, it passed the time and it's always fun to play with friends, but the most exciting part was getting better scores on the course. Why? Because as humans we crave satisfaction — and in sports that looks like improvement.

The smaller you go, the less impactful it may seem to the final goal, but tiny changes beget larger changes, and eventually bring you to the finish line — or at least tell you when you should stop.