Reflection time

As we pass the halfway point of 2023, it is a great time to reflect on what you achieved in the past 6 months, what challenges you overcame, and what is the way forward. I have even picked a special book this week to help you in the process.

Every quarter I make a list of my achievements for the past 3 months. In my recent Q2 reflection, I included launching my first book and organizing a poetry reading event.

The method only takes a minute to do, but it is great for reminding you of all the amazing things you did. And at the end of the year, you will be able to look back and have a snapshot of all your achievements.

Remember to not only look at yourself, but also at how you have impacted others during the past months. What issues did you solve? Who did you help? What did you teach?

Other people know of many opportunities and challenges, and are waiting for the right opportunity to share them with someone. Give them that chance. Make yourself seen.

The changes to the LinkedIn algorithm focus on meaningful interactions in post comments, so you have an incentive to engage in conversations - both online and offline.

Relax, reflect, recharge, think, dream. Then go out, meet, talk, help, collaborate. You got this!

🤑 5 ways to make money online as a content creator (and 18 others)

Content creators often struggle to monetize their work. Alex from the Steal Club comes to the rescue with 23 practical ways to make money online as a content creator.

This is not a make-a-million-dollars-in-a-day type of guide - instead, it will give you some battle-tested ideas for developing an extra income stream.

See all 23 proposed methods here.

Shelf Shocks

1. Burn After Writing by Sharon Jones

Let’s start with something different - when was the last time you sat down with your own thoughts and asked yourself some personal questions?

Burn After Writing aims to be an antidote to the erosion of personal space in the digital world. It wants to help you reflect in private, without worrying about the outside world looking in.

With questions asking you to pick a theme song for your life or share the five times you were the happiest, this book will help you get to know yourself better and rediscover what really matters to you.

2. Courage Is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave by Ryan Holiday

I already talked about Ryan Holiday’s book on discipline, and Courage is Calling brings more of the same awesomeness. Prepare for inspirational stories from historical, political, and sports figures who show us that greatness won’t find us in our comfy chairs at home. Instead, we need to go out there, face challenges, push through, and win.

If you feel like fear is holding you back from pursuing what you want to do, the stories in this book will inspire and help you find your inner bravery and courage.

3. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

Kolbert, a staff writer from The New Yorker, warns us that we are on the verge of a massive extinction event, where the variety of life on the planet will be drastically reduced. She highlights that issues like deforestation, greenhouse gasses, and the mining of fossil fuels bring the threat of extinction not only to a large number of animal species, but to the human race as a whole.

This is a fascinating book, which will make you understand just how fragile life on our earth actually is. It was written back in 2014, and it is alarming to see that many of the issues Kolbert highlighted are still to be addressed.

Helpful Articles

1. The best productivity trick

Don’t you wish that there was a simple way to keep your calendar clear so you have more time and be more productive?

Well, James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, knows just the trick - and it is not what you might be expecting.

Fun Links

1. Next-level QR codes 

The image above is actually a QR code. Don’t believe me? Try scanning it!

What is more, you can create an image like this yourself! Using Stable Diffusion and ControlNet, you too can generate impressive QR codes that lead to your awesome projects. Find a detailed tutorial here.

You've reached the end of my newsletter. Hooray! If you have any comments or would like to share what you enjoyed the most, feel free to get in touch! See you in two weeks!