May Newsletter

Hope you're enjoying the warmer weather, and a return to normal life in the near future. This month, my recommendations are:

Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself, by Mike Michalowicz. Though the title is pretty self-explanatory, there are a couple less obvious (but no less valuable) benefits to doing this kind of work on your business. First, you get the benefit of a higher quality business, better positioned for growth and new challenges for as long as you want to run it. Then, should you decide to sell your business, you can potentially command a higher price, as the business can run more autonomously for the new owners too. This not only attracts a wider range of buyers, but also makes the business itself more valuable.

Stanford University Lecture on Depression, by Dr. Robert Sapolsky. Sapolsky is the college professor you wish you had. Thought-provoking, entertaining, and thoroughly in command of his material. Sapolsky argues that depression is as real a disease as diabetes, and backs up his argument with neurobiology. The real insights of the lecture don't require a technical background, however, and I think you'll find some broad takeaways about how a depressed brain works differently. Cliff notes here.

How to Recover from Depression, by Dr. Michael Yapko. Whereas Sapolsky's lecture is more about understanding depression as a disease, Yapko focuses on how to make your life better if you are depressed. It's hard, he notes, because part of being depressed means feeling incapable of doing the things that would make you feel better. But it still helps to have an actionable list: Cut out alcohol completely, start exercising, be social, eat right, and seek disconfirming evidence for negative thoughts. During the last 12 months, you may have found some or all of these more challenging than usual. I certainly have. But I hope you'll join me in working your way back into a better lifestyle. Small changes add up.

Enjoy!

Nicholas