Moonly Review 🌕 Decisions Overload
Slightly delayed Full Moon newsletter, due to getting stuck in decision making...
Happy Full Moon (with a slight delay),
It feels like the very first day of Summer. I'm sitting in a coffee place bathing in the Sun, looking at the snow-covered tip of Pico, or to be perfectly honest, I was sitting there when I started writing this newsletter. That was 4 days ago, and I only got around to finishing it today because I got stuck for 2 days in making a decision that was actually quite irrelevant... Woops.
This Moon Cycle was a true rollercoaster ride of emotions. I've noticed a lot of anxiety and overwhelm connected to decision-making (and took some time to reflect on this process with Silvia in this video / podcast).
Feeling that I'd benefit from paying more attention to the subconscious patterns governing my decision-making process, I've decided to experiment with a Decision Log ↔️, inspired by Farnam Street, as well as do some relational thinking in our community of practice.
As a consequence, I was able to go over the decision-overwhelm, at least for now, and focus on what I want to be doing most at the moment – shipping valuable content.
The White Log
For a long time now, Silvia and I have been debating the idea of shifting the direction of JournalSmarter.
While journaling is a core practice for me, we both feel quite restricted by the brand we have created, as we wanted to share ideas that are much broader than journaling only. This has been creating some tension in my mind for months (as Uli knows best... Thanks for all your help, btw.).
After a few months of constant back and forth, we finally made a choice, to start the process of shifting our direction. A tangible result of that shift is The White Log: an umbrella for articles, videos and documentation we want to share with the world, united by a vision of co-creating a diverse world where all beings (not just human) can thrive.
Reading the Story of B was certainly a big step towards clarifying the path I want to explore in this life.
We've also decided to launch a Patreon (and I just clicked the big fat launch button before sending this newsletter!), as a way to shift gears in our business towards the gift economy. We'll also change the pricing model for our upcoming courses to use a sliding scale, where participants decide their financial contribution. I'm curious to see how it goes.
The decision about Patreon as a platform wasn't an easy one, as I don't fully resonate with it, and I'd like to explore it deeper with a more in-depth article at some point.
But the decision to shift the direction feels right. Even as I write this I notice a strong drive to document and share the process of creating an "alternative business", as in a business focused on generating enough and creating positive impact in the world, rather than maximising sales at all costs.
Here's our Patron / White Log launch video for your enjoyment:
Here's the link to the video in case the thumbnail above is not showing.
Music is Becoming a Big Part of My Life
It's the first time in my life that I'm dedicating more energy to music, and I'm absolutely loving it.
First of all, there's the drum crew, which is one of the biggest highlights of my week. We're a group of 5, and 4 have never drummed before, yet we're making steady progress. But the best part is the energy generated by the drums. There is something truly magical that happens in every practice.
I'm also loving the process of leading the crew together with Silvia, as it pushes me to really understand how the patterns work, as well as compose my own music. It turns out that it's something that comes quite naturally to me.
Since some of you enjoyed the video I shared recently, here's another one where Silvia and I go through 3 patterns we're working on right now.
I've also had a chance to play some bass guitar, and I can tell it's my second favourite instrument. I have never really connected with a guitar, but bass... Well, it's different. I've had a chance to play around a little bit during a jam session recently, and I could create some funky basslines, despite the fact that it was the very first time I was playing this instrument.
Who knows, maybe I'll think about getting a bass some time later this year? For now I occasionally get some bass-related entertainment fix while watching a video from Davie504. I totally dig this guys sense of humour.
Four Small Things That Made My Life More Amazing
Obsidian
I'm totally in love with this tool. While I still feel that I have much to learn, the mere act of committing to a single app as a main focal point of my digital attention helps me tremendously. I use it for PKM, CRM, collecting ideas, documenting, outlining and writing content. Check it out here, it's free.
Mubi
Mubi makes my filmmaker self happy. It's a platform curating the highest quality cinema, helping you pick films worth your time, rather than shoving whatever goes into your throat like Netflix. I've seen some incredible films there, and I have never been disapointed. Here's a 30 day free trial, if you feel like giving it a go. I can't recommend it enough.
The Twentieth Century
Speaking of films... I am incredibly picky when it comes to films.
In my defense, I grew up in a house with over 10k video tapes, which likely influenced me to study film theory and film making for 6 years or so.
With that in mind, it's extremely rare that I come across a true pearl in cinema, especially in recent years. But, thanks to Mubi, I found one recently: The Twentieth Century by Matthew Rankin. I highly recommend it to any cinema lover, looking for a wild ride (think of a crossover of German Expressionism + Twin Peaks + Holy Mountain + Wes Anderson).
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Candle
Finally, a micro-hack that makes a big difference in my life recently. I stopped using artificial light in the evening, and instead I'm lighting up a few candles in my room around an hour before going to sleep. This helps me calm down and relax into sleep-mode. I also start my day with lighting a candle, instead of switching a lamp.
I've been experimenting with this for around two weeks and I've noticed two important changes:
I'm less prone to look at a screen of any sort when my candle is lit.
I sleep much, much better.
I'd say that's a BIG win.
Documentation Updates
I finally took the time to update my digital journal, which has been neglected for around half a year.
I've also added a few new recipes to Nomz, with a honorable mention of this EPIC CAYENNE BROWNIE, which I urge you to try.
That's it for now.
Have a wonderful day,
Michal