Happy Saturday, friend!

We’re back again with another edition of Productivity + Habits + Fun

😃 Fun Fact of the Week

The heartbeat of a blue whale can be heard up to 2 miles (3km) away!

And it can weigh up to 400lbs (181kg)!

🐦 Tweet of the Week

This idea has been on my mind lately - that we make our own authority.

There are structures and institutions out there that do operate by giving authority:

• Military

• Government

• School

But at the end of the day, what really matters is whether the person in question is able to do the thing.

That ability is the authority, and you can increase it through time and effort.

This is a reminder to be to get good at my craft and keep seeking mastery.

💪 Featured Productivity Tool

(OFFTIME)

This is an app for Android and iOS that limits your phone usage.

For those of us struggling to put the phone away and be present, this app can help you by:

• Scheduling Offtime in advance

• Inviting others to join you in Offtime to be present with each other

• Selecting which apps you want to ignore during Offtime (Do not disturb mode impacts all apps)

I’m just beginning to play with it, but I’d love to know how you like it if you try it!

PS - This is not sponsored. I just think it has the potential to help you. :)

🐋 More Info On The Blue Whale’s Heart

I wound up researching the fun fact a bit more, and I had to share this.

Isn’t it amazing!?

🦠 Gut Microbiome

The microbiome has been gaining some popularity over the last 10-ish years.

I like that this chart shows what proportion of microorganism lives in each section of the digestive tract.

🤔 Decision-making Idea

Third-person Effect: We tend to believe that other people are influenced by the media more than we are.

I don’t think this one needs an example, but I think we can all agree to be careful of our media consumption.

Here are some tips to limit what you take in:

• Track your time on apps

• Turn off push notifications

• Move social media apps off your home screen

• Set up “no phone zones” and “no phone times” where you don’t use your phone at all

🧠 Quote of the Week

This is in line with the old “sink or swim” mantra.

In almost every job I’ve ever had, I had to learn quickly with minimum guidance.

Sure, there were orientations and trainings, but the nuts and bolts of the role always came informally, sometimes by trial and error.

I learned how to learn and how to focus on the next practical step.

Eventually, that led to me becoming more open to new experiences and taking more calculated risks.

Now, I seek out these circumstances because they shortcut the path to learning.

What about you?

Do you have any experiences in which you had to learn fast?

Special Message

Thank you so much for spending some of you precious time with me. 🙂

I’m always looking to improve, so hit “reply” and let me know what you think!

Have an awesome week.

Sincerely,

Steven Sanders

PS - I hope to see you on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn!