2x2: New novels, old games, and high-impact habits

Hey all, Welcome to this week's edition of 2x2 … your weekly newsletter of links and ideas for creative folks and leaders. I’m officially back from my time in Colorado. And, aside from the mice in our Airbnb, it was a fantastic trip. [There are a handful of mountain photos posted to my Instagram.]( And, now that I’m back from the trip, I’ll be starting up the [productivity and focus content again]( as well. Please do let me know if there is a topic or question you’d like me to address related to productivity and focus. And, as always, below you will find a couple of resources, tools, diversions, books, tools, toys, or other types of recommendations for you to check out; and then, secondly, are a couple of ideas, stories, or tips from me. Check this out 1: [Our Beginner’s Guide to Notion]( As a team, we’ve been using Notion for nearly 2 years, and it has made a significant impact in how we manage and run our editorial calendars. And, over on The Sweet Setup, we just recently updated [our beginner’s Notion guide](. 2: [Upgrade (new book from Blake Crouch)]( Blake Crouch is one of my favorite authors. [Dark Matter]( is one of my all-time favorite novels. I loved the [Wayward Pines Trilogy](. Ditto with [Recursion](. So yeah… that’s my way of saying that his new book, [Upgrade](, just came out and I am ready to dive into it this weekend! Something to think about 1: Not all habits are created equal Some habits will have a disproportionately positive (or negative) impact than others. If you do a high-impact habit consistently for years then it will bring about a massive change in your life. Here are 4 high-impact routines that have created a disproportionately positive impact on my life over the years: - I have automated my savings, giving, and investing so that I never have to think about when or how much I should be putting into those accounts. It happens on autopilot and I reap the benefits. - My wife and I have a date night every week (even if it is merely at home on the back porch). - I set aside at least one hour every work day for undistracted time to do focused, deep work. - Every day I do at least a 15-minute workout. Put another way, the whole point in having a routine is to make your life better. And, if you’re going to have a routine, you might as well have one that is high-impact. 2: Divergence and Convergence When you are learning something new, or when you are working on a new project, consider the process of divergence and convergence. Divergence means going far and wide. Exposing yourself to all sorts of ideas, inputs, conversations, and subject matter. Convergence means going narrow. Focusing on the key takeaways, distilling your thoughts, and coming to a focused point of view. You want both because if you are only ever diverging, then you never end up producing anything worthwhile and you end up in information overload. And if you are only ever converging, then you burn out on trying to create without any fresh inspiration. * * * — Shawn P.S. While prepping for this week’s newsletter, I re-stumbled across an old favorite iPhone puzzle game: [twofold inc.]( (And I may or may not have gotten distracted playing it.) [In-Depth App Training for Power Users]( To unsubscribe, click [here](. Blanc Media, 714 Main St., Grandview, MO 64030, United States