Hi Reader,

I was in Jackson Hole last week and it was EPIC!

The mountain got nearly 4 feet of fresh snow in 4 days.

My mustache has never seen so much powder nor been so frozen.

Here's a picture of the two of us enjoying the deep pow pow:

If you can't see the picture, click "Show photos" at the top of this email.

What I'm (re)-learning about 🧠

The most valuable exercise Tim Ferriss does every month.

Tim Ferriss is a best-selling author, investor, entrepreneur, podcaster, and an absolute legend in the life-improvement world.

Given my 14-word description of him, you can probably infer that I think he's a pretty cool dude.

If you haven't heard of Mr. Ferriss, you live under a larger rock than I do.

Either that or you are hopelessly wasting your time watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians as your IQ points take a permanent vacation.

But back to Tim.

This man will forever hold a special place in my heart.

He was the first self-improvement "guru" I discovered on my path of personal development when I graduated from college.

He was my light in a very dark world when I discovered that working in internal audit (my first real job) was a one-way ticket to unfathomable sadness.

Ok, ok, I'll stop fanboying and get on with it.

Tim Ferriss has an incredibly powerful exercise called Fear Setting.

I discovered it years ago and it, combined with learning more about Stoicism, changed my life.

The logic behind Fear Setting is as follows:

You should define your fears instead of your goals
What you are most afraid of isn't really that bad

I highly recommend you read Tim's post about it here so you can hear his personal story and many others who chose to face their fears.

But just in case you're in a rush, here's how to do the exercise:

Define your nightmare (i.e. the absolute worst-case scenario that could happen if you did what you are considering)
Brainstorm everything you could do to prevent your nightmare from coming true. Is there anything you could do to reduce the likelihood of a worst-case scenario?
If your nightmare comes true (highly unlikely by the way), what actions could you take to repair the damage?

That's it.

Get your biggest fears out of your head and onto the page.

This will set you free and you'll realize that your nightmares aren't as scary as you thought they were.

The final question is:

What are you waiting for?

The answer is simple: You’re probably afraid, just like the rest of the world.

So it's a good thing that action defeats fear.

Or in the words of Susan Jeffers:

"Feel the fear and do it anyway."

What I'm thinking about 💭

The spontaneous timing of meaningful conversations.

Think back to the last time you had a truly meaningful conversation.

Maybe it was a vulnerable discussion with your partner.

Or maybe it was a meandering, late-night chat with your best friend about the meaning of life.

Whichever it was, I am willing to bet it wasn't planned.

I have a theory that it is nearly impossible to plan the conversations that end up being the most meaningful.

They happen when they want to.

This is something I have noticed over the years, and remind myself of constantly.

Sometimes the bedtime, the morning routine, or the schedule must be thrown out the window to take advantage of a special moment.

It happened just the other night with my dad.

We stayed up later than normal talking about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

At least part of that sentence is true...

It was one of the highlights of our weeklong ski trip and I'll cherish that conversation for the rest of my life.

As you head into this week, remember that the best moments in life are often unexpected.

They are fleeting, fragile, and easy to miss if your face is glued to a screen.

When you feel a special moment or conversation unfolding, pay attention.

Meetings and task completion can be rescheduled.

The moments that make life worth living cannot.

Quote(s) of the week 📜

"What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do."

- Tim Ferriss

What I'm reading 📚

I just started reading Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life by Rory Sutherland.

This book is incredible.

It's all about the times in which logic and reason fail humanity because we are incredibly irrational beings - especially when it comes to consumer behavior.

Take Red Bull for example.

Nearly everyone who has ever tasted it agrees that it's disgusting...

But somehow Red Bull sold over 11 BILLION cans in 2022.

Rory is hilarious, witty, and insightful.

I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to uncover the quirks of the human mind.