Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about behavior change. I’ve always wanted to believe that someone would be there to support me. And we are, all of us, co-dependent on other humans. We need people in order to survive. But, ultimately, we are all responsible for ourselves. There isn’t anyone else. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ Nobody is coming to save you There’s a social media account I like called Nature...
12 days ago • 4 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about behavior change. As we wind down the last few weeks of 2024, I’ve been reflecting on why I write and what this newsletter is for. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ Why Snafu? I stumbled into the phrase SNAFU by accident. Last winter, my father and a close friend both asked me, quite out of the blue, if I knew what SNFU means. I’d thought “snafu” was an English word that...
19 days ago • 5 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about behavior change. In work and in life, change can feel scary, expensive, and difficult. It doesn't have to be. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ Is this safe to try? I’m frequently doing ridiculous self-experiments like eating just three ingredients for six months, sitting in freezing cold water, or selling a cafe on Craigslist. When I first read the Respnsive.org manifesto...
26 days ago • 2 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about behavior change. Speed matters. In business, being able to execute quickly is a competitive advantage – sometimes the difference between success and failure. When making big decisions, sometimes you need less evidence than you know. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ How much evidence do you need to know that something is true? When I first walked into a gymnastics gym, I...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about behavior change. Running self-experiments doesn't have to be hard. Here are some tactics that can help. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ Self-experimentation I first heard the term “self-experimentation” as an undergraduate in behavioral psychology My professor gave a few examples of his own. He went a month with no sugar, which made carrots taste unbearably sweet. He...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about behavior change. Several gay friends are preparing to leave the United States, while other people I know could not be more excited with the results of the election. Meanwhile, I'm over here falling in love. There’s a fair bit of cognitive dissonance going around right now. Today's article is about the emotional agility necessary to navigate complexity without giving up. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about behavior change. I went more than 45 days without food last year. Fasting is simultaneously the hardest and most rewarding discipline I've undertaken. Here's what I learned. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ How to fast A friend of mine is embarking on his first 4-day water only fast, so I sent him a voice memo with all of my lessons learned from fasting over the last few...
about 2 months ago • 8 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about how to change behavior. In learning something new, it is easy to confuse practice with performance. They're both important in tackling a new skill, but serve distinctly different roles. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ Know the difference between practice and performance As an undergraduate, I studied learning. Specifically, I became obsessed with the impact of variable...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Welcome to Snafu, a newsletter about work, life, and behavior change. When you are stuck, even activity in the opposite direction from your goal can be effective. Action begets action. Course correct once you’ve begun. If you're enjoying Snafu, it would mean the world to me if you would share it! Was this sent to you? Subscribe here. ↓ I hit a point – ten meetings or a hundred email into my day – where anything I try feels like failure. I can’t think clearly enough even to decide what to do...
2 months ago • 3 min read