Matt’s Mix Tape, vol. 121
Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson, and this is Matt’s Mix Tape: essays + links on living a vibrant and creative middle life.
This weeks Mix:
Digital feedback, analog heart
How to read any book in a week
Half-ass your way to elite fitness
How to write a short story online
Florida photo
Digital feedback, analog heart
Chris Wong wrote a powerful tribute to his grandfather, who, at age 13, came to America alone:
I’ve wondered why he came here, if it was his idea? Did he have a dream he was trying to fulfill? Or was it the only chance to escape the famines and wars? All I know is that he overcame every obstacle and he was successful by any measure possible. He forged his own path. He took responsibility for his life and created meaning.
And then Chris asks:
My school was 90% white, but did I feel out of place because I was different or because I felt different? What happens if you stop trying to fit in and just are?
His question makes me think about writing.
There’s a ton of content being generated right now around hyper-optimizing your writing based on data. Basically doubling down on whatever gets a response.
Data is important. But you know what else is important?
Creating stuff you like.
Salman highlights the most important data point of all:
What happens when you apply Chris’ question—what happens if you stop trying to fit in and just are—to writing?
You just write and make things you like.
Yes, feedback matters.
But don’t bury the things trying to come out of you. You’re not a corporate marketing team. You’re a human. Strike a balance.
Digital feedback, analog heart.
How to read any book in a week
A simple idea from Alex:
Well, duh. Never thought of this.
But: what if you read with the Kindle app?
Divide out the total number of pages by seven
Put the page number you need to reach each day in your calendar or to-do list
I’m going to try this with my next read.
Half-ass your way to elite fitness
Kevin Rapp, on his half-assed gym routine:
… I try to figure out the minimum amount I need to do to avoid morphing into the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
In practice, half assing fitness looks like decreasing the amount of time I spend in the gym as much as I can without getting too fat. This allows me to recover a few hours each week to repurpose elsewhere.
Yes!
Many people avoid exercise because they see it as a huge time suck. It doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t need to burn hours on treadmills or staring at Peleton screens.
Strength train, intensely but briefly, three times a week
Walk
Do some (brief—like 5-10 minutes!) intense cardio 2-3 times a week
Then show up, over and over.
Consistent half-assery in fitness can change your health, your physique, and your life.
How to write a short story online
My friend Tobi Emonts-Holly, on how he wrote his most recent short story:
After coming up with the initial idea, I jotted down some bullet points and drew plot developments in my Apple Notes app. Next, I copied them over to Notion, which meant I never really sat down with a blank screen, I had a framework of an idea waiting for me, awaiting me to mould it.
The days of staring alone at a blank page are over.
Writing starts long before we sit down to draft, and technology lets us gather—and share—our thoughts during the “pre-writing” phase.
This week’s Florida photo
Lots of morning fog this week.
Hello to 35 new subscribers
That puts us over the 800 mark. 1000 is within striking distance.
And thank you to you for reading. Drop me a note, ask a question, or tell me my opinion is wrong anytime.
The reading a book in a week trick has already changed the game for me. It's strangely effective!