It's amazing to think how many things you can do with an hour or two of straight work.
Simple things such as
It is also wonderful to think that we live in a generation where our houses are built for comfort, we are not surrounded by wild animals, and our technology is designed to provide us an abundance of time.
However, why do we sometimes feel stuck despite these privileges that are supposed to simplify our lives?
Many of us, myself included, are guilty of this, and here is how I combat it:
It's a surprise even to me that I can write straight daily.
I don't strategize nor overthink too much.
I just realized that each of us has something to tell.
We are a storyteller.
Don't believe me?
Challenge yourself to write daily and think of friends that you haven't met for so long, and try to imagine things that you want to tell them.
You'll see in less than 10 minutes, you can write something...
In the past, I made money sending cold emails, and my client also made money sending cold email (I believe even now after setting it up.)
I'm still doing cold email on and off, but not to the point that I'm crazy enough to buy a bunch of cold email tools, such as email inbox, email automation, and email warm-up tool (i.e., tools that will help you land to the primary inbox instead of spam.)
Just earlier today, I saw the video of Lead Gen Jay advising people to stop using Google Workspace if they want to stay relevant in the cold email game, and he also gives advice on what to use instead.
Here's the link for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpwAqJNHkjw.
So what's my take on it?
Again, I'm still sending cold emails, but more intentionally, at least once a week, and I only reach out if it makes sense (networking or collaborating) to me and to someone who is going to receive my email.
Mass cold emails, on the other hand, are expensive, and some people want to be ahead by sending thousands of emails every day, hoping that they will close a deal and become rich in the fastest way possible.
There's nothing wrong with that, especially if you have a 6-digit offer. I believe it is worth trying this approach; however, if you are a freelancer seeking a $200 project, you're better off showing what you can do on LinkedIn and Instagram.
This might be you...
Wake up early in the morning, prepare a coffee, and then go straight to your PC or laptop to browse LinkedIn or check your email for any positive updates from the recruiter, only to be met with message after message of rejection.
Starting in 2017, I stopped sending resumes... I don't spend my time posting on Facebook, which could potentially attract clients or job opportunities...
I focused my efforts on visiting multiple businesses' websites and social media pages to create a report.
What report? You may ask...
By doing this, you will not see the result instantly, but eventually, you'll reap the reward for your effort, such as getting invited to work with them, getting free accommodation or a ticket for an exclusive event, and getting free travel.
"Applet" is the term used by IFTTT for the automation you have created; it's like a "zap" for Zapier.
If you are using IFTTT, feel free to use my custom applet available at: https://ift.tt/ZegJyxj.
Here's what it does:
Overemployment is a thing in the West, and Filipinos are now starting to adapt to it.
Is it really worth it? Well, every job is different, but each will require you to dedicate 4 to 8 hours of your time.
If you have two jobs requiring you to work for 4 hours each, I think that's manageable, but if those jobs have a lot of multi-step processes and require you to remember every step of the way, you'll be burned out eventually.
To avoid getting a second job, do the following instead:
At the end of the day, there are multiple ways to get money, but the quality time with friends, family, and ourselves—that's something we can't buy back.
I'm not a fan of image generation nor viral AI video creation, which Gemini and ChatGPT can do best.
My fascination is more about the pattern, behavior, and culture.
So if there's an idea or question that suddenly pops out in my head, my first go-to website will be Perplexity; it will provide direct, to-the-point answers with references, and it can also cite the forum for further analysis.
Yesterday, I signed up on IFTTT for the purpose of getting weather and blog updates to the website that I follow, but when I explored more possibilities within the app, I figured out a better use for it.
Now I reduce my YouTube watch time by automating the summary.
Here's the workflow:
After having this set up, I don't need to watch on YouTube, and it means a lot to me. I can have more time to write, work on side projects, and exercise.
I've used IFTTT in the past (also known as If This Then That) but haven't maximized it.
Now, I will use it again for a basic function as for now, which is to remind me to meditate, notify me if there's a new blog on the website I follow, and maybe add a weather update so that I can know if it is the right time to have an outdoor activity or not.
For $2.99 per month, you can get a tool that will remind you, keep you updated, and organize.
Well, not bad...
It was the month of February in this year, 2025. We set up a group chat where I invited my friend to join me to do at least 20 reps of push-ups every single day.
We began with just the two of us until our partners, colleagues, and friends joined in.
Great...
We keep doing it every single day, and yes, there are times that we miss it, but because we get notified from the member's update, we can always come back.
Some productivity enthusiasts refer to this concept as "The Anchor." The idea basically is to create something that will remind you of what you are supposed to do.
I was able to write consistently without missing a day because my anchor was a pinned website on the homepage of my browser, which reminds me to write and publish a blog.