#06: On age, and good design
a gentle nudge
Welcome to Nuclear Wisdom, a weekly newsletter of fresh ideas and mental models for your self-expansion and improved well-being.
Today at a Glance:
Idea: on age
Resource: amusing read on great design
Read time: 2 minutes
Last week I found myself having a surprising amount of free time.
I always feel guilty when I sit around and do nothing.
Okay, not always.
But when I have an idea of what to work on or how to invest that time, without taking action, I do…
To give you an idea of that feeling, let’s look through Mr. Pareto’s eyes:
If I spend one out of five days doing nothing, it will make me feel as if I just wasted four.
I hate that feeling. And to wipe it out, I decided to pick up a new online course:
Google UX Design
When I signed up for the course, I gave consent to answer a few demographic questions centered around Big Brother’s… I mean, Google’s desire to learn more about their course takers.
One of these questions left me surprised…
I’m 26.
And my close circle is mostly around my age or up to +10 years older.
I must admit that I can get so locked up in pursuits that I forget about essential things that make being in my mid-twenties as precious as they are.
This simple scale happened to be a powerful visual reminder of that.
Not that I’m Mr. Siesta I-just-like-to-relax-only, but I do love leisure.
Conscious leisure time is to us humans what the right amount of fresh water is to a plant.
It fuels the next sprint of growth ahead.
As you might have figured at this point, today’s letter is less about guilty feelings, although I enjoyed using the topic as a vehicle to get to my point.
It’s about time as a valuable asset, perfectly nailed by a quote I heard this year.
Live your age.
No hero ever made their journey by consistently fighting dragons and doing only that without a break.
It likely is the climax of their journey, but not the journey itself.
A hero will also stroll through the forest, meet villagers, bite into shiny red apples, ride his horse, fall in love, or sit idly at scenic spots.
To me, being 26 is a lot about working hard.
But it also is a heck of a lot about building meaningful relationships,
ensuring that I don’t lose my inner child,
and not waiting for retirement to live.
It‘s about living my age.
But age doesn’t matter,
if you don‘t live it.
Live your age.
Electric kettle = perfect design?
Think about the last time you almost had to pull out a manual or watch a tutorial to grasp the function of an everyday object or tool.
It’s like a deep scratch into your brain. It hurts.
I’m not a Designer, but I’m obsessed with good design.
Something pleasant to the eye and a breeze for the mind–simple enough that even pre-schoolers would understand.
When working through Google’s UX Design course, I came across a website with an excellent curation of 15 of the best and most practical designs (probably) in human history.
Each of them paired with thoughts on what makes good design, by designers at Google.
Hint: You likely own at least one-third of these.
Design is not merely a craft or a profession.
Design has powerful lessons to teach.
It’s a universal language.
A pot full of wisdom.
And a lot of fun.
Thanks a bunch & until next time,
Mete
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