Hi Reader,

Every month I spend time reading and exploring the Internet and always find something I want to dig into a little deeper. And even though February is the shortest month of all, it was no exception. From decision-making to artisanal coffee to rejigging my own schedule - what I discovered in February gave me plenty to think about.

Here are, as I share every month, 6 of those things:

1. In this ​blog post, Austin Kleon shares a behind-the-scenes look at how he prepares for three different talks. I just wrapped up my first in-person talk this month and also delivered a couple of virtual ones, so I can relate to what he shared, especially since one was a keynote talk and the others were workshops. I find it's always helpful to see how other people approach the creative process, especially, with who I've had the pleasure to chat with ​before. (By the way, if you're interested in having me do a talk or workshop for your business, feel free to reach out to me.)
2. Writer and past podcast guest Paul Millerd reflects on the art of learning through cooking in this piece. For years I've been looking for how to do something to offset my creative and entrepreneurial work, ideally something with my hands. I tried woodworking. I tried gardening. Paul's post reminded me that I've been cooking for years... and really enjoy it. So now I'm leaning into it. Not for the learning, but for the offsetting of my other work.
3. You know what? Time is indeed your ally.​
4. Taylor Pearson outlines a simple decision-making framework called The Collison Decision Matrix. It's a helpful tool for anyone who's struggling to make an important decision or feeling overwhelmed by the options available to them. I'm certain I'll be able to apply elements of this framework to help people with TimeCrafting, so I'm glad I stumbled upon it.
5. I spent a couple of days in Utah this month and had a chance to meet some TimeCrafting Trust members while in Salt Lake City. While we went to a fantastic coffee shop called Publik Coffee, my friend Courtney Carver (who joined us at the coffee shop) told me about Caffe D'Bolla and how I should make an effort to go there someday. It's an artisanal coffee shop run by barista Joseph Brodsky. This page offers highlights from his blog, which is full of insightful and detailed posts about coffee, from the history of different roasts to the science of brewing methods. As a coffee nerd, I'm going to make every effort to visit Cafe D'Bolla someday soon.
6. Admittedly, I tend to let my daily walk ritual drift during the rainy winter months here in Victoria. But this year more than ever I've noticed how letting them slide has affected me. Reading this piece from Ryan Holiday drove me to not only get back to the practice but double down on it. I've started taking two 30-minute walks per day. These walks are now part of two Horizontal Themes I've put in place on my calendar and by committing to them I'm noticing their effects already. So do yourself a favour today... and go for a walk. (Or two.)

That's it for this edition of 6 Things to Think About. I'll see you next month, as we "march" our way into Spring here in my part of the world.

See you later,
Mike
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​P.S. Want a look at my weekly schedule, complete with Daily and Horizontal Themes? Reply to this email with the subject line STEAL MIKE'S SCHEDULE and I'll send it your way. You probably won't follow my schedule to the letter, but if any aspect of it inspires you, then feel free to do what you think will work and discard the rest.

P.P.S. You may have noticed that you received not one but two emails from me last Thursday. My bad. That email was scheduled to go out later this week as a reminder about the Task Management and Time Blocking Summit that I'm part of this week, but I hit "Send" instead of Schedule." Sorry about adding more email to your inbox that day. I'll be more careful going forward.