My Template for the Ideal Place to Live

June is when the year really starts to pick up momentum—summer's here, energy is shifting, and there's this feeling that it's time to make things happen.

Inside our Second Brain Membership this month, we're focusing on the engine that drives all meaningful progress: projects.

The focused efforts that actually move the needle. We're diving deep into how to manage multiple projects without losing your mind—and how to consistently follow through to completion.

Here's what our team will explore in the Office Hours:

6/3: Project Launch & Breakdown
6/10: Project Execution & Momentum
6/17: Managing People & Dependencies
6/24: Project Completion & Learning

Join the Second Brain Membership

(You'll also unlock instant access to everything we've covered so far—past themes, Office Hours, expert workshops, and more.)

Your Inbox Isn't Broken, Your System Is

Here's what's really happening when your email inbox feels overwhelming: you're using it as a substitute for systems you haven't built yet.

Every email sitting in your inbox represents an unmade decision.

That newsletter you'll "read later"? You need a read-later app. Those task-related messages? You need a proper task manager. The meeting details you're saving? Your calendar should handle that.

Email has become the safety net that catches everything your other productivity systems don't handle well. No wonder it feels chaotic.

The fix isn't better email management. It's recognizing what doesn't belong there in the first place.

Start with one simple audit: look at your last 20 emails and ask yourself where each piece of information actually belongs.

Project updates belong in your project management system, article links should go to a read-later app, and meeting notes live in your calendar or notes app.

Most of what's clogging your inbox doesn't belong there at all.

Reply and tell me what surprised you most about where your emails should be living—I'd love to hear your biggest aha moment.

How a Small Mexican Town Became My Template for the Ideal Place to Live

After 9 months in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, I've discovered what might be the most perfect place for an expat family to live.

But here's what's fascinating: the magic isn't random.

I've identified 13 criteria that work together as a system to create something extraordinary. From the right distance to a major city to "strategic inconvenience," these elements reinforce each other in surprising ways.

Plus, I'm sharing dozens of other towns around the world that fit this same template—including options in Central America, the US, and Canada.

Read on the blog

Book Recommendation: Lean Learning by Pat Flynn

Pat Flynn’s new book is a welcome antidote to the modern curse of “over-learning.”

It’s an empowering guide to a new, on-demand, just-in-time style of learning that is much better suited to the Information Age.

As AI ushers in sweeping changes to how human society functions, the ability to move beyond information to action and beyond consuming to developing tangible skills is going to make all the difference in the world.

Get your copy

Make Time for Big Ideas

I still love learning from books. But after having kids, carving out hours to read just isn’t realistic anymore.

That’s why I recommend Shortform — it gives you deep, thoughtful summaries of top nonfiction books, without cutting corners on substance.

You’ll find titles like Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal and Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman, plus a growing library covering everything from career and psychology to leadership and creativity.

What makes Shortform great: