This week started bad. Loads of worrying, no proper sleep for a couple of days, and some kind of bug physically. In short, I’ve been far below 100%. Thursday, I got home from work. Tired. I went for a walk instead of a run. I decided that my body might do good with a short break from running, but I still need the movement. Got back to shower, and s…

Last Friday, I left work at 4 pm. I went to the grocery store to pick up a bunch of cookies, chips, some fruit and light beers. The cashier looked at me like she was wishing me a happy party. I got home, changed into my running clothes and went out for a 2 mile run. Then I proceeded to run a little more than 1 mile every hour on the hour up until 4…

I’m in a period of my life right now where I’m extremely disciplined. I’ve been here before and quite enjoy it. It’s very intentional, and is done in order for me to track myself against a couple of long term goals that I have. I have a flair for structure and discipline. I think it’s fun to explore, I like being disciplined and enjoy the results h…

When I was 14, I was convinced I needed 10 hours of sleep. I spoke to my mom about it, and told her that I constantly felt tired despite sleeping so much. To be fair, I was doing 6-10 sessions of football and running per week. But ten hours every night seems a bit high looking back. My mom told me that there’s such a thing as sleeping too much. I w…

I remember vividly sitting in a workshop where we were speaking about our values. We’d been given a list of 60-something words to choose from, and were tasked with choosing 3-5 that felt important. After that, we were split into groups. Each person was given 20 minutes to share a story related to their word with the prompt “A time when [value word]…

Grit has proven one of the most important skills and traits in predicting success. That is, if you want to see who’s going to become successful, look for grit. Grit is what keeps you going when inspiration, motivation and sometimes even reason goes out the window. I’ve practiced grit over the past 6-7 years. More or less intentionally, I’ve tried t…

We all solve problems all the time. It’s natural to humans to do so. Almost everything you see around you is a solution to a perceived problem. But the skill of solving problems is hard to a lot of people. Having the right resources or tools doesn’t mean you’re able to solve a problem. You need to have a strategy on how to use those tools. I haven’…

I think letting someone else take care of your education, of your learning and be responsible for your development is boring. It's quite naive, and frankly foolish. It's something that you need to be in charge of. Hence, I’ve tried to take charge of these things in my life. It’s not always easy, and it’s most certainly not always comfortable. But I…

I’ve been a part of all kinds of networks over the past 6-7 years. Business related, large friend groups, creative hubs and online Facebook groups. All of them have had impact on shaping me into who I am and have created opportunities for me that I otherwise wouldn’t have had. They’ve also made me realise that there’s immense power in being part of…

We don’t live in an information society anymore. Simply because information is virtually free and infinitely accessible. What I think matters today is 3 things: Can you find the right information and make sure it is indeed the right information? Can you convert the information to contextual knowledge? Can you convert that contextual knowledge to an…

Time and time again. This riff is a bit more practical on time than the last one I did. A bit more in depth on two theories that I heard just a couple of days ago and since have pondered happily. How we speak about time is extremely powerful. Just as I spoke about the last time around, the way you perceive time can impact your actions, behaviours a…

I’ve reflected quite a lot on my own competitiveness lately. I have a reputation among my friends of being obnoxiously competitive.It’s served me well at times, just as it’s been a hindering factor to many of my relationships. Hence, I want to work on making it a choice to be competitive. It's a superpower that should be used with care. Show notes …

I’ve tried to optimise time on being productive, on fitting the most things to do in the least amount of time and on feeling the best in the moment. Right now, I’m optimising it to benefit me over time. In trying to bend time to my current will, I’ve spent some time thinking about time. The mental models people have come up with, the metaphysics of…

I had a realisation last week. One of those proper ones where it seems like it came from nowhere, whilst out walking. The realisation was this: Control over emotions is a dial. In the past, I’ve seen control over emotions as something that I’m pretty good at. I can tone almost any emotion down at almost any time. I’ve got extreme patience, somethin…

I’ve been a fanatic in a bunch of different ways. Keeping sleep schedules religiously, keeping streaks and on mantras. And I still am, in many areas. More confidently and hopefully a bit more thoughtfully. Being a fanatic is often thought of as being religious or political, but that’s quite limiting for a behaviour that’s present in many more areas…

This episode is personal on some level. All the advice and ideas are things that I’ve experimented my way to. Hence, they might not be applicable to your life. Have that in mind. I’ve struggled with the concept of finding balance. Mostly because there’s been an emphasis on relaxation and that you have to DO relaxation in order to be balanced. I thi…

This week, I speak to the topic of Trust that I've pondered quite a lot lately. Show notes are found here → --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/caspian-almerud/message

The last riff on change, for now. We’ve expanded the circle to cover more than your inner circle, extending it all the way to the world. Something I don’t touch on in the episode is why you’d want to change the world. I touch on it in the show notes, but it might have to be a future riff. I’ve had a couple of people reaching out over the past two e…

In this episode, I discuss the concept of changing other people. I share the advice my mother gave me, stating that we cannot change others, but we can change the way we interact with them. Emphasising again that we can only change the intersection of our relationship with someone else. I introduce the concept of "me plus you equals we" and explain…

I’ve been pondering change for quite some time I think most of us have at one point or other. As we should. I think Change is one of the most important things to ponder. It has been for me. In this episode, I speak to how I think one changes themselves. Or rather, how I at this point in time think I change myself. Because that’s what these riffs ar…

I'm starting this project up again! This time, there'll be show notes. You can find them here → I’ve been pondering change for almost three months, that’s when i started thinking about getting this project going again. It started with a question from someone who’s been listening to the podcast, and for that I’m really grateful. --- Send in a voice …

I’ve been doing some reflective thinking on the importance and difference in celebration lately. I recently graduated from my university studies and due to the pandemic, our graduation ceremony wasn’t what it usually is. I was reluctant to go to the live one, and even more so to the zoom version, so I didn’t. The class that I graduated with decided…

I decided to make good decisions, It's the best decision I ever made. A couple of texts that might be interesting to read on the subject: https://medium.com/@caspianalmerud/beslutsl%C3%A5dan-aa2f3d5666b9 https://medium.com/@caspianalmerud/4-things-that-will-make-you-a-better-decision-maker-e5a38b55d81 https://medium.com/@caspianalmerud/five-pointer…

There a number of ways of talking about pace, and a number of areas to apply it in. I think it's important for all of us to start thinking about the pace we're keeping, and at what pace we'd like to go. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/caspian-almerud/message

Plans seldom go according to the actual plan. That can't be the reason we plan - for plans to go accordingly. There must be another reason. My aim with planning is to be comfortable enough to know that things are going to happen, for me to be able to get rid of the plan entirely. If I plan my week, I know exactly what needs to be done, and when it'…

This week, the riff is on exactly those rules. I explain my six mantras or rules that I consult when I'm feeling like I'm in a rut or a bit confused. Those rules are, for me: Macro patience, micro speed. Don’t believe all of your thoughts Doing has a higher value than not doing Don’t make 1000 decisions when one will do You're a human being, before…

This week, the riff is on fear. More specifically, fear as an obstacle. The attitude we have towards anything can either help us or make things harder for us. The attitude is oftentimes a layer with an automatic emotional response to something. So if I have a very positive attitude, I will perceive things in a more positive manner. When the attitud…

Kirjoittanut Triple Crown Records

I've been interested in structure for a very long time, almost as long as I can remember. To have a personal structure of my days, keep track of the projects that I'm working on and to keep the information I gather very neat has been a core success factor for me. With all that being said, when I've read up on personal structure, there has always be…

Tools are incredibly important. That's where I usually start out when entering a new domain. If I would start with photography, I'd start by buying a really good camera. But that might not be the way to go. In every area or field, there are some core principles. Principles explaining how we can achieve better within that field. And I think we've al…

Kirjoittanut Triple Crown Records

Mindfulness is absolutely, without a doubt, one of the things that myself and my friends have been spending the most time talking about in the past 5 years. It's also something that most people have a relationship to, as do I. That relationship is a bit complex, and not always at its best. I think mindfulness, if practiced, should be practiced as a…

Kirjoittanut Triple Crown Records

Kirjoittanut Triple Crown Records

Being able to make sense out of complex matters is one of the most appreciated skills to have in my experience. To help people understand and make something out of an experience or even a couple of experiences is hard at times and at times we need help doing it. It’s something you can practice. So please do, because your life will be easier. --- Se…

There seems to be a difference between perception and observation, even though they’re quite similar. Observing something when you need an output that’s quick and easy isn’t always a good idea. Similarly, perceiving something that needs detailed examination might not always work the best. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/…

I've had a hangup on design for quite some time now, and want to spend some time discussing the ideas that have passed through me during that time. Design has two parameters that we judge design by: beauty and functionality. Sometimes they interact and combine in the same product or process, sometimes they leverage each other and sometimes you have…

I've been actively working with becoming better at both offering and asking for help for the past 4 years. It's been one of the most prominent things for me, and it all started with one single question: What do you need help with? In this episode, I describe a way in which we can all become better at asking people what they need help with. I riff o…

I think passion can be a choice, rather than something that just happens to you. Of course, there are times at which we might be struck or even stuck with a passion that's impossible to explain. But more often I think it's possible to choose passion as a way of doing things. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/caspi…

Grit and stubbornness are two vastly different things, although they might seem similar. Being stubborn is, for the most part, not constructive and nobody gains from it. When you’re stubborn, you’re not using all of the information coming to you, like in a rage. Grit, on the other hand, is the ability to push through when needed yet being able to g…

Soldiers are often trained to do one single thing. They learn to shoot, and shoot really well. Of course, that’s a complex action as it involves a lot of small skills and a precision that’s uncanny. Not to talk of the morality of the whole thing. Still, they’ve learned to master one tool - shooting. Of course, that’s a simplification of what makes …

I think inspiration is highly overrated, mostly because it's become an excuse not to act and do. "I wasn't feeling inspired". I don't ever want to say that. On the other hand, I think inspiration is inevitable. You can't not have it. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/caspian-almerud/message…

Responsibility can mean so many different things. It can mean "You get the blame if this goes south", or "You're going to have to carry this all by yourself.". The way I see it, responsibility is a way to get impact. If you have responsibility, you're able to impact. You have the opportunity to make your mark and to do what needs to be done. It als…

Episode 3 is here, with a riff on Creativity and Creative Work. I have loads of friends who want to write a book. Or record a song. Or learn knitting. Most of those friends also struggle with starting that, and I think most people are struggling with starting. When you've started, the rest comes a lot easier. Until you need to ship. That's often tr…

Decisions is one of those things that most people struggle with. We all have decisions to make, numerous each and every day. Today, I talk about mindset regarding decision making, about a mental model that I've used not to make decisions more often than I need to, and Gary Vaynerchuk gives us some food for thought on his approach to making decision…

I've spent a lot of time thinking about problems, and our relation to them. This is a riff on what I think problems are, how I think we can change our perspective on them, and a question to ask yourself when facing a problem. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/caspian-almerud/message…