Guide to design, we need uncertainty, free gradient tool and tweets you'll love

Issue 05

Greeting from New Delhi, 22 new people subscribed to my newsletter this week. A warm welcome to my online home and hope you find value here.

This week, I was talking to PJ, my friend from Singapore, who recently came from a 3 months stay at Bodhinyana monastery, in Perth. One of the topics that we discussed was of 'fault-finding' mind. How often do you find yourself complaining? If you are like me, it's the default response to any unpleasant situation, be it a workplace issue or a relationship. So, from now on, I'll first look within myself when my mind starts to complain before blaming the environment around me. Sounds simple? Give it a try, it requires a lot of practice.

Started reading, "Think on these things" by J Krishnamurti, such a gem of a book. Btw, it's also recommended by Naval. Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:

A man who has no sense of fear of any kind is really a free and peaceful mind. You want to be loved because you do not love…but the moment you really love, it is finished. You are no longer inquiring whether someone loves you or not.

Work wise, had the opportunity to design a search engine for heath queries. It will be a free tool, anyone can use it to find answers to their problem. Feels great when I think about the impact of my work, so many people across the globe can benefits from tools like HSE (health search engine), will share the link when it’s live.

Enjoy the curated content below ✨

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🐦 Tweets you don’t want to miss

Hahahahah!

Absolutely. I learned this from Daniel Vasallo only, small wins are a better teacher than failure.
Try a challenge, make $1 on the internet. You’ll learn more than you could have imagined. Let me know in comments if you plan to do this, I’ll share my insights with you 🙌🏼

No words 🫡

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🌈 FREE tool of the week

Create stunning gradients, at the tool of your choice, checkout - ShaderGradient
(h/t Preeti)

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🤔 Reflect

Here's a simple question to ask before jumping into "all the work" you have to do:

What will happen if I don't do this?

It's remarkable how many things can be eliminated from your to-do list.

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📖 Curated reads for you

We need uncertainty
Alex makes the point that uncertainty and randomness are an aspect of nature so why should we try to completely eliminate it from our life? Planning down to the day and hours in the productivity religion (I have been guilty of this!). While uncertainty may feel uncomfortable and scary, it seems to be fundamental to our universe.

➡️ Learn how to tame uncertainty in your favor

The ultimate FREE guide to design
Are you new to design or want to upskill yourself? You don't need another boot camp. This guide by the makers of UX collective is just excellent! I guarantee you that if you complete this fully, you'll be a better designer and increase your revenue.

➡️ Become a better designer

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Have a great weekend :)
— Shivam