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- What We Learn About a Person From How They Spend Their Time When No One Is Watching - And Why That Is More Interesting Than Their CV
What We Learn About a Person From How They Spend Their Time When No One Is Watching - And Why That Is More Interesting Than Their CV
What our private routines, hobbies, relationships, and choices reveal about values, identity, and personality
Welcome to The Smarter Brain, a curation of thought-provoking ideas and actionable reads to help you build better habits and become more productive.
Happy reading - See you on Wednesday!
Cheers,
The Smarter Brain Team
Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins
3 Ideas for Better Habits
Who We Choose to Be
Kurt Vonnegut was an American novelist and satirist known for his dark humor, imaginative storytelling, and sharp observations about human nature, society, morality, and identity.
“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
Source: Mother Night
The Life We Actually Live
Thoreau was an American writer and philosopher best known for Walden, his reflection on deliberately living and questioning conventional measures of success.
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”
Source: Walden
We Are What We Repeatedly Do
Will Durant was an American historian and philosopher best known for The Story of Philosophy and The Story of Civilization.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Source: The Story of Philosophy
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Productivity Tools and Resources
7 Ways to Spend Your Time to Maximize Your Happiness
Tracy Brower, PhD, discusses how everyday choices about time can affect happiness and argues that the way we spend our moments and days has consequences for our lives and relationships. Read more here.
Stop Wasting Your Precious Time
The article explores the connection between values and time allocation, arguing that dissatisfaction can arise when someone's actual schedule doesn't match what they say matters to them. It suggests comparing your stated values with your real weekly activities.
Track Your Time
Toggl Track lets you record how you actually spend your time and review it through calendars and reports. That makes it particularly relevant to the topic: instead of guessing what matters to you, you can look at where your hours actually go.
Mood & Habits
Daylio is a mood and activity-tracking app that lets users record daily activities and moods. It can help people notice patterns between what they do and how they feel.
What We're Reading
PsyPost Newsletter - PsyPost's newsletter covers new peer-reviewed research in psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry, and human behavior.
Self Lab sends a weekly, research-based email about the psychology behind habits, focus, confidence, and behavior. It says that claims are linked to the relevant study and year.
Brain Food
Today I Learned: A large German study analyzed time-use patterns among 30,152 adults and identified different patterns involving work, leisure, childcare, education, care, physical activity, and hobbies. (Source)
Science: A study of 40 emerging adults from 18 countries examined how people use leisure as a context for developing their identities. (Source)
Have a productive rest of your week,
The Smarter Brain Team
Resource Spotlight
Who Are You When No One Is Watching? Character, Identity, and Leadership
Monthly dispatches rooted in leadership psychology, not leadership theater-this one's about the person behind the polished presentation. Explore why character isn't built during keynote speeches or performance reviews, but through the small choices we make when there's no audience, no recognition, and no immediate consequence.
What You Do When No One Is Watching, Character, and Private Discipline
Monthly dispatches rooted in accountability and self-mastery, not public performance-this one's about the version of yourself that exists when there is no audience, no consequence, and no one to impress. Explore why the standards we keep in private may reveal more about our character than the discipline we display when everyone is watching.
Private Habits, Identity, and Who You Become When No One Is Watching
Monthly dispatches rooted in self-mastery, not public performance-this one's about the hidden routines that quietly shape the person everyone else eventually sees. Explore how what you consume, how you spend your alone time, the promises you keep to yourself, and the habits nobody witnesses can gradually influence your beliefs, behavior, energy, and identity.
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