“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

The Duality Of Failure & Success.

Isn’t it interesting to think about how many things we have failed at versus where we have succeeded? 

Maybe it’s a cliché that the list of where we failed is almost always longer than where we succeeded. 

The rub, though, is supposed to be that failure is the other side of success- the yin and yang cosmic duality of accomplishment. 

…Also, it’s what you say to make the person “failing” feel better.

Mixed Feelings

But it’s not as simple as that every time. 

At least, not in my life. 

Overall, 2025 was a pretty good year for me. 

It was the year I turned 20, the year I read more books (for more hours) than any other year of my life, the year I got to come live in Japan, the year I climbed tall mountains and dove into oceans, and a year full of learning about myself (insert here “glow-up”, sparkling emoji, and green juices). 

Well… actually, by “learning about myself”, I mean bucketloads of tears, doubting if/why I was behind all my peers in every domain of life, wondering why I wasn’t proactive enough to get an internship, wondering if I really have what it takes to be a good leader, wondering why the people who have ghosted me ghosted me, etc. 

You get the idea. 

It has been, in a lot of ways, a year full of failure- and not the failure of motivational speeches. 

I’m talking about the unaesthetic, don’t-send-that-picture-to-ANYBODY kind of failure. 

But you know what?

Facing The Inevitable

Today I want to honor where I failed, where I fell short, and where I lost. 

Not to pressure you into “doing something” with your own failures, but just to highlight and underline one very underrated message as we step into the new year: failure is part of it. 

Your plans will change and people will disappoint you. 

Sometimes the person disappointing you will be yourself. 

You will take too long to answer someone’s text message. 

Maybe you will not give enough effort to something you care about. 

You will feel like gum on the bottom of someone’s shoe. 

You will miss a few workouts and get rejected from a long list of jobs, internships, opportunities, romantic prospects, and potential mentors.

Continue on nevertheless. 

#1: I failed at getting a summer internship.

Throughout my freshman year, I took for granted that whatever I did over the summer would be inevitably impressive, resume-boosting work that would pay me handsome sums of money which I would then put to use in some equally braggadocious, but deliberately subtle way. 

It would be all “this summer I interned at Tesla designing cars that run on discarded paper napkins and emit rainbows instead of smoke”, or “this summer I launched a startup and raised $1 million in VC rounds”. 

Otherwise, I guess I kind of hoped to conduct a breath-taking 4 months of scientific research that would warrant a Nobel Peace prize. 

Okay, okay, let’s be realistic. 

Perhaps I could at least write the next great American novel?

(Deep, wistful sigh.)

I’ll skip ahead to the end of the summer, in which none of those lofty fantasies transpired. 

Meanwhile, I got to scroll through LinkedIn and see that many of my peers had accomplished internships of their own. 

Social media being the insecurity-laser that it is, that felt awful, no matter what I did do (like knit a scarf for my dog!).

#2: I failed at reading 500 hours.

A year ago, at the start of 2025, I set a goal to read 500 hours by the end of the year. 

It seemed like a nice, round number- a big number divisible by 5, but I wanted to see if I could do it. 

In the end, did I?

Well, the short answer is no. 

The long answer is that while I failed at achieving my 500 hours, working towards it led me to read more in 2025 than I have in any year before that, totaling 297 hours for the entire year (not counting mandatory reading for school!), which averages to about 49 minutes a day.

So was it a win? Yes. 

Did I fail? Also yes.

#3: I failed in some of my relationships.

This year, I lost some people who were very dear to me, some who ghosted me suddenly without explanation, and some who drifted away gradually.

It wasn’t always my choice, and I’m certainly not unscathed by the loss of the people I care about. 

Good years, important years, I learned, are still peppered with expired relationships. 

Why? 

Because part of growth is sometimes growing apart…and as much as it hurts, that’s okay. 

As your Pinterest board would probably tell you, every ending is also a new beginning, so maybe the failure of one relationship opens us up to the success of a new one. 

Perhaps it will even open you up to a better relationship with yourself. 

#4: I failed in my fitness goals.

I moved to Japan in August of this year as part of a study abroad program with Minerva University, and I was thrilled. 

Before this year, I’d never stepped foot in Asia, and so much about living in Japan for an entire academic year would be new territory. 

So far, I have had a lot of twists and turns along the journey, from unearthing the soul-warming power of a big bowl of ramen at 3am in downtown Tokyo, to running away from city deer in Nara (terrifying, in case you were wondering). 

I have learnt how to say essential phrases like “I have no money” and “Your dog is cute” in Japanese, and have thrifted with greater thriftiness than ever before (trench coat skirt for $3, anyone?).

But on top of these unexpected wins, there has been kind of an unfortunate loss- my gym membership. 

Is it unfortunate that not having budget-friendly gym options comes at the same time as me eating more ramen and rice balls than at any other point in my life?

Yes. 

Have I categorically failed at the fitness goals I set out for myself?

Mostly. 

I tried replacing a gym membership with resistance bands and a yoga mat in my room, plus a 30 day run-everyday challenge, which went fairly well. 

Still, it just wasn’t the same. 

It worked out sometimes, but I got busy and didn’t develop a good routine around it. What I miss is actually going to the gym and doing strength training.

So, in the end, it was a fail.

How I’m Accounting For Failure In My 2026 Goals

Even at the end of a good year, there will be a list of things you failed at, things you could have done better but didn’t. 

So let’s stop letting it surprise us. 

The New Approach

In 2026, I’ll be doing a few things differently. Here are the 2 main changes, and why I chose them:

#1: Designing my environment to make failure less likely. In 2026, I’m going to make a few small, one-time changes in my environment which will hopefully reap me many benefits. 

For example, one of my goals for this year is to cut my screentime on my phone in half. (I did the terrifying mortality-math, and even three hours a day on my phone is just under ⅛ of my entire life, and that’s a little too much for me.) 

One of the easy ways to make my environment reinforce this is by setting app limits for those addictive online comfort blankets like YouTube shorts. 

I have that in place, and get the obnoxious “you’ve run out of your daily allotment of doomscrolling” hourglass once I have passed the limit. 

Another killer of any enthusiasm I might’ve had for my phone is to set it to greyscale. It’s torture for my eyeballs, but it makes me want to go out and enjoy the fresh air. 

#2: Keeping score. Codie Sanchez talks about this on her Big Deal podcast. Confidence doesn’t come from dopamine, she says. Instead, it comes from data. 

In 2025, I did not take tracking to the psychopathic level I should have, but when I did track, such as when I tracked my spending, how many hours I read each week, or even doing time audits of my day, I actually felt motivated and did better at whatever I was aiming for.

This year I’m taking it to the next level. There will be spreadsheets, and sums, and quarterly targets, and you better believe it will be both scary and rewarding by the end. 

And guess what?

In 2026, I hope to fail even more!

Thought To Action 

1. Run a Failure Audit: Write down where you fell short this year without reframing it. No silver linings. Just facts. Clarity is kinder than denial.
2. Lower the Cost of Trying Again: Change one thing in your environment that makes repeating the effort easier—fewer clicks, fewer steps, fewer excuses.
3. Keep a “Proof Log”: Track effort instead of outcomes for one month. Pages read. Applications sent. Workouts attempted. Confidence grows from receipts.
4. Practice Uneven Accounting: Let success and failure coexist on the same page. Growth is not tidy, linear, or polite.
5. Continue Without Restarting: When you miss a day, don’t reset the goal. Resume. Momentum is built by continuation, not perfection.

Sources 

No external sources were used for this post. 

The post I’m Glad I Failed More Than Ever Before In 2025 appeared first on Green Also Green.

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”

– John Muir

Add me to the group chat!

I wasn’t thinking about resilience, or how to grow from discomfort when I got on my catch-up call with my buddy Noku in July. 

What I had on my mind was more along the lines of how I was excited to tell him my Service Industry Horror Stories after spending some time waitressing in a restaurant in town. 

They were the “my feet hurt so much” variety, and the “you won’t believe the delicious meal this one customer sent back to the kitchen” type.

What happened next catalyzed an even bigger, even crazier adventure that my feet appreciated significantly less.

I talked to him about some of my summer passion projects, and how they were progressing, as he listened patiently, asking enthusiastic questions. 

But then, with classic nonchalance, he mentioned his plans to summit Mt. Fuji, explaining how the huts were almost fully booked, who he was planning to do it with, and all the incredible details. 

I had to stop him right there, because the radar we all have inside that God gave us to detect cool opportunities was going off like a fire alarm. 

Mount Fuji. 

Yes, the Japanese mountain. The big one. That one you see on postcards and in dusty geology textbooks. 

That one. 

“Is there room for me to come too?”

“Yes,” he said. “But you have to book your overnight hut like now, because they’re almost fully booked.”

So I did. 

That was still mid-July, and there were somehow only 8 huts left for a stay at the beginning of September. 

So I got my reservation, and he added me to the group chat.

The stars had aligned. I was going to climb Mt. Fuji. 

How to start climbing. 

There is nothing like walking uphill for an hour only to pull out your crumpled trail map and see that you have several more hours (and meters of elevation) yet to go until you can stop at a hut to sleep. 

The start of the climb is like this: You don’t want to ask how far you’ve gone because you know it will not be very much. 

You want to eat another snack, but know you should save some for farther up. 

The mood is still pretty good, but you keep getting stark reminders of how little cardio you have done lately.

The question on everyone’s minds is “Are we really gonna do this?”

Well, let’s keep walking and find out. Because really, at the start of the climb, that is all that you have to concern yourself with: putting one foot in front of the other and continuing along the trail.

How to take breaks.

You pause, catch your breath with cool nonchalance. 

“Let’s wait a second for SoAndSo to catch up,” you advise the members of your group who are part mountain goat with a false sense of charity. 

In reality, your main motivation for stopping is that your lungs feel like deflating balloons and your lower back is making you wish you packed a little lighter. 

At the start of the climb, it feels lame to “need” a break. 

Eventually though, after enough communal huffing and puffing, ego is put to one side. 

Take the breaks. Eat the snacks. Stop to keep the group together. 

We came to realize it was never a race to the top. In fact, we were all the last person at one point or another, as were we all out of breath every few minutes. 

My reasons for climbing Mt. Fuji were not to break some mountaineering record. It was about creating meaningful lifelong memories with my friends; about empowerment; and about adventure.

Taking generous breaks along the way up facilitated all of these aims, and made the climb not only more fun, but more accessible. 

How to sing on the way up.

When you get close to the summit is when it gets steep, rocky, and unforgivingly cold. At that point, you’re absolutely exhausted, and the clouds are obscuring you from even being able to identify exactly how much climb you have left. 

Dreary and bleak, you say?

Well, it depends on the soundtrack. 

In addition to the faithful konbini snacks and layers of warm clothing, we were well-prepared with a fair supply of theater kids as well. 

I’m talking, say the name “Eliza”, and for the next half an hour, listen to every song in Hamilton as your nose turns into a popsicle. 

We sang and we sang, and when we weren’t singing, we listened to others in the group sing. 

It’s one of my fondest memories from the hike up, and honestly? It taught me that just about anything difficult is made that much more joyful if you just burst into song. 

How to wake up early for the sunrise.

I have always regarded those who willingly wake up at the crack of dawn with a fair dose of suspicion. 

Typically, I assume if they do it willingly, they are somewhat masochistic and potentially antisocial. Now though, I accept that there is a new possibility: early-risers are in love with the sky. 

We woke up at the crack of dawn to continue climbing, and we stopped near the 8th station to eat breakfast while watching the sunset. 

It was, in a word, sublime. 

The flaming oranges, blushing pinks and impressionist feathery clouds all came together into this one scene that all at once felt both staggering and life-affirming. 

Sometimes, I noted, waking up early is actually worth it.

How to stop to take pictures.

Much like I regard those who willingly wake up at 4am with suspicion, I also feel suspicious of people who take too many pictures of their food, vacations, or selves.

Why? 

Because moments should not be defined by how they look in your camera roll, but rather, how they make you feel, and the person they turn you into. 

So generally speaking, my stance is “put your phone away, for crying out loud”.

However, I must admit, in some select circumstances the act of taking a picture also does something else. 

Along the hike, taking photos of my journey was a way to reiterate to myself “this is a moment I want to treasure”, and then I captured it, not only with the click of my phone, but also a mental click that said “I want to hold this moment in time forever”. 

So I did.

Keep adventuring.

After climbing Mt. Fuji, my bucket list only got bigger. 

As soon as I got home, I wondered what other mountains there were to climb (besides Mt. Everest). 

I wanted to climb them all. 

It’s the strange thing about embracing adventure: no matter how much your feet hurt while you do it, you are hungry to do it even more the second it’s over. 

Thought To Action 

1. Map the Impossible: Write down three “too big” ideas you’d pursue if fear, money, or skill weren’t limits. Circle one. Start with the smallest visible step.
2. Use Tech Intentionally: Schedule a daily “digital audit”—10 minutes to check what tools you actually use to create versus to consume. (See this guide to mindful tech habits).
3. Build an Independent Study Track: Pick a theme you want to master this year (creativity, AI, storytelling) and design your own syllabus—books, podcasts, projects, mentors.
4. Pair Reading with Doing: For every chapter you read, add one experiment to test the idea in real life.
5. Reflect in Reverse: Once a week, ask: “What did I not do because I underestimated myself?”—then do one of those things, badly but bravely.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post.

The post Climbing Mount Fuji Was Uncomfortable—and That’s Where the Growth Happened appeared first on Green Also Green.

“Go as far as you can see, when you get there you’ll be able to see further.” -Thomas Carlyle

Here Are Your Options.

When you’re an interdisciplinary misfit, there are a few piercing milestones you inevitably experience as you fumble through the standard list of options.

There’s the class selection when you’re in high school and college(“Take math- it keeps the most doors open”). 

Then there’s the “You like science? Have you considered medicine?”, and if that doesn’t suit you, please consider engineering. 

If you’re literary and philosophical, your well-intentioned loved ones will push you towards law school.

Anything else? We will cram you into corporate life (product manager, anyone?). 

Now, don’t get me wrong. These are all fulfilling careers, if you actually choose them. 

But most of us don’t. 

We think “these are the options if I don’t want to be destitute”, and then we meander along, somewhat aimlessly, thinking we made the best decision we could. 

Careers For Interdisciplinary Misfits

I think you know where I’m going with this…

It’s all a big lie!!

The career world is full of options, and, much like dating, a lot of settling on the right career comes down to actually knowing there is something out there that will fit you perfectly. 

So today I’m talking to the person who has decided to explore, experiment, and find something that actually resonates. 

I’m talking to the interdisciplinary misfit who is committed to honoring the divine gifts within them. 

I’m talking to the person who wants to live without being tethered to a single arbitrary job description. 

…And not just because it makes life more fun, but also because when you step into your unique superpowers, you are even more equipped to make the world a better place. 

So let’s get started!

How To Go Through The List Of 75 Interdisciplinary Jobs

As you go through this list, I want you to read with intention and use it as an opportunity to reflect on what really speaks to you. 

Even if you find nothing that makes you want to change your trajectory, the jobs that tug at your heart could still provide a useful insight into ways you can live more in alignment with your own interests and gifts. 

To help you with this, I put together the following questions, which you can consider as you go down the list:

1. Would I enjoy this even if no one thought it was “impressive”?
2. What skills would I be excited to practice for years?
3. Do I enjoy working with people, systems, materials, or ideas?
4. Would I rather work independently or collaboratively?
5. Do I want a job that changes daily or one with routine?
6. Am I motivated by care, creativity, justice, sustainability, or discovery?
7. Would I enjoy being a lifelong learner in this field?
8. Am I okay with freelance, project-based, or emerging roles?
9. Does this career reflect who I am now—or who I want to grow into?

#1-15: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Science + Art + Design

Using scientific knowledge to create aesthetic, expressive, or experiential works.

#1: Bio-Artist: Uses living materials like bacteria or plants to create art that explores biotechnology and ethics. 

#2: Scientific Illustrator: Combines biology and art to produce accurate yet beautiful depictions of scientific phenomena.

#3: Solar Infrastructure Artist: Integrates solar panels into aesthetically pleasing public art.

#4: Sound Ecologist: Records and analyzes natural soundscapes to monitor ecosystems or create immersive experiences.

#5: Biomechanical Artist: Creates wearable or kinetic sculptures that move with the human body.

#6: Sensory Designer: Designs multisensory experiences combining neuroscience, design, and storytelling.

#7: Perfumer (Nose): Blends scents scientifically to craft perfumes and fragrances.

#8: Moss Gardener: Designs and maintains living installations made entirely of moss.

#9: Mosaic Artist: Creates art using stone, glass, or ceramics in complex designs.

#10: Color Consultant: Advises on color choices that influence mood and perception.

#11: Miniature Artist: Builds intricate, small-scale worlds for collectors or museums.

#12: Calligrapher: Turns handwriting into fine art and custom lettering.

#13: Robotic Performer: Uses robots as collaborators in live theater or dance.

#14: Algorithmic Musician: Composes generative music using code and machine learning.

#15: Interactive Installation Engineer: Builds art installations that respond to human presence or movement.

#16-29: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Technology + Psychology + Human Experience

Designing digital or physical systems centered on cognition, emotion, and behavior.

#16: UX Neuroscientist: Studies the brain’s response to digital interfaces to optimize user experience.

#17: Voice UX Designer: Merges linguistics and tech to make voice assistants sound more natural and empathetic.

#18: AI Companion Developer: Creates emotionally intelligent digital entities for support or companionship.

#19: Death Doula: Provides emotional and spiritual support to the dying and their families.

#20: Poetry Therapist: Uses poetry and creative writing for healing and self-expression.

#21: Adventure Therapist: Uses outdoor activities like climbing or rafting to support mental health.

#22: Virtual Reality Therapist: Uses VR environments to treat phobias, PTSD, or chronic pain.

#23: Dance Therapist – Uses movement and dance as therapeutic tools to support emotional, physical, and mental health, blending psychology with creative expression.

#24: Professional Cuddler– Offers platonic, consent-based physical comfort to clients, focusing on emotional support, boundaries, and stress reduction. (This is not prostitution, I promise.)

#25: Interactive Narrative Designer: Creates branching storylines for games, apps, and VR experiences.

#26: Cognitive Ergonomist: Designs systems and tools that align with human mental processes.

#27: Gamification Designer: Blends psychology and game design to make education, health, or work more engaging.

#28: Dream Research Technologist: Develops tools to study, record, or influence dreams.

#29: Animal-Assisted Therapist – Uses animals like horses or dogs to aid emotional healing.

#30-45: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Biology + Environment + Sustainability

Working with living systems, ecology, food, and sustainable futures.

#30: Waste Material Innovator: Develops new products or art from industrial or biological waste.

#31: Space Botanist: Studies how to grow plants in extraterrestrial environments.

#32: Lavender Farmer: Cultivates and harvests lavender, managing soil, climate, and distillation processes to produce essential oils, dried flowers, and wellness products.

#33: Avian Trainer – Trains birds of prey, parrots, zoo birds.

#34: Coral Gardener: Restores damaged coral reefs through underwater planting.

#35: Genetic Counselor for Pets: Helps pet owners understand their animals’ DNA and inherited traits.

#36: Urban Wildlife Manager: Balances city design with ecological needs of urban animals.

#37: Eco-Fashion Designer: Merges materials science with fashion design to create biodegradable or upcycled clothing from innovative new fabrics such as mycelium or seaweed. 

#38: Animal Behavior Consultant: Helps owners or zoos understand and correct animal behavior.

#39: Bee Sommelier: Tastes and classifies honey based on floral sources and terroir.

#40: Charcoal Maker – Produces charcoal by carefully burning wood in low-oxygen conditions, balancing traditional techniques with modern quality control for fuel, art, or filtration uses.

#41: Microbial Fuel Technologist – Develops energy systems powered by bacteria.

#42: Foraging Guide – Teaches people to safely identify and harvest wild edible plants.

#43: Insect Farm Operator – sustainable protein, science meets agriculture.

#44: Volcanic Tour Guide – Leads scientific and adventure tours around active volcanoes.

#45: Citizen Science Coordinator – Connects scientists and the public to collaborate on large-scale research.

#46-58: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Technology + Culture + History

Preserving, studying, or reinterpreting human culture using modern tools.

#46: Meme Archivist: Studies and preserves internet memes as cultural artifacts.

#47: Food Historian: Recreates ancient recipes or explore cultural food evolution.

#48: Deep-Sea Archaeologist: Explores and documents submerged ancient sites.

#49: Glacier Archaeologist: Studies artifacts and bodies emerging from melting ice.

#50: Art Conservator: Restores and preserves paintings, manuscripts, and artifacts.

#51: Bookbinder: Creates or restores hand-bound books using traditional techniques.

#52: Papermaker: Crafts handmade paper using natural fibers and ancient methods.

#53: Digital Heritage Conservator: Uses VR, AR, and 3D scanning to preserve historical sites.

#54: Digital Anthropologist: Studies how humans behave and form cultures in online spaces.

#55: Restoration Mason: Rebuilds historic stone structures and sculptures.

#56: Cultural Festival Curator: Designs festivals that showcase folk traditions, art, and cuisine.

#57: Historical Reenactor: Performs in period attire to educate about historical events.

#58: Travel Ethnographer: Documents disappearing cultural practices and rituals.

#59-75: Interdisciplinary Jobs In Engineering + Performance + Applied Craft

Hands-on, technical roles blending making, engineering, and live or applied contexts.

#59: Kinetic Architect – Designs buildings or sculptures that move or adapt dynamically.

#60: Tea Blender – Crafts custom tea blends by balancing aroma, taste, and culture.

#61: Cheese Affineur – Ages and perfects cheeses for optimal texture and flavor.

#62: Space Architect – Designs habitats for astronauts on the Moon, Mars, or orbital stations.

#63: Pet Food Taster: Assesses pet food for smell, texture, and appearance (and sometimes taste), ensuring products meet quality, safety, and palatability standards for animals.

#64: Scientific Research Subject: Participates in controlled studies by following research protocols, helping scientists gather data on health, behavior, cognition, or technology.

#65: Taste Tester: Samples food and beverages to evaluate flavor, texture, aroma, and quality, often providing detailed feedback to improve recipes or ensure safety standards.

#66: Tactile Storyteller: Designs narratives through textures and materials for visually impaired audiences.

#67: 3D Food Printing Engineer: Uses engineering and culinary art to print edible creations layer by layer.

#68: Wearable Tech Designer: Integrates sensors and electronics into fashion and performance art.

#69: Special Effects Makeup Artist – Applies a blend of chemistry, sculpture, and design to do make up for characters on movie sets and theme parks.

#70: Set Builder for Film/TV – Applies carpentry + design + problem-solving to build sets for film and TV.

#71: Voice Actor Specializing in Unusual Roles – Acts as the voice for creatures, ASMR, and characters in TV and film.

#72: Theme Park Prop Technician – Maintains animatronics, costumes, effects.

#73: Cryogenic Engineer – Designs systems for storing and preserving biological or space materials at ultra-low temps.

#74: Forensic Botanist – Solves crimes using plant evidence like pollen or leaf fragments.

#75: Dialect Coach – Trains actors or speakers in authentic accents and regional speech.

Interdisciplinary Experiment, Interdisciplinary Experiment, Interdisciplinary Experiment.

No matter what this list made you feel, there is one clear next step: experiment. 

When putting it together, I found myself tempted by many potential rabbit holes.

From kinetic architecture to scientific illustration, I kind of got a bit lost, both excited and overwhelmed by the potential. 

Can’t I just do them all? I wondered. 

Actually, yes. 

Take one, and test your initial interest in a small, noncommittal way. Watch a video. Read a book. Listen to a podcast. 

If you’re still interested, consider taking a free online course or doing a short video chat with someone in that field. 

At every stage, you are testing your interest at a slightly higher level, until you get it right. 

Yes, you can test out as many career ideas as you want, and yes, you can also press “reset” whenever you feel like it. 

Remember, you’re in the driver’s seat here.

So go ahead…make the list of things you want to try, and watch the answers you’ve been looking for finally unfold.

Thought To Action 

1. Map the Impossible: Write down three “too big” ideas you’d pursue if fear, money, or skill weren’t limits. Circle one. Start with the smallest visible step.
2. Use Tech Intentionally: Schedule a daily “digital audit”—10 minutes to check what tools you actually use to create versus to consume. (See this guide to mindful tech habits).
3. Build an Independent Study Track: Pick a theme you want to master this year (creativity, AI, storytelling) and design your own syllabus—books, podcasts, projects, mentors.
4. Pair Reading with Doing: For every chapter you read, add one experiment to test the idea in real life.
5. Reflect in Reverse: Once a week, ask: “What did I not do because I underestimated myself?”—then do one of those things, badly but bravely.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post.

The post 75 Weird But Cool Interdisciplinary Careers No One Told You Existed appeared first on Green Also Green.

“We don’t have to waste our time learning how to make pastry when we can use grandma’s recipes.”― Orson De Witt, Earth Won’t Miss You

Some Of The People I’m Grateful For This Year

When we seek life hacks and thrifted wisdom, we often turn to the lofty role models we see on the glossy covers of Forbes, Vogue, and the like. 

But this year, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to take a big highlighter, and emphasize something really important: there is wisdom all around us. 

There is wisdom in our family, wisdom in our closest friends. 

I would even venture to say there is wisdom in little children and animals, and in the minds and hearts of every person who hasn’t been invited onto a famous podcast to share their Top 3 Life Hacks For Breaking Out Of The Matrix.

This year I’m spending Thanksgiving abroad in Japan, so I’m leaning more towards a “friendsgiving” year than “familysgiving”, but in reflecting on my life, I realized that some votes of thanks are in order!

When pondering exactly how to distribute the thanks, I decided to pick twelve wise people in my own life- one for each month of the year- and tell you something I learned from them.  

12 Life Hacks From Some Of My Personal Wisdom Providers

#1: “Just go to sleep already.” – C.

Do you have that one friend who you can’t text past midnight without getting a message back that reads, “why are you still awake?!” 

…Except ten times more aggressively, in all-caps, and with four too many exclamation points?

Well, I do. 

The annoying thing is- she’s right. 

Let’s face it, you’re up so late at night because your mind is catastrophizing about that one thing you said to Sally in the bathroom that afternoon without thinking. 

If not that, you’re scrolling to avoid thinking about it, or you convinced yourself one additional email will only take “a few minutes” to answer.

Stop. 

Put your phone down. Close your laptop. Go to sleep already. You will feel better in the morning (even Harvard agrees!).

#2: Don’t sacrifice your peace just to put everyone else at ease. – My mom

I was once the person who fetishized unnecessary sacrifice, so I will be the first to say I learned this one the hard way. 

Over my short (but oh, so long) 20 years on our little blue dot, I have sacrificed my peace way too often to make other people comfortable, and to keep them content. 

It was always along the lines of “keeping the peace” for others, but crumbling on the inside. 

Anyway, long story short, my mom was right. 

Now here’s the thing I didn’t realize before that prevented me from truly internalizing this: when you don’t advocate for yourself, you aren’t actually gaining respect and admiration. 

Instead, you are training people to walk all over you. 

So speak up. Stand up for yourself. Fight for your peace and do not compromise. 

#3: Stop picking at your face. – my grandmother

If I had a dollar for every time my grandmother told me to stop picking at my face- a habit I sometimes do without even thinking – I would basically be a trust fund baby. 

But even apart from picking at my face, this extends further.

When you’re stressed out because you feel like you failed, don’t sabotage yourself even further. 

If you have acne, don’t pick at your face to release frustration, even though you will be tempted to. 

If you’re like me, you have also had the late nights of low self-esteem-scrolling through other people’s social media because it facilitates the ever-deeper spiral into self-loathing.

The first step to getting out of a deep hole is to stop digging- or in this case, to stop picking. 

What you feel will change by the morning. 

The scab you get from popping the pimple will last a bit longer.

#4: Your perception of inadequacy comes from how hard you push yourself, not from the reality of your progress. – My 10-year-old sister

Watching a young child grow up is the crash course (and crucial life hacks) in perseverance and resilience you didn’t know you needed. 

For me, I think a lot about my sister. 

She is incredibly busy, plays several instruments, and always seems to have another extracurricular hobby that she is trying in school. 

And yet…and yet.

From the inside of her own life, she doesn’t see her incredible progress and growth. 

Why? 

Because she is pushing hard and trying so many new things. 

Honestly though, I feel the same way most days, and I am ten years ahead. 

You think you’re not doing well because you are pushing yourself hard and your standards are getting higher. 

In fact, the higher your standards get, the more you probably feel you are falling short.

What you don’t realize is how much progress you have already made, and the expectations you have already exceeded. 

All you can see is how far you have left to go. 

So remember- you are learning. You are growing. You might not feel it, but you’re doing great.

This growth is the whole point. 

#5: Effort counts twice. – my brother

There is a special place in the world for all the women with little brothers who once shadow-boxed around them in public and now communicate exclusively through Michael Scott and Phil Dunphy references. 

My brother, however, is not just an Office superfan or a shadow-boxing addict. 

He is also ruthlessly stubborn and (unreasonably?) obsessive. 

When he gets it in his head that he wants something, there is no ‘undo’ button. 

In watching my brother grow up, I’ve had the opportunity to see him get into obsessions and pursue them with crazy intensity, whether it’s boxing, video editing and social media marketing, or business and finance. 

He does the unglamorous work on the missions he cares about, and then he gets results. 

It’s not so much a hack as a heuristic, but here it is: become obsessed. 

Relentlessly pursue your vision for success. 

Work harder, because effort counts twice. 

#6: Not everyone is worth the effort. -Aunt T.

Some hacks turn out to not be hacks at all. 

For example, when we are taught to measure success against how close we are to being married, having two kids and a dog, two matching BMWs, and an iPhone that doesn’t fit into the pockets of our jeans.

Here’s the truth: Being single doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. 

Losing friends doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. 

Getting ghosted by a mentor or a role model you really looked up to doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. 

Getting rejected from your dream college or the perfect internship doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.

Oh, and here’s a controversial one: Maybe losing those particular people and life paths is a blessing in disguise

…Because sometimes the hacks that get us to where we want to be are the painful losses we didn’t want to endure.

So listen to my aunt and walk away. 

Better people will find you, and what’s more is they will choose you. 

#7: It’s never too late to start something new. – my grandfather

Apparently, you’re supposed to retire at 65. 

Some people do that. 

My grandfather isn’t one of them. 

In fact, he decided to go one step further: get an additional job. 

Now, my grandfather has worn lots of hats throughout his life, so I guess it wasn’t a surprise when in his 60s he decided to add another one to the list: being an ordained deacon in the Catholic church.

So far, he has been an anesthesiologist, a pilot, a boat captain, a boy scout leader, a dive master, a business owner, father/grandfather, and now, a deacon. 

Some people might get dizzy just imagining this, but for me, getting to witness this has been a source of peace.

In a world that tells you to choose one thing for the rest of your life, my grandfather has been a shining example of what it looks like to reinvent yourself over and over again. 

Throughout your life, there is actually lots more time than you realize. 

No, you can’t have seven careers going at the same time, but over 70 years, you will have space to grow in many directions. 

And guess what? 

If you get to your 60s and realize you have blossoming career aspirations in a completely different space, it’s not too late. 

Don’t get stressed about having to choose one thing and commit to it forever. 

There is always time for that reinvention. 

#8: You won’t realize how hard it is until it isn’t hard anymore. – my high school homeroom teacher

As a teenager, I thought life was supposed to be miserable. 

High school was lonely, and it felt like every few weeks I found myself crying on the bathroom floor all over again- or in the office of my homeroom teacher, updating her on the most recent drama in my life. 

If it wasn’t boy drama, it was feeling like I was going to fail all my classes and never get into college, or stressing because “I have no idea what I want to do with my life and everyone else does”. 

Looking back, fifteen-year-old me deserves a lot of credit that she didn’t give herself. 

She did some hard things back then- hard things that seemed impossible once- and she had the courage to invest in herself and create the life I get to enjoy now. 

I wish I could tell my fifteen-year-old self that it gets way, way better, and that she is facing some inordinately hard years, so crying on the bathroom floor is normal. 

However, I also know my fifteen-year-old self would have rolled her eyes hearing that. 

In truth, she just had to be patient, get older, and come out the other end of the tunnel to see the bright light of her future. 

How did I ever make it through that?

Now I know: turns out, being a teenager is just incredibly difficult, and you only realize just how difficult it is once you grow out of it, look back, and wonder how did I even survive that?

For me, one of the people who provided me incredible solace in the difficult stormy waters of high school was my homeroom teacher, with whom I have exchanged tears, laughter, heartbreak, and lots of small pep talks and reassurances.

You might not be a teenager, but you can still pose the question to yourself: What if what you’re experiencing right now is just difficult? In fact, what if it’s supposed to be difficult? What if you can’t make it out exclusively with skincare hacks and new piercings?

Could it be that you are growing and changing, and emotional growing pains are real? 

Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, there is a beautiful future waiting for you on the other side? 

#9: Don’t underestimate the social credit you get by being genuinely excited for other people. – N.

You know that feeling when you open up LinkedIn and the first thing you see is a post about yet another person who is excited to start their sparkly new internship?

Or how it feels when you’ve just broken up, but that girl who sits three cubicles away from you met the love of her life who just engaged to her at sunset, and by the way you can see the diamond on her finger from the moon?

Yes, I’m talking about that sticky green jealousy that makes you hate them but hate yourself more. 

When you feel the lack of what you want, it’s natural to resent the abundance of others.

So, naturally, if I then told you to pick up those pom poms of support and love and genuine excitement, and wave them in the air as hard as you can, you would probably want to punch me in the throat. 

Here’s why you shouldn’t: when you celebrate other people’s wins, you are giving yourself an important message. 

You are signalling that you know your win is coming too. 

And trust me, the wins are coming your way. 

#10: Quit the boring books. – Aunt W.

The sunk cost fallacy is real, and if you have ever kept reading a boring book way past the event horizon at which you knew it would never get better, then you are a victim.

Of all my aunts, this one reads the most voraciously. It’s actually a little intimidating, between you and me. 

But here’s what she won’t do: keep reading a bad book until the bitter end. 

I learned to put down bad books too, but there was a time when I felt I simply didn’t have the authority to say a book was boring enough to be abandoned. 

Now, I think about the sunk cost fallacy in other areas, and wonder to myself where I need to jump the ship and move onto something better. 

You have the authority to make that call for yourself. 

No, really. You do.

Yes, there is uncertainty, and yes, you might jump onto another boring book, but you will at least be able to handle it just like you did the last one. 

Remember, it doesn’t matter how many pages in you are. If it’s not getting any better, it’s probably not worth the wait.

#11: It starts with deciding to be an artist. – L.

I used to carry the deep belief that I had to do hard things to prove I could do them. Then, I had to deprive myself of the things I loved to prove I had “discipline”.

One of the activities I deprived myself of was being an artist. 

When I held this belief up to the light, I wondered where it came from, then promptly decided I didn’t want to carry it anymore.

Since then, I have embarked on the long, slow, acutely painful process of reclaiming the side of me that is, at heart, a writer-artist-explorer. 

L. has been my writing buddy since we met in kindergarten, and she has been instrumental in showing me what it looks like to step into your creativity and live like an artist. 

Really, it boils down to this: If you want to live a creative life, stop telling people you’re not an artist. 

If you want to be a writer, start calling yourself one. 

Call yourself a scientist. 

Call yourself an entrepreneur. 

Being exactly what you aspire to be is about actually making the choice to be that thing and see yourself as worthy of honoring your gifts. 

#12: You might need to cry first, but you still have what it takes, and you will impress yourself later on. – my littlest sister. 

Meet my youngest, yet most mature sibling- because, like I said, life hacks also come from kids.

She may be little, and she may be sweet, but make no mistake: she is a force to be reckoned with. 

My sister has decided she will one day run the Natural History Museum in London, and that she would like to pursue paleontology. (She’s 4 by the way. Who told her what “paleontology” was??)

She is several grade levels ahead in math, and when it comes to reading and writing, it feels like she could be very well start composing Shakespearean sonnets.

However, like every superwoman, she has her kryptonite: Kumon. 

The funny thing about Kumon and my sister is that she is actually amazing at it. 

Like I said, she is incredibly precocious, and has no problem understanding what to do. 

So the problem isn’t the math. It’s the act of sitting down and doing extra work. 

Now, I don’t do Kumon, but I’ve sat down to do things before that give me that same feeling. 

It’s the “this code cell will be the end of me” feeling, or “there’s so many applications to submit and they’ll mostly get rejected” feeling. 

My sister cries about Kumon the same way I cry about Python error messages. 

But guess what else?

After crying, she does the Kumon. And after the Kumon, she gets to play. 

Sometimes, in order to sit down and get through long sheets of math, you need to cry first. 

That’s okay. Just get it done.

Thought To Action 

1. Design a Tech Sabbath: Pick one day or evening a week to go screen-free and let your thoughts get noisy again. (Read why stillness fuels creativity).
2. Build a ‘Slow Stack’: Keep one long, complex book by your bed and promise it five pages a day—no summaries, no speed. Just sustained attention.
3. Use AI as a Mirror: Instead of asking an AI tool for answers, ask it for better questions. Collect your favorites in a “Thinking Prompts” doc.
4. Join the 30-Minute Club: Set aside 30 minutes each day to learn something unmonetized—no career goals, no productivity—just intellectual play.
5. Create a Digital Garden: Capture the best things you’re reading, writing, and noticing in one evolving document. Growth deserves a home.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post.

The post 12 Life Hacks I Learned From Some Of The Coolest People I Know appeared first on Green Also Green.

“Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being.”

– Eckhart Tolle

Insights From Mt. Takao

Of all the weird natural systems on the planet, I thought I was over mushrooms. I really did.

Turns out though, we’re back in love. And yes, today I will subject you to that obsession. 

On a strictly academic mission, I climbed Mt. Takao, and got to have a lot of fun drawing different geological features and eating sweet treats (it’s a hard life, I know). 

From that trip- one of the best homework assignments I have ever had to do- I gained some random insights, as many silly backpackers do when swearing off mainstream society and disappearing into the woods.

If you’re wondering about the deep theme of these insights, don’t bother, because there isn’t one.

Rather, I decided to draw from my favorite moment on the trip: the oyster mushroom. 

Me sitting on the forest floor, drawing a mushroom

#1: Systems thinking

It was when I started to see mushrooms cropping up everywhere, and eventually sat on the cool shaded forest floor to draw a few by hand, that it really struck me: this cute little mushroom, right here before me in its dark non-plant-non-animal glory, was part of a huge planetary system that made the perfect conditions for it to end up before me. 

I mean, stop and think about this: mushrooms require particular soil conditions, particular temperatures and moisture, and it’s even larger systems that manufacture these conditions. 

You can zoom out and zoom in, and on all different scales, you can explain the simple presence of a mushroom on the ground. 

Then I thought about it some more, crouched there as one with the little white oyster mushroom, and felt it was a tragedy that when we think about the world around us, it’s often easy to forget about the systems things are made up of. 

Be a systems thinker. 

So what is there to do? 

Try what I did. Choose one object- an apple, an ear bud, your half-eaten sandwich…

Zoom out to the biggest force you can think of that brought that single thing to where it is now. 

Now zoom in. How was your sandwich made – from the bread to the seedling that ended up creative that tomato slice?

#2: Fast-track to replenishing creativity. 

There is nothing like a long train ride followed by a long hike to really clear your head. 

On my way to Mt. Takao, I enjoyed this uninterrupted hour of time on my Kindle, reading about plant leaves and atmospheric gases in David Beerling’s Emerald Planet as my friends napped in their seats. 

It was peaceful, quiet, and I got to let my mind wander along different trains of thought. 

On the trail, it was the same. 

I marveled at the trees, stopping every five steps to take yet another photo of a ravine, towering cedar tree, or translucent spider web. 

But, once again, I had hours upon hours of time to just think. 

No music, no notifications, no to-do list besides keep watching until you reach the top. 

By the time I got back to Tokyo though, I had several new notes on various projects, random tangents, and interesting questions to look up when I got home. 

Make time to think uninterrupted. 

One of the best systems, I realized, to create emptiness in which to nurture the baby seedlings of your creative garden, is to do something where the emptiness is a natural byproduct. 

Hiking is like that. Showering is like that. Reading is like that. Sometimes, even household chores are like that. 

When you do something where you mind can detach from the nagging expectations of a looming Google Calendar block, your creativity will step in and have a play. 

There are probably already tasks like that for you, and you might not even notice it. 

Next time, pay attention as your mind wanders. Savor the creative play. 

#3: Nature is therapy. 

In the deep cavernous well that is my camera roll, there lies a meme. 

On one side is a gray-skinned, sleep-deprived cartoon with bags under their eyes, asking Jesus, “Is this it? Is this the hardest test you have for me?” Jesus replies, “You literally just have to put your phone down and go outside.”

It’s funny, but accurate. 

Why are we always surprised that when we hide from the sun and spend twelve hours a day in front of a screen, we also happen to feel miserable and depressed?

Truth be told, humans weren’t designed to stare at screens. We were made to hike through forests, draw tiny mushrooms, and gaze in wonder at a deep green range of mountains. It’s what humans have been doing for millions of years. 

Nonetheless, I am still impressed at just how rejuvenating it feels to have a day outside, my phone tucked away at the bottom of my backpack, where the Notification Bird can’t get to me. 

Put down your phone and go outside. 

It’s hard to get away from screens- whether it’s your phone, or the laptop where you work all day. 

Still it’s worth making a deliberate effort, because your stress, worry, and constant existential dread will melt away. 

To make it more fun, take someone adventuring with you. Make it fun and easy. Bring a notepad. 

Maybe, like me, you will end up crouched in front of a mushroom, amazed at the multitudes it contains. 

Thought To Action 

1. Map the Impossible: Write down three “too big” ideas you’d pursue if fear, money, or skill weren’t limits. Circle one. Start with the smallest visible step.
2. Use Tech Intentionally: Schedule a daily “digital audit”—10 minutes to check what tools you actually use to create versus to consume. (See this guide to mindful tech habits).
3. Build an Independent Study Track: Pick a theme you want to master this year (creativity, AI, storytelling) and design your own syllabus—books, podcasts, projects, mentors.
4. Pair Reading with Doing: For every chapter you read, add one experiment to test the idea in real life.
5. Reflect in Reverse: Once a week, ask: “What did I not do because I underestimated myself?”—then do one of those things, badly but bravely.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post. 

The post 3 Secrets A Mountain Mushroom Taught Me About Creative Focus, Systems Thinking & Inner Peace appeared first on Green Also Green.

“The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.” -Steve Jobs

Passion vs. Grit

The typical narrative places grit and passion on opposite ends of the spectrum. 

We imagine “following your passion” as taking a low-paying career in something we enjoy as a hobby. Then, alternatively, there is the “gritty” path that will pay-off years into the future, after many all-nighters and existential crises. 

This is a false narrative, because actually, passion and grit work in tandem, and today I want to unpack how that happens.

Angela Duckworth

The inspiration for this entire post comes from one woman: Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and author who studies grit and self-control. 

On her recent appearance on the Mel Robbins podcast, she discussed the ideas I’m outlining below. 

My Realization

This podcast was a paradigm-shift for me in several ways, but especially as someone who has always struggled to “narrow down” my interests and unlock the things I’m super passionate about. 

Here are a few key insights I realized about myself that might strike a chord:

1.  I have always assumed the “harder” path was inherently more respectable, even if my “easier” path was even more unique and impressive. I figured if I spent a bunch of time trying to brainwash myself into being interested in certain things that didn’t really excite me, that I was doing something inherently more “impressive” than pursuing other (equally) well-earning, nuanced, respectable field/careers/subjects. 

2. Grit is more about consistency than about excessive effort. If you only have 3/10 effort to give, it’s still better than 0. If you fall off the horse, get back on. 

3. You probably don’t even realize that you are talented or passionate about something, because you take your interest in it for granted. For example, I have lately become obsessed with mineralogy, as I’m taking a geology course. I thought everyone found that cool, but turns out, it’s a strong interest  somewhat unique to me. 

#1: The Hard Thing Rule

Duckworth talks about a rule she uses to cycle her kids through interests so they can find their passions, and, in turn, develop grit. 

To choose your “hard thing” she outlines these 3 rules.

#1: The hard thing must require deliberate practice and goals. 

While listening to Duckworth and Robbins, I thought to myself what in my own life might count as a “hard thing”, and the immediate example that stood out to me was learning how to play piano. 

As a kid, I had a checklist on my desk, created by my mom, and on it were the list of things I had to do every day when I got home. 

It was more or less: homework, shower, eat dinner, and practice piano. 

So practicing piano became a habit, like brushing my teeth or packing my school bag. 

It also became a goal- to learn to play Jingle Bells before Christmas, or to memorize Scherezade. 

#2: You cannot quit the goal. 

Another important rule is that you cannot quit the goal. This doesn’t mean you are committing to the “hard thing” for the rest of your life, but rather, that your experiment of the passion you have for that hard thing must be fulfilled. 

About a year and a half ago, I ran a half-marathon, and at the last mile, an aching pain permeated my right hip. I knew I had to finish though, because this was a goal I had and it needed to be completed. 

I ended up finishing, but the last mile took me 45 minutes. 

Duckworth says you have to finish your goal too. After the goal, you can stop, but you must cross the finish line.

Me, after I finished the half-marathon!!

#3: Nobody gets to choose the hard thing but you. 

This is the one most parents ignore. It’s either: you must learn piano or violin, or you will take karate because you need to learn self-defense. 

It even happens in careers. 

If I had a dollar for every kid I met who was on the I’m-becoming-a-doctor-because-it’s-what-my-parents-want track, or the lawyer/engineer/finance bro equivalent, I would never need to work at all. 

You need to choose your hard thing yourself. 

It can’t be your mom. 

It can’t be your math teacher. 

And no, it can’t be another white dude on the internet who thinks the only thing you ever need to learn about is AI.

The problem, then, is how to choose. 

#2: Choose easy. Work Hard. 

Most people think they have to “choose hard”, then “work hard”. It’s a belief I even internalized myself. 

However, if you choose easy first, working hard requires much less friction, and you will experience greater success. 

So…how do you “choose easy”?

#1: Choose easy. Avoid the ‘should’

Let’s start by clarifying what “choosing easy” isn’t. It isn’t:

• Giving up because one random, cruel person in your past told you “you can’t draw” or “you’re not good at math”. 
• Avoiding risk 
• Rejecting growth mindset (e.g. “I will never be able to figure out how to ride a bike because I fell off my bike twice when I was trying to learn.”

What “choosing easy” really means, is to pursue the things you’re already really excited about. Not what you “should” be excited about, but what you actually are excited about. Think:

• What do I like to learn about in my spare time?
• What am I least likely to procrastinate on?
• What kinds of fun facts do I naturally want to tell people about?
• What kinds of problems really annoy me about the world?
• What kinds of lifestyles, jobs, people make me jealous?
• What kinds of skills, knowledge, or behaviors do people compliment me on (or tease me about)?

No Stupid Answers!!

When you go down this list, you might think your answers are stupid, but they’re not. For example, I love to bake and knit, and I thought these were just silly hobbies. 

Lo and behold, my love for these activities provides a deeper clue toward the fact that I love to be creative in a tangible way. I love exploring the properties of materials, and to learn about chemistry in a tangible, non-academic way. 

If I am answering the question “What kinds of lifestyles, jobs, people make me jealous?”, I will point to the cover of a National Geographic magazine, and tell you that I’m jealous of everyone who gets to be a National Geographic explorer. 

Now, that makes perfect sense. 

Exploring the natural world feeds my soul, and I would love to be able to combine a love for chemistry with an enthusiasm for exploration. 

It’s might seem silly- of course anyone would envy the person with a super cool job- but it’s not. 

I know, after many a rock-rant, that minerals and geochemistry are not universally fascinating, nor is knitting or baking or sitting curled up with a National Geographic.

#2: Work hard through deliberate practice. 

Duckworth and Robbins highlight this second part of “choosing easy”, and it’s perhaps the more intuitive part of the path to passion. It’s pretty simple:

High Quality Practice = Having A Goal + Getting Feedback

What is the difference between me, someone whose peak running performance was a half marathon a year and a half ago, and Usain Bolt?

The difference is practice- and not just quantity, but quality. 

I want to take a highlighter to this point, just like Duckworth did in her discussion. 

This is why you are not a food critic, even after spending over 10,000 hours eating food. It’s why you are not a spelling bee champion, even after spending years trying to spell ‘Worcestershire sauce’.

If you want to become great, you need to practice with a goal in mind (e.g. “knit a scarf for my dog”), and get feedback (e.g. “I have 7 stitches on my needle instead of 6. I did something wrong.”). 

If you don’t have those two ingredients, you will not become the Usain Bolt of your “hard thing”. 

Passion belongs to everyone. 

A lot of times when we talk about passion in the context of really clear passion- the person who has known they wanted to be an architect since they were 5 years old, or who has always known they wanted to be a professional ballerina. 

But most of us aren’t that person. 

In truth, passion is for everyone, and it’s just about unlocking the gifts and interests you already have, maybe without even realizing it.  

Thought To Action 

1. Design a Tech Sabbath: Pick one day or evening a week to go screen-free and let your thoughts get noisy again. (Read why stillness fuels creativity).
2. Build a ‘Slow Stack’: Keep one long, complex book by your bed and promise it five pages a day—no summaries, no speed. Just sustained attention.
3. Use AI as a Mirror: Instead of asking an AI tool for answers, ask it for better questions. Collect your favorites in a “Thinking Prompts” doc.
4. Join the 30-Minute Club: Set aside 30 minutes each day to learn something unmonetized—no career goals, no productivity—just intellectual play.
5. Create a Digital Garden: Capture the best things you’re reading, writing, and noticing in one evolving document. Growth deserves a home.

Sources

The Mel Robbins Podcast

The post Angela Duckworth’s Approach To Discover Your Passions & Developing Grit appeared first on Green Also Green.

“Cinema is a mirror that can change the world.” -Diego Luna

Go watch a Disney movie. 

There are basically two ways to learn life lessons in my book: 1) the hard way, by getting your heart broken and your dreams crushed, or 2), the easy way- by watching a Disney movie. 

I know you have Hakuna Matata memorized, and it’s the only Swahili phrase you can say. Your first exposure to talking furniture was probably Beauty and the Beast. 

And of course, you watched The Little Mermaid 14 times before the DVD mysteriously disappeared because your parents couldn’t take it anymore. 

If you’re like me, the first romances you ever idealized were also Disney romances, and maybe some of your first Halloween costumes were from the classic 90s and 2000s films too.

So if you grew up waiting to become a Disney princess or imagining your dog as an animated sidekick, this is for you.

All those hours you spent watching movies might just have taught you some incredible lessons about courage, joy, and how to stay true to yourself in a world that aggressively manufactures sameness. 

(Also, I tried to give minimal spoilers if you haven’t seen some of the films below!)

Me dressed as Elsa (Frozen) at 12 years old

#1: What Else Can I Do? (Learn from Encanto)

The very thing you are trying to suppress, hide, or change, is the path to becoming even more powerful if you lean into it.

One of the most powerful messages to learn from Encanto is to lean into your shadow self, mirroring some of what Robert Greene writes about in 48 Laws Of Power. 

But what do I mean by this?

Throughout all my high school years, I felt like I had to squeeze and contort myself to fit into a predetermined future box that contained a single career. There was a set list of jobs, and you were just supposed to pick one based on the class you did the best in. 

It was a pretty straightforward algorithm if you had one favorite class, or could easily clump your interests into a definitive job description. 

But for me it was a nightmare, because I loved all my classes, and found all the jobs super cool. 

My solution? 

Suppress, hide, and try to change. 

I loved creative writing with a passion, but this didn’t make sense in the context of science and math. People only saw the link between writing and science if you were planning on going into journalism or sci comm. 

I tried both on, but I knew there was still something missing. 

So what did I do?

Suppress even more. 

It got worse and worse until I took a gap year before college, where like a plant transplanted from a tiny plastic pot to a big wide-open field, my roots spread out wide and far, and I got to reinvigorate my love for writing in all its expansiveness. 

Now I don’t try to suppress; I try to explore. I ask what else can I do?

The answer is always a pleasant surprise. 

#2: When I’m Older (Learn from Frozen)

All the crazy things happening to you now will make sense in the future. Trust the process.

Olaf sings this song in Frozen II as a bunch of crazy things are happening in the plot and he is lost in the woods without the other characters. 

In short, he has every reason to panic.

However, the charming thing about Olaf is that instead of panic, the entire time, he is reassuring himself, “This will all make sense when I am older.”

What I love about this is the fact that while we might usually see Olaf as the naive, childlike comic relief in the film, he is actually right. 

When I was 13, I moved to England from Miami. 

Yes, from Miami, where you have to worry about wearing enough sunscreen, to England, where you have to take Vitamin D pills just to stay sane in the winter. 

As a 13-year-old already halfway through the social Rubix cube of middle school, moving to an entirely new continent and starting over was tough. 

The first year, I had almost zero friends, and was constantly lamenting the gray skies and strange new education system I had been transplanted into unwillingly. 

When my life didn’t play out how I wanted it to, one of the hardest things for me to do was to take a step back and go “This will make sense one day.”

And guess what?

Seven years later, I can confirm it made perfect sense. 

If I hadn’t moved to England, I wouldn’t be who I am today. 

That said, wouldn’t it be so much easier if we could learn from Olaf and walk through the woods when we feel lost, alone, and hopeless, and trust that yes, this will all make sense when I am older?

#3: Gaston (Learn from Beauty and the Beast)

No matter how amazing you are, there will always be people who reject you. Don’t try to make sense of it. 

Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking: “But he’s the villain in the movie. Why are we learning from him?”

Hear me out: Yes, I know Gaston is the villain. I know he is self-absorbed. Maybe even a narcissist. 

Let’s take a step back, though. 

In this song, LeFou (Gaston’s bro, if you will) is trying to cheer up Gaston because he is feeling down and out about Belle rejecting him. So he lists off all the things about Gaston that are impressive. 

“Gosh, it disturbs me to see you, Gaston,” he says. “Looking so down in the dumps…There’s no man in town as admired as you. You’re ev’ryone’s favorite guy. Ev’ryone’s awed and inspired by you, and it’s not very hard to see why.”

Wow, so Gaston is a great guy to a lot of people. Yet for whatever reason, his insecurity is blinding him to this because he is hung up on the fact that Belle won’t marry him. 

Imagine how differently Beauty and the Beast would have gone if Gaston just had the emotional maturity to let Belle go, wish her the best, and marry any of the many women who really wanted to be with him. 

My ten-year-old sister once said something very wise, as children have a beautiful tendency to do. 

She said, “Sometimes you want to be friends with someone, but they don’t want to be friends with you. That’s okay.” 

It struck me, because she’s absolutely right.

In trying to bend over backwards for the people who don’t want what you have to offer, you miss out on appreciating the people who are your biggest fans. 

#4: We Don’t Talk About Bruno (Learn from Encanto)

We all have Brunos in the closet, even if we pretend we don’t. “Not talking” about something won’t make it go away. 

Can you tell I loved Encanto?

This song broke the charts because it’s catchy in every language, but really, it’s about being in a family that avoids talking about the hard stuff, in this case about what on earth happened to Uncle Bruno. 

But this doesn’t have to be about family. 

As individuals, we all have Brunos in the closet, and we refuse to talk about them, or even acknowledge them, until they blow up in our faces. 

You know how when you’re driving and your gas is low, your car will give you a little red warning?

50 miles becomes 20, 20 becomes 10. Sometimes, even at 0 miles, you can still go a little further before getting stranded. 

Well, once I got to 0 miles of gas in the tank, and I barely managed to get home. 

It’s easy to ignore a blinking red light telling you to stop at a gas station, but hard to ignore when you’re stranded in the middle of a winding mountain road. 

Address the thing before it becomes catastrophic. How?

It starts with talking about your Bruno.

#5: Spoonful Of Sugar (Learn from Mary Poppins)

Make the hard thing a little more fun. 

Perhaps the only thing more timeless than Mary Poppins is that universal groan right before you start the one long, boring task you’ve been avoiding all week. 

Disney’s solution is simple: take your medicine with a spoonful of sugar. 

Mary Poppins puts it this way: “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap! The job’s a game, and every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake.”

About 2 months ago, I climbed Mt. Fuji with some friends. Before you climb, you are pumped with adrenaline, and at the top you have the wonderful sense of achievement.

In the middle, though, motivation is sparse. 

So what did we do?

We either sang musical number after musical number, or we listened to the rest of the group as they sang musical numbers. 

In the upper half of the mountain, I even came up with a game we all played together, where I would give a word like “boat”, and they would guess a musical number with that word in it. 

Did our legs still hurt? Absolutely, but our minds were on the likes of Hamilton, West Side Story, and Wicked instead.

Playing a game and singing songs didn’t make the climb effortless; it just kept us from dwelling on our sore feet, exhausted legs, and the sense that the mountain just kept getting taller. 

It works just like Mary Poppins claims: “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down in a most delightful way.”

#6: How Far I’ll Go (Learn from Moana)

Trust the instinct telling you to try something random and new. It knows something you don’t yet. 

Moana is, like most princesses, unsatisfied with staying in her comfort zone. The difference between her and the rest though, is subtle. 

“I’ve been standing at the edge of the water, long as I can remember,” she says. “Never really knowing why.” Then, later in the song, she confesses, “I can lead with pride. I can make us strong. I’ll be satisfied if I play along, but the voice inside sings a different song. What is wrong with me?”

Nothing is wrong with you, Moana.

Much like Olaf trusts that everything will make sense later on, and like Isabela in Encanto has to lean into her shadow self to realize the true extent of her powers, Moana needs to trust that her urge to explore is telling her something important. 

Last Christmas, I got a small crafting kit under the tree. It came with two short, chunky wooden knitting needles, and a little clump of magenta-colored wool yarn. 

To my surprise, I spent all of Christmas Day knitting in my pajamas until I produced a mug cosy, completing the craft kit. 

In the week that followed, my mom and I went to the knitting shop to pick up more yarn so I could make a bigger project- a scarf.

I kept following that random new obsession, and almost a year later, I have also made a tote bag, hand warmers, and a scarf for my dog!!

Okay, maybe I didn’t defeat any evil demi-gods or giant crabs like Moana did, but I listened to the voice, and it told me I like this- let’s explore it. 

After all, you never know how far you’ll go…

#7: Do You Wanna Build A Snowman (Learn from Frozen)

Everyone has someone looking to them for love and support. Be there for them when it’s easy, but especially when it’s hard. 

Frozen is, ultimately, about sisterhood, and that’s one of my favorite things about it. 

It teaches us how to lean on others, especially in a world that trains women to see each other as competition. 

In this song, we see Anna begging her big sister, Elsa, to build a snowman for her, but it’s never really just about building a snowman. 

This is a plea for connection. 

The powerful message of this song, though, is that connection doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t have to make it about having a deep, existential conversation. In fact, you don’t even have to spend money.

For Anna and Elsa, it just means going outside together and building a snowman. 

As a proud big sister myself, one of my favorite things to do with my own little sisters is to bake. Whenever I visit, we make something tasty, and in the weeks and months leading up to a visit, we compare notes on what recipes to try. 

It’s not really about baking, although baking is lots of fun.

Really, it’s about connection.

We all have someone in our life who is the Anna to our Elsa, and could use our lova and support. 

Frozen just tells us it’s actually not as hard as we think to provide it. 

Apply What You Learn After The Movie.

Learning doesn’t stop after the credits finish rolling though. 

You can continue to engage with these Disney films by relistening to each of these songs using the links below:

1. What Else Can I Do?
2. When I’m Older
3. Gaston
4. We Don’t Talk About Bruno
5. Spoonful Of Sugar
6. How Far I’ll Go
7. Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?

Thought To Action 

1. Upgrade Your Inputs: This week, read one thing that feels above your level—a book, essay, or paper that makes you slow down. Growth hides in friction.
2. Curate Your Feed: Audit your digital spaces—unfollow three accounts that shrink your thinking and replace them with three that expand it and help you learn.
3. Start a “Curiosity Thread”: Pick one question that won’t leave you alone and spend 15 minutes a day chasing it down. (Here’s how to build a personal learning ritual).
4. Try AI as a Reading Companion: Feed a dense article into an AI tool and ask it to explain it five ways—like a teacher, a friend, a skeptic, a poet, and a child. Notice what each version unlocks.
5. Share a Synthesis: Write a one-paragraph reflection and post it publicly or in your notes—learning cements when shared.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post- just my precious childhood memories. 

The post What Disney Songs Helped Me Learn (The Easy Way) appeared first on Green Also Green.

“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid

You know the feeling?

One of my favorite ways to spend a quiet evening is to read on my Kindle. 

You know the feeling? 

You unwrap a cool facemask from a little plastic bag, breathe in the warm smell of hot herbal tea from your favorite mug, and slip into clean sheets and soft pajamas to then cuddle up with a good book until you turn out the lights. 

This, for me, is an ideal evening, and I have fought hard against the constant pressure of all the other things I could be doing in that time instead. 

Why? Because for me, if I’m too busy to read, I’m just too busy, period. 

While I flit between many different books, I find a special comfort and joy from reading fiction, especially when school requires me to already read other more technical materials. 

But it’s not just about intellectual relief- it’s also emotional. By reading fiction, I get to step into the minds and lives of other people, to witness their heartbreak and victories and know that if it’s possible for them to prevail, it’s also possible for me. 

Right now, I’m reading Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, which I highly recommend if you like historical fiction and/or K-dramas.  

Me reading on my Kindle with a face mask from 7/11

Plot twist!

However, I’m also an aspiring scientist, eager to get involved in, and learn about, research in fields like materials science and geochemistry. When I have a few minutes to spare, you can even find me on Datacamp, probably trying to master AI before it masters me. 

These aren’t contradictory facts, nor should they be, but I find myself constantly frustrated with the notion that the only books that help you grow as a person are in the personal development section of Barnes & Noble. 

If you want to get ahead in your career, be more content in your personal life, and generally be a better citizen of the world, fiction helps too. In fact, it helps a lot.

Today, I want to tell you why. 

#1: People with hobbies go farther.

There’s a myth I want to bust before anything else, and it’s this: that STEM is not for “creatives”.

I know why this myth exists. People sometimes assume that if you are good at math and/or spend most of your time coding, in a lab, or losing sleep on AutoCAD, that you won’t also be an incredible painter, ballet dancer, poet, or professional trumpet player. 

And maybe for a lot of people in STEM, that’s the case, but I have also personally encountered many exceptions. 

In fact, research by Michele and Robert Root-Bernstein from Michigan State University even supports this. They looked at 773 Nobel Laureates across all fields of academia, and found that among the most successful thinkers, one of the common traits is that they have hobbies outside their work. 

For many, this included creative hobbies like playing an instrument or writing poetry. 

Now, if you don’t know what your quirky hobby might be, I’ll give you a good place to start: pick up a book. 

No, not Atomic Habits or 4 Hour Workweek, for crying out loud. 

Pick up something obscure but cool, intriguing but a little less well-known. Think like you were a little kid, and pick up a book that will just bring you untapped joy to read. 

Call it a “guilty pleasure” if you want. I call it “food for the soul”.

#2: Reading builds cognitive endurance.

Okay, I’m going to be your crunchy-granola aunt for a second, and tell you to get off the dang Instabook. 

Yes, I know you have to check the seventeen reels of cat memes your cousin sent you in the past hour, and that you have to respond to the reel your mom just sent about “Top 4 Study Tips For College Students”. 

I know. I get it. People are counting on you. Life is hard. 

But all that dutiful scrolling you are doing to keep sending your friends the funniest reels in all the land is taking a toll on your ability to actually focus.

My innovative solution is tried and tested, and surprisingly, it is not to just cold-turkey delete all your accounts and throw your phone into a lake. 

Now that you’ve breathed your sigh of relief, what is my solution, anyway?

Read.

Friend, there is no way to escape social media. 

I know because like you, I have grown up with its cold ubiquitous eyes all around me too. So if you don’t want to quit, don’t. 

Try this challenge that I started about a year ago instead: each week, read your social media screen time. 

If it was 10 hours, challenge yourself to read 10 hours that week. If it was 7 hours, try reading an hour daily for a week. 

Spoiler: if you do this for long enough, like I did, you will find your screen time gradually falling to a less existentially-terrifying number. 

It will go from 14 to 10 to 4 to 3. 

And guess what? 

By then, you might actually find yourself at peace when you have to sit still for a few hours to review some journals, do a coding spring, or answer the emails piling up in your inbox.

#3: Reading fiction restores your sense of wonder.

Let’s face it, when you’re a kid, it’s easy to get excited. 

You get excited for lunchtime, for art class, for recess, for PE. Then, when you get home, you get excited to play with your toys and have some ice cream after dinner. 

When it’s Friday, you get excited for the weekend. When it’s Christmas, you get excited for, well, everything. If you go to the park and find a worm wriggling around the dirt, you get excited because you found a worm wriggling around in the dirt and decided he was named Gary.

The thing is, growing up can make us less excited. It can dull that beautiful sense of childlike wonder with a long list of explanations and crushed dreams. 

Then, we learn to make excuses: “I’m not good at math”, “I’m not sporty”, “I’m an awful cook”, “I just can’t draw.”

What I want to know is what happened to that little kid inside of you who did stupid, random stuff just because it was cool and it was fun, and really, deep down, nobody else knew what they were doing either. 

If you’re in STEM, I know there is a little kid inside you whose eyes grew wide when hearing an astronaut talk about space, or who yearned to make something explode in chemistry class.

For me, the way to bring that kid back is by reading fiction. 

Why?

Because when you read fiction, nothing is off the table. 

You can revel in the ridiculous and savor the stupid. It doesn’t have to be intellectual or technical, or about meeting an ever-increasing standard for “good enough”. 

You get to find something cool and exciting that no one else understands. 

What a gift.

Buy the book.

I once heard Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, talk about his rule when it comes to buying books. It was simple: if you’re thinking of buying it, do. 

Why?

Because the ROI of reading a book is way more valuable than the $20 it might cost to buy it. 

So if you find yourself wandering through a bookstore, don’t stop at the personal development section. 

Wander into the fiction aisles too…you may just strike gold. 

Thought To Action 

1. Upgrade Your Inputs: This week, read one thing that feels above your level—a book, essay, or paper that makes you slow down. Growth hides in friction.
2. Curate Your Feed: Audit your digital spaces—unfollow three accounts that shrink your thinking and replace them with three that expand it.
3. Start a “Curiosity Thread”: Pick one question that won’t leave you alone and spend 15 minutes a day chasing it down. (Here’s how to build a personal learning ritual).
4. Try AI as a Reading Companion: Feed a dense article into an AI tool and ask it to explain it five ways—like a teacher, a friend, a skeptic, a poet, and a child. Notice what each version unlocks.
5. Share a Synthesis: Write a one-paragraph reflection and post it publicly or in your notes—learning cements when shared.

Sources

Cima, Rosie. “The Correlation between Arts and Crafts and a Nobel Prize.” Priceonomics, 11 Sept. 2015, priceonomics.com/the-correlation-between-arts-and-crafts-and-a/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

Varner, Grant. “The Side Hustle of the Nobel Laureates.” Grantvarner.com, Grant Varner, 3 Mar. 2025, www.grantvarner.com/p/the-side-projects-of-nobel-laureates. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

The post Why It Would Be Silly Not To Read More Fiction appeared first on Green Also Green.

“The dream is not a drug but a way. Listen to where it can take you.” -Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

It made me kind of jealous…

I started learning how to dream big about a year ago, when I started university. 

I was nineteen, a freshman moving into a San Francisco residence hall that was conveniently placed on a noisy street right across from Ikea, and well-equipped with a perpetually-disgusting shared kitchen. 

Overall, the first semester was something of a blur, and it was a period of adjustment- to academics, to life in SF, and to all the new relationships I was forming with friends, professors, and new connections in the city. 

But what really struck me was how incredibly successful so many of my peers were. Among them were entrepreneurs, researchers, activists, and even published authors, all from different walks of life. 

It made me feel lots of things, but most of all, it made me feel jealous.

I racked my brain for a single good reason for why I had never thought to become any of these myself. Why had I not even tried?  

When I thought about it more deeply, exploring this question through journaling, I realized the main reason was that I just never thought it was possible for me. 

It might sound sad, but it was the truth. I didn’t think I was smart enough, or organized enough, or cool enough, or capable enough, so I didn’t even bother to dream it. 

In essence, I trained myself to think small using beliefs I had no evidence for. 

Over the past year though, I have pushed myself to dream bigger. I have chosen to choose my beliefs and life with intention. 

The results have been incredible. 

So today I want to urge you to choose to choose. Dare to dream big dreams. Because, really, why not?

Okay. 

Now is when I talk to the person rolling their eyes because I sound like their hippie best friend’s Pinterest board. 

I wrote this for you. 

Me at the start of my freshman year.

7 reasons why it would be silly to do not dream big:

#1: You only have 4,000 weeks of being alive. 

Let’s do some math, inspired by one of my favorite self-help books of all time, 4000 Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman. 

There are 52 weeks in a year, and a typical human lives 80 years. 

80 52 = 4,160

So if you’re an infant, you have about 4,000 weeks of being alive (if you’re lucky enough to live a full 80 years). 

If you’re 20 years old like me, the math looks like this:

(80-20) 52 = 3,120

If you’re 35, it looks like this:

(80-35) 52 = 2,340

If you’re 50, it’s this:

(80-50) 52 = 1,560

At what point do you have less than a thousand weeks left? At 60.77 years old. 

(80 – ?) 52 < 1,000

It’s not a lot of time when you think about it. I think we should make it count, don’t you? 

#2: You gain more information by doing the thing than by not. 

If you don’t find math convincing, let’s instead talk about the practical matter of making life decisions, and how to make them well. 

Imagine if you only ever tried chocolate ice cream. For years, this was your go-to flavor because it was familiar, and you knew you liked it. 

Then, one day, your friend convinces you to try strawberry, and you find it disgusting. You think, “This is why I should have just stuck to chocolate.” So you do. 

Now, when someone asks if you like strawberry ice cream, you give a confident “ew, no”. 

However, it’s important to recognize that your decision to try strawberry only speaks to strawberry. 

Don’t use your dislike for strawberry to then justify not trying biscoff-flavored ice cream, or French vanilla, or cookies and cream. 

The more ice cream flavors you try, the more you know what you really like and what you don’t. With that knowledge, you will then be able to choose a really good flavor next time you go to an ice cream shop (and in the end, you might realize chocolate wasn’t the best flavor after all).

#3: You are way more capable than many of the people already doing the thing. 

Have you ever watched a TV show and thought “I could’ve written a better script”, or gone to a restaurant and found yourself saying “I could have made this better at home”?

If that’s you- criticizing the people who have put themselves out there and actually succeeded- then I hate to break it to you, but you’re the bigger loser. 

Truth be told, you could certainly do that thing you’ve always wanted to do. 

But the point isn’t whether you could do it, it’s whether you actually do. 

However, this is also good news. 

The fact that there are people with way less talent and skill than you who have done it before means there’s a chance. 

It means there is a playbook. There is a way. If they could figure it out, so can you. 

#4: You can still change your mind!

If you’re like me- a super indecisive person who is perpetually terrified at the opportunity cost that comes with actually making decisions- please listen up. 

There are very few things in life that aren’t reversible, and even within the category of reversible decisions, there are very few decisions that are difficult to reverse. 

Most daily decisions are actually so small we don’t even notice them: what you choose to have for lunch, whether you decide to read a new book or not, what podcast you turn on during the drive home, how you spend your Friday night…

Yet, these micro-decisions are what make up most of our life. 

When you dream big, it’s not all about making big all-or-nothing choices. It’s not about being as dramatic as possible when you realize you need a change. 

Instead, it is about experimentation, and sometimes the experiment reveals that you actually don’t want exactly what you thought. 

The beauty, though, is that at any point, you can still change your mind. 

If you start pursuing something, you can still walk away from it.

The key is to not be afraid of making small but frequent pivots on your way to the dream. 

Over time, these little pivots will lead you right to where you want to be.

#5: You will inspire the people watching. 

When I was a little kid, I used to take swimming lessons. Cautious from the very beginning, I resisted letting go of the ledge and swimming in the parts of the pool where I couldn’t reach the bottom. 

I simply didn’t want to flounder in the deep end and suffer the sharp sting of water rushing up my nose as I struggled to catch a breath. 

Enter: my baby brother. 

Two years younger than me, my brother was supposed to be helpless in the pool, or at least more helpless than me. 

This was not so. 

My brother learned to swim easily, and let go of the ledge with no problem. 

The whole thing was embarrassing, truth be told. 

However, in seeing him learn so quickly, I realized I was being ridiculous. 

Swimming wasn’t that hard. I just had to let go of the ledge and stop being a scaredy cat. 

The thing is, most of us are holding onto the ledge still, and all we need to let go is to see our baby brother waddle into the pool with his silly little swim diapers and show us how it’s done. 

When you dream big, you will become the person who makes everyone else realize how much their fear is holding them back. 

#6: It will probably give you amazing memories anyway.

Is ‘fun’ a good enough reason to live a big life and pursue crazy goals? 

Yes, I think it is. 

The thing holding us back from that, though, is the voice that rattles off all the logistical complications, all the disapproving stares, and tells us it’s “too late”, or you’re “too old”, or “no one has done it before”, and “there’s no time anyway”. 

To that, I say yes, it will be scary. 

Yes, you might have to hire a babysitter. 

And yes, it will cost you money or time or effort, and you might very well look stupid and feel stupid. 

I say, do it nevertheless, because once you get past the “figuring out how to make this work” stage, you will be so glad you now get to cherish those memories for the rest of your life.  

#7: You will become an even cooler person. 

I put this reason last to emphasize that the whole point of dreaming big isn’t necessarily to get what you want, but to become who you want.

By signing up for a marathon, not only can you say you did the marathon. You can also cast a vote every day for becoming the type of person who wakes up early to train.

Similarly, by travelling to a new country, not only can you say you ticked that country off your bucket list. You can also cast a vote for the version of you that is adventurous and curious. 

Every decision reinforces a part of your personality, so it makes perfect sense to act in a way that reinforces who you want to be. 

Chances are, when you really explore what you want from life, it will provide you with a clear step-by-step path to becoming the version of yourself you have always wanted to be. 

…So go for it!

There are hard decisions in life, but I hope I have convinced you that whether or not to really dream big isn’t one of them. 

Not only will it fill your 4000 weeks with joy and beauty, but it will also lead you right to where (and who) you want to be. 

…And who knows, maybe your crazy, impossibly-big dream will even become reality?

Thought To Action 

1. Map the Impossible: Write down three “too big” ideas you’d pursue if fear, money, or skill weren’t limits. Circle one. Start with the smallest visible step.
2. Use Tech Intentionally: Schedule a daily “digital audit”—10 minutes to check what tools you actually use to create versus to consume. (See this guide to mindful tech habits).
3. Build an Independent Study Track: Pick a theme you want to master this year (creativity, AI, storytelling) and design your own syllabus—books, podcasts, projects, mentors.
4. Pair Reading with Doing: For every chapter you read, add one experiment to test the idea in real life.
5. Reflect in Reverse: Once a week, ask: “What did I not do because I underestimated myself?”—then do one of those things, badly but bravely.

Sources

Burkeman, Oliver. Four Thousand Weeks :$BTime and How to Use It. London, Uk, Jonathan Cape, 2021.

The post 7 Reasons It’s Stupid Not To Dream Bigger appeared first on Green Also Green.

“What is now proved was once only imagined.” – William Blake

Training myself to think bigger.

After reading more about neuroscience this year, and developing greater intention with how I visualize my success, I discovered something crazy: I was used to thinking small.

This thought has driven me toward a long, winding road of daydreams, journaling prompts, and award-deserving mood boards. 

It has all given me a great sense of excitement and enthusiasm for life, and it’s all rooted in one question:

What if?

So many of us go through our day-to-day lives accepting everything exactly as it is. Let’s start there. 

What if you could make X better? What if you could read the book you’ve been meaning to start for 6 months? What if you didn’t have to feel Y or worry about Z? 

This exercise goes beyond personal development though, and can even make for a fun creative exercise in other tasks. 

Allow me to share some of the items on my own “what if” list now:

• What if I learned more about ethnobotany?
• What if I increased my time to action?
• What if I bought a bunch of land to turn it back into natural habitat? 
• What if I bought e-waste and found a way to deconstruct it while preserving the quality of the materials?

The Enduring Power Of “What If”

#1: Deepen your understanding. 

In adding items to my “what if” list, I have learned the skill of asking increasingly more obscure, random hypothetical questions. 

Exploring their answers often reinforces fundamental concepts that are tangibly applicable in my life. 

For example, in studying geochemistry, I got to thinking, “why isn’t there silicon-based life on earth?” Like carbon, silicon is what you would call tetravalent- it has just as many valence electrons as carbon, and thus, you would imagine, just as much opportunity to bond. In fact, most minerals on earth are silicon-based. 

After asking around and exploring this idea, one of my peers shared some papers he wrote on the subject, which I got to enjoy reading. 

In the end, asking a “stupid” question allowed me to make connect with others while deepening my own awareness of key concepts within geochemistry and evolutionary biology. 

#2: Challenge your assumptions. 

Let’s talk about “what if”’s favorite cousin, “why not”. 

For most of my life, I believed the narrative of choosing one career and using that end goal to make all my decisions. 

It was: if you want to be a doctor, read chemistry books. Wanna be a lawyer? Read about philosophy. And if you like both chemistry and philosophy, just pick one for crying out loud!

For a long time, it was tormenting to be the kid who simply liked everything. I was overwhelmed by the infinite paths I could take, and simultaneously saddened by the fact that they all seemed to lack the crazy diversity I dreamed about. 

Then I asked a question: Why not cultivate my unique portfolio of skills and interests? Who says I can’t design a career perfectly suited to what I’m good at, interested in, and hoping to get out of life?

When I asked this question, I realized that the answer to this “why not” boiled down to two things: fear of uncertainty and not wanting to put in the effort to discover the life that would truly fulfill me. 

Most of us do not realize how much we take for granted- intellectually, in our relationships, in the way we live our lives. 

So start asking yourself “why not”, and you might be surprised by the answer.  

#3: Realize your big dreams are attainable.

Here is some tough love: you’re not special. 

Throughout the course of human history, millions of people have also faced heartbreak, loss, financial ruin, and uncertainty. Many of them have also come out of those things with the reinforced determination to have crazy amazing lives. 

So what if there was a way to chart the path from exactly where you are to the amazing world, life, or career you envision?

What if you are not limited by your circumstances, but instead by your creativity?

We tell ourselves certain things are impossible for us, but when we ask “what if”, we realize an unsettling but reassuring fact. Actually, there is no real reason why someone else in your position could’ve gotten/done that thing and not you. 

When I do this exercise for myself, it can be disheartening. I realize that the responsibility to create what I want is fully up to me, and in a lot of ways, I fail at it.

Yet after that stark realization, there is also a glimmer of hope- yes, it’s up to me, but also, I have every power to fix it. Why? 

Well, why not?

What if it works?

Go and see for yourself. 

Open a new “Note” on a note-taking app, and title it “What If List”. 

Write one question. Make it crazy. Make it unhinged. 

Let’s see where it takes you. 

Thought to Action

1. Start a “Future Self” Journal: Write one page from the perspective of your dream self—what are you building, learning, wearing, prioritizing? Use this to guide daily decisions.
2. Identify Your Personal Design Criteria: What makes a task or project feel deeply worth it to you? Make a mini checklist. Use it to evaluate new commitments before saying yes.
3. Create a “Someday Stack” of Ideas: Start a list of crazy, impractical, or ambitious project ideas that you don’t have time for yet. This becomes your personal innovation vault.
4. Study Someone Whose Job Didn’t Exist 20 Years Ago: Look up someone in a role like climate designer, circularity strategist, or biofabrication artist—and reverse engineer how they got there.
5. Fuel Up With Fiction That Thinks Ahead: Read a sci-fi or speculative fiction book this month. Start with something weird. It will stretch your imagination more than any TED Talk ever could.

Sources

No external sources were used for this post. 

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