I read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and one thing that struck me was the man’s emphasis on focus. Jobs said knowing what not to do was as important as knowing what to do. When he returned to Apple to run the company in the late 90s and was faced with a bewildering array of substandard products, he axed most of them and told his teams to focus on creating just four. During his final medical leave Jobs met with and advised Google co-founder Larry Page. “We talked a lot about focus,” Jobs said later. “What are the products you want to focus on? Get rid of the rest, because they are dragging you down.” I’m not one for resolutions, but I’ve been kicking the last part of that statement around in my head these past few days. What are the things you want to focus on? Get rid of the rest, because they are dragging you down. 📚

Daniel, aged about six as we lay on our backs on the grass at the park: “Big, big clouds. Small, small me.”

It’s good to be back on the West Coast. This might just be my favourite part of the world. I woke at dawn to thunder crashing down from the glacier, and now I’m in a warm dry cafe drinking good coffee and about to drive north to Rapahoe, a special place for me and which I know Daniel loved. Feeling grateful for all I have.

Holidaying and celebrating a big birthday with family in a luxury lake apartment rn. Life is good. ☀️

Deuteronomy 30:

I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse: therefore choose life, that you may live.

I spent a few hours with a friend walking around Christchurch. We checked out the city gardens and the food and retail precincts. New buildings and businesses are everywhere. The arts centre was a highlight, the stone heritage buildings have been strengthened and restored to their former glory. After eight years away I am surprised how heartwarming it is to be back in my second city and to see how well the rebuild is going. The place is thriving.

Epictetus:

The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control.

Richard Osman:

Learn to count the good days. Tuck them in your pocket and carry them around with you.

I read Blindness by José Saramago, an insightful look into human nature and what can happen when the thin veneer of civilisation slips, in this case into darkness. Some powerful moments, and don’t be put off by the weird style. 📚

I finished my first rewatch of the reimagined television sci-fi Battlestar Galactica. I enjoyed it, despite seasons three and four getting increasingly weird and the wrap up feeling sloppy and rushed. Seasons one and two are great though, and if you don’t mind darker endings the end of season two is a good place to conclude the story. And did I mention how good the soundtrack is?

Eihei Dogen:

If this one day in the lifetime of a hundred years is lost, will you ever get your hands on it again?

If contentment is a key life metric, 2025 might have been my best year yet. I’m healthier and happier than I’ve been in a long time.