My favourite things from 2024
Music, books, podcasts, blogs, tech, and more things I've enjoyed this year.
Hey friends,
This week I thought I’d share some of my favourite things from the past year!
Artist
Olivia Dean is certainly my top artist this year—I’ve been loving all of her work. Dive, Float, and White Trainers are my favourites.
RAYE, Teddy Swims, and Drax Project are also some of my top artists this year. You can find my top 100 songs in order here if you’re curious.
Album
For Cryin’ Out Loud by FINNEAS is my album of the year. I love the vibe. I can’t wait to see him play live in January. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish, Finneas’ sister, comes in at a close second. Some of the songs in that album are my favourite of all time.
Book
Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal is my top book for this year. The feel good philosophy is something I believe in wholeheartedly. The secret to productivity isn't discipline, it's joy. We should try do more of what matters to us to live happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Coming at a close second is The Sharesies Guide To Investing. I think everyone my age (and beyond) should read this book. We all can and should become investors.
Podcast
How I Write with David Perell is my favourite podcast this year! I particularly enjoyed episodes with The Cultural Tutor, Harry Dry, and Ryan Holiday.
The Diary of A CEO with Steven Bartlett comes in at a close second. An honourable mention goes to The H3 Show who I got into the habit of listening to before bed and have now been falling to sleep to every night for the past few years.
Tech
I purchased an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite this year. I’m loving it! Fairly low cost for the amount of use it’s getting. You can get really cheap books on it, instantly. Nice to hold and convenient to take anywhere. It encourages me to read and to build a reading habit.
TV show
I really didn’t watch many TV shows this year, but the one I ended up watching after one of my flatmates put it on was brilliant. Fool Me Once: “Maya Stern is trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe. However, when Maya installs a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her young daughter, she is shocked to see her husband in her house.”
Newsletters and Substacks
Here are some email newsletters, blogs, and Substacks I’ve been enjoying this year:
Your Next Breakthrough by Mark Manson for some thoughtful questions
3-2-1 Thursday by James Clear for some wisdom to live our best lives
Politik Daily by Richard Harman for the latest political news in NZ
The Rundown AI newsletter for the latest developments in AI
Webworm by David Farrier for in-depth journalism uncovering injustices
Democracy Project by Bryce Edwards for opinion on NZ politics
After School by Casey Lewis for the latest trends and happenings in pop culture
A Year of Mental Health by Chris Guillebeau for some tips for staying well
Small change
The smallest change with the largest impact on my life this year was removing social media from my phone. I’m more present and reflective, my mind feels calmer and clearer, I’ve got space to think more deeply, I’m caring less about what other people think of me, I think less about things I don’t care for, and more for things that matter to me.
What are some of your favourite things from this year?
Have a great week,
Ben x
Quote of the week
“Change. But start slowly, because direction is more important than speed.”
Attributed to Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist. Surfaced in Tim Ferris’ newsletter.
Facts of the week
Elon Musk has become the first person to reach $400 billion in net worth, following a 77% increase in his fortune since Trump’s victory. Tesla shares, which make up the majority of Musk’s wealth, have risen 71% this year. Musk’s one-day wealth increase of $62.8 billion is the largest on record.
Three-quarters of UK children spend less time outside than prison inmates.
“Dead week” is the no-man’s land between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
People whose surnames start with U, V, W, X, Y or Z tend to get grades 0.6% lower than people with A-to-E surnames. Modern learning management systems sort papers alphabetically before they’re marked, so those at the bottom are always seen last, by tired, grumpy markers. A few teachers flip the default setting and mark Z to A, and their results are reversed.
In 2024, around 10% of Anguilla’s GDP will come from fees for its .ai domain name.
This week’s top picks
🎬 Movie - Carry-on on Netflix is a great action-thriller movie. I really like the actor Taron Egerton. “A young airline security guard is blackmailed by a mysterious passenger who threatens to smuggle a dangerous package onto a plane on Christmas Eve.”
🎙️ Podcast - Author Ryan Holiday is one of the most prominent voices in Stoicism. In the first episode of Matt D'Avella’s new podcast, Ryan shared the three rules that helped shape his career, his approach to writing, and his ability to navigate the pressures of life:
Always be reading: Reading helps us stay curious and open to new ideas. By dedicating just a little time every day, we’re constantly sharpening our minds and feeding our creativity.
Seek out mentors: We don’t have to go it alone. Surrounding ourselves with people who’ve already walked the path we’re on can offer invaluable guidance and save us tons of time.
Say yes. Then no: When we’re just starting out, we should say yes to opportunities that help us grow and gain experience. But as we progress, it’s equally important to embrace the power of saying no. To be great at one thing, we have to be willing to be bad at a lot of other things. This shift allows us to focus our time and energy on what really matters.
📝 Substack - If you’re a New Zealander, you probably know who Mike King is: the face of New Zealand’s battle against mental health problems. Unfortunately, the desire to do good doesn't always translate into good. With so much on the line, including money and lives, David takes a closer look at Mike King.
The common thread between Mike King and others, such as disgraced Arise megachurch founder John Cameron, is that they can’t see how being in the limelight actually stops them from achieving the goal the say they’re trying to achieve. When the personality and image is bigger than the kaupapa of supporting people in a community, you hurt people.
🎙️ Podcast - What if you were told that there is a secret language that makes up 98% of your communication? Vanessa Van Edwards gives people science-backed skills to improve communication and leadership.
When she appears on The Diary of a CEO podcast, Vanessa and Steven discuss topics such as, why your resting face matters, the 3 science-backed tricks for confidence, the best gestures for building trust, and how to spot a liar fast.
Some real gems in this episode:
Charisma (rizz) is about warmth and competence. Warmth is about trust, likability, and friendliness. Competence is about power, reliability, and capability.
Hands are the portal to the heart. They show intention. Keep them open and palms out to build warmth.
The distance between shoulder and the earlobes has a direct correlation between perceived confidence and power. Keep shoulders down and elbows back.
Make eye contact at the end of your sentence, at least. The optimal eye contact usage is 60-70% of your conversation.
“I was just thinking of you when I saw…” and “Last time we talked you mentioned…” are lovely phrases.
“Are you working on anything exciting?” and “What’s your goal right now?” are meaningful questions.