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By Colby Kultgen

A Focus Cheat Code, Reverse Time Travel, and Different Kinds of Smart

Read online / Read time: 4 minutes

The power of reverse time travel

We love time travel fantasies.

The idea of magically getting to go back 10 years to fix that awkward moment, buy Bitcoin early, or say how we really felt to someone we care about.

A fun mental exercise, sure, though not a very constructive one.

But what if we flipped it in reverse?

Consider this: Right now, you're living in what will someday be "the past" that Future You wishes they could change.

Sounds confusing, I know. But think about it.

We always focus on how past actions shaped our present—the classic butterfly effect—but rarely consider that our present actions are creating the same ripple effects forward in time.

A simple exercise for you to try:

What would that Future You wish Present You were doing right now?

Starting that creative project?
Having that difficult conversation?
Being kinder to yourself?

The butterfly effect works in both directions.

You don't need to invent time travel, you just need to recognize you're already holding that power, just pointed forward.

A cheat code for focus I use almost every day

I'm a big believer in the power of music.

I have specific tracks for hyping me up at the gym, helping me sleep at night, or in this case: locking into deep focus.

When it comes to getting into that state, there's one specific track I return to again and again

​Stone In Focus by Aphex Twin.

I swear this song is like a sleeper-agent activation trigger for me.

My breathing slows, my heart rate settles, and my brain clicks into "work mode."

Some of that is probably conditioning—years of pairing this song with deep work sessions.

But I also believe there’s some genuine magic in this track.

My challenge to you:
​Send me your favorite song/album/playlist for focusing.

An AI tool that saves me hours every week
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It's an AI-powered voice keyboard that lets you speak naturally and turns it into clean, well-punctuated text anywhere: Slack, Gmail, Notes, you name it.

Why I love it:

• No filler words or awkward transcriptions
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An article about the different kinds of smart

If I had to describe Morgan Housel’s blog posts in one sentence, it would be this:

Dense with wisdom.

Every time I read one, I come away with at least one new story, idea, or insight that I know will stick with me for years.

​This one about "Different Kinds of Smart" is no exception.

I especially loved the passage on delaying gratification:

A reminder we all need sometimes

Grabbed this gem from James Clear's newsletter:

No notes from me.

 😂

abcdentminded @abcdentminded Insanely lucky break that animals like to be pet. Really not much you could do with most of them otherwise. But I've got hands and you like to have the top of your head touched, looks like we're in business 6:42 PM • Aug 18, 2025 5064 Retweets 113819 Likes Read 116 replies

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