By Colby Kultgen

The Tell Them Theory, iPhone Shortcuts Everyone Should Know, and Learning How to Learn

Read online / Read time: 4 minutes

Hello friends!

Welcome to 1% Better.

The newsletter where I share my 5 favorite ideas, lessons, and discoveries of the week—no fluff, just the good stuff.

Let's get right into it.

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A simple rule that I'm embracing

A few weeks ago, I caught myself thinking "wow, that was a really good presentation" about someone I work with.

And then I just...didn't say anything.

I've been noticing that this happens pretty often.

I'll think something genuinely kind about someone, yet I just keep it to myself.

Why is that?

I think it's because saying something nice to someone feels a bit exposed. There's this tiny moment of vulnerability between the compliment leaving your mouth and their reaction.

What if it comes off wrong?
What if they don't take it the way I meant it?

So we say nothing.

We let a 0.001% chance of awkwardness win over a near-certainty of making someone's day.

To be honest, I think most of us are walking around with a backlog of unspoken kind words. Compliments we thought but didn't give. Gratitude we felt but didn't express.

So I don't know about you, but I'm embracing the Tell Them Theory.

No more keeping the good stuff to myself.

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An online course I'm finding extremely valuable - Learning How to Learn​

A lot of my goals for 2026 involve learning.

Learning how to make espresso.
Learning how to speak Portuguese.
Learning how to play chess (without embarrassing myself).

With all of that on my plate, I figured I should start with the most important skill first—learning how to learn.

I know what you're thinking: Colby, you silly goose, you learn things every day.

Sure. But just because you write every day doesn't make you a good writer. Just because you speak every day doesn't make you a good speaker.

The same applies to learning.

There's a quote I love, usually attributed to Abe Lincoln:

Before I dove into all of these new skills, I wanted to sharpen my axe.

This course has been incredibly helpful for that.

P.S. I originally found it through this list of The Best Online Courses of All Time, which I think is a pretty incredible resource in its own right.

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A replacement for doomscrolling in 2026
​Sponsored

Speaking of learning.

One of my absolute favorite ways to do it is with Shortform.

They take books like Atomic Habits, Thinking Fast and Slow, and Deep Work and break them down into clear, actionable summaries you can finish in 15 minutes.

My challenge to you in 2026: replace one 15-minute doomscrolling session per day with a book summary.

Same time investment. Completely different outcome.

​Use my link to try Shortform FREE + get $50 off a membership​

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A video that explains why nothing feels fun anymore - Hobbies: Your Best Defense Against Brain Rot​

I'm not going to sit here and lecture you about your screen time.

But I will say this: if you've been struggling to enjoy things that aren't your phone, this video breaks down why—and why hobbies are the fix.

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An iPhone feature I can't believe I didn't know about sooner

Android users, avert your eyes.

This one is for my Apple people.

Ok, am I the only one who didn't know about iPhone Shortcuts?

I saw a post about them this week, and now I'm obsessed.

It's inevitably led me to r/shortcuts, the subreddit where people are using them to do all kinds of insane things:

Anti-theft automations. Auto-sending your ETA to your spouse when you leave work. Making your iPhone say funny things when it gets plugged in.

I've barely scratched the surface, but I already feel like I've been using my phone wrong for years.

If you have any good ones, please send them to me ASAP.

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😂

Have a great week!

P.S. Reply to this email letting me know what resonated (I read and respond to them all).

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