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How the Password You Select Can Help You Achieve Your Goals

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From a long article about the history of passwords, I thought this story was especially fun:

For some people, these rituals are motivational. Fiona Moriarty, a competitive runner, told me that she often used “16:59” — her target time for the 5,000 meters in track. Mauricio Estrella, a designer who emailed me from Shanghai, described how his passwords function like homemade versions of popular apps like Narrato or 1 Second Everyday, which automatically provide its user with a daily reminder to pause and reflect momentarily on personal ambitions or values.

To help quell his anger at his ex-wife soon after their divorce, Estrella had reset his password to “Forgive@h3r."

“It worked,” he said. Because his office computer demanded that he change his password every 30 days, he moved on to other goals: “Quit@smoking4ever” (successful); “Save4trip@thailand” (successful); “Eat2@day” (“it never worked, I’m still fat,” Estrella wrote); “Facetime2mom@sunday” (“it worked,” he said, “I’ve started talking with my mom every week now”)

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6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXVIII

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Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

  • Routines of Famous Creative People (Interactive Version) -- How different artists and writers worked, partied, and sometimes even slept
  • An Insanely Simple 3 Step Guide For Killing Procrastination -- How to schedule your most important work—and ensure that it actually happens
  • Not Dead Yet: How Some Video Stores Are Still Thriving -- Blockbuster’s long gone, but a few independent video stores have taken a different approach
  • Roberto Saviano on the Fear of Assassination -- An Italian writer has been living under armed guard for eight years
  • Why Diners Are More Important Than Ever -- Includes the 8 characteristics of how you know you’re at a diner
  • When It Comes to Sunk Costs, Are Children and Animals More Rational than Adults? -- Some research suggests that adults have it all wrong
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    6 Discoveries from Near and Far: Volume XXVII

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    Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.

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    Amazing Collage of Snapshot-Created City Maps by Japanese Artist

    File under: ultimate collage art.

    I recently stumbled on these amazing maps by Japanese artist Sohei Nishino. For each of them, he uses up to 4,000 photographs, culling and cutting them into the finished product.

    I’m a sucker for great maps, and I always love seeing when someone devotes years of their life to producing a specific craft. Put those things together, and you’ve got my attention.

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    6 Discoveries From Near and Far: Volume XXVI

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    Things I found on long walks in foreign cities, or perhaps when someone posted them on Twitter.