Newsletter #1: Reading Lists & Backpacking Through Patagonia

Time to Read: 3 minutes

Welcome! It’s been a while since I’ve done any writing and I’ve decided to jump back into the fray with a new blog dedicated to exploring health, focus, and the outdoors. As a onetime personal trainer and nutrition consultant who now works a 9-5 desk job, my goal is to provide actionable information and tactics on the best routes to staying healthy and focused while also saving time.

It strikes me that more and more these days we’re unfocused, overloaded with information, constantly multitasking, and lacking time to stay fit and make quality food. These are the things I and those around me struggle with every day. My aim is to tackle those issues and more with the following…

Nutrition – Recipes, habits, and strategies for staying lean and healthy, eating good food, and never counting calories again.

Fitness & Mobility – Workouts, exercises, and systems to find joy in fitness, troubleshoot pain, and stay injury-free to keep crushing whatever you love to do in life

Focus & Flow – Philosophies and tactics to stay present, fight distraction, avoid information overload, break digital addictions, and do your best work in less time.

Outdoor Adventures – Hiking trip reports, gear guides, events, photography, and other resources on getting outside and experiencing nature

For many of the things I’m interested in, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, which is why small, incremental habits can be life changing if done consistently over time. Making a tweak to your breakfast routine could help you avoid obesity in the long run. Doing 10 minutes of smart mobility work every morning could prevent lower back pain or tendinitis. Sticking to the habit of not checking any social media after 7PM could give you time to read, take a class, do high quality work, and/or sleep better.

Habits and mindset are everything, which is why most of what I write about and suggest will be focused on actionable ways to adjust these two things. If you want to do deep dives anywhere, I’ll link to books, articles, podcasts, and other source material for reference. I’ll be continuing to build out my Resources section with a hit list of all of my favorites.

Newsletter – Every two weeks, I’ll send a single short email with recent posts as well as 5-10 links I found helpful and fascinating. No spam ever, just quality content. Sign up below:

To kick things off, here are two posts: A list of my favorite set of books for understanding how we think and act as well as a complete guide to hiking Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia. Enjoy!

Recent Blog Posts

8 Books to Understand Your Thoughts, Behaviors, and Habits for Better Decision Making

In order to build good habits and understand why we fall victim to bad habits, it’s crucial to understand what underlies out thoughts and behavior. These are eight of my favorites on the subject. They’re brilliantly written in a concise and straightforward way to give you immediate takeaways.

Sapiens is one of my favorite books of all time and a must-read for understanding human behavior. It’s a whirlwind tour through the history of our species and I’d highly recommend picking it up if you only have time to read one.

The Complete Guide to the Torres Del Paine Circuit Trek

If backpacking is your jam, Torres Del Paine National Park in Patagonia is an absolute bucket list trip. The circuit trek is a fully immersive experience; 80 miles of trekking over 5-8 days through forest, plains, and alpine passes, while skirting glaciers and granite peaks. This post is a complete trip report and gear guide to everything you need to plan and execute the trek of a lifetime. If you or any friends are contemplating a trip to Patagonia, check it out for reference.