Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is one of the best books I’ve read, and definitely something I’d recommend anybody to read. It’s the journal of a Roman Emperor, his thought process, and his experiences turned into a book for all of us to learn from. Here are my favourite bits from…

According to legend, Greek poet Simonides stepped outside the dining hall of a dinner he attended when the roof collapsed, killing everyone inside. Due to the extent of damage, they could not identify any of the victims. However, Simonides found that he could identify each victim by picturing the hall’s…

Picture this: You’ve had a busy day and didn’t have any “me time” throughout your day. Work piles on, and once you’re done, it’s actually time to sleep. But instead of sleeping, you go on Netflix and browse social media until the wee hours. Like most behaviours, psychologists have an…

In 1960, Dr Maxwell Maltz discovered that it took 21 days for patients to get used to the results of an operation and adjust to new routines. He wrote: “These, and many other commonly observed phenomena tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an…

It’s time to ditch our to-do lists. We’re bad at estimating how long it takes to complete a task. As a result, we fill our to-do lists to the brim and feel bad for not completing them at the end of the day. To-do lists are great for determining what…

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, along with Roger Federer, are the GOATs of tennis. They’ve each won 20 Grand Slams, with them missing out on the trophy only 11 times since they started playing. What makes them so successful at hitting a yellow fuzzy ball across the net? Here’s what…

I’ve been feeling like an imposter lately — and that’s not because I’ve been playing Among Us. I’ve been writing for quite some time, but I feel like most of my work is garbage. “I’m not that good of a student or writer”. “I’m too young, and I haven’t lived…

Hey friends! Just a quick one for this week. I’ve been writing short essays since I last wrote the newsletter. If you’re interested in getting them in your inbox, sign up here [https://mail.haikal.blog/]! I’m supposed to write it daily, but I’m giving myself some slack for this as I’m cultivating…

Victor Hugo had a huge problem finishing “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. Instead of writing, he partied. To keep up with the deadline, he did something strange- he locked up all his clothes. Unable to go out, he finished the first draft. The greatest orator of Athens, Demosthenes, did something…