2020 has been quite a year, hasn’t it?
I know that I have personally found comfort during these troubled times by doing what always makes me feel better when I’m depressed: buying massive amounts of material things!
Joking aside.
I’ve come across some impactful products and services throughout the year that I’d like to share with you, as I do every year, without affiliate links.
Here is a list of my favorite purchases of 2020.
Productivity
Kindle + Audible Combination
I’ve always had a Kindle for reading e-books.
I’ve always used Audible to list audiobooks on my iPhone.
But this year I finally discovered their use at the same time damn!!
Read the book visually on your Kindle while the audiobook plays has you at a speed of 1.5x to 2x.
You’ll devour books at the speed of light, but the absorption level remains high, as if you were reading.
You can even have the Kindle app on iPad handle both services for an even better experience (it highlights text as it’s read to you).
Warning: you have to buy both the eBook version and the audio version of a book, but I tell you, it’s a game changer.
Samsung 34″ ultra-wide monitor
I have long been in the dual-screen camp.
I don’t know why it took me so long to try an ultrawide. I guess I thought things would look goofy on a giant screen.
Now I can’t go back.
Work is more efficient, games are much better and my overall enjoyment of my 2sd my wife (my PC) is higher.
The only downside is that if you’re doing any type of screen capture using PowerPoint, you’ll need to keep a 16:9 resolution monitor handy, otherwise your video will stretch.
Personal Finance
Wealth Front
I have stayed away from stock investing for the last 6 years.
Particularly because of a bad experience with a financial advisor, combined with not knowing what I’m doing.
We’ll talk about this later.
Now, let’s be clear, I still don’t know what I’m doing, and you should assume that any personal financial information you get from a guy ranking diet pills on the Internet is suspect.
But I’m a fan of the whole robo-investing strategy that helps laypeople like me create a balanced portfolio, harvest tax losses, reinvest, and rebalance automatically.
Play at your own risk, and all that, yadda yadda…
Health
The strategists
A few years ago I mentioned 23 and I DNA sequencing as favorite purchase of that year.
Strategene performs a similar saliva-style DNA test through genetic sequencing software and creates a report of all your genetic variations.
Okay, great, so what does that mean?
Well I’m passionate biohacking and I know I should sleep well, take enough vitamins, etc… but that’s advice for everyone, right?
Knowing your genetic map tells you what your own body is deficient in and what you can do to supplement and improve.
And I can tell you, I feel and am very different from last year.
Keep in mind that Strategene publishes a decent report, but you’ll get 10x more by talking to an educated doctor who specializes in this stuff. I can provide a reference if you are interested.
Yoga Focus Balls
If you like a little self-inflicted S&M, these little balls (not the red balls that go in your mouth) work wonders for loosening tight muscles – especially in your feet, glutes, and IT bands.
Hop on and wheel them to your standing or seated desk.
It hurts while you’re doing it, but feels amazing afterwards.
Philips goLITE BLUE
I position this light about 45 degrees to the side of my face and turn it on in the morning for 20 minutes.
What it does is tell your body, “Hey, it’s daytime. Wake up and give this man some energy and vitamin D products.”
It’s a great substitute for caffeine and a complete tip for resetting your clock when you’re jet-lagged.
Rescue Sleep Liquid Melts
Of course, we can’t have a list of product recommendations from me that doesn’t involve sleep hacking.
I seem to have a pretty peaceful sleep.
But, like many of you, sometimes I get up in the middle of the night (usually to drain the lizard) and just can’t get back to sleep.
Put one under your tongue and the magic oils give me just enough of a boost to calm my monkey mind and get me back to sleep, when I’m in a hurry.
Entertainment
Steezy – Online dance studio
This thing saved my life during the March and April lockdowns.
You may not know this, but I have been participating in a street dance called “Popping” since I was 19 years old.
You could say I’m retired from it these days, but every once in a while I still like to cut it up.
My wife and I popped into Steezy’s during lockdown and it was brilliant.
You can literally learn from the best dancers of all genres of street dance through their amazing platform.
Books
Shoe Dog – Phil Knight
Written by the founder of Nike, it takes you through the conception and growth of the world-famous Nike brand.
It’s a treat to read (99% sure it’s ghostwritten) and you’ll love every moment of it.
What I love most about this book is that it really humanizes this idea that we have of successful founders.
Just like many of you reflecting along the way, Knight was the same.
Money Master the Game – Tony Robbins
This was my first Tony Robbins book.
I don’t know why. I guess I had a subconscious block because my first encounter with him was from “Shallow Hal”.
I read this book at the right time.
After 6 years of telling myself that “stocks are too high” and “I’ll take a look whenever we see a decline”…well, the decline happened, so I did some digging.
I like the investing philosophy of this book: low-fee index funds + diversity + long holding period = winner.
And since I read Money Master the Game, of course, most personal finance books say the same thing – because it’s the most successful strategy (for the general public) to date.
But as you would expect from someone like Tony, he puts a passion into it that, I have to say, motivates you.
Angel – Jason Calacanis
Angel investing is like playing the lottery, but with better odds, if you know what you’re doing.
I want to know what I’m doing when I make big bets, so I brought my buddy Travis Jamisonand I picked up this book.
Angel is a no-bullshit playbook for angel investing, from one of Silicon Valley’s top angel investors.
Highly recommended.
And while you read your book, watch this video to learn more about angel investing.
Dying with Zero – Bill Perkins
While my last two books are recommendations on how to raise enough money to rule the universe, this one is about spending it.
Not about “stuff,” but about experiences that truly enrich your life.
The main thesis is that money is more valuable when you are young.
For example, $10,000 can create a first-class dream vacation for my family skiing and snowboarding in the French Alps.
But when I’m 80, that $10,000 will go to diapers.
Better to spend it now, when it will create the most joy in your life, rather than putting it all together for a day that may never even arrive.
Thanks for reading. For more inspiration, look back to previous years.
Do you have questions or comments?
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