06 Sep 2026 #misc
No WiFi. No Bluetooth. No speedometer. No heart sensors. No notifications.
It only has an alarm, a countdown timer, and a stopwatch. But it beats any smartwatch. It’s water resistant and only needs a charge every 10 years. And like crock roaches, I bet I’ll survive a nuclear catastrophe. I bought a Casio AE1600H.
Because sometimes you don’t need faster or brighter, but reliable. Sometimes you don’t need more beeps and noise, but to walk alone with your thoughts. And because corporations already know a lot about us to hand them our vitals via a a smart watch.
Walking is how I take care of my body, mind, and spirit. That’s one habit included in burnout in 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life
05 Sep 2026 #experiments
For my latest experiment, I’m writing 30 notes and 4 posts on Substack.
Here’s how my 2nd week looked like in some numbers:
- 8 followers, still 0 subscribers
- 6 notes, 1 post
- 6 likes on the top performing note
- 5 likes and 1 comment on the next top performing one
- 4 Note formats stolen (as an artist)
A well-known creator liked almost all my notes, after I replied to one of hers. I guess that bumped it up a bit.
If you’re curious, here are my first impressions after one week.
A mission and next steps
The most important bit of my experiment so far, being a multi-passionate, I found my next mission:
Create a healthy and purposeful lifestyle free from burnout, CVs, and interviews.
That goal covers exercising, nutrition, writing, money creation, and digital minimalist. And that’s what I’m interested in these days.
For the next week, I’m sticking to sharing 1 notes, leaving 5 comments, and liking 10 notes. Or whatever happens before 15 minutes. That’s how I use social media consciously as a writer.
Subscribe to my newsletter and join me on my mission to create a life free from burnout.
04 Sep 2026 #mondaylinks
Hey there.
Here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. I’m not a chess player, but chess and coding shared a lot. AI-assisted programming is the opposite of blindfold chess (5min).
#2. Are you anti-AI or pro-AI? Here’s a tech shop that refuses to use AI for anything (8min). This line stayed with me: “Only people are intelligent, creative, capable of actual thought. We can’t let this unique gift go to waste.”
#3. Do you format your commit messages with hyphens at column 72? Or do you also choose your words wisely? (2min).
#4. Experiments keep you alive. If you’re looking for your next experiment, what about taking a selfie a day? (7min).
And in case you missed it, I wrote on my blog about how AI has turned us into couriers, not coders (2min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… Street-Smart Coding Manifesto. A case against syntax obsession. Because real impact comes from skills outside your IDE.
Keep coding smart.
See you next Friday,
Cesar
03 Sep 2026 #wellness
You know you had a good day, you’ve been around people you love, doing things you love that you didn’t feel the urge of picking your phone.
Yesterday, an aunt came over after months without seeing each other. We had plenty of conversations, had lunch, talked about books, visited a local cafe, and took a walk. And when it was dinner time, I realized I had only picked my phone one or twice. I did have a good day.
If you’re feeling lost or burned out, do something you love and surround yourself with people you love every day.
I shared more ideas that helped me recover from burnout in 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life.
02 Sep 2026 #writing
To write for over 20 years, only think about tomorrow’s post.
Seth Godin, the godfather of daily blogging, said on an interview:
“I don’t post a blog post because I feel like it. I don’t post a blog post because it’s perfect. I post a blog post because it’s tomorrow.”
If you follow your interests, you won’t run out of ideas.
Of course, you won’t be interested about the same subject for over 20 or 30 years. Years ago, I was deeply interested in coding. These days, I’m more interested in building a burnout-free live. My blog reflects that. Your blog and writing will grow and evolve as you do. Mine has.
To write for yeeears, as a rule of thumb:
#1. If you only have a few sentences, write them. If they help anyone, share them.
#2. If somebody else already wrote about it, write it your way. Your stories, perspective, and voice will make it unique. Your fingerprint makes anything unique.
#3. If you aren’t absolutely certain about it, write it anyway. Once you’re certain, write about it again.
That’s how I’ve been doing it every day since November 2024. And when I feel like quitting, I remember Seth sharing about his 10,000 daily post.
Writing saved me from burnout. That’s why I keep doing it. It’s one of the 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life.