23 Aug 2026 #wellness #selfgrowth
At the peak of my burnout in 2023, I wrote a note this note on my phone:
“I want to wake up before the alarm rings. I want to wake up motivated and eager to work. I want to follow my morning routine: workout, writing, silence, and reading.”
At the time, finding a way out felt impossible.
It felt there was no light and no tunnel.
I thought I’d never recover.
But here I am now.
Burnout is gone.
I wake up to exercise, read, write…plus do some freelancing work.
There’s still uncertainty and fear, but my mornings don’t feel the same.
I was wrong! There was a way out.
Like a YouTuber recording a video for his future self, my horizon goal is to make a living writing.
My recovery started simply: caring about my health. That’s the first idea in 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life
22 Aug 2026 #misc
This week, a friend shared how he learned what to look for in a relationship.
It was way back in college. He’s now married with kids. One day, he saw an attractive girl on campus and stared. An older student noticed him staring and said: “Hey man, I’m going to give you a piece of advice. Don’t look for big boobs or butts. When all that falls down, the only thing left is talking.”
Find someone you enjoy talking to.
Many years later, he still remembers it. It reminded me of other free pieces of advice I’ve received.
21 Aug 2026 #mondaylinks
Hey there.
Here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. LLMs have changed how coding looks. Here are 10 rules for agentic coding (5min).
#2. Before it was TLDR. Now it is AIDR: AI;Didn’t read (3min).
#3. Glasses, earplugs, smartwatches… Now that everything and everyone is connected, we should embrace new rules of etiquette (11min).
#4. The weekend is 100 years old (16min). Working from home has changed it.
Not much about coding in the past weeks on my blog, but in case you missed it, I wrote about why you need hobbies to avoid burnout (1min) and a shortcut for happiness (1min).
(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,
Cesar
20 Aug 2026 #misc
After days of planning, I finally visited a friend’s cafe this week.
It was cloudy, with a 55% chance of rain. When it rains, the city stops. Transit slows, some stores close, and everybody is late. Yes, even when there are umbrellas. It’s a coastal city.
The safe bet was to stay at home and plan for the next day. But I packed an umbrella and took the risk. Guess what? It didn’t rain. It became a perfect Tuesday evening, my city seen as a tourist.
Just like when commuting, we don’t expect all semaphores to turn green before heading to work. We get outside to ride the traffic. If you’re in the mood, don’t let bad weather ruin it. Pack the umbrella, take the risk. Your perfect day might be waiting under the rain.
That was my lesson of the day.
19 Aug 2026 #misc
The day before her 70th birthday, she had to rush to the ER.
She had planned the birthday party for months.
But a blood pressure spike almost ruined it.
She was discharged the same day.
But she was so anxious that she didn’t enjoy her party.
Everybody noticed it, even days later.
The next week, the doctor said she only needed some pills and a diet.
Sometimes all it takes is someone reminding us that we’re going to be OK.
Years ago, recovering from burnout felt impossible. But small actions sparked real change. That’s what I share in 10 Surprisingly Simple Ideas That Changed My Life