52 things I learned in 2023

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Inspired by Tom Whitwell’s annual collection of things learned, here are my ’52 things I learned in 2023′.

The list is usually presented under the comment that ‘no explanation or context of what it is about the article I learned, just a title and link of something important to me personally or professionally in [year]’, but this year, like others before, has been quite the challenge.

2023 started, for me, on the back of a move out of higher education, joining Edvanza in November 2022. Within a week of starting news broke that Edvanza’a parent company was going to merge us with another new acquisition and we started planning and strategising on how this can work, taking the best of both businesses and making a new entity based on their collective strengths, current and prospective products, and the future of learning to support and develop the individual and their career.

By mid-March, the signs were that this wasn’t going to happen. Redundancy notices were given and Edvanza was no more. By the end of May it was done. What happened next was a repeat of my experiences five years ago … stress, anxiety, job hunting, staying busy and positive, applications, interviews, rejections, offers, conversations on the merit of remote vs hybrid working arrangements, etc, etc.

By the summer I’d been offered and accepted a role with Prasad Mohare and LearningMate, joining them as their new UK Director of Content Services in August. By the end of the year, there were projects abound, client and team meetings (both virtual and in-person), and lots of positive plans for the year ahead.

2024.

Here we come!!

  1. ‘How to Stop Overthinking Everything’ [Melody Wilding]
  2. ‘Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Walk’ [Deborah Grayson Riegel]
  3. ‘That Feeling When You Have So Many Things to Do You Can’t Do Any of Them? Psychologists Have a Name for It, and a Solution’ [Jessica Stillman]
  4. ‘The online ‘hierarchy of credibility’ that fuels influencers like Andrew Tate’ [Paul French]
  5. ‘Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here’s how to stay focused’ [Sandee LaMotte]
  6. ’10 Things That Annoy Me as an Introvert’ [Ashley Brown]
  7. ‘A neuroscientist shares the 4 ‘highly coveted’ skills that set introverts apart: ‘Their brains work differently’’ [Friederike Fabritius]
  8. ‘The Generative AI Race Has a Dirty Secret’ [Chris Stokel-Walker]
  9. ‘The AI revolution is coming for your email’ [Shubham Agarwal]
  10. ‘Why the Floppy Disk Just Won’t Die’ [Jacobo Prisco]
  11. ‘The Joy of Steps: 20 Ways to Give Purpose to Your Daily Walk’ [Amy Fleming]
  12. ‘People are raving about how much easier it is to read with ‘bionic reading’ font’ [Annie Reneau]
  13. ‘It’s Okay to Be Good and Not Great’ [Brad Stulberg]
  14. ‘How to Stay Calm During a Confrontation, According to an Expert’ [Aiden Wynn]
  15. ‘Chasing rainbows (living with colorblindness)’ [Andy Baio]
  16. ‘Why have we stopped talking to strangers?’ [Steve Chamberlain]
  17. ’30 years ago, one decision altered the course of our connected world’ [Julian Ring]
  18. ‘Why Asking for Advice Is More Effective Than Asking for Feedback’ [Ashley Whillans Jaewon Yoon Hayley Blunden Ariella Kristal]
  19. ‘How To Leverage AI And Use ChatGPT In Your Job Search’ [Jack Kelly]
  20. Why Startup Leaders Fail: Micromanagement’ [Joe Procopio]
  21. ‘You don’t have to be alone to experience loneliness – and more friends isn’t the answer’ [Gaynor Parkin and Erika Clarry]
  22. ‘Hybrid work sucks. It’s worse than remote and office’ [Didier Rodrigues Lopes]
  23. ‘Friendship, Digital Connection, and Death’ [Lynn Gilmour]
  24. ‘Finally, someone explains why we all need subtitles when watching TV’ [Jacalyn Wetzel]
  25. ‘I Traveled to Finland to Take Its Masterclass in Happiness — Here Are the 8 Most Important Lessons I Learned’ [Melissa Peterson]
  26. ‘Here’s how leaders can give actually helpful feedback, step-by-step’ [Dr Kirstin Furguson]
  27. ‘Demystifying Workplace Culture’ [Angela Howard]
  28. ‘How I learned that creativity and vulnerability go hand in hand’ [Lauren Gonzáles]
  29. ‘Why the next disaster to strike will come from the sun’ [Samuel Lovett]
  30. ‘The CD Revival Is Real’ [Johnny Davis]
  31. ‘The Most Important Computer You’ve Never Heard Of’ [Ars Technica]
  32. ‘The Secret History of GPS’ [Laura Bliss]
  33. ‘Luddites saw the problem of AI coming from two centuries away’ [Gabriela Riccardi]
  34. ‘How to structure your day better’ [Khe Hy]
  35. ‘What happens in your brain when you make a memory?’ [Christian Jarrett]
  36. ‘How Instagram Ruined Personal Style’ [Chris Black]
  37. ‘Lego Is a Company Haunted by Its Own Plastic’ [Chris Baraniuk]
  38. ‘How to Learn Something New Every Day to Stay Sharp (and Interesting)’ [Cathy Garrard]
  39. ‘What They Don’t Tell You About Getting an Adult ADHD Diagnosis’ [Leyou Andualem]
  40. ‘When you win a Nobel Prize, this illustrator beautifully explains your idea’ [Elissaveta M. Brandon]
  41. ‘How to Become More Curious (And Why You Should)’ [Elizabeth Yuko]
  42. ‘3 lessons from Harvard’s Happiness Lab that will transform your work and life’ [Alexa von Tobel]
  43. ‘Friendship research is getting an update – and that’s key for dealing with the loneliness epidemic’ [Jessica Ayers]
  44. ’35 Years Ago, One Peculiar Roald Dahl Book Taught Kids To Be Rebels’ [Matthew Kaplowitz]
  45. ‘How Playful Learning Can Help You Rebuild Student Engagement’ [Alicia Miller]
  46. ‘Why Your Boss Isn’t Coming To The Office’ [Gleb Tsipursky]
  47. ‘Short Naps Have Major Benefits for Your Mind’ [Lydia Denworth]
  48. ‘The Key to Better Studying Is Self-Explanation’ [Lindsey Ellefson]
  49. ‘It’s Not All in Your Head—You Do Focus Differently on Zoom’ [Lauren Leffer]
  50. ‘The Dirty Secret of Alternative Plastics’ [Ayrn Baker]
  51. ‘Too much stuff: can we solve our addiction to consumerism?’ [Chip Colwel]
  52. ‘We Need to Talk About Toxic Incompetence in Leadership’ [Joe Procopio]
  53. BONUS ’35 Phrases To Set Boundaries Firmly and Fairly’ [Beth Ann Mayer]

Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash