Modern WisdomLife Hacks 204 | Modern Wisdom Podcast 311
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:32
Life Hacks format + opening banter (Windows jokes, fast EDM)
The episode kicks off with playful teasing about Windows computers and a brief detour into high-BPM electronic music. Chris explains the recurring “Life Hacks” roundtable format: each person brings a tactic, the others critique or adopt it.
- •Running joke: “throw your Windows computer out the window”
- •Tease about 170 BPM music and distorted EDM
- •Chris outlines the Life Hacks roundtable rules and vibe
- •Promise of links/codes in show notes for anything mentioned
- 1:32 – 7:35
Clear Whey: a better-tasting morning protein routine
Yusef shares a protein-supplement hack: switching from standard whey shakes to MyProtein ClearWhey for a more drinkable, juice-like experience. They discuss how to mix it correctly (and why you must let it sit) plus flavor recommendations.
- •ClearWhey is easier than standard whey for mornings (taste/texture)
- •Critical technique: shake, then leave it 2–3 minutes to settle
- •Water-first mixing and rough water-to-scoop ratio
- •Flavor roundup (watermelon, peach tea, mango, etc.)
- •Pros/cons: great experience but more expensive
- 7:35 – 12:40
Declutter clothing as you wear it (and sell/donate the rest)
Jonny proposes a simple decluttering heuristic: every time you put something on, decide whether you ever want to wear it again and bin/donate accordingly. The conversation expands into structured wardrobe audits and how selling used items can be surprisingly lucrative.
- •Use wearing an item as a trigger to decide if it should stay
- •Question the endowment effect: would you buy it again today?
- •Alternate method: hanger/rail system to identify unused clothes over months
- •Chris’s approach: give a friend items to sell on eBay for a 50% split
- •Unexpected resale value of worn training shoes (with jokes about buyers)
- 12:40 – 16:36
YouTube Premium: pay to remove friction and reclaim attention
Chris makes the case for YouTube Premium after multiple friends recommended it. The benefits center on removing ads, playing audio with the screen locked, offline downloads, and a better workflow for consuming long-form content without extra screen time.
- •Meta-hack: if multiple people independently recommend the same thing, try it
- •No ads saves time and reduces interruption cost
- •Background play enables podcast-style listening and less screen time
- •YouTube search is often better than podcast apps for prep/research
- •Cost/ROI discussion vs other subscriptions; includes offline saving
- 16:36 – 24:50
Training motivation: use live sets and crowd energy (especially on YouTube)
Yusef explains that live performances (bands/DJ sets) boost training intensity more than studio tracks, even if audio quality is worse. They connect the idea to YouTube Premium’s ad-free benefit and discuss why crowd noise matters.
- •Live recordings provide extra energy/atmosphere during solo training
- •Mid-roll ads are uniquely disruptive mid-lift
- •Crowd noise is a key ingredient; “live without crowd” feels flat
- •Examples: Architects live, Beartooth at Wacken, big EDM festival sets
- •Idea of “fake friends”/ambient social energy during isolated training
- 24:50 – 28:37
Replace YouTube Premium with Alfred + IINA (Mac power workflow)
Jonny offers a more technical alternative to YouTube Premium: search and launch videos via Alfred, then play them in the IINA media player for a cleaner experience. They discuss the trade-off between simple paid solutions and time-intensive customization.
- •Alfred can search YouTube without opening the browser
- •IINA plays URLs/playlists with keyboard shortcuts and remembers position
- •Ad-free experience when combined with a blocking-friendly browser setup
- •Trade-off framing: pay for Premium vs invest time building workflows
- •Alfred described as a ‘blank canvas’ that can become a rabbit hole
- 28:37 – 29:56
Typefully.app: write and publish tweet threads without the pain
Chris recommends Typefully for anyone who writes Twitter threads. It converts long text into properly formatted threads with previews and an accurate live look at how posts will appear, making publishing far less fiddly.
- •Write entire thread in one block; app splits it cleanly into tweets
- •Live preview includes URL previews and formatting
- •Avoids manual rearranging across thread composer windows
- •One-click publishing; free to use
- •Niche but huge payoff for frequent thread writers
- 29:56 – 33:54
Hand care for lifters: WodWelder balm + pumice to prevent tears
Yusef and Chris share a practical training-care tool: WodWelder, a lanolin-based hand-care kit that helps prevent and heal calluses. The discussion widens to how different sports create different levels of hand damage and why maintenance matters.
- •WodWelder includes balm/stick + pumice stone for callus management
- •Lanolin softens skin; pumice smooths edges to reduce tearing risk
- •Useful for deadlifting/CrossFit—prevents ‘raw nerve ending’ tears
- •Comparisons: powerlifting vs weightlifting vs CrossFit vs gymnastics hands
- •Cheaper alternatives exist but WodWelder is effective and pleasant to use
- 33:54 – 38:38
Steak micro-hacks + why better meat quality is worth it
Jonny shares a cooking trick: don’t waste gristly/fatty steak bits—fry them harder to render and improve texture. The group then discusses meat delivery, organic quality, hidden costs of cheap meat, and even how to cut steak against the grain.
- •For fatty cuts (e.g., ribeye), gristly bits can be salvaged by frying hard
- •Ribeye cooking preference: medium/medium-well to render fat
- •Conversation about high-quality meat delivery and antibiotic concerns
- •Cheap meat implies costs shifted elsewhere (environment/conditions)
- •Knife tip: cut steak across fibers to reduce stringy bites and teeth-sticking
- 38:38 – 41:48
Readwise: daily resurfacing of Kindle highlights for spaced repetition
Chris explains how Readwise automatically syncs Kindle highlights and emails a daily selection back to you, helping you actually remember what you read. It can also function like a spaced-repetition review system and supports uploads from non-library documents.
- •Auto-sync highlights from Kindle; daily email delivery of selected passages
- •Optional notes on highlights come through too
- •Flashcard-style review via app/site; favorite/discard highlights
- •Works with PDFs/documents sent to Kindle via periodic uploads
- •Behavioral pitfall: highlighting for “future sharing” rather than importance
- 41:48 – 47:54
Quarterly reviews made easier: use calendar + camera roll as prompts
Yusef offers a simple improvement to reflection/review sessions: start by scanning your calendar and photos to jog memory about what actually happened. They discuss categories vs freeform reviews and adding accountability so reviews get done consistently.
- •Calendar review surfaces forgotten wins/lows and key events
- •Photo reel acts as a highlight log for experiences worth remembering
- •Freeform review questions: what went well/bad; do more/less of
- •Accountability improves follow-through (e.g., review before a weekly meeting)
- •Tools mentioned: Day One integration and ‘museum of your life’ concept
- 47:54 – 53:46
Apple Photos as a searchable life database + shared albums for events
Jonny advocates using Apple Photos (with iCloud) to centralize, tag, and search photos by people, places, and time—especially useful for scanned family archives. The conversation turns into practical systems like shared albums with partners/friends and curated “Instagram-ready” folders.
- •Face tagging + location metadata makes large photo libraries searchable
- •Digitizing old family photos becomes more useful when organized centrally
- •Habit suggestion: curate and delete duplicates instead of keeping everything
- •Shared albums with partner/friends simplify trip/wedding photo collection
- •Separate albums for ‘post-worthy’ shots, client testimonials, and projects
- 53:46 – 1:10:04
Habits mantra: ‘Don’t practice what you do not want to become’
Chris introduces a quote attributed to James Clear as a decision filter for daily behavior. They discuss how “one-off” exceptions still reinforce habits, and why choices today make future choices easier or harder via repetition and reinforcement.
- •There’s no neutral: not doing the good habit is practicing a different habit
- •Mantra helps override present-bias (e.g., snooze button example)
- •“This time doesn’t count” is a self-deception that compounds over time
- •Repetition strengthens pathways; consistency beats occasional willpower
- •Framing choices from a future self / third-person perspective improves decisions
- 1:10:04 – 1:14:15
Micro-productivity: answer emails while you’re forced to wait
Chris shares a practical tactic: use “waiting time” (restaurant pickups, mechanics, appointments) to clear shallow email tasks instead of scrolling. The others riff on the mindset of turning dead time into reclaimed attention and throughput.
- •Waiting time is ideal for low-cognitive-load tasks like email triage
- •Most emails are quick confirmations, logistics, or short replies
- •Avoids doomscrolling and reduces backlog friction
- •Bounded waiting creates a natural timebox
- •Comedic riffs on email clichés (‘hope this email finds you well’, ‘e-meet’)
- 1:14:15 – 1:18:18
Mini-win goals: make process habits stick by chasing small PBs
Yusef suggests a twist on process goals: attach a measurable ‘mini win’ to the process so you get frequent dopamine hits and stay consistent. Examples include training metrics, weight-loss milestones, and even counting “noting” streaks in meditation.
- •Process goals can get boring; mini-wins keep motivation alive
- •Examples: estimated 1RM, weekly podcast downloads, new low weigh-in
- •Meditation example: quantify focus via Shinzen Young-style ‘noting’ counts
- •Metrics-driven personality advantage: use numbers to reinforce good routines
- •Keeps long-term consistency while attention stays on short feedback loops
- 1:18:18 – 1:30:41
Gifting system + rapid-fire media recommendations to close
Jonny proposes a lightweight gifting workflow: store gift ideas in contact notes and keep backup generic gifts by doubling purchases. They wrap with entertainment picks (books and TV/documentaries) and end the episode with quick recommendations and outro links.
- •Gift technique: store birthday + gift ideas in Apple Contacts notes
- •Maintain a general gift-ideas note plus person-specific suggestions
- •Double up on generic gifts to avoid last-minute stress
- •Chris recommends the book ‘Kings of the Wyld’ (plus callback to Red Rising)
- •TV/docs roundup: Your Honor, The Fall, Three Identical Strangers, Unforgotten, The Staircase
