Michael Barlow

books

I Confused Learning With Scrolling

The more I've thought about it, the more I've come to realize that I've confused consuming media with learning. I've gotten very good at taking information in. What I haven't been nearly as deliberate about is creating the space to process it and put it into action.

Running

A Walk Through a Taiwan Street Market

Today's run ended on a trail that emerged into a neighborhood market on Liren Street in Taoyuan, Taiwan. What began as a routine cooldown walk turned into a reminder of why I enjoy spending time here.

Getting Stuff Done

Them's the Rules

A few days of downtime in Taiwan gave me space to read—and notice a pattern: Most of the leaders I admire live by their own set of rules. That got me thinking—what are mine? Here’s what I came up with, and why defining your own “operating system” might just change how you work and live.

Photography

Shooting Birds

I haven’t exactly been keeping up with the blog, but hopefully a few bird photos make up for it.

book

The 8 Forms of Capital

In this post, we are going to explore the idea that there are eight forms of capital, list them out, and then put this idea into practice.

Areas of Interest

Build Knowledge Capital By Blogging

Knowledge capital is incredibly powerful, as it shapes our understanding, informs and accelerates our decisions, and unlocks new opportunities. Those who actively cultivate and expand their knowledge gain a significant competitive edge, whether in their careers, businesses, or personal pursuits.

Areas of Interest

SCALE and IDEAS - The Frameworks of the Exponential Organization

Last week I posted about framework thinking and provided a short list of a few of my favorites. Here are two more that I am convinced will become very important over the next decade: SCALE and IDEAS, the frameworks of the exponential organization.

Business

The Power of Framework Thinking

In the world of biopharm operations management (where I spend a lot of time), complexity is a daily reality. Over the last decade, I have become a believer in the power of framework thinking and even a collector of sorts.

Areas of Interest

Photography Is an Infinite Game

When it comes to the sport of photography, here is the game: If the camera I am lugging around captures the light and motion better then my phone can, it's a win. If not, what's the point....Why? Because photography is an infinite game.

Hiking

Photo Safari: Brazos Bend State Park Photos

We went alligator hunting yesterday... Literally. Yesterday we took a photo walk with the goal to find and photograph an alligator. Mission accomplished. Below are a few of my favorite Brazos Bend State Park photos.

Business

Communicating a Vision using PO3 Framework

Communicating a vision: The PO3 framework - Purpose, Objective, Outcomes, and Outputs - offers a powerful tool for leaders to communicate their vision clearly and motivate their teams to achieve it.

book

Building a Second Brain Review

"Building a Second Brain" by Tiago Forte offers a innovative approach to personal productivity and knowledge management in the digital age.

Getting Stuff Done

The Power of Habit Summary

"The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg is like a masterclass in deciphering the codes of our behaviors. This book dives into mechanisms of habit and how they control everything from our daily routines to organizational success.

learning

What Are the Stages of Learning?

The stages of learning refer to the different phases or steps that we go through when acquiring new skills or knowledge. The one I am most familiar with is the "Four Stages of Learning" model, also known as the "Four Stages of Competence" model.

Hobbies

Is Learning to Play the Guitar a Biohack?

I'm always on the lookout for hacks that make my brain work better. I'm not that bright to begin with so I need every edge I can find. I have come to believe that learning to play the guitar is actually a potent biohack.

Business

How To Create a Digital Commonplace Book

In the process of doing some research for our business I discovered how to create a digital commonplace book. It's my new favorite video game. For an investment of $8 a month and five minutes a day you can turn your brain into a giant tag cloud.

Business

How to Prototype a Framework

Over the last few weeks I have been prototyping a framework around my philosophy of operations management and distilling it down to a few fundamental ideas. This is how I did it.

Sailing

Can an iPhone Survive in Salt Water?

The short answer is yes, an iPhone can survive in salt water but our experiment involved an Otterbox. We didn't set out to do this experiment intentionally, but since it happened I thought I would share.

Areas of Interest

Changes...

Socrates said that the secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. This nugget of wisdom is right up in my grill this week.

Photography

Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park

The photography project I started in December is still going strong and I am still shooting with the Rebel T1. Since then I have added a lightweight tripod to my pack, picked up a polarizing lens and am slowly figuring out how to use this stuff.

Photography

Hall of Mosses, Olympic National Park

The gallery below is a collection of photos from our recent trip to Olympic National Park. The Hoh Rainforest is one of the places that has been on the bucket list for a while.

Areas of Interest

The Story of My $100 Cannon Rebel T1i

This is a post about the concept of "getting off zero". It involves a used, ten year old camera that underperforms every new camera on the market today. It's my new favorite piece of technology and I have been taking it everywhere....

Sails and Trails

Heybrook Lookout is a Landscape Photography Studio

This weekend, I stumbled on something that I intend to use for some future landscape photography practice sessions. Heybrook Lookout is an easy hike with less than a thousand feet of gain and grain views.

Productivity

The Hemingway Bridge as an End of Week Unplug Process

Maybe this is common sense to most people, but not to me. I had to learn that I could use a few hours on Friday to create a bombproof Monday plan that allows me to completely shut off work mode.

Blogging

I Asked an AI to make artwork for my blog. Here is what happened.

This morning I watched a video about artificial intelligence and the bleak future that is in store for us once human creativity is replaced. I laughed to myself and decided I had to check it out. What happened was not at all what I expected.