> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 👓 Stuff #172 -Gumbo or Gazpacho? - URL: https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/stuff-172/ - Published: 2024-01-29T05:43:07.000Z - Updated: 2026-01-07T10:53:34.000Z - Description: Give yourself some time to think, and then figure out how to estimate the length of any project. We look at 24 habits that can make life a little better. I examine the best soups, and a great game for map nerds. - Author: Matt - Tags: Newsletter Hey, Matt here! Welcome to a new week, and to new readers since[ last issue](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/stuff-171/). This week's mail comes to you from 35000ft, I'm off to Austin, Texas for a week. I leave you with [the latest mixtape which is great accompaniment for this week's mail. ](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/21-january-2024/) A reminder that you can find me [on the web](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/) and on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@matt.rutherford?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) AND that I'm writing every day in 2024, you can catch up [with my daily notes here](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/tag/daily-notes/). Thanks for joining me - now, onto the good stuff! ![upload in progress, 0](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c2/2e/c22ecd6b-9412-4701-b914-97051141e207/content/images/2023/05/mattsig_personal-Background-Removed-1.png) --- 💡 ****Oops**: Thanks to the readers who let me know I mixed up a link last week, the [Ten lists you can write to 10x your life in 2024 are actually here](https://www.alexmathers.net/blog/10-ideas-for-lists-you-can-write-to-10x-your-life-this-year?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk). Sorry about that! **Monday Motivation.** Let this week be the one where you give yourself some time to think. This article has some excellent practical advice (link has gone now) on giving yourself a chance to break the daily grind and access your best self. **Ambition**. Work-Life Balance is now more important than pay when thinking about a job. [How ambition is changing in 2024.](https://www.randstad.com/workmonitor/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) An excellent survey and report from Randstad. **Deadlines.** Overcome your fear of a deadline by using Parkinsons Law to your favour. [How to figure out the right amount of time for any project.](https://bigthink.com/business/overcome-your-deadline-fears-parkinsons-law/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) **Age**. [This excellent HBR article states the case](https://hbr.org/2019/09/the-case-for-hiring-older-workers?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) for hiring older workers into your organisation. The benefits of a more experienced team member far outweigh the percieved risks. *(Thanks S for this one)* **Fear.** The future is a construct of our imaginations, and nothing more than that. [Fear is a framing issue. ](https://moretothat.com/fear-is-a-framing-problem/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) Some great thinking that challenges why we are frightened of things. **Habits.** [24 great habits to make life a little better this year. ](https://www.npr.org/2024/01/06/1222906292/24-nifty-tips-to-make-2024-even-brighter?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) #4 is *excellent* advice. #15 is advice we have covered before ([I have a kickstart for you here](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/28-day-gratitude-a-challenge/)) ✍️ ****Random Journal Prompt:** How does your environment (home, work, city, nature, etc.) affect your happiness? [Over 500 journal prompts here](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/tag/journal-prompts/) --- ![white and blue printer paper](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1618365908648-e71bd5716cba?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDI5fHxib29rc3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3MDYzNTA2MjB8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Shiromani Kant](https://unsplash.com/@shiromanikant?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) **Books**. [The most anticipated books of 2024.](https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240111-gabriel-garcia-marquez-stephen-king-and-elif-shafak-45-books-to-look-forward-to-in-2024?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) What are you looking forward to reading this year, hit reply and let me know, let's see if our list is different to the BBC. **Hobbies**. Writing Stuff is my hobby, and it helps my mental health having something that isn't work to focus on. [Here's a list of 31 new hobbies that could be yours. ](https://nicenews.com/culture/try-fun-hobbies-benefit-physical-mental-health/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) **Future.** [What 300 top thinkers believe the world will look like 10 years from now.](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/atlantic-council-strategy-paper-series/welcome-to-2034-what-the-world-could-look-like-in-ten-years-according-to-nearly-300-experts/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) It's not all great news. **Soup.** Do you know your Caldo Verde from your Yayla çorbasi? [Twenty of the best soups in the world.](https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/worlds-best-wellness-soups/index.html?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) **Recharge**. A relaxing chair that recharges your phone, [but only while you have your eyes closed. ](https://driesdepoorter.be/recharge/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) **Birthday**. [Happy 40th Birthday Macintosh.](https://mac40th.com/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) This site charts every Mac, desktop and portable from the beginning till today. Some terrific design and innovation. **Finally.** [Unzoomed](https://www.unzoomed.com/en?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk). This is a clever little game for maps and/or aviation nerds. Identify a city from an aerial shot, the picture zooms out with every miss, and there are extra clues. 🎵 Once again, I'm building a mammoth playlist for the year. You can follow along here, [we're already at over an hour of bangers. ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1WDYisQq2nyIS2pqqvh8gr?si=8d9f596fc62f4e7b&ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) The [2023 version](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3nKbhvL8ZbH346FrxFkQwW?si=aaeee69efe714e2a&ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) is still alive. ### 🔈 Stuff to Listen to... ![Sunder by Benoit Pioulard/Offthesky on MP3, WAV, FLAC, AIFF & ALAC at Juno Download](https://imagescdn.junodownload.com/full/CS6461605-02A-BIG.jpg) 🎧 After last week's fearsome Sprints album, I thought it was time to calm everyone down a little bit. [Benoit Piolard](https://linktr.ee/pioulard?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist and in a new collaboration with [Offthesky](https://offthesky.bandcamp.com/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) has released this beautiful ambient album, 'Sunder'. This is a windswept, melancholy collection of gentle keyboards and huge reverbs, that feels like it is played and recorded in a gentle soft focus. I've listened to this a few times this week, and its great music to accompany flow times at work - non intrusive, but comforting. Recommended album. [Listen to Benoit Piolard and Offthesky - Sunder here](https://open.spotify.com/album/4MLQgZNCNC6PLXR6twwgz2?si=2dxSPEtqTAu2KbNmD%5FiUcA&ref=mattrutherford.co.uk) 🎵 [The latest Stuff Mixtape is out,](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/21-january-2024/) #21 contains some absolute beauts from the likes of Khruangbin | Arab Strap | Sprints | Al Barry | Mick Ronson | Jamie XX | Sierra Farrell | Coffintexts - [all available here.](https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/21-january-2024/) > **Stuff someone said.** > “The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.” > [William Gibson](https://click.fourhourmail.com/p9u7enmlot9h3m9qppf2hmk3v733/owhkhqhrwkq8enhv/aHR0cHM6Ly9lbi53aWtpcGVkaWEub3JnL3dpa2kvV2lsbGlhbV9HaWJzb24=?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk)