John Chandler

The Apple News Mini Crossword used ‘Legos’ as the plural of LEGO today. It’s going to take some time for me to get past this.

I published a new video today:

How to Build a Rule of Life (Without Becoming a Monk)

I have a second laptop for occasional focused work: writing, planning and such. It’s a 2016 12" MacBook. I love it.

The MacBook Neo looks fun, and might the option someday when my MacBook dies. I love the price of it, but sadly that also limits it from the extreme portability of the 12" MacBook.

Gearing up for the Nolan take, I finished reading The Odyssey for the first time last week. I tend to not like reading verse, but found this to be very readable. I’m not sure how much it had to do with the translation, by I read the Emily Watson version.

A glass of iced coffee with a Saguaro National Park design sits on a granite countertop.

Took a day trip to Saguaro National Park last week. Geographically, it isn’t much different from the regional park near my house. But national park gift shops are always a defining part of the experience.

I haven’t been craving salsa recently, and I’m starting to question everything.

Had a package due to be delivered yesterday by the postal service. Thursday it was at a post office 44 miles away. Today it is at a post office 1700 miles away.

And that’s not even close to the worst delivery experience I’ve had with USPS this week.

Finished reading: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson 📚

I lean toward literary fiction, so I tend to resist investing myself in long fantasy or sci-fi series. But I really enjoyed this. I’m back to my accumulated literary fiction for now, but might have to revisit more of Cosmere in the future.

Finished reading: The Notebook by Roland Allen 📚

In spite of the clarity in the subtitle, this one was more of a history than I expected. Somehow I imagined something a little more how-to or inspirational. But once I settled in to the history vein… I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Finished reading: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson 📚

I’m glad I continued in the series and will finish this trilogy. Trying to decide if I will read more Sanderson after that. Any suggestions to consider next?

My iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch are all 2-4 years old and the battery life on all of them has gotten much worse with OS 27. It’s much worse than previous years, and not fixed yet after the first OS update. Anyone else?

First day of the season wearing jeans. First day of the season making chili.

Pretty good combo.

I published another video a few days ago. I described a simple reflective journaling practice that leads to healthy self-awareness. And ideally, from there … on to happiness.

October is the best month, and I won’t be considering any counter-arguments.

And no, it’s not because all the pumpkins spice drinks. They are a blight on an otherwise perfect month.

I made another video: My Focus Desk: How I Designed an iPad Workspace for Writing and Deep Work

I’m lucky enough to have space for a second small desk in my office, and sitting at it is one of the favorite parts of my day.

My time spent waiting on a verification email code to login is up 3486% in 2025.

Finished reading: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson 📚

I committed to read one to see what all the Sanderson fuss was all about. Enjoyed it enough that I’m going to read the others in this trilogy. And then… we’ll see where it goes from there.

Announcing the 2026 Philosophical Book Club

I’ve been considering adding some communal structure for my own personal or professional development. I had been looking at Catherine Project, but the Philosophy of Technology theme for Jared Henderson’s book club is wildly appealing to me.

thanks @patloughery.me!

Build a reflective journaling habit

I wrote this as a free email course and soft launched it last week. I’d be glad to have a few more initial subscribers who can give me feedback for improving it.

Focused Podcast #235 – Practical Wisdom for Mindful Living with John Chandler

As a longtime listener, I appreciate the conversations David and Mike are having here. I feel grateful and honored to be included.

The new Lord Huron hits just right. As expected.

Rethinking some rhythms: https://byjc.co/2025/07/17/rethinking-some-rhythms.html

I’ve been using the Rosebud app and perhaps it oversells itself a bit. But using it for daily journaling, alongside goal setting and reviews, has been helpful. It surfaces how my daily doings match up alongside, or against, my larger goals.

Updated my iPad to the new beta. I guess I’m in the minority, but the new windowing system feels distracting and fiddly. I have a Mac for that.

The beauty of iPad, to me, has always been simplicity and focus. Split screen just worked for that. Hope they restore it as an option.

Finished reading: The Sirens' Call by Chris Hayes 📚

I expected another book on our modern struggles with attention… and it was. But, there is more emphasis on the overall cultural impact, rather than just our individual challenges. Glad I read this one.

Finished (Re-)reading: Essentialism by Greg McKeown 📚

I wanted to revisit this in the midst of current life transitions. The book didn’t hold up for me and I skimmed a lot this time around, but the overall concept is still very helpful.

I posted a new video: How to grow in wisdom

This serves as a bit of an intro to something new that I’m piloting, called Wisdom Sessions

Finished reading: Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks 📚

A good book, but seems to share a lot of overlap with Brooks' last book, From Strength to Strength. The latter is one of my recent favorites, and still the one I’ll be recommending in conversations that turn to books.

My favorite Val Kilmer movie was The Saint. I recall really liking the soundtrack.

And perhaps Elisabeth Shue.