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- I lost half my brain on NY’s Eve
Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?
— Tennessee Williams
As I’m still recovering from New Year’s celebrations, I’ll keep this short. My brain feels foggy, and focusing—especially while staring at a screen—is a challenge.
Every year, my girlfriend and I have the same thought: isn’t it strange to start the year in the worst possible state? Even so, I’m happy I got to celebrate with friends and so many others. I didn’t know 99% of the people I was partying with, but that didn’t matter. There’s something exhilarating about being in sync with a crowd, all working toward the same “goal” of celebrating New Year’s Eve.
I hope you had a great celebration too, whatever form it took. Last year, I stayed home and went to bed early—no parties. Even then, it felt good to close the chapter on 2023 and embrace the fresh start of 2024.
I wish you a wonderful year ahead and hope you make the most of it. I’ve stopped believing in New Year’s resolutions—they’ve never really worked for me—but if you have some, that’s great! Personally, I’m focusing on being more proactive about the changes I want to make. If something needs to change, it should happen now—not next week, next month, or next year.
Lastly, I hope you’ll keep reading and enjoying Make With James. Even with my half-functioning brain today, writing this has been a lot of fun. That’s a win in my book.
Cheers!
— James
Tools & Websites
FirstVersion is a cool project that rebuilds popular websites like Google, YouTube, and Airbnb, as they were when they first launched. A good reminder that even billion-dollar companies started as a simple idea with a simple website.
Raycast is a more than a spotlight search replacement. It’s a powerful, customizable command palette, enabling you to quickly launch apps, perform tasks, and automate workflows without leaving the keyboard.
I don’t know what Mainframe is or does. I just really dig their website ↓
James’ Library
Book  | One of my top non-fiction reads of 2024! Boyd Varty is a South African wildlife tracker, storyteller, and coach who grew up on Londolozi Game Reserve, a world-renowned safari destination. The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life blends lessons from the African wilderness with personal growth insights, encouraging you to follow your track—a metaphor for pursuing an authentic path in life. There is an immediacy to life in the wilderness that makes so much of what most of us consider important fall away. In the bush I notice how my body falls into a wise rhythm set by light and heat and cold. I move in the dawn, rest through the day, and sleep at night. I eat when I’m hungry. I forget what I look like. I’m surprised to find that the world doesn’t end, and in fact I become happier and less lonely with each day. I transition from endless doing into a steady being. Occasionally, some task that I need to do will arise crisply out of nowhere. I notice it, attend to it, and then drop back into a gentle ease with myself. I understand only in the contrast that the mad momentum of endless doing and its symptomatic emptiness is not how we are meant to live. |
Tweet | Good day to remember just how big that green tree is |
…Aesthetic Corner…
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Want to break your phone addiction first thing in the morning? Consider getting an analog alarm clock. Nanu, the company behind the Nudge Counter, makes Arc, an elegant and minimalist alarm clock.
Arc also features a chime bar that gradually intensifies its rich, resonant tones, providing a gentle and calming wake-up experience.
Available in classic black or pearl white (as shown in the pictures above) for $235.
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I've been dreaming of owning a Super 73 for a long time now. I'm still waiting to be rich—it's $4,995 if you want one of the beauties above—so in the meantime, I'll keep dreaming.
They also made an Oracle Red Bull Racing version. I don’t like the way it looks, but I like that they made it.
Sustainable Living
Never Too Small is a YouTube channel, Magazine, & Blog that shows how to make the most of small homes. They create videos about clever home designs that combine style with practical living.
Their YouTube channel features tours of small apartments and houses worldwide. You'll see smart ideas like furniture that serves multiple purposes and creative storage solutions. These videos help people think differently about living in small spaces.
Never Too Small believes that living in smaller homes can help the environment by reducing waste and energy use. They prove that small homes can look great and work well, inspiring others to live more sustainably.
Friends of James
Beehiiv — the powerhouse behind all my newsletters, helping me craft, design, grow my audience, and monetize effortlessly.
Notion — my go-to tool for the last 6+ years, where I store all my notes, manage tasks, and essentially run both my life and businesses.
Webflow — the engine behind all my websites, letting me design, build, and launch seamlessly without code.
Make — the tool that runs my business on autopilot, handling all recurring and time-consuming tasks
*these are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. Your support directly helps keep this newsletter going ✌️
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