📖 Unhinged Habits

“An overly productive life is not worth living, either. But the unbalanced life . . . the 8:4 life . . . is absolutely worth living. Because the unbalanced life is full of meaningful work, serendipity, exploration, and wonder.”

^{—Jonathan Goodman, Unhinged Habits}

Is your calendar packed, but feel like you're missing what matters?

In Unhinged Habits, Jonathan Goodman pushes back against slow and incremental progress in the pursuit of some faceless, better future.

The central concept of the book is what Goodman calls the 8:4 approach. Eight months focused intensely on one thing, then four months in a totally different season.

Jon, who is based in Toronto, has literally lived this idea for 13 years, spending every winter exploring the world—first solo, then with his wife, and now with their 3 children.

While that may be unrealistic for most of us, the concept applies on the weekly, daily, and hourly levels too. The key is allowing space for inspiration, exploration, and new ways of thinking.

While most authors would offer some hack for how to do it all, Jon says: Some things will suffer. That’s the point. You have to embrace the unbalance.

“An 8:4 habits approach isn’t about perfection—it’s about permission. Permission to be gloriously unbalanced in pursuit of what matters most. Permission to let some areas coast while others transform.”

^{—Jonathan Goodman, Unhinged Habits}

Another big idea is the Work-Worth-Doing Test: Four questions to ask before you delegate something (because some work is worth doing because it’s hard).

• Will this help build meaningful relationships?

• Will this teach me something valuable?

• Will being able to say “I did it” bring genuine satisfaction?

• Will this create memories to pass down?

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Jon’s “Work-Worth-Doing Test” really resonated with me.

Writing Slightly Smarter doesn’t pay my bills (at least yet). But I do get a ton of energy and value from it.

• It’s helped me meet new people

• I’ve learned completely different skills

• I’m proud that we’ve published consistently for 20 straight months

• I will never forget the kind comments from many of you

THANK YOU for learning alongside me and our team. I hope you have a great Thursday.

Scott