Hey friend 👋

It’s RAD to have you here.

We use that word often here, friend.

"Rad" is our homage to The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and 90’s surf-skate culture).

But really it's because of this definition:

And you, my friend, are effortlessly cool.

Now that we’ve established that, you’re probably wondering:

Why am I here?

What’s in it for me?

We gotchu. Just read on.

No frogs. No cold showers. No Inbox Zero.

You're getting this email because you subscribed to another amazing creator who recommended you to check out RadReads - and I'm honored you decided to do so.

Now, our team knows a thing or two about productivity.

In fact, we’ve written 400+ posts on this topic over the past decade.

Yup, we’ve written about Inbox Zero, time boxing, the Eisenhower Matrix, procrastination, Tabata burpees, career pivots, the Superhuman Email app, Deep Work, Text Expanders and much much more.

These are all nifty tactics.

Yup, you and I both know that they work.

And they make your life better.

But these tactics have a short shelf life. They’re like squeezing water out of a stone.

Will Eating the Frog help you free yourself from an overbearing boss (who doesn’t believe in remote work)?

Is a fancy system to organize your Kindle highlights really going to get you to start writing your email newsletter?

And will the hottest to-do list app eliminate your perfectionism-disguised-as-procrastination?

You can make time for what matters. (Or you can make time for email)

Friend, we salute all these tiny tactics.

(We also call these low-value tasks, $10 Work — more on that tomorrow.)

But let’s zoom out on your life, just for a brief minute.

If you’re overwhelmed by the ratcheting demands of modern life, I want you to ponder the following question:

Seriously, close your eyes and consider:

The last time you dropped into a flow state and tapped into your creative genius.

Or the last time you were immersed in your zone of genius solving a highly-complex problem.

Or when your childlike joy and curiosity emerged and made time melt away.

This aliveness usually gets lost in the world of back-to-back Zoom calls and the endless firehose of email.

RadReads is your guide to a productive, examined and joyful life

These questions (i.e. your $10K Work) are what truly move the needle in your life.

They’re gateways to truly understanding yourself.

And with that self-awareness you can tap into your creativity.

Your resilience.

And your brilliance.

That’s what our Rad squad is about.

So, here’s what to expect

For the next 5 days, we’re going walk you through a series of frameworks that you can start applying immediately.

The emails are short and actionable.

And full of dad jokes.

But before we go, I’ve got one question for you:

There's no right or wrong answer. Just tell us by hitting REPLY and share your aliveness. Family, hobbies, causes, learning and art are all super valid answers.

Here’s my answer.

So your turn, my friend.

Just reply to this email.

My team and I read every. Single. Email.

With love and gratitude,

Khe + The RadReads team

PS Here’s a mini-documentary (23 minutes) on my journey of leaving Wall Street to live by the beach and surf every day.