Modern Wisdom Episode #1037 – Life Hacks: A Christmas Special (2025)

Date: December 25, 2025
Host: Chris Williamson
Guests: Johnny, George, Yousef (from Malaysia)

Episode Overview

This Christmas tradition episode brings together Chris and his long-time friends to trade their most valuable lessons and life hacks from the past 12 months. Set in Chris’s Newcastle living room (with Yousef dialing in from Malaysia), the group shares practical tips, personal reflections, and memorable fails, all wrapped in good-natured banter and a touch of holiday spirit. The focus drifts from concrete hacks (apps, travel, productivity) to profound life lessons about memory, happiness, growth, emotions, gratitude, and the evolution of wisdom with age.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meditation, Mindfulness & Identity Shifts

Timestamps: 00:53–08:12

• Johnny’s Hack: The Waking Up App by Sam Harris, especially the "Fundamentals" audio series, redefined his approach to meditation and made the practice an identity, not just a habit.

  • Quote: “Meditating is just waking up from the dream.” – Johnny [02:02]
  • Fundamental: The analogy—most people rearrange prison cell furniture (life tweaks), but meditation lets you "wake up" and see the cell for what it is.

• Practical Hack: Minimum commitment (“Just 10 minutes a day”) makes meditation an effortless habit.

• Jhana Meditation: George introduces a different style—meditating by focusing on pure joy, likened to “a panic attack for joy,” contrasting with traditional mindfulness.

2. Travel & Productivity Life Hacks

Timestamps: 11:04–22:33

• Uber for Flights (Yousef): Seamless booking, easy details reuse, Uber credits, price freeze and price drop refunds—no more jumping between dodgy airline sites.

  • Quote: “I cannot believe how easy it is...I’m never going back to booking flights any other way.” – Yousef [11:18]

• Flighty App (Chris): Ultimate flight tracker syncing with your calendar/email to provide real-time updates on gates, delays, baggage, and even friends’ flights.

  • Quote: “Gate information before anyone else does. You just never have to think again.” – Chris [16:18]

• Chess Clocks for Deep Work (George): Inspired by Tim Urban—split your day, “earn” four hours of distraction-free work. Immediate penalty for distractions, sharply reveals how little deep work most people actually manage.

  • Insight: “The amount of times you can convince yourself you’re doing something that isn’t the actual thing is significant.” – George [19:09]

3. Digital Discipline & Analog Tactics

Timestamps: 22:33–26:51

• Brick for iPhone (Johnny): NFC-based phone lock that demands physical action to unlock, dramatically increases friction for screen time.

  • Quote: "Having to stand up, go into another room, press un-brick...just not going to happen." – Johnny [23:44]

• Moleskine Pocket Notepad (George): Carry it instead of a phone for notes and thoughts; this analog habit forms new, healthier "whispers."

  • Warning: Physical notepads are losable—George tragically lost one!

4. Emotional Realism & Cognitive Biases

Timestamps: 30:01–34:48

• Attribution Error (Yousef): Explained how we over-attribute others’ flaws to their personality, but ours to circumstance; most human behavior is emotion-driven and not rational.

  • Quote: “They just want a hug and to be heard.” – Yousef [32:42]

• Chris Larkin’s Wisdom: “Emotions are logical; you’re just bad at logic.” All emotions have a buried logic if you dig deep enough.

5. Journaling, Memory & Lessons from the Past

Timestamps: 40:05–47:45

• Henry’s Mirror (George): Story of a man who can’t form new memories—a metaphor for how much we all forget. Journaling exposes the repetition of worries and lessons.

  • Quote: “The problem with amnesia isn’t only that you forget—it's that you have amnesia of your amnesia.” – George [41:15]

• Day One App (Johnny & Chris): Years of journaling show “the same worries, the same problems.” The value is in noticing character growth rather than milestone achievement.

  • Quote: “The only way you can know that is being able to see what you two years ago, how you two years ago dealt with a challenge.” – Johnny [53:54]

6. On Goals, Progress, and the Transformation of Self

Timestamps: 50:22–55:37

• Goals as Tools for Growth: Achievements rarely bring lasting happiness, but the pursuit builds traits and character. Chasing “hard things” is worthwhile for who you become, not what you get.

  • Quote: “The goals...don’t really compound. But the traits...that’s the compounding.” – Johnny [52:43]

• Unteachable Lessons (Chris): Some truths—e.g., 'Money won’t make you happy', 'Fame won’t fix your self-worth'—must be discovered firsthand, no matter how much you’re warned.

  • Quote: "Untouchable lessons are unteachable...you shouldn't be whipping yourself into pain..." – Chris [66:10]

7. Happiness, Satisfaction, and Time

Timestamps: 61:19–68:54

• Felix Dennis & Gratitude (Yousef): Top-tier billionaire would trade places with a healthy young person for time—a reminder to appreciate present blessings.

• Marian Saldes/Ferris Quote: "There is nothing out there to go and get...all of the preparation is within."

• Chris on Self-Compassion: Realize you’re not alone; even the most successful make the same mistakes. Self-compassion is justified.

8. Envy, Comparison & “Call of Duty vs. War”

Timestamps: 69:56–74:17

• Call of Duty vs. War (George): Don’t envy someone’s highlight reel (“Call of Duty”); instead, ask if you’d want their full life, warts and all (“War”). High achievement brings unseen difficulties.

  • Quote: “Unless I’ve seen the war and I like it, I’m not willing to be Napoleon.” – George [72:24]

• James Clear’s Reminder: “To crave the results, but not the process is to guarantee disappointment,” i.e., only desire the outcome if you’re willing to do the work and accept the grind.

9. Revisiting Life Through Children & Everyday Wonder

Timestamps: 74:20–79:32

• Parenthood’s Gift (Johnny): Seeing the world anew through his child’s eyes renews appreciation for everyday wonders.
  • Quote: “Watching your child see something for the first time completely reintroduces you to life.” – Johnny [75:05]

10. Reflection & Emotional Evolution (The "Feelsy" Year)

Timestamps: 82:12–92:21

• Group Reflection: 2025 brought more emotional honesty. Less "grind," more “feeling.” The hosts note their own journey—moving from head to heart, rediscovering gratitude, and seeking balance between doing and being.

• The Mirror Only Smiles When You Smile (Yousef): A mantra for the year—external reality reflects your internal state. Choose your beliefs and energy consciously.

  • Quote: "The mirror only smiles when you smile..." – Yousef [83:04]

11. Rethinking Hard Work & The Dirty Fuel Analogy

Timestamps: 88:23–92:21

• “Why are you working so hard?” Is it driven by joy or by a need to escape discomfort or pain?
• Quote: “If you’re using feelings of insufficiency to drive your work, it’s like dirty fuel, which will eventually destroy the engine.” – Yousef [91:50]

12. Competence, Vulnerability & Deep Sparring

Timestamps: 99:27–107:59

• Curse of Competence: High-achievers are rarely checked on; others assume they don’t need support.

• Deep Sparring: Schedule regular, non-work conversations with peers you respect, to exchange vulnerable, honest insights, and problem-solving in a safe setting.

  • Quote: “When I advise other people I gain 20 IQ points, when I advise myself I lose 20 IQ points.” – George [102:03]

• Historical Examples: The Lunar Society, Benjamin Franklin’s junto—great thinkers met regularly for this same purpose.

13. Practical Micro-Hacks

Timestamps: 117:57–129:02

• Photograph hotel room keys to avoid forgetting your room on travel.
• Uber Black XL: Worth the upgrade for group US travel.
• Franz Kafka’s rule for life: “Sleep properly and go for walks.” [119:37]
• Install big whiteboards at home: Making problems visible helps solve 70% by just stating them clearly.
• Phone calls: Randomly call friends instead of just texting—reintroduce spontaneity and deepen relationships.
• Reframe “decisions” as “experiments” for less anxiety in trying new things.
• Rename “problems” as “puzzles” to encourage curiosity over dread.

14. Gratitude Practices

Timestamps: 108:04–113:13

• Practical Gratitude: Ask ChatGPT what a regular Monday was like 100 years ago.
• Daily Question: “What would 80-year-old me appreciate about today?” Moves gratitude from head to heart.
  • Quote: “It’s the stuff that when you’re 80 just won’t be there anymore that you overlook...” – Johnny [111:53]
• Quote from Steve Jobs: “I grow little of the food I eat...I speak a language I didn't invent...” emphasizing the extraordinary convenience and privilege of modern life.

Notable Quotes

• [02:02] Johnny: “Meditating is just waking up from the dream.”
• [11:18] Yousef: “I cannot believe how easy it is...I’m never going back to booking flights any other way.”
• [16:18] Chris: “Gate information before anyone else does. You just never have to think again.”
• [19:09] George: “The amount of times you can convince yourself you’re doing something that isn’t the actual thing is significant.”
• [32:42] Yousef: “They just want a hug and to be heard.”
• [41:15] George: “The problem with amnesia isn’t only that you forget—it's that you have amnesia of your amnesia.”
• [52:43] Johnny: “The goals...don’t really compound. But the traits...that’s the compounding.”
• [66:10] Chris: "Untouchable lessons are unteachable...you shouldn't be whipping yourself into pain..."
• [72:24] George: “Unless I’ve seen the war and I like it, I’m not willing to be Napoleon.”
• [75:05] Johnny: “Watching your child see something for the first time completely reintroduces you to life.”
• [91:50] Yousef: “If you’re using feelings of insufficiency to drive your work, it’s like dirty fuel, which will eventually destroy the engine.”
• [102:03] George: “When I advise other people I gain 20 IQ points, when I advise myself I lose 20 IQ points.”
• [111:53] Johnny: “It’s the stuff that when you’re 80 just won’t be there anymore that you overlook...”

Timestamps for Major Topics

• 00:53 – Meditation, Waking Up app, “prison cell” analogy
• 11:04 – Uber for Flights, Flighty app travel hacks
• 18:05 – Chess clocks and deep work productivity
• 22:33 – Digital blocking, analog solutions
• 30:01 – Cognitive biases, attribution errors
• 40:05 – Henry’s Mirror, journaling, memory
• 50:22 – Transformation through challenge, growth not goals
• 61:19 – Health, gratitude, “nothing out there to get”
• 69:56 – Envy, “Call of Duty vs. War”
• 74:20 – Parenthood, rediscovering wonder
• 82:12 – The “feeling” year, reflection, group emotional sync
• 88:23 – Emotions, sufficiency, and drive
• 99:27 – Curse of competence, vulnerability, deep sparring
• 117:57 – Mini life hacks (room key, Uber XL, Kafka’s advice, whiteboards, random calls)
• 108:04 – Practical gratitude hacks

Episode Tone & Style

• Language: Deeply conversational, playful but sincere; occasional swearing and “lad” banter.
• Tone: Warm, introspective, occasionally irreverent, with a recurring theme of self-deprecation and humor.
• Dynamic: Friends teasing, reflecting honestly on wins and failures—makes even complex topics approachable.

Conclusion / Christmas Sign-Off

The group wraps with warm wishes to listeners, notes the cyclical nature of wisdom and lessons (“come back to these in another year”), and playfully criticize their own evolving advice. The mood is light, acknowledging the emotional weight of the year, but always punctuated by camaraderie, humor, and hope.

“Merry Christmas. Give some love to your family members. Sleep properly. Go for walks.” [130:05–130:18]

For regular listeners and newcomers alike, this episode is packed with practical tools, honest reflection, and meaningful holiday cheer—a modern wisdom tradition in its purest form.