My “now” page
Started my co-active coaching certification: I am very committed to my training and enjoying it very much. I’m super excited about it
Working at CaixaBank: As a director in transformation projects.
Launched first version of my website: Finally after a lot of procrastination, I made the jump and published a first draft.
My kids are growing up: Valentina is 8 and Luca is almost 6, they are growing fast and I want to enjoy as much as I can my time with them.
Planning holidays: My kids want to go to Disneyland Paris, and we are still negotiating. Meanwhile, we planned Christmas’s holidays with the family.
This is inspired by the NowNowNow project, created by Derek Sivers. To find out more about it, check the about page.
Updated on 13th of October 2023 from Sant Cugat, Spain.
My incomplete manifesto for growth
-
I once saw Bruce Mau’s incomplete manifesto for growth. After reflecting on his living and working patterns, I loved how he put together his answer to this question and asked himself: What is really valuable here? How might these patterns be helpful to others?
This is my way of expressing it and bringing more clarity into my thinking.
Many of these ideas are borrowed from great thinkers of the present and the past, and I will add more links and references in the future.
-
Gratitude journal. Every day, I write at least three things I am grateful for in my journal. This habit helps me focus on the positive things to appreciate and see more during the day.
Keep a “victory log”. Along with my journal, I keep track of what I consider a “victory” to celebrate in a personal, professional or learning context. It’s a good list to check when I feel I am struggling with something, to remind me of how far I have come.
Live below your means. I don’t “upgrade” my lifestyle with my income. This habit helped me have a degree of freedom in more challenging moments. I also like to think of a “plan B” in case dramatic events happen, and it gives me more confidence and freedom.
Prioritize sleep and no alcohol before sleep. Never drink alcohol close to bedtime, at most four hours earlier; this habit, along with eating lightly at night and not eating anything three hours before bed, dramatically improved my sleep quality. It’s also a way to appreciate the positive side of having small kids and not being able to go out for dinner.
-
Hell yeah or no! it’s a very effective “decision razor” in today’s world of infinite possibilities and FOMO. All that is not an immediate “hell yeah”; it’s a “no”. With this in mind, I try not to jump into the one thousand things that my infinite curiosity would lead me into.
Before I say yes, act as if it’s tomorrow. Another quick “decision razor”. Since we discount the value of future time, it’s easy to commit to something in the future, and then when the time comes, we regret having committed to that and change our decision. This “mental time travel” combined with the “hell yeah or no” are a very effective combination.
The stoic archer: We control how well we prepare, our decisions and actions, and ultimately, we can’t control the final outcome of our actions, so we should accept the outcome and realize that it’s not always in our power. If we do our best, we can be at peace regardless of the outcome.
Accept it, change it, or leave it. A very practical approach for dealing with things we don’t like. We can accept them, change them or leave them, and what we should not do is complain about them and wish them to change, and at the same time, not do anything to change them nor leave them.
Will that matter if I die tomorrow? Another very effective “reality check” for all the big “dramas” that unfold sometimes. In the heat of the moment, I try to ask myself this question and get some perspective.
Short-term pessimist, long-term optimist. Thinking that things will get worse in the short term and preparing for the worst while at the same time keeping a positive outlook for the long term. Helps me to have a long-term perspective and do the “hard stuff” first.
Increase the luck surface: my “lottery tickets". I see every interaction and everything I share as “lottery tickets”. I do it because I thoroughly enjoy it, and I do it for the sake of it; at the same time, I love to think that each thing I share is a lottery ticket. I never know who might see it and what can happen, and the more I share the stuff I love, the more lottery tickets I get.
-
Intersections and Portfolio Life
External value depends on the context
Escape competition through authenticity
Promoting yourself vs promoting your ideas: self-promotion focuses on showcasing ourselves and seeking personal recognition, while idea promotion is all about sharing valuable stuff and hoping to benefit others, and having better reach ourselves is a means to that end. So, I want people to discover me without wanting to appear to be acting in a self-serving way. My priority is helping people and having an impact.
Fear of speaking in public: I reframed my "fear of speaking in public" to "I feel deep respect for the people in this room and I want to do my best”
-
The average of the five people
The personal board of advisors
Deeper questions: what is your story?
Pretend there’s a camera crew filming
Interact with the person, not the content
Each feels they have the best of the deal
Play long-term games with long-term people
Pick partners with intelligence, energy and integrity
Sharing our feelings. Vulnerability doesn't mean being reckless or indiscriminate in sharing our personal information. It involves a thoughtful and selective approach to sharing our feelings and experiences with people we trust. Recognizing we're human, with all our flaws, not trying to chase an ideal that we can not reach and that will only cause you to lie, especially to ourselves, and depriving us of our potential.
Reveal other people's superpowers: don’t fall into the trap of not recognizing the greatness of others, because it might undermine ours. It’s like we are “more” by making other people “less”. Which is, of course, totally wrong, and I would dare say it’s the complete opposite.
-
Slack time and “busyness”. We don’t have to look like we are always 100% busy and "on fire" at every moment. We should normalize having some free capacity or slack and then use that slack for personal growth and projects, that, in the long term, will also benefit the company we work in.
Gratitude at work: we can almost always find something to be grateful for, each day, and when we have the habit of noticing these little things, we start seeing more and more.
Slack and free capacity vs busyness. We don’t have to look like we are always 100% busy and "on fire" at every moment. We should normalize having some free capacity or slack and then use that slack for personal growth and projects, that, in the long term, will also benefit the company we work in.
Take your work seriously but not yourself. And who said that we can't have fun at work?
Here are the books that greatly impacted my thinking, and therefore, I recommend them to everyone.
My go-to recommendation for a book on leadership: “Hostage at the Table” by George Kohlrieser. Read and re-read it many, many times after attending his "Inspirational Leadership" program at IMD.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness. This is one of the first books on personal development that I read. Naval’s ideas have inspired many illustrations, too.
Designing Your Life: Build a Life that Works for You. What I love about this book is applying a design thinking approach and its principles to our own lives. Experiment, prototype and ask questions.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Perhaps you already heard of this book; it’s full of practical ideas to build good habits and let go of bad ones. The book also inspired a few illustrations.
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read. And I would add that “I wish I read earlier”. One of the book's key ideas is to “acknowledge the feelings” of our children and treat them as persons, even if they are small ones. And we will be surprised by the changes that happen.
Inspiring conversations
-
![]()
Live with Sara Ramos from M3.0 community
I had a fun and insightful conversation with Sara Ramos, the amazing community manager of the Management 3.0 community. We discussed personal stories, leadership, self-development, what we love about communities and learning, and how it is to be a member of the Management 3.0 community.
-
![]()
Building interpersonal relationships in a virtual world with Rachel Cossar
An interesting and thought-provoking conversation with Rachel Cossar, a leader in the field of nonverbal communication and leadership presence facilitation, founder of Virtual Sapiens, an AI tool that leverages knowledge in body language and presence and provides personalized feedback and coaching.
-
![Visual communication, creative process and personal development with Pejman Milani]()
Visual communication, creative process and personal development with Pejman Milani
An exciting conversation with Pejman Milani, a brilliant teacher, visual storyteller and communicator. We discussed creativity, social media, challenges, teaching, the impact of AI, daily practices and tools.
-
![]()
Communities, social media, purpose and personal definition of success with Nadine Koehler
A deep conversation with Nadine Koehler, a gentle, inquisitive soul, marketing director, and agile practitioner. We discussed growth, communities, the role of social media and communication, and personal definitions of success.
-
![]()
Relationships, personal development, and how to bring coaching skills to our personal and professional life with Òscar Carbonell
An insightful conversation with Òscar Carbonell, chief of staff & executive coach. He defines himself as a “bridge” between professional and academic, rational and emotional.
-
![]()
Learning, personal development, management, and leadership with Nicola Ballotta
I had a wonderful and fun conversation with Nicola Ballotta, a constant learner, leader, and communicator. We discussed personal development, communication, and social media, challenges, leadership, new ways of working, and relationships. -
![]()
Visual communication, content creation, personal development, and values with Janis Ozolins.
It was a pleasure to talk with Janis Ozolins, a brilliant creator, and solopreneur, who is also the person who introduced me to visual illustration. We discussed visual communication, content creation, personal development, and values.
-
![]()
Productivity and being “good busy”, personal development, creativity, and sharing ideas with Kate Sotsenko.
I had so much fun talking with Kate Sotsenko, a brilliant productivity coach who considers herself a “time reclaimer”. We discussed personal development, creativity, sharing ideas and how we see relationships.
-
![]()
Live a healthier and happier professional and personal life, relationships, hiring, and the new trends in the startup world of work with Peter Sorgenfrei.
It was a joy talking with Peter Sorgenfrei, a brilliant CEO coach who is a rare mix of people and numbers guy with vast experience in building businesses, strategy, analytics, and coaching. We discussed work life, values, what makes people care about their work, personal development, and how to hire great talent.
-
![]()
Personal journeys, growth, the creative process and inspiration, and the role of communities with Hannah Wilson.
It was amazing talking with Hannah Wilson, a brilliant visual creator, and solopreneur. We discussed personal journeys, growth, creativity, and the role of communities. Hannah's journey and experience have deeply inspired my own visual communication. She is one of those people who makes things look easy while at the same time realizing that behind everything there's a lot of hard work.
-
![]()
How can you make people "spark" and bring more energy to our workplaces and lives? With Jacqueline Oud.
It was a joy to talk with Jacqueline Oud, a passionate change agent, expert communicator, and coach. We discussed igniting that "spark", empowering others, fostering creativity, trust and connection.
-
![]()
Embracing imperfections, AI's role, and the power of authentic connections with Marco Andre
It was inspiring talking with Marco Andre , a creative mind and advocate for authenticity in the digital age. We delved into personal journeys, the importance of embracing imperfections, the transformative potential of AI, and the critical role of community and collaboration.
-
![]()
Coaching, leadership, and personal growth with Teresa Ferreiro
It was an enriching experience talking with Teresa Ferreiro, a dedicated coach, and patient advocate. We discussed personal journeys, growth, coaching, and the transformative impact of leadership and human connection. Teresa's journey from project management to becoming a beacon of support for cancer patients and leaders has deeply inspired me.
-
![]()
Personal growth, neurodiversity, the challenges and joys of it with Holger Nils Pohl
It was a profound experience talking with Holger Nils Pohl, a creative professional and advocate for autism awareness. We explored personal stories, the complexities of living with autism, and the vital role of understanding and acceptance in both personal and professional realms. Holger's journey is truly inspiring.
-
![]()
Personal growth, leadership, mental health, and well-being with Sandra Lopes Guerreiro
A heartwarming conversation with Sandra Lopes Guerreiro, a seasoned leader in her industry, dedicated to cultural and mindset transformations. We explored personal development, visualization, and the importance of mental health. Sandra shared insights on leadership, empathy, and the need for authentic connections, bringing out each person’s superpowers.
-
![]()
Building exceptional relationships through vulnerability, curiosity, and empathy with Carole Robin
Carole Robin taught the legendary "Touchy Feely" course at Stanford's Graduate School of Business for over twenty years and co-authored the award-winning book "Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues". She is also the Co-Founder and Head of Programs at Leaders in Tech, where she shares her wisdom with leaders in the technology sector. In this engaging conversation, she highlights the essential skills required for fostering trust, vulnerability, and authenticity in personal and professional relationships.
-
![]()
Creativity, connection, overcoming perfectionism and doing things that don’t scale with PJ Milani
In this insightful and inspiring conversation, we explored the power of creative practice, building genuine human connections, and the importance of embracing imperfection. Pejman shared his journey from hesitating to post online to finding fulfillment in creating impactful visuals and being part of an engaged community.
Favorite tools
I use and recommend these tools for my projects. Some links are affiliates, supporting me at no extra cost to you.
Subtack: Great for newsletter publishing with community features and cross-recommendations.
Affinity Designer: Powerful, easy-to-use illustration tool with iPad and desktop versions, synced for seamless use.
Notion: Efficient content and article management with a database feature for relational structures.
Make: Automates Notion's content management system, highly customizable and powerful.
Zoom: Used for scheduling coaching sessions, recordings, and creating shareable clips.
Todoist: Long-term tool for managing projects and to-do lists, adapted over a decade.
Tech stack
Here is the tech stack I have in my home office. Thanks to all the members of the community who shared their setups with me, and helped me improve my setup. I am always curious about new setups and how to improve.
Maintain a balance between tech additions and setup complexity. Avoid investments in tech that demand double checks or complicated start-up sequences. Prefer easy-to-use solutions that can be activated with a simple button press after setup.
Audio
Shure SM7B: a recent upgrade to my beloved blue yeti USB mic, bought it second-hand on Amazon and I love the quality
elgato wave mic arm LP: the only mic arm that I found could fit in my desk, and finally I can use the microphone without having to compromise on space on the desk
elgato wave xlr: interface to connect my XLR mic
Video
HP EliteDisplay E243d: amazing screen, with USB hub, audio and multiple video entry. Y can easily switch from professional to personal pc in a move.
Duronic DM754 four screens support stand: a sturdy stand for a desk that has no possibility of mounting a clamp.
Logitech brio stream: the quality of this camera is amazing, I previously had a 1080p and can see a huge difference.
elgato key light air: I love how the light comes evenly from right and left, I have no shadows on my face with this.
Logitech Litra glow: I use this light for lighting from above
Interfaces
Logitech MX Keys: super accurate and smooth USB mouse, can connect to three different pc by Bluetooth
Logitech MX Master 3S: compact and easy to use, can connect to three different pc by Bluetooth
elgato stream deck xl: one of my latest addition, I saw it in a post from Said Saddouk and it’s a huge time saver.