Here are a few things I enjoy enough to recommend to others.
—Nicholas Kachur, 2026
Thesis: Relationships matter. Having healthy and happy relationships is one of the most important factors in having a healthy and happy life. Working on one’s relationships is an effective way to improve quality of life.
This book really hammers its central thesis home from a variety of angles. It talks about family, friends, and strangers as complementary to “The Good Life.” It was a pretty easy read, which deployed a wide swath of stories from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, a long-running and high-quality longitudinal study. The authors are the current director and associate director of this study, giving them first-hand knowledge of its insights.
Thesis: Communication is an art worth mastering. So much of life depends on how we communicate, so learning how to do it well is incredibly valuable. Describes the different categories of conversation (practical, emotional, and social), how to recognize which category is most important at any given moment, and strategies to operate within each category.
I really like this book. It was easy to read with a lot of illustrative stories and a (relatively) relatable narrator. I find relationships and communication important, so it was immediately appealing.
This hundred or so page novella is a wonderful little book. So thoughtful and kind, it had me tearing up at points. It is one of the growing number of books in the “hopepunk” genre, which is a hopeful take on steampunk.
If you know me, you’ve probably heard me sing their praises, but Dropout is one of my favorite indie production companies. Focusing on improv comedy shows, I especially love Game Changer (the game show where the game changes every show) and Make Some Noise (comedians straight up improvising to silly prompts).
Potential entry points include Game Changer’s Make Some Noise (S1E2, the orignator of the spin-off), Original Cast Recording (S4E5, musical improv) and A Game Most Changed (S5E5, Shakespeare improv), or any Make Some Noise that sounds interesting.
If you want to step up your pen game, I highly recommend the Uni-ball Jetstream as a slightly better disposable pen. They’re super smooth and write well on almost any paper. They run $10–12 for a pack of four, and you can find them in office supply stores or online from a vendor like JetPens.
For someone willing to invest in a nice refillable pen, I love Studio Neat’s Mark One and Mark Two ($100–150). These are mostly steel construction and feel sturdy in hand. The Mark I is not really great for pockets (it can stain them), so use the Mark II instead for pocket carry.
Studio Neat also makes a couple svelte notebooks. I’ve been enjoying their Totebook as an upgraded everyday carry notebook.
A body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest. I’m not ready to stay at rest yet, so I’ve been trying to stay active. Activities can be a great way to work on yourself, and some of them are also conducive to making or maintaining friendships.
I’ve enjoyed playing ultimate frisbee since summer 2022. In Philly, we have the Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance (PADA), which runs leagues, but there are other groups around the country. It’s been a great way to be active outdoors and make friends doing it.
I thoroughly enjoyed a six-week culinary arts class in 2023, which gave me more confidence in the kitchen. Mine was with the Walnut Hill College community education department, but there are others if you look around.