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Explaining the world one sketch at a time

Simplifying complex ideas through fun and insightful sketches. Explore topics from science, creativity, psychology, and more explained in pictures.

This is such
a cool book.
— Bill Gates

Big Ideas Little Pictures: Explaining the world one sketch at a time

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Absorb big ideas with crystal-clear understanding through this collection of 135 visual explanations. Including 24 exclusive new sketches and enhanced versions of classic favourites, each page shares life-improving ideas through beautifully simple illustrations.

Perfect for curious minds and visual learners alike.

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Hi, I'm Jono 👋

I'm an author and illustrator creating one of the world's largest libraries of hand-drawn sketches explaining the world—sketch-by-sketch.

Sketchplanations have been shared millions of times and used in books, articles, classrooms, and more. Learn more about the project, search for a sketch you like, or see recent sketches below.

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Yes Sayers are Rewarded by Adventure, No Sayers are Rewarded by Safety

Improv veteran Keith Johnstone shares: There are people who prefer to say "Yes," and there are people who prefer to say "No." Those who say "Yes" are rewarded by the adventures they have, and those who say "No" are rewarded by the safety they attain. There are far more "No" sayers around than "Yes" sayers, but you can train one type to behave like the other. I can't help but put pressure on myself to be a yes-sayer. Perhaps it's the vague belief that saying yes will lead to a fuller life and range of experiences and that saying "no" is the easy option. And somehow, the easy option in my mind can seem like the wrong option. That's why I liked Keith Johnstone's framing for yes-sayers and no-sayers, as it clearly shows the rewards for taking either route in a decision, not just one. If you are improvising, saying yes and accepting offers takes you to situations that may not feel comfortable but give you new experiences. Saying no keeps you where you are. Your situation is known and safe, and you feel good for that reason. In life, we never have to be exclusively yes or exclusively no. And it doesn't have to be white-water kayaking for yes-sayers and reading books at home for no-sayers. But certainly, there are different joys in each path. I love both: the nerves and excitement of new experiences and the comfort and safety of the known and predictable. We needn't bucket ourselves into one or the other. An adventure, even a microadventure, almost by definition, is the result of saying yes. And, like Type II fun, it can be rewarding and fulfilling. But balancing adventure with the safety and calm of staying in one's comfort zone at times feels nice to me. Related Ideas to Yes Sayers, No Sayers And more improv: Accept offers Be spontaneous Microadventure The bandwagon effect Only dead fish go with the flow "The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces"—in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures The quote is from Keith Johnstone's book Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre, Theatre Arts Books, 1979, as quoted in Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madson.…Improv veteran Keith Johnstone shares: There are people who prefer to say "Yes," and there are people who prefer to say "No." Those who say "Yes" are rewarded by the adventures they have, and those who say "No" are rewarded by the safety they attain. There are far more "No" sayers around than "Yes" sayers, but you can train one type to behave like the other. I can't help but put pressure on myself to be a yes-sayer. Perhaps it's the vague belief that saying yes will lead to a fuller life and range of experiences and that saying "no" is the easy option. And somehow, the easy option in my mind can seem like the wrong option. That's why I liked Keith Johnstone's framing for yes-sayers and no-sayers, as it clearly shows the rewards for taking either route in a decision, not just one. If you are improvising, saying yes and accepting offers takes you to situations that may not feel comfortable but give you new experiences. Saying no keeps you where you are. Your situation is known and safe, and you feel good for that reason. In life, we never have to be exclusively yes or exclusively no. And it doesn't have to be white-water kayaking for yes-sayers and reading books at home for no-sayers. But certainly, there are different joys in each path. I love both: the nerves and excitement of new experiences and the comfort and safety of the known and predictable. We needn't bucket ourselves into one or the other. An adventure, even a microadventure, almost by definition, is the result of saying yes. And, like Type II fun, it can be rewarding and fulfilling. But balancing adventure with the safety and calm of staying in one's comfort zone at times feels nice to me. Related Ideas to Yes Sayers, No Sayers And more improv: Accept offers Be spontaneous Microadventure The bandwagon effect Only dead fish go with the flow "The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces"—in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures The quote is from Keith Johnstone's book Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre, Theatre Arts Books, 1979, as quoted in Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madson.

5 Jan

Rückenfigur

Ever taken a photo of a scene where someone is standing with their back to the camera, looking out at the view? That's Rückenfigur, a German word derived from Rücken (back) and Figur (figure), which roughly translates to "figure seen from behind." Rückenfigur is a technique in composition where a person is included in the scene facing out to the view rather than at the viewer. It's associated with German Romantic painting and the artist Caspar David Friedrich, who painted many paintings in this style. I like Rückenfigur's ability to invite you to consider the person's perspective in the scene and what they're experiencing looking out. Especially as it's often used with grand scenes from Nature, I find Rückenfigur helps me appreciate the grandeur and wonder they may feel. When I learned about the term, I realised that I use it all the time in photography. In photos, however, I think there are other good practical reasons to employ Rückenfigur, such as: Focusing on the scene Without showing a face, the viewer's attention is drawn to the landscape, not the individual. Adding scale and context A person in the frame provides a sense of size and invites contemplation from their perspective. Privacy and shareability Travel photos with friends or family members facing away are easier to share. No face awkwardness Like painting, photographing faces has a lot that can go wrong: people can have their eyes shut, be squinting, have an odd smile, no smile, bad hair...not having a visible person is more reliable. When I see a beautiful scene such as this, somehow having a person there looking out helps put me in that person's shoes and experience that wonder again. And I think that's often what I'm trying to capture in a photo of Nature. Or perhaps Friedrich started it because painting faces is hard? The sketch is based on a photo I took in the breathtaking Jonkershoek Nature Reserve in South Africa in 2010. Also see: Atmospheric perspective The Golden Ratio Hitched to Everything Else in the Universe The Rule of 3rds…Ever taken a photo of a scene where someone is standing with their back to the camera, looking out at the view? That's Rückenfigur, a German word derived from Rücken (back) and Figur (figure), which roughly translates to "figure seen from behind." Rückenfigur is a technique in composition where a person is included in the scene facing out to the view rather than at the viewer. It's associated with German Romantic painting and the artist Caspar David Friedrich, who painted many paintings in this style. I like Rückenfigur's ability to invite you to consider the person's perspective in the scene and what they're experiencing looking out. Especially as it's often used with grand scenes from Nature, I find Rückenfigur helps me appreciate the grandeur and wonder they may feel. When I learned about the term, I realised that I use it all the time in photography. In photos, however, I think there are other good practical reasons to employ Rückenfigur, such as: Focusing on the scene Without showing a face, the viewer's attention is drawn to the landscape, not the individual. Adding scale and context A person in the frame provides a sense of size and invites contemplation from their perspective. Privacy and shareability Travel photos with friends or family members facing away are easier to share. No face awkwardness Like painting, photographing faces has a lot that can go wrong: people can have their eyes shut, be squinting, have an odd smile, no smile, bad hair...not having a visible person is more reliable. When I see a beautiful scene such as this, somehow having a person there looking out helps put me in that person's shoes and experience that wonder again. And I think that's often what I'm trying to capture in a photo of Nature. Or perhaps Friedrich started it because painting faces is hard? The sketch is based on a photo I took in the breathtaking Jonkershoek Nature Reserve in South Africa in 2010. Also see: Atmospheric perspective The Golden Ratio Hitched to Everything Else in the Universe The Rule of 3rds

29 Dec 2024

The Three Bricklayers Story

The Three Bricklayers’ story illustrates the power of purpose. What is the 3 Bricklayers Story? A simple version goes that a person walked past a building project and asked three workers the same question: “What are you doing?” The first replied, “I’m laying bricks.” The second replied, “I’m building a wall.” And the third replied, “I’m creating a cathedral.” The story highlights how we can view our work differently depending on whether we focus on the immediate task, the short-term goal, or the larger vision. The first worker focuses on the task at hand, the second sees the outcome of their work, and the third connects to the broader purpose of the project. Various tellings have the first worker hunched over or working slowly. The second and third workers take increasing pride in their work, often achieving more. Finding Balance in Work There’s value in all three perspectives. There can be a lot of pride and skill in laying bricks—or whatever your equivalent task is—as well as it can be done. Setting clear, intermediate goals keeps progress on track. And someone who spends all their time looking at plans or daydreaming about what the building will become may not lay bricks as well as they need to. To do something well, we probably need a balance of all three aspects: Pride and skill in detail and craft Progress through clear intermediate goals Vision and meaning for our work Understanding what I’m working towards and believing it’s worthwhile is a powerful motivator for me when the going gets tough. This post isn’t really about cathedrals, but I studied the brilliant Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí in my teens. As a real-life cathedral metaphor, his incredible Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona is a striking example. Gaudí’s vision for the basilica has inspired generations of artisans and workers since he took over the project in 1882. Execution, however, has been a challenge, with construction ongoing today. But that hasn’t stopped it from inspiring and drawing in visitors for decades. I like the three bricklayers parable as a reminder that when I’m grinding on something, it helps to reconnect with the why behind my effort. Origins of the 3 Bricklayers Parable Like many parables, this story has been told in different forms. An early version appears in Bruce Barton’s 1927 book What Can a Man Believe (p252), featuring Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St Paul’s Cathedral in London after the Great Fire of 1666. “One morning he passed among the workmen, most of whom did not know him, and of three different men engaged in the same kind of work he asked the same question: ‘What are you doing?’ From the first he received the answer: ‘I am cutting this stone.’ From the second the answer was: ‘I am earning three shillings and six pence a day.’ But the third man straightened up, squared his shoulders, and holding his mallet in one hand and chisel in the other, proudly replied: ‘I am helping Sir Christopher Wren to build this great cathedral.’” It’s hard to believe it happened, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful. Related Ideas to the 3 Bricklayers Story Also see: Autonomy Mastery Purpose The Blind and the Elephant Hope Flow Goldilocks Tasks Find Your Why Not The Story Spine Forcing Function…The Three Bricklayers’ story illustrates the power of purpose. What is the 3 Bricklayers Story? A simple version goes that a person walked past a building project and asked three workers the same question: “What are you doing?” The first replied, “I’m laying bricks.” The second replied, “I’m building a wall.” And the third replied, “I’m creating a cathedral.” The story highlights how we can view our work differently depending on whether we focus on the immediate task, the short-term goal, or the larger vision. The first worker focuses on the task at hand, the second sees the outcome of their work, and the third connects to the broader purpose of the project. Various tellings have the first worker hunched over or working slowly. The second and third workers take increasing pride in their work, often achieving more. Finding Balance in Work There’s value in all three perspectives. There can be a lot of pride and skill in laying bricks—or whatever your equivalent task is—as well as it can be done. Setting clear, intermediate goals keeps progress on track. And someone who spends all their time looking at plans or daydreaming about what the building will become may not lay bricks as well as they need to. To do something well, we probably need a balance of all three aspects: Pride and skill in detail and craft Progress through clear intermediate goals Vision and meaning for our work Understanding what I’m working towards and believing it’s worthwhile is a powerful motivator for me when the going gets tough. This post isn’t really about cathedrals, but I studied the brilliant Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí in my teens. As a real-life cathedral metaphor, his incredible Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona is a striking example. Gaudí’s vision for the basilica has inspired generations of artisans and workers since he took over the project in 1882. Execution, however, has been a challenge, with construction ongoing today. But that hasn’t stopped it from inspiring and drawing in visitors for decades. I like the three bricklayers parable as a reminder that when I’m grinding on something, it helps to reconnect with the why behind my effort. Origins of the 3 Bricklayers Parable Like many parables, this story has been told in different forms. An early version appears in Bruce Barton’s 1927 book What Can a Man Believe (p252), featuring Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St Paul’s Cathedral in London after the Great Fire of 1666. “One morning he passed among the workmen, most of whom did not know him, and of three different men engaged in the same kind of work he asked the same question: ‘What are you doing?’ From the first he received the answer: ‘I am cutting this stone.’ From the second the answer was: ‘I am earning three shillings and six pence a day.’ But the third man straightened up, squared his shoulders, and holding his mallet in one hand and chisel in the other, proudly replied: ‘I am helping Sir Christopher Wren to build this great cathedral.’” It’s hard to believe it happened, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful. Related Ideas to the 3 Bricklayers Story Also see: Autonomy Mastery Purpose The Blind and the Elephant Hope Flow Goldilocks Tasks Find Your Why Not The Story Spine Forcing Function

22 Dec 2024

Build your own panel of advisors and mentors example of the invisible counselors with Mum, Uncle Jim, your science teacher, Marcus Aurelius and Lincoln

Build Your Panel of Advisors to Ask for Advice

Building your own panel of advisors is a simple technique to expand your perspectives and guide yourself through tough decisions. Think of people whose judgement and values you respect, add them to your mental panel, and when faced with a dilemma, ask, "What would you do?" While a real panel of advisors is invaluable, an imaginary panel has advantages: it's not limited to people you can call, and it requires no one else's time. Your panel can include your mum, Uncle Jim, your best friend, or your high school science teacher. But why stop there? You could invite Taylor Swift, Marcus Aurelius, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, or the Buddha—famous figures whose qualities and wisdom inspire you. Diversity is key to your panel's success, as it brings a broader range of perspectives. Uncle Jim would likely approach a problem very differently from the Buddha, and you can access both viewpoints simply by considering how each might respond. It's curious how we can get more diverse perspectives by ourselves simply by adopting the view or mindset of someone else (as we understand them). In this way, it's rather like De Bono's 6 Thinking Hats technique. And it reminds me of my favourite research results where people generated more ideas when prompted to ideate as if they were a creative person. Benjamin Franklin regularly sought to emulate his role models, as in his 13th virtue: "Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates." Similarly, Napoleon Hill described meeting with "Invisible Counselors" in Think and Grow Rich to gain insights from imagined mentors. I can't remember where I first came across this strategy but I love to put it into action. Who would you add to your panel? Related Ideas to Building Your Own Panel of Advisors Rubberducking Groupthink The Bandwagon Effect The Abilene Paradox Design by Committee Brilliance Bias…Building your own panel of advisors is a simple technique to expand your perspectives and guide yourself through tough decisions. Think of people whose judgement and values you respect, add them to your mental panel, and when faced with a dilemma, ask, "What would you do?" While a real panel of advisors is invaluable, an imaginary panel has advantages: it's not limited to people you can call, and it requires no one else's time. Your panel can include your mum, Uncle Jim, your best friend, or your high school science teacher. But why stop there? You could invite Taylor Swift, Marcus Aurelius, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, or the Buddha—famous figures whose qualities and wisdom inspire you. Diversity is key to your panel's success, as it brings a broader range of perspectives. Uncle Jim would likely approach a problem very differently from the Buddha, and you can access both viewpoints simply by considering how each might respond. It's curious how we can get more diverse perspectives by ourselves simply by adopting the view or mindset of someone else (as we understand them). In this way, it's rather like De Bono's 6 Thinking Hats technique. And it reminds me of my favourite research results where people generated more ideas when prompted to ideate as if they were a creative person. Benjamin Franklin regularly sought to emulate his role models, as in his 13th virtue: "Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates." Similarly, Napoleon Hill described meeting with "Invisible Counselors" in Think and Grow Rich to gain insights from imagined mentors. I can't remember where I first came across this strategy but I love to put it into action. Who would you add to your panel? Related Ideas to Building Your Own Panel of Advisors Rubberducking Groupthink The Bandwagon Effect The Abilene Paradox Design by Committee Brilliance Bias

15 Dec 2024

Eat the frog

Eat the Frog is a memorable, if rather gross, metaphor that means choosing the most important thing you must do today and doing that first. It derives from a variant of a quote that Mark Twain never said, "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first." — Not Mark Twain Another way to think about it is that if you first Eat the Frog, everything else will be easier for the rest of the day. And won't that feel nice? The Eat the Frog time management technique was popularised in Brian Tracy's productivity book Eat That Frog! Get More of the Important Things Done - Today! Many tools in Tracy's book are based on the general premise that there will always be more to do than you can do. So, find the things that will have the most impact and do those first. The others will drift on by. Why is Eat the Frog helpful? I once saw someone ask for advice on getting motivated to clean the house. One person answered: "Write a book." Sometimes, our most significant and impactful goals are those on which we so readily procrastinate. Often, these will be in the important, not urgent, bucket. The Eat the Frog approach helps if: You are prone to procrastination 🙋 You have a lot of things that need to be done or that you want to do You work well in the morning One of the nice things about eating the frog first thing is that getting it done feels really good. It helps build momentum for the rest of the day with a nice endorphin rush of ticking off something significant. Decide on your Most Important Task (MIT) to tackle, ideally the night before. If it's too big and you can't finish it in one sitting, divide it into manageable chunks. Then start on the first chunk and leave everything else. And sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to start. So consider doing just 5 minutes. Once you've started, very often, keeping going becomes easy. Challenges when Eating the Frog Questions that come up regularly in Tracy's book "Eat That Frog", including for the Eating the Frog principle, are variations of: What is the most important thing you could be doing? What is the highest-value activity? What activity will have the most impact? If you weren't already doing this, would you start doing this? What skills will take you furthest in your career? What are you able to do best that others can't? It all looks pretty straightforward when I read questions like these. But I have found that answering them is usually much harder. Our goals are often interrelated. For example, earning more may require you to increase your skills first. And getting clear on what your most important goals are first is a prerequisite and also not always straightforward. Then, what activities are the most important or will have the most impact can be unclear. And, sometimes, small actions such as an unexpected event or connection may have out-sized benefits. Or neglecting a seemingly minor task could lead to losing a significant client. But does it still make sense to try to work on the most important task first thing in the morning? Yes. Don't Drag it Out Like a child leaving a brussel sprout at the side of the plate to get cold while they eat the roast, it's easy to leave our most impactful and daunting tasks until after the easier stuff is done. But it doesn't usually help to wait. As the saying goes, if you have to eat a live frog, it doesn't pay to look at it for long. Related Ideas Face it, you'll never get caught up, so perhaps think about Oliver Burkeman's Rivers not Buckets Eisenhower Matrix: important/urgent Pomodoro Technique The Power of Streaks Don't make important decisions on an empty stomach The doorstep mile Eat the Frog is a fantastic example of putting the principles of making your idea Sticky into action Use checkboxes Present bias Finishing lines Poor frogs: the Frog boil metaphor Another quote "from" Mark Twain appears in Big Ideas Little Pictures: "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment." Notes The always excellent Quote Investigator describes the source of the Eat the Frog family of quotes from the French writer Nicolas Chamfort, who said, more or less, that eating a toad first thing would help steel you against the rest of the day as nothing worse will happen to you.…Eat the Frog is a memorable, if rather gross, metaphor that means choosing the most important thing you must do today and doing that first. It derives from a variant of a quote that Mark Twain never said, "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first." — Not Mark Twain Another way to think about it is that if you first Eat the Frog, everything else will be easier for the rest of the day. And won't that feel nice? The Eat the Frog time management technique was popularised in Brian Tracy's productivity book Eat That Frog! Get More of the Important Things Done - Today! Many tools in Tracy's book are based on the general premise that there will always be more to do than you can do. So, find the things that will have the most impact and do those first. The others will drift on by. Why is Eat the Frog helpful? I once saw someone ask for advice on getting motivated to clean the house. One person answered: "Write a book." Sometimes, our most significant and impactful goals are those on which we so readily procrastinate. Often, these will be in the important, not urgent, bucket. The Eat the Frog approach helps if: You are prone to procrastination 🙋 You have a lot of things that need to be done or that you want to do You work well in the morning One of the nice things about eating the frog first thing is that getting it done feels really good. It helps build momentum for the rest of the day with a nice endorphin rush of ticking off something significant. Decide on your Most Important Task (MIT) to tackle, ideally the night before. If it's too big and you can't finish it in one sitting, divide it into manageable chunks. Then start on the first chunk and leave everything else. And sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to start. So consider doing just 5 minutes. Once you've started, very often, keeping going becomes easy. Challenges when Eating the Frog Questions that come up regularly in Tracy's book "Eat That Frog", including for the Eating the Frog principle, are variations of: What is the most important thing you could be doing? What is the highest-value activity? What activity will have the most impact? If you weren't already doing this, would you start doing this? What skills will take you furthest in your career? What are you able to do best that others can't? It all looks pretty straightforward when I read questions like these. But I have found that answering them is usually much harder. Our goals are often interrelated. For example, earning more may require you to increase your skills first. And getting clear on what your most important goals are first is a prerequisite and also not always straightforward. Then, what activities are the most important or will have the most impact can be unclear. And, sometimes, small actions such as an unexpected event or connection may have out-sized benefits. Or neglecting a seemingly minor task could lead to losing a significant client. But does it still make sense to try to work on the most important task first thing in the morning? Yes. Don't Drag it Out Like a child leaving a brussel sprout at the side of the plate to get cold while they eat the roast, it's easy to leave our most impactful and daunting tasks until after the easier stuff is done. But it doesn't usually help to wait. As the saying goes, if you have to eat a live frog, it doesn't pay to look at it for long. Related Ideas Face it, you'll never get caught up, so perhaps think about Oliver Burkeman's Rivers not Buckets Eisenhower Matrix: important/urgent Pomodoro Technique The Power of Streaks Don't make important decisions on an empty stomach The doorstep mile Eat the Frog is a fantastic example of putting the principles of making your idea Sticky into action Use checkboxes Present bias Finishing lines Poor frogs: the Frog boil metaphor Another quote "from" Mark Twain appears in Big Ideas Little Pictures: "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment." Notes The always excellent Quote Investigator describes the source of the Eat the Frog family of quotes from the French writer Nicolas Chamfort, who said, more or less, that eating a toad first thing would help steel you against the rest of the day as nothing worse will happen to you.

8 Dec 2024

The 5 Gift Guide for Christmas

If you're a parent or buy presents for kids, perhaps Christmas brings mixed feelings. While we love spending time with family, playing together, and taking a break, Christmas gift-giving easily brings some stress and anxiety (one of the reasons that Thanksgiving is so good). This list from Pragmatic Parent is a potential antidote to the consumerism that can overtake at Christmas. The idea is to give one gift to each child in five categories: Want, Read, Wear, Need, and Do. 8x Christmas-As-Magic No one wants a Dudley Dursley on his birthday, "Thirty-six. That's two less than last year!" But at the same time, as a parent, you may have nostalgia for your Christmas or holidays as a child and want to create the same for your children. Paul Graham wrote in an essay Life is Short: "Having kids showed me how to convert a continuous quantity, time, into discrete quantities. You only get 52 weekends with your 2-year-old. If Christmas-as-magic lasts from, say, ages 3 to 10, you only get to watch your child experience it 8 times. And while it's impossible to say what is a lot or a little of a continuous quantity like time, 8 is not a lot of something." So, while, as parents, you may be working to make it memorable, at the same time, some things can easily get out of kilter. Here are some thoughts that cross our minds: It's easy to think that we're buying more and bigger gifts each year. And we want to ensure this year's presents are as good as last year's to avoid disappointment. It's easy to look at a pile of assembled presents and think, "We never had this much as kids!". And sometimes, the big ticket item we bought at great expense didn't provide nearly as much joy as racing around the house with family at Christmas. We wonder if it was really needed after all. It's easy for Christmas gift-giving to seem out of control. The 5 Gift Guide: Want, Read, Wear, Need, Do Years ago, I learned about this list from Corinne at Pragmatic Parent, which tries to redress some of the balance at Christmas—keeping Christmas wonder while also keeping it sane. The idea is to get one gift in each of the 5 categories: Want, Read, Wear, Need, Do. Something I want can still be the classic Christmas big ticket item that you dream about getting as a kid. This could be a big toy, Lego set, video game, or new bike... Something I need could support a hobby, some sports equipment, a musical instrument, maybe headphones. Or it could be something they need for school—a smart set of pens or pencils or pencil case, perhaps. Something to wear is an opportunity to get something that makes them feel good daily. Something to read might be a book, magazine, comic, or subscription. Something to do could be a game, tickets to a film, a day out or visiting somewhere new. In a later iteration of the list, Corinne added a 6th item, "Something for my family", for an activity everyone can do together. A Less Materialistic Christmas The 5-Gift Rule for Christmas is a potential way to reduce some of the consumerism associated with Christmas and adopt a more minimalist approach. It promotes useful gifts that won't gather dust after the excitement of the holidays has passed. It encourages gratitude for what we receive and minimises pining for what we don't. It also suggests gifts that create experiences for the receiver and the family—one of the best ways to spend our money. Full disclosure: Though we think about the list, we've yet to adopt it wholesale. But it's a handy framework for considering different types of gifts that your children may value. It reminds us to focus on more meaningful and thoughtful gifts and experiences with less accompanying stuff. Related Ideas Also see: If money doesn't make you happy, you're not spending it right The origins of Boxing Day Give gifts others can give Jólabókaflóð Pick a present (Venn diagram) (Groggy parents from Watterson)…If you're a parent or buy presents for kids, perhaps Christmas brings mixed feelings. While we love spending time with family, playing together, and taking a break, Christmas gift-giving easily brings some stress and anxiety (one of the reasons that Thanksgiving is so good). This list from Pragmatic Parent is a potential antidote to the consumerism that can overtake at Christmas. The idea is to give one gift to each child in five categories: Want, Read, Wear, Need, and Do. 8x Christmas-As-Magic No one wants a Dudley Dursley on his birthday, "Thirty-six. That's two less than last year!" But at the same time, as a parent, you may have nostalgia for your Christmas or holidays as a child and want to create the same for your children. Paul Graham wrote in an essay Life is Short: "Having kids showed me how to convert a continuous quantity, time, into discrete quantities. You only get 52 weekends with your 2-year-old. If Christmas-as-magic lasts from, say, ages 3 to 10, you only get to watch your child experience it 8 times. And while it's impossible to say what is a lot or a little of a continuous quantity like time, 8 is not a lot of something." So, while, as parents, you may be working to make it memorable, at the same time, some things can easily get out of kilter. Here are some thoughts that cross our minds: It's easy to think that we're buying more and bigger gifts each year. And we want to ensure this year's presents are as good as last year's to avoid disappointment. It's easy to look at a pile of assembled presents and think, "We never had this much as kids!". And sometimes, the big ticket item we bought at great expense didn't provide nearly as much joy as racing around the house with family at Christmas. We wonder if it was really needed after all. It's easy for Christmas gift-giving to seem out of control. The 5 Gift Guide: Want, Read, Wear, Need, Do Years ago, I learned about this list from Corinne at Pragmatic Parent, which tries to redress some of the balance at Christmas—keeping Christmas wonder while also keeping it sane. The idea is to get one gift in each of the 5 categories: Want, Read, Wear, Need, Do. Something I want can still be the classic Christmas big ticket item that you dream about getting as a kid. This could be a big toy, Lego set, video game, or new bike... Something I need could support a hobby, some sports equipment, a musical instrument, maybe headphones. Or it could be something they need for school—a smart set of pens or pencils or pencil case, perhaps. Something to wear is an opportunity to get something that makes them feel good daily. Something to read might be a book, magazine, comic, or subscription. Something to do could be a game, tickets to a film, a day out or visiting somewhere new. In a later iteration of the list, Corinne added a 6th item, "Something for my family", for an activity everyone can do together. A Less Materialistic Christmas The 5-Gift Rule for Christmas is a potential way to reduce some of the consumerism associated with Christmas and adopt a more minimalist approach. It promotes useful gifts that won't gather dust after the excitement of the holidays has passed. It encourages gratitude for what we receive and minimises pining for what we don't. It also suggests gifts that create experiences for the receiver and the family—one of the best ways to spend our money. Full disclosure: Though we think about the list, we've yet to adopt it wholesale. But it's a handy framework for considering different types of gifts that your children may value. It reminds us to focus on more meaningful and thoughtful gifts and experiences with less accompanying stuff. Related Ideas Also see: If money doesn't make you happy, you're not spending it right The origins of Boxing Day Give gifts others can give Jólabókaflóð Pick a present (Venn diagram) (Groggy parents from Watterson)

1 Dec 2024

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