Morning Brew - 🍫 Bath toys

Two weeks ago, we talked about Gorick Ng’s unspoken rules of work—aka the career rules they don’t teach you in school. Today we’re unpacking one of those rules: asking for help. 

Bosses are always like, “Let me know if you have any Qs!” But they never give the subtext: Weed out any Qs you can answer on your own, or by looking back through your inbox, or checking in with a peer. Now, asking an obvious question isn’t the end of the world, but it will make you feel better if, per Ng, you can “confirm if your question is worth asking.” These are usually questions with no right or wrong answer. 

So you’ll have to do some homework. Ng says: “Brainstorm multiple options and identify the one where the pros most outweigh the cons…One option is to try and complete the following sentence for your situation: ‘I could try [option A], [option B], or [option C]. Given [these reasons], [option B] makes the most sense.’”  

Next, ask yourself the following questions: “Who is the best person to ask? When is the best time to ask? Where is the best place to ask?” Once you name the time and place, show off all the hard work you’ve done. It’ll help your boss understand your thought process and save everyone time. And as always, express your gratitude and thank them for their input. (Ends even the most tense convos on a cordial note.) 

• 17 well-known chefs shared their pantry essentials. Good to know they still keep Nutella and Kraft Mac & Cheese around. 
• A new podcast called A Brief History of Stuff launched last week, and the first episode is all about bath toys, i.e. how rubber duckies traveled from Alaska to your kids’ bubble bath. 
• Simply put, a list of very pleasant films. 
• Just added Hetty McKinnon’s creamy vegan tofu noodles (NYT Cooking) to my best recipes of all time list. Non-vegans, don’t shy away—the tofu-based sauce is an alfredo copycat. Bonus: The recipe calls for chili crisp: one of the best pantry items ever.  
• Step outside your quarantine bubble and inside people’s homes all over the world via Dollar Street. 
• A top-notch dad joke. 

Think about how many times you’ve listened to a podcast or read a book, only to forget every detail, or even the gist. For me, it’s way too many times to count. Apparently, we’re listening and reading too slowly. It may sound counterintuitive, but Jim Kwik (yes, really), world-renowned brain coach, thinks faster readers have the best comprehension because they have the best focus. 

In one of my all-time favorite talks, Kwik advocates for speed reading and shares his tips on doubling your learning speed. Every time Jim reads a book or listens to a podcast, he asks himself three questions: How can I use this? Why must I use this? When will I use this? It’s taking in information, using it as inspiration, and then starting the process of implementation. All of that equals integration. 

Without note-taking or Kwik’s three questions, self-help becomes shelf-help. No book or podcast will sink in unless you think about how to apply it to your life. Your calendar is your best friend here, per Kwik. Everyone says they want to work out, meditate, or read more, but does your calendar reflect that? 

If you love Jim’s talk as much as I do, check out his free Mindvalley class on how to speed read and retain more information. 

These stories? Well, they’re nothing short of extraordinary.

The Extraordinary Story is the new weekly newsletter from The Economist’s 1843 magazine. 

Portraying your world, your experience, and the stories behind your everyday encounters, it shows life as you’ve never seen it before. 

Long reads and irreverent columnists, delivered to your inbox every Sunday.

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This year’s tax season threatens to be more complicated than ever, thanks to a villain named Covid-19—especially for the millions of Americans in the gig economy. Morning Brew’s Tax Guide makes it easier.

We explain the difference between filing as a sole proprietor and an LLC (and an S-corp, and a C-corp, and even a Delaware C-corp). Then we talk to freelancers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners about their tax process and how the pandemic is changing their game this year. Finally, you can test your tax knowledge with quizzes on important tax forms, lingo, and write-offs. Check out the full Tax Guide here.

For the new grad who lives a zero-waste lifestyle, advocates for social justice, or dreams of running a nonprofit, these gift ideas are a perfect match for their values and beliefs. Check ’em out here. 

• Care about gut health, but not a booch drinker? Check out Rae Wellness’s pre + probiotic capsules. You can find their products at Target, and each bottle is free of artificial preservatives and harmful fillers. Plus, they donate 5% of all revenue to Girls Inc.
• If you’re looking for ways to support people in India right now, here’s a Google Doc with ongoing fundraisers related to Covid-19 distress (note the beginning about foreign transactions). 
• I recently hopped on the Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food cookbook craze (I know, I’m a little late). It’s a Mother’s Day-worthy gift, full of no fuss recipes, including Turshen’s sticky chicken. I made it last night, and it slaps.