Shum's Blog | Mental Models, Work, Change, Relationships

Jan 72 min

The Map is not the Territory

My favourite mental model.

Dec 31, 20232 min

Umbrellas and Rare Friends

A short exploration into important things that we don't often need.

Dec 24, 20233 min

The Journey of a Mistake

An exploration of something you and I make often. Told in four parts.

Dec 17, 20232 min

Lyrics and Language

A short riff on why change is hard.

Dec 10, 20233 min

The Story About The Stories

I was supposed to meet up with a friend. He didn't text me back.

Dec 3, 20233 min

The Things we Save in a Flood

I was sitting at my desk working, and my wife yelled for me from the basement. I knew it wasn't good news.

Nov 26, 20232 min

The Timing of Feedback

A short exploration of a binary question, which I've found to be particularly useful.

Nov 19, 20233 min

Noise in the Beginner's Mind

A reflection about the perils and joy of trying to learn something new, as an adult.

Nov 12, 20232 min

Target Fixation: Part Two

Hi I'm [Insert Name]. I'm the [Insert Job Title].

Nov 5, 20232 min

Target Fixation

The tree wasn't even in the way. You made it in the way.

Oct 29, 20233 min

To Switch or not to Switch?

Have you ever started watching a TV show and then wondered if you should give up?

Oct 22, 20232 min

Try not to Think

I was watching a gymnast on a balance beam and then their parent said something.

Oct 15, 20234 min

Pack Your Principles

A small story about a journey to a park we'd never been to.

Oct 8, 20232 min

The Real Singapore

I ate two meals in the same day. They were very different.

Oct 1, 20233 min

The Part of You That Stayed There

I visited Singapore after a very long time and found something I did not expect.

Sep 24, 20232 min

Measuring Presence

A short exploration into what a rowing machine and a horse have in common.

Sep 17, 20232 min

Correcting vs. Guiding

John Mayer said something on a podcast recently. It stuck with me.

Sep 10, 20232 min

The Nature of Comparison

The other day, our son said, "There's one of everything." That got me thinking about why we compare things.

Sep 3, 20232 min

The Average and the Extreme

Drawing a small connection between pandemics and jet lagged children.

Aug 27, 20232 min

Two Traffic Lights

We hadn't even been in Australia for 24 hours and our son says he hates it. Turns out, he had a point.

This blog is written by me, Shaminda (Shum) Attygalle. It is a collection of observations on mental models, change, work, and relationships. I publish a new post every Sunday. If you're looking to connect with me directly, feel free to send me an email anytime, or connect via LinkedIn.