Dunbar's number

🌱 October 2023 (Retro and Planning)

Humans can maintain around 150 meaningful relationships.

Beyond this number it becomes difficult to truly connect with each person.

The number is referred to as Dunbar’s Number, which is rooted in the idea that our brains have evolved to handle a certain social complexity – something that is deeply ingrained in our history.

I’ve never counted the number of my friends (and I don’t want to), but I’m certain that I’ve connected with way more than 150 people on a deeper level throughout my life.

Which leaves me with a lot of friends.

And a lot of people who once were my friends.

The second part is a bit sad – after all, I want the deep connections to last for the rest of my life. And probably the most common reason I’m not in touch with them anymore is that the circumstances have changed and it’s now just more difficult.

But with the Internet it’s also way easier to connect with others, and even easier to reconnect.

Let's do just that and take some time today to say hi to someone you haven’t been in touch with for a while 💌

(Like always, you can download the Notion template to take structured notes.)

✏️ Retro

What goals did you set for yourself last month, and how well did you achieve them?

Make a list of your goals (even if they were only implicit) and score them from 1 (low) to 10 (high). You are not allowed to pick a 7. Take notes as you go.

Is there something that is blocking you?

What held you back last month? What can you do to avoid this next month?

What did you learn?

Did you learn something about yourself, your environment, or about the work you do?

🔭 Planning

What are your top 3 priorities next month?

Why are they important to you?

What goals do you set for yourself in light of these priorities?

To beat procrastination, make sure to split every higher-level goal into small subgoals.

What are potential obstacles or challenges you may face?

How can you prepare for them?

🌈 Bonus

Who do you want to reconnect with?

Are there any old friends, family members, or acquaintances that you haven’t reached out to in a very long time? Write them a short message and say hi. (I’m serious, do it.)

🙏 Thanks!

Thank you for being part of Mental Garden. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this email.

See you two weeks.

With gratitude,
Marc