1. Ethereum +52% in 5 Days
2. Gold/Oil and Inflation
Barrons
On Friday, May Comex gold settled at a record $2412.20 an ounce, up 32.8% from October. WTI crude, meanwhile, trades around $80 a barrel, up from around $70 a year ago, although off from its short-lived pop over $90 after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. (For more on the bullish outlook for energy, see “12 Stocks to Play Growing Energy Demand.”)
Looking at what has happened to gold and oil, “the inflation outlook in the coming year is for a large increase,” Ranson concludes from his model.
3. Gold Priced in Yen
Bespoke Investment Group
4. Silver Breaks Out of 5 Year
5. Silver Market Shortages
Commodities: The global silver market is on course for the fourth straight year of shortages.
Source: @markets Read full article
6. Two Wars but Oil Volatility Measure Hitting New Lows
Dave Lutz Jones Trading
Oil’s implied volatility near lows last seen in 2019 according to one measure, despite ongoing drone strikes on Russian oil refineries and another Houthi attack against a tanker in the Red Sea area over the weekend.
7. Ratio Emerging Markets to U.S.
@Charlie Bilello With China rally, this becomes chart to watch
8. GenAI Demand for Energy
Marketwatch
“Demand for electricity was almost flat for two decades. We are now beginning to see this trend reverse — driven by large customers such as industrial manufacturers, data processors and others who require significant amounts of power,” Fowke said as he spoke before the committee.
He told the panel that a large manufacturing facility just a few years ago might have required the same amount of power as 100,000 homes, but now it’s common for a single data center to need up three times, or even 15 times, that amount of juice.
9. College Sports S-Show
Morningbrew
https://www.morningbrew.com/daily
10. Psychologist Adam Grant Says Your Overall Success at Work Comes Down to 3 Familiar Words
The always-brilliant Adam Grant offers a different spin on success and work-life balance.
BY MARCEL SCHWANTES, INC. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AND FOUNDER, LEADERSHIP FROM THE CORE @MARCELSCHWANTES
Adam Grant.
Some people subscribe to the idea that work-life balance is critical for achieving success. Wharton organizational psychologist Adam Grant has a different take. He once called work-life balance “mostly a myth” and stressed something else as the key to success. We can boil Grant’s advice down to three words:
Work more hours.
Let’s put that in the right context. In a previous video posted on the Mic Facebook page, Grant tells viewers, “It’s not to say you have to be a workaholic in order to be successful, although the evidence is strong that one of the ways that people become successful is they just work more hours. Or they work with more intense focus than their peers.”
Grant adds, “But I don’t think that means you can’t have a life. The idea that work-life balance means ‘I show up at 10 a.m. and I’m done by 3 p.m.’ is ridiculous. The successful people I know don’t tend to have very balanced days. They will have a whole day where all they do is work. But then the next day, all they do is spend time with their families.”
Work With More Intense Focus
Grant has a good point, and I have seen a big difference in my own productivity when I work with intense focus, but definitely short of crossing the line into workaholism. That’s not healthy and leads to burnout. So, what’s the key? How do you get that same intense focus to maximize your day and get a ton of stuff done? The best way to do it is to achieve a state of flow.
Flow is a state of mind where time flies by and productivity increases. It’s like hitting that sweet spot where everything just clicks. This mental state was studied by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in which we benefit from peak experience and performance, enjoying what we’re doing and performing at our best. It’s being “in the zone” where we are entirely focused, free from distractions, and able to learn, grow, and improve.
Here’s how you can tap into it:
Clear Goals: Start by setting clear, achievable goals for what you want to accomplish. When you know what you’re aiming for, it’s easier to stay focused and engaged.
Challenge Yourself: Find tasks that are just challenging enough to keep you engaged but not so difficult that they overwhelm you. Flow happens when you’re stretched just the right amount.
Eliminate Distractions: Minimize interruptions and distractions as much as possible. Turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and create a quiet workspace where you can concentrate.
Focus on the Task at Hand: Dive deep into what you’re doing. Forget about everything else for a while and immerse yourself completely in the task.
Stay Present: Don’t worry about the past or the future. Focus on the present moment and give your full attention to what you’re doing right now.
Take Breaks: Even though you’re in the zone, remember to take short breaks to rest and recharge. This can help prevent burnout and keep your energy levels up.
Once you find your flow, you’ll be amazed at how much more productive and fulfilled you feel. And to Grant’s point, the next day, you’ll feel like you can take the afternoon off to take the kids to the park or enjoy a bike ride on the beach. This is what having a healthy, productive life looks like. You work your butt off first, and then take time to reward yourself later. It’s what Grant meant when he said, “They will have a whole day where all they do is work. But then the next day, all they do is spend time with their families.”
