📩 Selim’s Notes – A Month of Change & New Beginnings

Hi friend,

I hope you’re doing well!

After a 30-day break, it’s time for a monthly review. My original plan was to send this newsletter weekly, but I couldn’t maintain that cadence. I’ll try again to keep it weekly, but at the very least, I’m committed to sending a monthly update.

Business Update

Things are not going great on the humanitarian consultancy and training side. With major donor cuts, including USAID, the next few months will be challenging for this part of my business.

More than my own situation, I’m deeply concerned about the aid that will not be delivered to people in need. These funding cuts mean fewer essential services for those who rely on humanitarian support. I’m also thinking about my colleagues—many have already lost their jobs or are in uncertain positions like myself.

How You Can Help

If you want to make a direct impact, I encourage you to support NGOs individually. Here are two organizations I believe are particularly effective in their work:

🔹 Save the Children – Providing essential services to children in crisis.

🔹 GiveDirectly – Supporting families directly impacted by aid cuts through cash transfers.

Of course, you can donate to any organization you feel aligns with your values. The key is to act now—this is a critical time for those in need.

What’s Next for Me?

Rather than focusing on what I can’t control, I’m pivoting toward what I can:

I’m shifting more of my focus to newsletter writing and Educational Email Courses (EECs). While I’ve been doing this on the side, now is the time to fully dive in.

If you or someone you know needs help with newsletters, feel free to reach out! You can also take my free email course on how to start a newsletter:
👉 StartYourNewsletter.Today

Daily Writing

I’ve started a daily newsletter – Daily Reflections, where I share insights and lessons on LinkedIn and Twitter/X.

If you’d like to check it out and subscribe, click here:
👉 Daily Reflections

Here are my top essays this month:

📌 Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail (and How to Beat the Odds)
📌 Overcoming Perfectionism & Imposter Syndrome: The Hardest Part Is Showing Up
📌 From Running a Marathon to Writing Daily: Why Small Habits Create Big Results🔑 The 3 Questions That Secretly Shape Your Life (Without You Realizing It)

With Ramadan starting on March 1, I’ll also be sharing reflections on 30 days of fasting and its impact.

Check out this one:
📌 The Discipline of Fasting: How It Strengthens Your Willpower

🌙 Fasting Isn’t Just About Food; It’s a Full Mind & Body Reset

Books I’m Reading – The Dose Effect

I recently read The Dose Effect by TJ Power. This book explores the four key hormones that drive our behavior, well-being, and performance:

✔ Dopamine – Motivation & reward. How to manage dopamine to stay focused without falling into distraction loops.
✔ Oxytocin – Connection & trust. The role of social bonds in our happiness and how to cultivate better relationships.
✔ Serotonin – Mood & happiness. How daily habits affect serotonin levels and why it’s crucial for mental health.
✔ Endorphins – Stress relief & endurance. The power of movement, exercise, and mindset shifts in reducing stress.

One of the key takeaways from the book is how modern technology and lifestyle choices disrupt these natural chemicals, leading to stress, anxiety, and burnout. By making small but consistent changes in how we interact with our environment, people, and even our devices, we can optimize these hormones for a healthier, more fulfilling life.

If you’re interested, you can check out the book here:
📖 The Dose Effect on Goodreads

Or listen to this podcast episode with the author:
🎧 Podcast: The Dose Effect – YouTube

Health & Fitness

February was a strong month for fitness:

✅ Gym: 3-4 times per week
✅ Walking: 10,000+ steps daily (missed only one day by 150 steps 😅)
✅ Total Steps: 400,000+ (~15K daily)
✅ Total Distance: 316 km

With Ramadan starting, I’ll adjust my routine:

• Gym: 2-3 times per week

• Walking: Still aiming for 10,000+ steps daily

• Bonus: Waking up early & sleeping earlier – one of the best productivity hacks!

Thesis & Academic Work

As part of my Master’s at NOHA (International Humanitarian Action Program in Germany), I was interning while juggling consultancy and training. Now, it’s time to shift gears and start working on my thesis!

📌 Topic: Effectiveness in the Humanitarian Sector – a timely topic given the challenges we’re facing.

If you’re interested, you can follow my other newsletter:
👉 Effective Humanitarian

Feedback & Connection

If you have any thoughts, questions, or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you!

If you’re a humanitarian colleague facing challenges, remember, you’re not alone. Feel free to reach out – we’re all in this together.

And as always, if you know anyone who might be interested in newsletters, writing for social media, or needs this as a service, I’d be happy to connect.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you found something valuable or inspiring here. Looking forward to sharing more good news next time!

Selim

🌐 Website: www.selimuysal.net