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Hello Reader,

Good day. I hope you are having a wonderful working week and getting ready for a relaxing weekend. In this newsletter I am sharing my perspective on periodic boundary conditions as well as thoughts on a book I am currently reading.

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The uniqueness of Periodic Boundary Conditions

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I have always liked Periodic Boundary Conditions, right from my days as a PhD student, and even now, I continue to use it for most of my multiscale modelling. I think it is a unique type of boundary condition and best suited for analysis where the microstructure is very heterogeneous. Whilst we have other types of boundary conditions like Dirichlet, Neumann and Mixed-mode BCs, however there is a uniqueness associated with Periodic Boundary Conditions. Here are the reasons why they stand out:

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1. They model correctly the effect of boundary conditions on multiscale (heterogeneous) domains.
2. They lead to quicker convergence of the solution in comparison with other BC types.
3. PBCs are easily implemented in most FE solvers. Users often have to implement theirs.
4. PBCs capture the truest reflection of deformation, stress history and microstructural features from simulations.
5. PBCs show minimized effect of BCs on any FE solutions.
6. PBCs can be used for any model variable such as: displacement, velocity, temperature, etc - in fact any model variable that accepts a dirichlet BCs can be adapted to those of PBCs.

The Book I am reading: The Compound Effect

I am currently reading the book "The Compound Effect" by Darren Hardy. This is a fantastic book and if you have not seen it, I will encourage you to read it. The core message of the book is that little actions we take towards our goal will 'compound over time' into an overwhelming success. I have enjoyed learning that the little actions I am taking now will ultimately lead to the realization of my goals and exceeding them. Individually, those actions might not be that life changing but a period of consistency will lead to a compound effect.

In response to the book, I decided on some actions that I will take to help me achieve my goals:

1. I want to keep writing these newsletters every week because it is a sort of public journaling for me. It helps me reflect on my week and decide on what the next week will be like for me. It might not mean much now, but I hope it will compound to something good in future for me towards meeting my 2022 goals.
2. One metric in my Youtube analytics that I am not proud of is the inconsistency of my video posts. It is really challenging to post a video a week. My plan for 2022 is a video every 5 days. I am resolved to work on being consistent with my video posting. Such consistency will not only help me achieve my 2022 goals but also lead to growth of the channel. I am going to make videos of different formats and at times not showing my face as the later is easier to shoot and edit.
3. I also want to also spend more times with my family such scheduling date nights with my wife and kid's play times. It can be difficult to find time to do them, with our busy schedules (my family especially) but I believe this will compound to wonderful experiences for us all.

The book has really helped me see things differently and decide on certain lifestyle changes to make sure in the long run, my consistency will compound to fantastic outcomes. Give it a go and prepare to be surprised.

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Behind the Scenes at CM Videos: Convert Kit

At the start of my Youtube journey, I was introduced to two emailing platforms: ConvertKit and ActiveCampaign. These are used by many established content creators to draw interest to their channel and business. I promptly signed up for a paid version of ActiveCampaign and got a free version of ConvertKit. I played with both of them but have fallen really in love with ConvertKit.

To date, I do all management of the subscribers of my CM Videos Insider Group using ConvertKit. I host my digital (software) products on their site as well as track and manage subscriber information with it. It has been fantastic and the good part is that I am still using the free version. In future, as the subscriber base of CM Videos Insider Group continues to grow, I hope to move onto a paid version. For now, it is more than sufficient for me. I thought you should know.

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Quote of the Week.

I just finished reading the book Hook Point by Brendan Kane. It was really fantastic read. The quote for the week is taken from the book in which the author explained the importance of listening more than sharing/speaking your opinion immediately. I like the way he says we have to learn to listen because it does not come naturally. I struggle with this. I have a lot to say and I am often going to say my mind but lately I am practicing learning to listen. The good thing with listening more than speaking is that in listening, you are also learning new things from the person you are listening to. Some of the most clever and most successful individuals are well versed in the art of listening. That is my quote for the week.

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Thats all for the keep and I wish you the best. See you next week!

Thank you for reading this newsletter. If you have any comment about my reflections this week, please do email me in a reply to this message and I will be so glad to hear from you. If you know anyone who would benefit from reading these reflections, please do share with them. If there is any topic you want me to explore making a video about, then please do let me know by clicking on the link below. I wish you a wonderful week and I will catch up with you in the next newsletter. Submit a topic to make video about Lets keep creating effective computational modelling solutions. Michael Connect with me on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Tiktok| Mailing List​ Other Links ​Subscribe to my e-book writing newsletter​ ​Help shape the content of my live streams​ ​Access to my online courses on Thinkific​ Book a slot to Consult with me ​