3-2-1: On What David Goggins Gets Wrong, Motivation as Manipulation, and Why You Need to Become Less Likable
Wisdom Wednesday #27
Hey fam,
As you may notice, it is Thursday (Merry Christmas Eve!). I’ve decided that late content in better than no content.
The show must go on, regardless of any stinkin’ baby crying up a storm on Tuesday nights!
Here's 3 ideas from me, 2 quotes from others, and 1 question for you to mull over this week.
3 Ideas From Me:
I.
Doing things that are easy for you is just as important as doing things that are hard.
Anyone interested in self improvement has heard it over and over again: "pushing through difficulty and developing discipline are the key to success".
It is true that you will need to overcome difficulty to succeed, but don't get it twisted: just because something is difficult does not mean it is useful. Most actions are low value, regardless of how difficult you find them.
You will be served far better by setting a goal and finding the path of least resistance to it—only doing what is difficult when you have no other choice—than by constantly pushing through the path of most resistance.
II.
When you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one.
It is natural, normal, and healthy to want to be loved and accepted. The error we make is that we mistake being tolerated for being loved.
One thousand people who don't hate you will do little for you. While one person who loves you will do more than you can imagine.
So when you contort who you are to blend in with the crowd, you make it impossible for the few who would appreciate how you stand out to even find you.
If you wish to gain love and acceptance from a few that matter, you must be willing to accept disapproval and rejection from everyone else.
III.
When it comes to ideas, there are four types of people: Generators, Communicators, Executors, and Supporters.
Generators come up with most new ideas. They are rarely particularly influential people, but without them, little if any new possibilities would come into the world. Examples of generators are obscure academics, philosophers, authors, and bloggers.
Communicators take the ideas of the generators and distill them into the simple and digestible. Without them, new ideas would remain unrefined and thus obscure and unusable. Examples of communicators are "influencers", podcasters, pundits, and gurus.
Executors take the actionable ideas of the communicators and build with them in the real world. Without executors, we wouldn’t have anything more than visions and fantasies. Examples of executors are business leaders, engineers, and producers of all types.
Supporters are the glue that holds everything else together, as well as the amplifiers by which the other three gain influence. Without them, there would be no "market" that selects for the best ideas and products, nor much any civilization at all because there’d be no one to keep the present functioning while the others work on the future. Supporters are pretty much everyone else not listed above.
If ideas were a resource:
Generators pull it from the ground. Communicators refine it. Executors make things with it. And supporters keep it all running.
Why does this matter? Because you are naturally gifted at one of these, mediocre at another, and bad the last two. Focus your strength, and forget the rest.
2 Quotes From Others:
I.
Entrepreneur and author, Tim Ferriss, on our misconceptions about how people become “successful”:
The superheroes you have in your mind (idols, icons, titans, billionaires, etc.) are nearly all walking flaws who’ve maximized 1 or 2 strengths.
Humans are imperfect creatures. You don’t “succeed” because you have no weaknesses; you succeed because you find your unique strengths and focus on developing habits around them. To make this crystal-clear, I’ve deliberately included two sections in this book that will make you think: “Wow, Tim Ferriss is amess. How the hell does he ever get anything done?” Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. The heroes in this book are no different. Everyone struggles. Take solace in that."
II.
Author, speaker, and radical optimist, Simon Sinek, on how meaning is the only real long term motivator, everything else just manipulation:
"Energy can always be injected into an organization to motivate people to do things. Bonuses, promotions, other carrots and even a few sticks can get people to work harder, for sure, but the gains are, like all manipulations, short-term. Over time, such tactics cost more money and increase stress for employee and employer alike, and eventually will become the main reason people show up for work every day. That's not loyalty. That's the employee version of repeat business. Loyalty among employees is when they turn down more money or benefits to continue working at the same company.
Loyalty to a company trumps pay and benefits. And unless you're an astronaut, it's not the work we do that inspires us either. It's the cause we come to work for. We don't want to come to work to build a wall, we want to come to work to build a cathedral."
Source: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
1 Question For You:
And finally, during your downtime this week, ask yourself:
Am I actually enjoying this? If not, what could I do instead that I would enjoy?
The purpose of this question is to help you be intentional about how you spend your freetime. Things like doom scrolling social media can be addicting, but are rarely actually enjoyable or relaxing. Becoming aware of your mental state while doing “bad habits” is the first step to changing them.
That's all for today!
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Catch you next time,
Matt