3-2-1: On Why You Should Aim Smaller, Be More Impulsive, And Take On Less Responsibility
Wisdom Wednesday #26
Hey fam,
I’m still dialing in a new child-compatible schedule, but I sure am getting close! We are only a few hours late rather than a whole week ;).
Here’s an updated photo of the aforementioned chonker, should he interest you.
And 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.
Discipline leads to productivity. Impulse leads to creativity.
If you are too rigid and structured, you can’t invent anything new. But if you are too impulsive and dependent on inspiration, you won't be consistent enough to bring things to fruition.
We all have a natural talent in only one of these. But until we can harness both discipline and impulse our results will be limited.
Cultivate a balance of 80/20—80% using what comes natural, 20% building your weakness—to 10X your achievement.
II.
If you feel overwhelmed: zoom in. If you feel unmotivated: zoom out.
The primary cause of overwhelm is too much complexity—too many to do's, uncertainties, or unsolved problems.
The primary cause of apathy is too little meaning—not enough impact, change, or reward.
If you feel overwhelmed: zoom in. Change your focus from this year to just today; from this entire relationship to just this conversation; from your whole career to just this task.
If you feel unmotivated: zoom out. Change your focus from closing this one project to how you can accomplish your life mission; from completing this single assignment to fantasizing about what you might do when you graduate; from the results of this workout to what results you'll get if you keep at it for a year.
III.
80% efficiency in theory is 100% efficiency in practice. 100% efficiency in theory is 50% efficiency in practice.
It’s natural to think that pushing ourselves to our limit is the best way to make progress.
But the plans, schedules, and goals in our heads are never as smooth in reality.
The unexpected will come and push you over capacity, forcing you into damage control and firefighting which have high energy costs for no gain (only prevent loss).
If you want to move as fast as possible, leave 20% wiggle room for the unexpected.
2 Quotes From Others:
I.
Psychologist and e-dad to many, Jordan Peterson, on how small goals you’ll actually do trump big goals you won’t:
Aim small. You don’t want to shoulder too much to begin with, given your limited talents, tendency to deceive, burden of resentment, and ability to shirk responsibility.
Thus, you set the following goal: by the end of the day, I want things in my life to be a tiny bit better than they were this morning. Then you ask yourself, “What could I do, that I would do, that would accomplish that, and what small thing would I like as a reward?” Then you do what you have decided to do, even if you do it badly.
Then you give yourself that damn coffee, in triumph. Maybe you feel a bit stupid about it, but you do it anyway. And you do the same thing tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. And, with each day, your baseline of comparison gets a little higher, and that’s magic. That’s compound interest. Do that for three years, and your life will be entirely different. Now you’re aiming for something higher. Now you’re wishing on a star. Now the beam is disappearing from your eye, and you’re learning to see. And what you aim at determines what you see.
Source: 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote To Chaos
II.
Tech entrepreneur and inventor of "Rejection Therapy", Jia Jang, on how to let other's down gently:
When you deliver a rejection to someone, give the bad news quickly and directly. You can add the reason afterward, if the other person wants to listen. No one enjoys rejection, but people particularly hate big setups and "yes-buts". They don't lessen the blow—in fact, they often do quite the opposite.
Source: Rejection Proof: How I Beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection
1 Question For You:
And finally, here’s one question to ponder this week:
If I loved myself, truly and deeply, what would I do?
(Stolen from Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant)
That's all for today!
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Catch you next time,
Matt