š¦ Reading & Thoughts from November š¦
Issue #14 // *|DATE:F j, Y|*
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Happy Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for you š
"Change your thoughts and you change your world." ā Norman Vincent Peale
#READING
How to Configure Your iPhone to Work for You, Not Against You (75 min read)
//betterhumans
Summary: This is an action-based reading that helps you configure your iPhone (sorry Android users) for optimal productivity
Phones are supposed to make our lives easier, but they prevent us from truly being productive. Give this article a skim and start making your phone work for you. I'm sure happy I did; my phone usage has evolved from reactively fighting notifications, to proactively completing tasks.
If Youāre Busy, Youāre Doing Something Wrong: The Surprisingly Relaxed Lives of Elite Achievers (8 min read)
//calnewport
Summary: There's a difference between hard work and hard to do work. Do less, but do what you do with complete and hard focus, and when you're done, be done and enjoy your day.
This article really resonated with me.
Hard work is deliberate practice. Itās not fun while youāre doing it, but you donāt have to do too much of it in any one day
Hard work isn't fun, it takes a lot of effort to get it started, but once you get into the zone, everything begins to flow. On the other hand...
Hard to do work, by contrast, is draining. It has you running around all day in a state of false busyness that leaves you feeling tired and stressed
Hard to do work is when your focus is interrupted. Attempting to work without complete focus is more draining, without any sense of true accomplishment. It seems simple in idealistic conditions, but in practice, it is more difficult.
My takeaway: Deliberately commit and do the hard work rather than dancing around it.
How to Prioritize When Everything Is Important (9 min read)
//lifehacker
Summary: Cost, scope, and time are not only for project management. Use this methodology to set your own priorities and keep track of them whenever you're starting to feel overwhelmed.
I tend to take on many responsibilities and projects, and usually, I have to reset my expectations of what I can accomplish. I have a grooming session for all of my projects and tasks, and the first thing I always ask is: Is everything really important?
Take Your Time To Think (2 min read)
//dariusforoux
Summary: You should not be afraid to say "I don't know"
The reality is, you wonāt always have the answer. Rather than fulfilling the instant gratification of answering a question from somebody in that immediate moment, take time to find the answer and follow-up. The problem then becomes--will you remember to follow-up?
Mental Model: Anchoring (5 min read)
//farnamstreet
Summary: Anchoring is a cognitive bias where an individual relies too heavily on an initial piece of informationāthe āanchorāāwhen making decisions.
I recently decided to start having a monthly focus on a specific mental model and framework. I have often read about mental models, but I have decided to be more diligent, given that that they tend to compound over time. This December, I will be focusing on Anchoring.
Anchoring is necessary for commitment and consistency. However, there are times you need to drift away from that anchor in order to take on a different perspective and think outside-of-the-box. Simply put, I generally see anchoring as inside-of-the-box (the norm).
P.S. This month, I focused on inversion: thinking backward in order to deconstruct problems.
#PODCASTS
Ben Horowitz ā What You Do Is Who You Are (73 min listen)
//thetimferrissshow
Lessons from Silicon Valley, Andy Grove, Genghis Khan, Slave Revolutions, and More
Listen to this podcast
Hershey vs. Mars
//businesswars
Series on Spotify
Series on Apple Podcasts
Chocolate Town
Blast Off
A Candy-Coated Prayer
Mars Attacks!
A Chocolate Rolls Royce
Global Chocolate Domination
Chocolate and Sustainability
I love chocolate, I could not resist.
Why Meetings Go Wrong (And How to Fix Them) (28 min listen)
//hbr
Listen on Spotify
Rather than having an agenda, have a set of questions that should be answered
No one is going to read your pre-read, build in time for pre-reading during the beginning of the meeting
Schedule shorter meetings, per Parkinson's Law, "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion"
You can control your meetings; be an example
No devices should be allowed during meetings
Assign owners to each item of the agenda
Why āConnectorā Managers Build Better Talent (29 min listen)
//hbr
Listen on Spotify
Make it epic ā with will.i.am (45 min listen)
//mastersofscale
Listen on Spotify
#WATCHING
The Game Changers (2h)
This documentary accounts for cutting my animal-based food consumption by at least half, and likely more going forward.
Watch on Netflix
American factory (2h)
In 2008, GM closes one of their plants in Dayton, Ohio. Then Fuyao Glass, a Chinese-based company buys the plant in 2014 and invests in auto glass production.
Watch on Netflix
My philosophy for a happy life | Sam Berns | TEDxMidAtlantic (12 min)
Everyone needs to watch this, it will truly hit you hard.
Watch on YouTube
#RANDOM
It Was Supposed to Be the Safest Building in the World. Then It Cracked. (23 min read)
//popularmechanics
Moto Razr 2019 is official: A foldable smartphone with no display crease
//arstechnica
Pointless work meetings 'really a form of therapy'
//bbc
How To Defrag Your Mind In 5 Easy Steps
//dragosroua
Basic Social Skills Guide
//improveyoursocialskills
Why Do So Many Digital Assistants Have Feminine Names? Hey Cortana. Hey Siri. Hey girl.
//theatlantic