'clear the clutter in our heads and our minds'
- we're evolutionarily wired for 'easy', embrace it
- Carl Jacobi, Mathematician - "one must invert, always invert" ^ transform a problem into a different representation to make it easier to work with
just asking, "what if this could be easy?" is a simple way to reset your thinking
choosing an indirect approach - for a really difficult task (as opposed to hitting it head-on)..how do you do this in practice? Consider strategy before doing aka "how should I approach this for ease?"
When faced with something overwhelming, ask "how am I making this harder than it needs to be?"
map out what the status quo is for doing something difficult and see how you could subvert it. Does it HAVE to be those specific steps?
thought experiment: make essential/easy scatter plots for life/work/relationships/skating
map out your day and find the friction points, the slogs. See how you could lighten them up with the stuff that sparks you. ^ When I consider this from a team perspective, this becomes more interesting.
thought experiment: map out outdated goals, suggestions, ideas that are stuck in your brain and no longer useful, though you still have them running through your head taking up space. Name them to start to actively remove them.
Consider: the Chinese belief in not saying anything ill about your life (ex: Bruce Lee)
DO NO MORE TODAY THAN YOU CAN COMPLETELY RECOVER FROM TODAY.
work 90min chunks w 15min breaks hot shower - 90min before bed (optimal time/temp)
Gottman Institute - look up (science of relationships..prob something good there).
Bill Clinton - made you feel like you were the only person in the room, was PRESENT.
Clear the clutter in your physical environment before clearing the clutter in your mind.
make the work easier
see: output/effort bell curve diagram, p.97
There can be a heavy cost to light tinkering
Establish clear conditions on what 'done' looks like, get there, and stop (to avoid diminishing returns on time/effort).
Getting the outcome completely clear focuses you.
Swedish Death Cleaning - look into
Minimum Viable Action - name it, then do it. MVA = what's the most minimal viable action that will yield the most outcome in a situation?
^ Again, you have to MAP this out. Mapping things out beforehand is a common underlying theme in this book
Ex:
- project - remove garage clutter
- first obvious action - find broom
- microburst (tiny immediate action) - sweep shed and move bikes into shed
^ again, map out the MVA and first microburst available to generate momentum.
MAP out the steps to do something and see what you can remove/rearrange in order to make it simpler.
think: what are the minimum steps required for completion?
^ Useful thought exp for upcoming work.
Not everything needs the extra mile.
Thought Exp: "How can I make failure cheaper?"
Find your upper bound
"Holding back when you still have steam might seem like a counterintuitive approach to getting important things done, but in fact, this kind of restraint is key to breakthrough productivity." p.137
"Hold back" as a strategy, aka "LEAVE SOME GAS IN THE TANK FOR TOMORROW!"
"Slow is smooth and smooth is fast" - when you can go slow, things are smoother, and when things are smooth you can go faster.
thought exp: I've written this down numerous times, but what does it actually mean for ME and my life?
thought exp: write down things you're doing and will do in the upcoming future - MAP out the range in which you'll do them, ex:
- project: complete online class
- lower bound: never less than signing into class everyday
- upper bound: never more than 50mins taking 1 practice test/day
There's leverage talk in money but rarely in life. An example of leverage in life could be: learn proper form in weight training once, which yields compounding results over time.
Thought exp: Map out leverage opps in your life now
cheat sheets = a leverage point (write once, use it countless times afterwards)
cheat sheet - low tech, low cost, high reward for automating things and not having to think about them again.
Personal Automation examples
- scheduling recurring annual physicals, dentist appts, check-ups, etc
- relationship automation -
- setup regular calls/get-togethers w ppl
- pre-order flowers/gifts to be sent on birthdays/holidays/etc
- think more on this! This could be golden, ex: calendar reminders to check-in w ppl
- DO: setup Mint app and budget
Trust is a method for effortlessness. When you build up trust with someone, there's much less friction, things happen more effortlessly. Building trust is high leverage
"When you have trust in your relationships, they take less effort to maintain and manage. You can quickly split work b/w team members. People can talk about problems when they arise openly and honestly. You perform better bc you can focus on the work rather than the interpersonals b/w each other." p.187
"Taking a little time to build a foundation of trust is a valuable investment in any relationship. It's a lever that turns a modest effort into residual results." p.193
"Prevention as the most obvious way to achieve residual results" p.196
Though exp: what should I not do? what could be prevented in order to achieve residual results?
ex:
- What is a problem that irritates me repeatedly?
- what is the total cost of managing that over several years?
- what is the next step I can take immediately, in a few mins, to move toward solving it?
goal = find the most annoying thing that can be solved in the least amount of time
See diagram on p.198 ^ Once you start asking these questions, you'll start noticing small actions you can take to make your life easier in the future.
THINK: "Look for small actions that will prevent your life from becoming more complicated" p.200
Rapid Response Teams - are triggered once patients show early symptoms of heart attack in hospital...what can you trigger once early signs show up in your life?
Misc “Warren and I aren't prodigies. We can't play chess blindfolded or be concert pianists. But the results are prodigious, because we have a temperamental advantage that more than compensates for a lack of IQ points.” - Charlie Munger
gottman.com --> parenting section