Winter'24

⬅️ My Winter Commandments 2024-23 ➡️

Seek Mastery

Be A Lifelong Learner - Be a lifelong learner by maintaining a curious beginner’s mindset throughout your lifelong skills mastery. Keep actively engaged, pace yourself, and strengthen your skills.
Face The Resistance - Face the resistance by going outside your comfort zone to challenge and grow yourself. Be intentional, learn from world class experts, practice and explore to improve mastery.
Enjoy The Process - Enjoy the process and fall into a state of flow during your routine training. Savor doing the processes and taking pride in your accomplishments.

from: Mastery by George Leonard | Animated Book Summary RAGWise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjAAan0hr8&t=272s
from: MASTERY by George Leonard by Core Message
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9NYzLuNpDc&t=487s
from: PNTV: Mastery by George Leonard (#39) by Brian Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LOnWU8X8Dk

Stay Focused

Control Interruptions - Control interruptions by isolating yourself from people interruptions (tell others not to disturb you, post ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs), by eliminating digital interruptions (no phone, no notifications), and by selecting your interruption free location (if needed, go to the library or a cafe). If you can’t be uninterrupted then do focus related work planning (what resources do I need? how best can I prime?), and do microlearning using the Anki flash card app.
Block Noise Distractions - Block noise distractions by finding or making an auditory focus zone that blocks noise distractions. Use noise canceling headphones and/or a white noise app with sounds that you adjust for your environment, your mood, and your energy.
Time Your Rest - Time your rest with an optimized Pomodoro technique to keep focus, concentration and energy levels up. When you sense losing flow then break for 25% of focused time. Time your break and do re-energizing stuff like exercise, meditation, or deep breathing.
Increase Attention - Increase attention by training for a deeper and longer attention span using a daily mindfulness meditation practice.
Design Your Focus Habitat - Design your focus habitat or productivity workspace for isolation and clarity. If needed, find a library, a cafe, or other space where you can do uninterrupted, deep focused work.
Schedule Deep Focus Work - Schedule deep focus work for when you focus best.
Limit Visual Distractions - Limit visual distractions by selecting locations with minimal visual distractions and if needed wear a hat with a hoodie to narrow your visual field.
Exercise & Eat Well - Exercise and eat well to keep fit and healthy for peak mental cognition and peak mental stamina.

from: Top 8 tips to focus and stay on task all day by Justin Sung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9NYzLuNpDc&t=487s

Do Design Thinking

Act First - Act first to get real world context that guides your design thinking, then do planning for the next step
Ask In Order - Ask in order: First: What is the desirability? Second: Is the solution viable? and Finally: Is it feasible?
Anchor Around Frameworks - Anchor around frameworks by using a simple framework to connect subsequent ideas and processes. Ask HOW might we? & WHAT do we do? then answer in terms of: Diverge (space & possibilities) and Converge (focus & direction) with the Problem (insights & ideas) and the Solution (refine & improve)
Address Sensitivities - Address sensitivities to minimize delicate ego related counterproductive behaviors by focusing everyone on moving the process forward. DON’T judge ideas.
Use Low Resolution - Use low resolution with ad-hoc simple prototypes and crude messy fun stuff to facilitate getting everyone’s participation and feedback that’s focused on interactions and cooperation to move the process forward.

from: 5 Rules I Learned at Stanford: Design Thinking by Vicky Zhao [BEEAMP]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfdIt_8lMFo

Be Money Wise

Pay Yourself First - Pay yourself first by saving 10% of your income. Take pride in building and growing your nestegg.
Succeed Using Savings - Succeed using savings to reach your dreams, to maximum your potential, and to get out of Dodge if you decide to change your circumstances.
Build Income - Build income because wealth comes from consistent lifelong income.
Increase Your Income - Increase your income by making better, more timely investment decisions and growing your marketable skills. Learn the sources and methods of income, do jobs, and create better marketable skills.
Create Future Income - Create future income for your retirement. Accumulate savings and assets to earn income when you no longer can or want to.
Control Expenses - Control expenses by budgeting to live within your means. Don’t spend excess money on what you don’t really need.
Make Your Home An Investment - Make your home an investment by choosing your housing wisely and making payments that eventually build equity instead of renting.
Enjoy Life - Enjoy life while saving money but don’t oversave. Budget money for charity, gifts, experiences and enjoyment.
Invest Your Money - Invest your money wisely by making timely, opportunistic investments and using compounding for greater returns
Choose Safe Investments - Choose safe investments by avoiding risky investments and by making conservative investments that are timely, longer term, easily understood, and familiar.
Minimize Net Losses - Minimize net losses by carefully weighing risks and taking protective measures with your money.
Diversify - Diversify so if one investment goes poorly you can still regain your losses and continue your long-term wealth building.
Understand Economics - Understand economics, money, and psychology to make great investments and build your wealth.
Get Money Advice - Get money advice from others who have shown money success. Seek honest, skilled money experts for advice.
Associate With Money Wise Individuals - Associate with money wise individuals and groups that will help you get, protect, and grow your money.

from the book: The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

Use Persuasion Psychology

Use Identity Words - Use identity words like helper (not help), like voter (not vote), and like hard worker (not hard working). Positive identity words motivate people because people aspire to a desirable identity.
Show Confidence - Show confidence to convince others to listen using linguistic certainty. Communicate with definites - “it’s obvious,” “everyone agrees” “the answer is clear”.
Eliminate Filler - Eliminate filler words and sounds rather simply pause your talk to gather your thoughts.
Give Gifts - Give gifts because others feel obligated to reciprocate
Highlight Scarcity - Highlight scarcity because people want rare or limited things of value. Use FOMO Fear Of Missing Out.
Project Authority - Project authority to be perceived as powerful, knowledgeable, and trustful.
Establish Consistency - Establish consistency by getting small concessions before bigger concessions.
Be Likable - Be likable to gain a more favorable status.
Highlight Consensus - Highlight consensus because social proof and validation influence others to conform.
Show Unity - Show unity of beliefs, values, and experiences because people evaluate these shared factors favorably.

from: The psychology of persuasion… by Jonah Berger
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXFRgMb9TTw from: the book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Psychologist Robert Cialdini
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3rbadeF9AI&t=176s