Category: You

Things that you, as a human being, may find interesting (psychology, productivity, health, career, relationships, parenting, …)

creativity · You

Doing Great Things is Boring 🤷🏻‍♂️

patmcg4 Comments

It’s all about consistency, process, and patience… I know, yawn. But also, wow!

Interesting story here about how this guy changed his life in one year.

👉 How I Changed My Life’s Trajectory in Only 1 Year

For him, it came down to a few simple behaviors applied consistently.

  • Being curious
  • Meditating
  • Writing
  • Reading
  • Saying no
  • Deemphasizing external approval
  • Doing these things consistently

I’m trying to do the same, but I would add exercising, playing music, and goofing around with the kids to the list as well. 😛

See also

This article about going slow and sticking to the process.

The moment you start enjoying the process, you’ll realize that this is what life is all about.

And this article about consistency.

The world is brimming with ideas, but few act as vessels.

Creating is not simply laying out the concept, but adapting through implementation as many times as needed until it finally works.

You

The Spacing Effect: Forgetting Makes It Stick

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I love this simple idea about learning: information sticks better if you learn it in smaller chunks over time and forget a little bit in between.

It’s the exact opposite of cramming like we did in college. 😆

👉 Teach Yourself How to Learn Better

As it turns out, forgetting the information for a while helps makes it stick for longer if you revisit it later. 🤯. It may seem odd, but it make sense.

If you force your brain to bring back knowledge it’s starting to forget, then it puts a sticker to remind itself it shouldn’t forget.

This same idea came up here a few months ago in a different post. And seeing it again now, fittingly enough, really solidifies the concept for me. 🙃

creativity · You

Genius Happens When You’re Not Thinking

patmcg1 Comment

I love the idea that your brain makes its most interesting breakthroughs and connections when you’re not actively thinking. It is well stated in this article.

👉 Your Unconscious Mind Is a Supercomputer. Use It to Achieve Breakthroughs.

With really interesting problems, you usually don’t need to think harder. You need to relax and let you mind do its thing while you sleep or do errands. That is when genius strikes. ⚡️

Creativity is all about making interesting connections. Albert Einstein called it “combination play.”

In my experience, this unconscious combo play is important for figuring out what do to and not so much how to do it. Once the what is clear in your mind, it can be followed by all the conscious thinking and hard work to get it done. Unfortunately, that part does not happen in your sleep. 😉

As a side note, there is also a beautiful space when your mind is so immediate and present that is simply doesn’t have time to think. This is what I like about improv. And also baseball.

You can’t think and hit at the same time.

Yogi Berra (maybe)
You

Get Ready For The Roaring 2020’s

patmcg1 Comment

I’ve been saying for a few months that I really want to make the most of this awful pandemic. Stuck at home with time on your hands, it’s a great chance to focus and reinvent yourself. So I loved seeing this post touting the idea that we’re just getting ready for the next phase of our lives individually and collectively.

Prepare for the Golden Age: Why The Next Decade Will be Awesome

This post says that people will thrive in the coming years if they have the right attitude and beliefs, or dwindle if they let the changes in the world beat them down.

Many of us have spent the past year not just coping with the present moment, but getting better. When the conditions are back to normal, we’re already going to have momentum. The golden age is upon us.

Is this just wishful thinking? Maybe so, but your beliefs tend to become your reality, so this is a good starting point.

And as more people believe this, the more real it will be for everyone.

The world has been through much worse than the current situation and come out better on the other end. Make the most of it.

I just feel something in the air. I feel an awakening. I have this strong conviction that a large portion of society is just done with the pessimistic outrage culture nonsense. We’re ready to take control of not just the discourse, but our own lives.

Happy roaring 2020’s.

Image for post
Parenting · You

Parenting Advice (Dax Shepard Edition)

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Dax Shepard, cool guy that he is, has some great advice on raising kids. My favorite, besides no butt pads (“Your butt is a pad”), is that kids are good at figuring, uh, stuff out.

I watch them navigate situations over and over again that they would not do if I was present or my wife was present. By God, they work shit out.

👉 We Love Dax Shepard’s Easygoing Approach to Parenting