Tim, the part about focus reminded me of high school.
I still don't know how but I made a decision at 16 that I wanted to study natural sciences. I remember standing near my house with a friend, smoking. I said I was going back home to solve physics problems. He said I was turning into a nerd. Why the heck didn't I want to join him and chase girls and booze?
That was in 2003, I'm glad the world didn't know what a smartphone is. It took me one year of focus to enroll in a university (for free). I've never regretted not joining my buddy's escapades that evening.
Agree - I recently told my son’s (soon to be) fiancée to consider if she wanted to spend the psychic energy required to fight for some scraps from the employer who had just let her go or invest that energy in finding a new job. She focused on the new job. And now she has one.
She was in an early stage NFT company that turned out to be a vanity project for a young CEO venture funded by wealthy friends and family from mainland China. Now she is at American Express. Monitoring and optimizing the incentive structures for the salesforce selling business Amex cards. She seems very happy and she certainly poured a lot of energy into the job finding process.
Great advice. I'm so sick and tired of my professional contracts that I can't help myself but chase shiny objects. I'm the same as you, I can follow a shiny object off a cliff.
You nailed it when you mention that it's just our fear of doing the hard work.
BTW, regarding your neighbor, it's a shame to hear since you recently became a home owner.
A tip an accountant friend of mine gave me is that before buying a property, even if it looks perfect, to convince the landlord that you're going to live there for 6/12 months, and use a part of that money for the purchase -- there's a legal way to do that, and if you're satisfied go ahead with the purchase.
You could still get random bad neighbors or a big issue anytime, but the risk is greatly reduced.
A friend and partner of mine bought a house in a "dream" condo that was full of problems. He literally spent a whole year trying to fix everything (for example, the swimming pool was leaking) and couldn't get any work done.
We also have a crazy neighbor upstairs that gets drunk religiously every single holiday. Luckily we rent but our solution is to book a nice resort last minute when he has a drinking spree.
Best of luck with your newly found focus! Looking forward to your next course.
Yeah multiple times. Law is on his favor, they can only knock and give him a warning, and can't come in unless they have a court order for heavy stuff like holding child slaves hostage in his apartment.
The alternative is to go to court but it's a waste of time. I make a decent income, so booking a nice trip for the whole family is more economical and fun.
We're a multicultural family so we only live there a few months every year luckily.
TASK SWITCHING. Yes. I feel like my life has slipped into one endless stream of haphazard task switching, rather than intentional movement from task to task.
I’ve started to silence nearly all notifications. Now it’s time to implement deep focus sessions — at least for my psych/philosophy Substack writing 🤓
No, but I should for my writing at least. Do you have any recommendations for entering one? I’m sure you have an article on it somewhere I should check out!
Wow sounded like my life right now... the busy bit not busy. Too much to do so don't do it and that damn task switching... now i just need to find my goals and clear the too do lists
“All of us have an obsession. Most of us are too scared to admit what it is out of fear…”
“Our brain loves shiny objects because often they’re a distraction from doing hard work or addressing a painful task we’ve been putting off.”
And the court battle with the bad neighbour. Years ago I had a toxic boss who was trying to get me sacked. I ended up being made redundant after a couple of years of bullying. Terrible at the time, but looking back, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me, as it got me out of a comfortable rut. I suspect you'll find a much better place to live, and in a few years' time you'll be thanking that neighbour.
I’ve fallen for overcommitting and chasing shiny objects in software sales. I had to “nuke” my to do list last week and choose just one thing to advance each deal.
It is. My stress level is way down from last week.
- I've significantly tapered back my weekly plan.
- I've spent the majority of my time preparing for a single significant meeting 5/6. This means collaborating, ideating, refining, putting together great content, and tying it together with a great customer story.
Soooo my output may look a lot lower than in other weeks but most sales number are vanity metrics. Leaving a strong client impression at a make or break meeting matters much more than checking off a few more things on my to-do list or sending out a couple more emails.
I related to this so much. I was dealing with overwhelm, so I had a strategy session with myself and wrote down the top priorities and eliminated/ramped down the rest. Focusing can do wonders!
Just checking - are you pitching people on crypto investments...? Because it doesn't feel aligned with your writing and what you seem to be about, but I could be wrong
"Thanks for the comments, I'll introduce you to a life changing investment that can change your financial life. If you're interested message me on Whatsapp +1 (815) 202-4642"
But if you are, that's cool too. I just feel like you should be open about it.
Btw - great to engage with you directly, Tim! I've been reading your content for some time now and I almost always feel refreshed/re-energized after reading one of your articles - so pls keep up the great work!
I'm glad to hear you are planning to move. Sometimes that is the answer when a horrible neighbor is causing you the level of trouble you've been dealing with.
A different version of it--I had a horrible roommate and had to jump through hoops to move into another place. Quite different than selling a family home. But when its costing your sanity and impacting your sleep and your well-being daily, its hard to put a price on getting that back.
Interesting take on to-do lists! I like the idea of focusing on one key action, but to-do lists can still be useful for some tasks. Maybe it's about finding the right balance? What do you think?
If I didn't know better, I would have said you use me as an example for this article. I don't know what it is, but even realizing that I need to act now (I'm 74) I still do all these things. I'm mostly stocked on all the technology, and that's why I haven't started a newsletter, nor written the e book that I drafted. Even worse I have yet to write a post here. I'm concentrating on Medium, so far.
Wow, writing this, opened my eyes to the fact that I won't have life-changing results, or any results at all, if I continue on this path.
Thanks for the jolt. You always inspire and push me.
Direct hit on me. I relate to all of it and can vouch on that down the road part (I'm 65) you look back and say where did it all go? And see that today you haven't "done" what you wanted or should have. But ... there's never a BETTER time to start again as now.
My bad habit is the 'to-do' or rather, the 'to-write' list. I indulged in it because it's supposed to be a normal practice for those who write articles.
I have been using it very less, because some of the article ideas get stale before I can get to them. The others, I don't want to write when I am looking to write something.
As usual, you have suggested something bold: instead of putting up with such lists, we can get rid of them.
You are also right about writing what we can't not right instead of what we can.
What we can write might lead to ordinary articles, but if something keeps popping up, maybe it's because that's more significant and might lead to articles that are better received.
Also, great way to resolve the problem with your neighbour: moving house. Most people wouldn't handle this so well.
I hope you have minimal problems with your neighbour till you do move.
quote:"They treat domestic chores the same way religious folks treat Jesus’s 10 Commandments. The focus on housework makes no sense. "
Religious folks treat domestic chores as the will of God. St. Benedict's Rule : Every man in the monastery, even if he is working in the scriptorium or library, shall have to spend at least an hour each day doing manual labour. The superiors of the monastery shall be bound to do 3-4 hours of the most humiliating labour to fulfill their vocation in its fullest.
Jesus didn't give any Commandments. Moses did. Christianity is the religion of the Word, not the 10 words, called by you as the Commandments. We write the WORD with a big W, because it's a reality outside of reality, which transforms horse manure and deserts into gold and oases. The true Christians migrated to the desert in Egypt, where by spiritual warfare they converted Alexandria and Jerusalem sitting on farmland. We Christians don't care about politics or princes or kings. Let the Jews, Muslims, and others have their principalities. We fight spiritual warfare and our combat is suprantural not supernatural. Let the Muslims and Jews rule business. Accept the sword of the soul, no physical, material sword or bullet can kill us. +
Tim, the part about focus reminded me of high school.
I still don't know how but I made a decision at 16 that I wanted to study natural sciences. I remember standing near my house with a friend, smoking. I said I was going back home to solve physics problems. He said I was turning into a nerd. Why the heck didn't I want to join him and chase girls and booze?
That was in 2003, I'm glad the world didn't know what a smartphone is. It took me one year of focus to enroll in a university (for free). I've never regretted not joining my buddy's escapades that evening.
Oh and my mother is proud of me haha :)
Sounds like you made the right decision Denis. Any regrets?
No regrets, Tim. My decision helped me move abroad and discover new opportunities.
Agree - I recently told my son’s (soon to be) fiancée to consider if she wanted to spend the psychic energy required to fight for some scraps from the employer who had just let her go or invest that energy in finding a new job. She focused on the new job. And now she has one.
Great advice Neil. What industry does she work in?
She was in an early stage NFT company that turned out to be a vanity project for a young CEO venture funded by wealthy friends and family from mainland China. Now she is at American Express. Monitoring and optimizing the incentive structures for the salesforce selling business Amex cards. She seems very happy and she certainly poured a lot of energy into the job finding process.
Like I once read in the 4 hr workweek, if you have more than 3 priorities, you don't have any.
Love that advice. So you have fewer than 3 priorities Roman?
Great advice. I'm so sick and tired of my professional contracts that I can't help myself but chase shiny objects. I'm the same as you, I can follow a shiny object off a cliff.
You nailed it when you mention that it's just our fear of doing the hard work.
BTW, regarding your neighbor, it's a shame to hear since you recently became a home owner.
A tip an accountant friend of mine gave me is that before buying a property, even if it looks perfect, to convince the landlord that you're going to live there for 6/12 months, and use a part of that money for the purchase -- there's a legal way to do that, and if you're satisfied go ahead with the purchase.
You could still get random bad neighbors or a big issue anytime, but the risk is greatly reduced.
A friend and partner of mine bought a house in a "dream" condo that was full of problems. He literally spent a whole year trying to fix everything (for example, the swimming pool was leaking) and couldn't get any work done.
We also have a crazy neighbor upstairs that gets drunk religiously every single holiday. Luckily we rent but our solution is to book a nice resort last minute when he has a drinking spree.
Best of luck with your newly found focus! Looking forward to your next course.
Sounds bad Yuan. Have you reported your bad neighbor?Have you called the police?
Yeah multiple times. Law is on his favor, they can only knock and give him a warning, and can't come in unless they have a court order for heavy stuff like holding child slaves hostage in his apartment.
The alternative is to go to court but it's a waste of time. I make a decent income, so booking a nice trip for the whole family is more economical and fun.
We're a multicultural family so we only live there a few months every year luckily.
TASK SWITCHING. Yes. I feel like my life has slipped into one endless stream of haphazard task switching, rather than intentional movement from task to task.
I’ve started to silence nearly all notifications. Now it’s time to implement deep focus sessions — at least for my psych/philosophy Substack writing 🤓
Have you tried flow states Rose?
No, but I should for my writing at least. Do you have any recommendations for entering one? I’m sure you have an article on it somewhere I should check out!
One of the best articles I’ve read in a minute.
Thanks Jamal. Why did you like it?
Because it serves a bullshit meter for me. It says “stop thinking and get to fucking work!”
Wow sounded like my life right now... the busy bit not busy. Too much to do so don't do it and that damn task switching... now i just need to find my goals and clear the too do lists
Do you have a purpose in life Melissa? Or are you still looking? (Fine if you are)
There is so much wisdom in this post. I read it just after updating my Goals list.
Thanks. Anything stand out?
“All of us have an obsession. Most of us are too scared to admit what it is out of fear…”
“Our brain loves shiny objects because often they’re a distraction from doing hard work or addressing a painful task we’ve been putting off.”
And the court battle with the bad neighbour. Years ago I had a toxic boss who was trying to get me sacked. I ended up being made redundant after a couple of years of bullying. Terrible at the time, but looking back, it was one of the best things that ever happened to me, as it got me out of a comfortable rut. I suspect you'll find a much better place to live, and in a few years' time you'll be thanking that neighbour.
I’ve fallen for overcommitting and chasing shiny objects in software sales. I had to “nuke” my to do list last week and choose just one thing to advance each deal.
Nice read!
-Jon
Is it working out now Jon?
It is. My stress level is way down from last week.
- I've significantly tapered back my weekly plan.
- I've spent the majority of my time preparing for a single significant meeting 5/6. This means collaborating, ideating, refining, putting together great content, and tying it together with a great customer story.
Soooo my output may look a lot lower than in other weeks but most sales number are vanity metrics. Leaving a strong client impression at a make or break meeting matters much more than checking off a few more things on my to-do list or sending out a couple more emails.
I related to this so much. I was dealing with overwhelm, so I had a strategy session with myself and wrote down the top priorities and eliminated/ramped down the rest. Focusing can do wonders!
How long are your strategy sessions normally?
Just checking - are you pitching people on crypto investments...? Because it doesn't feel aligned with your writing and what you seem to be about, but I could be wrong
"Thanks for the comments, I'll introduce you to a life changing investment that can change your financial life. If you're interested message me on Whatsapp +1 (815) 202-4642"
But if you are, that's cool too. I just feel like you should be open about it.
This time - I took a couple of hours.
Btw - great to engage with you directly, Tim! I've been reading your content for some time now and I almost always feel refreshed/re-energized after reading one of your articles - so pls keep up the great work!
I'm glad to hear you are planning to move. Sometimes that is the answer when a horrible neighbor is causing you the level of trouble you've been dealing with.
It comes at a huge cost. Have you had this problem Lindsey?
A different version of it--I had a horrible roommate and had to jump through hoops to move into another place. Quite different than selling a family home. But when its costing your sanity and impacting your sleep and your well-being daily, its hard to put a price on getting that back.
Interesting take on to-do lists! I like the idea of focusing on one key action, but to-do lists can still be useful for some tasks. Maybe it's about finding the right balance? What do you think?
Diversification means no one goal gets enough time and energy to reach success.
Tim,
If I didn't know better, I would have said you use me as an example for this article. I don't know what it is, but even realizing that I need to act now (I'm 74) I still do all these things. I'm mostly stocked on all the technology, and that's why I haven't started a newsletter, nor written the e book that I drafted. Even worse I have yet to write a post here. I'm concentrating on Medium, so far.
Wow, writing this, opened my eyes to the fact that I won't have life-changing results, or any results at all, if I continue on this path.
Thanks for the jolt. You always inspire and push me.
Direct hit on me. I relate to all of it and can vouch on that down the road part (I'm 65) you look back and say where did it all go? And see that today you haven't "done" what you wanted or should have. But ... there's never a BETTER time to start again as now.
My bad habit is the 'to-do' or rather, the 'to-write' list. I indulged in it because it's supposed to be a normal practice for those who write articles.
I have been using it very less, because some of the article ideas get stale before I can get to them. The others, I don't want to write when I am looking to write something.
As usual, you have suggested something bold: instead of putting up with such lists, we can get rid of them.
You are also right about writing what we can't not right instead of what we can.
What we can write might lead to ordinary articles, but if something keeps popping up, maybe it's because that's more significant and might lead to articles that are better received.
Also, great way to resolve the problem with your neighbour: moving house. Most people wouldn't handle this so well.
I hope you have minimal problems with your neighbour till you do move.
quote:"They treat domestic chores the same way religious folks treat Jesus’s 10 Commandments. The focus on housework makes no sense. "
Religious folks treat domestic chores as the will of God. St. Benedict's Rule : Every man in the monastery, even if he is working in the scriptorium or library, shall have to spend at least an hour each day doing manual labour. The superiors of the monastery shall be bound to do 3-4 hours of the most humiliating labour to fulfill their vocation in its fullest.
Jesus didn't give any Commandments. Moses did. Christianity is the religion of the Word, not the 10 words, called by you as the Commandments. We write the WORD with a big W, because it's a reality outside of reality, which transforms horse manure and deserts into gold and oases. The true Christians migrated to the desert in Egypt, where by spiritual warfare they converted Alexandria and Jerusalem sitting on farmland. We Christians don't care about politics or princes or kings. Let the Jews, Muslims, and others have their principalities. We fight spiritual warfare and our combat is suprantural not supernatural. Let the Muslims and Jews rule business. Accept the sword of the soul, no physical, material sword or bullet can kill us. +