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Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

dontgetburnedblog.com

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Re: Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

#21

Post by anthuswilliams »

This whole process is too self-absorbed for me. There is this urge expressed to focus on things that cannot be measured. So the proffered solution is self-reflection. But just as it is easy for me to conflate reading technical stuff with working, it's also easy for me to find myself reflecting instead of doing.

The solution is measurement. If I want more of X, I need to understand the values of X at time Y such that delta X is always positive. That's where the author and I differ. Without a fuel gauge, I would not know whether or not my car needed attention. My life works like that too.

Re: Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

#22

Post by dgordon »

whimsy wrote: post #9
napierzaza wrote: post #4

how YOU can be the exception. Because you are. You snow-flake.

Sounds like a Fight Club reference. You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all part of the same compost pile. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 17 Pretty bleak. Related: You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis…

Snowflakes are all the same melting inorganic matter as each other.

Beauty and uniqueness are simply not automatic for humans.

Re: Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

#24

Post by dmoney »

It's not enough to simply decide to keep up with "maintenance" and then do it, because if you are the type of person who lacks the discipline to stick to things, you will unconsciously resist any attempt at change. You need the ability to hack your habits.

I've been trying Giles Bowkett's system for building habits based on the "calendar about nothing" for a couple weeks. It seems promising (for example, two weeks is longer than i usually stick to things), but it's too early to tell. I think the key is to change only one thing at a time, until the habit is locked in.

Re: Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

#25

Post by bambax »

In a talk last year at (I think) the business of software conference, PG said, among other things, that business schools are useless because successful business people don't waste their time teaching business in business schools, and instead either run their business or enjoy the fruits of their success (another song to the tune of "those who can't, teach").

His depiction of university professors accurately describes most bloggers.

Re: Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

#26

Post by annajohnson »

bambax wrote: post #25

In a talk last year at (I think) the business of software conference, PG said, among other things, that business schools are useless because successful business people don't waste their time teaching business in business schools, and instead either run their business or enjoy the fruits of their success (another song to the tune of "those who can't, teach"). His depiction of university professors accurately describes…

Here's another take on this: those who are good at teaching, teach and those who are good at blogging, blog. In other words, some people are actually very good at teaching or communicating ideas, even though they may not 'do' them.

Re: Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

#27

Post by bootload »

bfung wrote: post #12
edw519 wrote: post #5

Maintenance is boring. Just a few things I don't think are boring: - sinking my teeth into some fresh sweet melon - a late afternoon jog in the woods - hanging out with friends and family - an ice cold beer at the football game - an all-you-can-eat salad bar - curling up with SO (even if it is a chick flick) - a hot shower, freshly brushed teeth, and a warm bathrobe - a happy dance after a new program runs the first…

What about these thing, can they be counted as 'living'? Would many people count these as living at all??? - Periodic management of bank account and making sure you have enough to do whatever it is (survive, travel, have fun, etc) - Periodic visits to the dentist or doctor for checkups - If distance is an issue, periodically calling your mother. Not all hackers live in their parents' basement. ;) This one is a weak e…

"... What about these thing, can they be counted as 'living'? ... it takes a certain mindset and definitely a conscious effort to live well."

If you have live a sheltered life, yes. The mindset comes from realising the "living" bit and the circumstances you live for most is (often) taken for granted.

Re: Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

#29

Post by jongraehl »

"Adopt the habits of those you admire the most" - this presumes that those with exceptional qualities are also better at optimizing what they have, and that this optimization is somewhat universally applicable.

I'd say: try to understand the habits of those you admire the most, and try them yourself if it makes sense.

Re: Why most people don’t succeed – How you can be the exception

#30

Post by ojbyrne »

My girlfriend just had a problem with her car, which she noticed when it wouldn't start. The oil light had gone on a couple of hundred miles before, and it was an old car. She panicked about how her engine was screwed,and it would cost her multiple thousands of dollars to fix, and I lost it saying how you need to check the oil regularly.

It turned out to be a $25 repair. They replaced a washer.

Sometimes things that look like they require some great, superhuman effort, but end up just involving basic day to day effort.

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