Focus for the week Stop gathering new information and start acting on the information you already have. People less impressive than yourself are ahead of you because they took action. True progress is made when you try to apply what you know. Sometimes it pays to be simple and stubborn, and to keep working on something regardless of perceived progress and how you feel like it's going. Whether it is a new project, idea, habit or any change in your life. Definite perseverance trumps excessive...
11 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter - Friday Edition. In this email: The Ease of Flaking Respectable Incompetence Live boldly and study well The Ease of Flaking As technology further permeates our lives, have you noticed plans being cancelled at an increasing rate? I have. I feel as though technology has made it easier to both make and cancel plans. It is easy to say yes to something over text, and it is perhaps too easy to text someone last minute to cancel. I believe people would flake...
12 months ago • 2 min read
Focus for the week Recovery. Some things that I normally enjoy have been starting to feel like a chore. Instead of forcing myself to do them anyways, I am going to take a week off and focus on my other passions. I am hoping that the spark I once felt will be back soon. It is possible it is minor burn out, but it is possibly something bigger. If you have hobbies or people in your life that have started to feel like chores, step back, relax and re-evaluate. What I'm Reading Due to my discovery...
12 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter - Friday Edition. In this email: The Theory(s) of Everything Reading Better Where are you going? The Theory of Everything In David Deustch's 1997 book The Fabric Of Reality, he outlines the four strands of knowledge that work together to define everything. 1. Hugh Everett's many-worlds interpretation of quantum physics. The many-worlds interpretation implies that there are an uncountable number of universes, each one branching out at every moment a...
12 months ago • 2 min read
The One Call What call have you been avoiding? Who do you need to catch up with? I bet you just thought of someone. Whoever you just thought of, felt guilty because it's been so long and pushed out of your head. Call them. It's amazing how much better you can feel after catching up with a long time friend. Chances are they feel the same way and have thought about you as well. You might even find yourself so refreshed and so inspired after the call that you keep making calls until you have...
12 months ago • 1 min read
Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter - Friday Edition. In this email: Giving and receiving advice Definite and indefinite optimism Don't show your work and trust your gut Giving and Receiving Advice A rule of thumb for giving advice is to never give or ask for general advice. Giving general advice is a charlatan move, as you are essentially just extrapolating your own past experiences into a general rule. Asking for general advice is inherently lazy as you didn't even put effort into coming...
12 months ago • 2 min read
Begin Again I have recently been exposed to an incredibly useful technique for dealing with and not getting caught up in failures - begin again. If you did not succeed, begin again. If you notice that you are distracted, recenter and begin again. If you should have been studying and have been scrolling for 20 minutes, just recognize that you have been distracted, do not judge yourself, and begin again. The moment you notice any mediocrity, just exercise your ability to begin again and let go...
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter - Friday Edition. In this email: Vertical Progress Unlimited Resources Incentivizing efficiency Escaping Competition Through Vertical Progress "What valuable company is nobody building?" - Peter Thiel Progress and improvement can go in two distinct directions: from 0 to 1, or from 1 to n. From 1 to n is horizontal progress and incremental improvement. No groundbreaking innovation is required, just enough to make existing inventions and technology more...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Concentrate your efforts. The concept of intensive versus extensive focus can apply to a range of subjects. Whether it is a project you are working on, relationships you are trying to foster, skill development, or investments to grow your wealth. The more you spread out your focus, the less you know about anything and everything. Intensive work almost always provides better results. But spreading thin and diversifying reduces risk... False. By increasing your breadth, you decrease your depth....
about 1 year ago • 1 min read
Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter - Friday Edition. In this email: What is a good explanation? Be more > Do more Transcending the language barrier Explaining a good explanation Defining what a good explanation is is no easy task. Most people can intuitively explain things... or at least we think we can, but how well do you really understand the world? I'm sure we have all been stumped by a kid who just keeps asking why? Briefly, a good explanation must be: better than all previous...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read