Worth another look v0.1
Hey hey,
Below you'll find the first of a regular email I intend to write. Ideally without overthinking it. It's stuff I recently saved that was still interesting upon a second look. So I hope it's interesting to you at least once. Plus I love me a newsletter.
Please click here if you want to receive future editions. And feel free to tell me what you think or to share if you think of someone who'd like this. But less than zero pressure on all that. There are more than enough emails in the world as it is.
Thank you, 🙏 Phil
I
"We've been granted the mental capacities to make almost infinitely ambitious plans, yet practically no time at all to put them into action."
- Oliver Burkman, Four Thousand Weeks: Productivity for Mortals (book)
So far, this book is a cathartic reminder that productivity systems are worse than unhelpful.
II
"The most important thing for learning is not the way information is presented but what is happening in the learner’s head."
- The Biggest Myth in Education from Veritasium (video)
\ Learning styles - the idea that some people learn better when they watch something vs hear it, etc. - has been debunked. Mixed media is more effective for everyone - but in the end it's all about how much the learner is mentally engaging with the material.
Also, best teacher ever? His videos get me fired up about the state of education. Watch him explain the prisoner's dilemma.
III
"I am there to make sure (a leader's) intent is aligned with their behaviour."
- Blake Eastman, 'Non-verbal behavior expert', offhand comment on Knowledge Project podcast #185 explaining what his consulting work is and isn't.
I find this clarity of purpose really powerful. My number 2 pat leave goal, after loving G, is being able to state mine just as succinctly so I can make sure my future work aligns with it. Maybe it'll be something related to something else Blake said:
"People are most effective when they are comfortable."
IV
How often is "soullessness" the byproduct of the creator focusing on something other than the craft at hand? Like when a business earns revenue from something separate, maybe even at odds with, their stated mission. Or when an artist is thinking about what people liked about their previous work rather than losing themself in where they are now.
Me wondering.
V
"Someone suggests a way out of my predicament and I go, 'Hmm, I dunno, do you have any solutions that involve me doing everything 100% exactly like I'm doing it right now, and getting better outcomes?'"
"Um, excuse me! I've been doing all of this very diligent desiring for things to be different, and yet they remain the same, could someone please look into this?'"
"All of my effort is currently accounted for somewhere. If I want to spend more of it on something, I have to spend less of it on something else. If I’m consistently not getting something done, it’s probably because I don’t want to—at least, not enough to cannibalize that time from something else—and I haven’t admitted that to myself yet."
- So You Wanna De-bog Yourself by Adam Mastroianni (article)
Lots of oh shit moments in this delightful article.
VI
"It's a core human need to be seen and appreciated."
- Hugh Jackman on Tim Ferriss podcast
What a lovely man, that Wolverine.
VII
From 5 Tweet Tuesday (newsletter)
The better a hold I get on my Twitter habit, the more I love this weekly fix.
VII
Andrew has a gift.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this and think of someone else who might, please share it.