I. The Trouble
More information does not always mean more knowledge.
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
— Mark Twain
Hold strong core beliefs, but constantly validate them.
Everything’s a Flywheel
The Amazon Flywheel
…is the strategy that underpins Amazon’s business plan. Following the graphic below, you’ll be able to see it more easily in action. In summary, each portion of the business (ie: customer experience) feeds into and supports the next part.
For example, by having great customer experience, Amazon is able to drive more traffic to their website (because customers want to shop there). This generates more website visits, which increases the demand for third-party sellers (those who want to sell where the shoppers visit). Having greater traffic leads to better selection, which improves customer experience again… and the flywheel rotates faster.
Flywheels and Life
Everything in life is a flywheel, which is another way of saying, most relationships are non-linear.
I’ve blogged about this before: the most important payoffs in life are exponential (they involve compounding over long periods of time). But said another way, nearly all of your actions will assemble a circle of actions that link together. We assume the connection is linear, however when the flywheel is fed, the payoff much greater than 1:1.
The Health Flywheel:
- Workout at the gym
- Eat healthier
- Have more energy
- Live more in the moment (at work and home)
The Relationship Flywheel: You call or check-in with a friend on a weekly basis. That allows more information to flow between both people. Suddenly your daily activities become more relevant to each other and you speak more often. This higher-quality relationship gives each of you motivation to reach out to other friends, and the flywheel continues.
Now imagine these flywheels running a two different speeds for two different people: (1) slow, just starting and (2) fast, full speed. Compare those and you’ll get two vastly different people. This isn’t a surprise – we all have that one friend who works out everyday and eats like a GQ model. Their flywheel is rotating at top speed.
Finally, did I mention that negative flywheels work the same way? Get stuck feeding the wrong actions, and suddenly you haven’t left the house or accomplished anything substantial for weeks at a time.
Feed Your Wheel
Which flywheel have you been feeding?
We rarely think about the repercussions of each choice we make. Next time you think about going to the gym, don’t think about the muscle you’ll build, but instead think of the next connection on the flywheel – (ie: your better eating habits, and your elevated energy).
When we recognize the many to one payoffs in our lives, we prioritize the actions that yield the greatest rewards.
It’s never too late to pick up the right habit, or focus on the right goals.
Pick your flywheel, feed it, and become your best self.
Wednesday Wisdom (January 15, 2020)
I. The Power of One
All it takes is one idea to change the world.
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
— Bruce Lee
Search until you find your kick. Then practice.
Wednesday Wisdom (January 8, 2020)
I. Perception or Reality
Your perception is your reality.
“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts… Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”
— Marcus Aurelius
Unique experiences define who you are, but it’s your interpretation that defines who you become.
Night Shifts
The best kind of investments are ones that can work while you sleep.
I was recently reminded of this. Over the past few months, I’ve been on a bit of a roadshow giving my happiness lecture at Google. One of my favorite things about giving this talk is the people I meet who show up. We have really great conversations, and I have the opportunity to hear someone else’s perspective.
Well, it turns out those folks who attend may bring up what they learned to co-workers, family, and friends.
I’ve met with hundreds of people in LA, Boulder, Atlanta and New York. After the first talk, I didn’t get much in my inbox afterwards. After the second, there were a few people who reached out. Now after visiting four offices, I’m overjoyed by the reactions and notes that show up. Not just from those who attended, but folks who heard about the talk through a friend, who heard through a friend. It’s unbelievable.
Plant Foundations
We spend time reflecting on how hard we work, but we rarely consider how much impact each area can have.
What should you prioritize this week to have the greatest payoff, at your job, with your family, or for the world?
Grow Overnight
What are you working on?
Perhaps you’re also fooled by the magic of compounding.
You wake up each day and think it’s time to get back to work. When, in fact, it’s been working while you sleep.
Wednesday Wisdom (December 11, 2019)
I. Winners Are Laggers
Winners lose more often in the short term.
“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.”
— James Clear
The greatest accomplishments are lagging indicators of compounding behavior.
You don’t need to win every match.
Just keep playing the game.
Wednesday Wisdom (December 4, 2019)
I. Same problem, different context
People’s understanding of probability does not translate into their behavior.
For Example:
- A statistician may purchase lottery tickets after crunching irrational odds all day
- A doctor may smoke cigarettes outside the lung-cancer hospital in which they work
- A financial planner may over-draw their checking account
We are all, in a way, unable to recognize the same idea when it is presented to us in a different context.
Which idea are you following in one domain, but completely blind to in another?
Know What You Want
When I was first starting out, I had the opportunity to be introduced to Adam Grant.
AG is one of the most well-known authors in the organizational-psychology field, and he’s also a professor at Wharton School of Business. I had been following him for many years, read most his work, and even applied his ideas to the way I approach business. I was a big fan to say the least.
One of my good friends was previously a student of his, and offered to connect us. It worked.
After getting introduced, Adam asked his colleague Karren to meet with me, since he was in the depths of writing a new book.
Later that week I joined a video call, and the first thing Karen said was, “Adam doesn’t usually meet with everyone, he only passes the few people he’s interested in to me, so congratulations.”
Which made me feel ecstatic, until she said, “So, what can Adam or I do for you?”
I had no answer.
Define What Matters
To be fair, I was just starting out and Critical-Chance was a complete experiment. I didn’t know what type of content I intended to build, or who I wanted to reach.
Regardless, Karen and I had a fantastic conversation, which I was grateful to have. At the same time, it taught me a very valuable lesson: Always know what you want.
We focus so much on landing the job interview, securing the sales call, or carving out the much needed time with family.
Yet we spend no time defining what we want, once we finally get it.
Be Ready
Regardless of the domain, you should always be prepared to answer the, “what can I do for you?” question.
Refine, evolve, simplify; but figure out your answer.
You may only be asked once.
…
So, what do you want?
Wednesday Wisdom (November 20, 2019)
I. Timescale
In the long run, good things happen to good people.
“Things gravitate toward what they were intended for.”
— Marcus Aurelius
If it’s bad now, you just need to wait longer.
Extend your time scale (backwards-looking) and be more patient (forwards-looking).
Do these, and it will be clear.
What’s Your Story?
Think of your favorite book. What made it so great?
The writer invites you into their world with a hook; perhaps it’s the cover, the title, or even the opening text.
But once they reel you in, they make a series of decisions throughout the narrative. Who to introduce you to, what to let you know, and most importantly, what details to leave out.
Anyone can have a great story, but it’s the way that it’s told that makes it truly extraordinary.
Laser Focus
“Most people fail in life because they major in minor things.”
-Tony Robbins
Your unique experiences define who you are, but it’s your interpretation that defines who you become.
What parts should you focus on?
Who will you become?