How to Fail at Everything and Still Win Big, Scott Adams
Notes
- Skills -
- Public speaking, psychology (human), writing, accounting, design basics, conversation, overcoming shyness, second language, golf, proper grammar, persuasion, technology, proper voice technique
- Diet techniques -
- Pay attention to how you feel after eating food.
- Since reading this part of the book, I have been doing this more ofter and it has been interesting to see which foods energize me, and which deflate me.
- Make healthy eating convenient.
- Get enough sleep.
- And many (6) others. You’ll have to buy the book for those ;).
- Pay attention to how you feel after eating food.
Thoughts & Questions
- Overall, this book covers a broad set of topics, ranging from diet advice to systems of performance, to the treatment of a rare vocal condition. I appreciate the variety of the information, as it is clear that Adams has put some serious thought into the validity and usefulness of the information he has chosen to share.
- Adams advocates continuously experimenting with your diet and routines to optimize your performance.
- I’ve noticed that people like Jobs, Dorsey, Musk, Allen and now Adams all seem to have experimented with their diets to varying extents.
- Is this their way of optimizing themselves? Or are they just being influenced by the latest cool trends? I understand that a diet consisting solely of carrots is not (and never was) a trend, but these wacky diets must take some level of effort to start, if not also to maintain - is starting some weird diet the best way to spend your limited willpower?
- Perhaps once the rest of your life has been packed into a relatively strict routine, it becomes easier to make these sort of commitments (even if the routine itself is quite demanding).
- Is this their way of optimizing themselves? Or are they just being influenced by the latest cool trends? I understand that a diet consisting solely of carrots is not (and never was) a trend, but these wacky diets must take some level of effort to start, if not also to maintain - is starting some weird diet the best way to spend your limited willpower?
- I’ve noticed that people like Jobs, Dorsey, Musk, Allen and now Adams all seem to have experimented with their diets to varying extents.
- I like the way Adams discusses his successes and in particular his discussion of the role of luck in his life.
- To discuss luck, Adams refers to his “luck surface area” — the idea that, while luck is randomly distributed throughout or lives, we can take actions which increase our “luck surface area” and thus increase the probability of luck striking us.
- What are some effective ways that I could improve my own “surface area for luck”?
- Meeting more people. More specifically, people that share my interests and passions.
- Seeking new skills and opportunities.
- What are some effective ways that I could improve my own “surface area for luck”?
- To discuss luck, Adams refers to his “luck surface area” — the idea that, while luck is randomly distributed throughout or lives, we can take actions which increase our “luck surface area” and thus increase the probability of luck striking us.
- Adams also discusses the psychological leverage that waking up early and getting to work can give you, in the sense that you will have already accomplished something before most people are even out of bed. This echoes my own experience with early morning exercise, which helps me feel energized and accomplished for the rest of the day.
- How can we most effectively foster this feeling of accomplishment? And do we want to? That is, does feeling accomplished translate to better output?
- Adams echoes the sentiment that ‘you are the sum of the company you keep’.
- How can we utilize technology to better connect similar, like-minded individuals in a positive, constructive manner?
- We have forums and communities (hacker news, lobste.rs, IRC?), but these can still be quite impersonal.
- Maybe you just need to dive in.
- We have forums and communities (hacker news, lobste.rs, IRC?), but these can still be quite impersonal.
- How can we utilize technology to better connect similar, like-minded individuals in a positive, constructive manner?
- A key, perhaps even core, message from the book is the value of systems over goals. The main idea is that systems are inherently optimistic, whereas goals are inherently pessimistic.
- Essentially, you’re always failing at your goals because as soon as you achieve them, you set new ones — thus, they set you up for a negative feedback loop and can easily discourage you.
- In contrast, as long as you maintain your commitment to your systems, you’re winning regardless of your actual performance.
- How can we introduce optimal systems into our own lives, and how best to do so?
- Is there a framework for evaluating the relative merits and values of systems in our lives?
- Essentially, can you reliably synthesize personalized solutions to optimizing our psychology?
- Is there a framework for evaluating the relative merits and values of systems in our lives?
- This systems vs. goals idea reminds me of the art class study, where a pottery class was split in half - one group judged on quality, the other on quantity. The quality group would spend the semester perfecting one pot, whereas the quantity group was to produce as many pots as possible. By the end, the quantity group was producing the best looking artworks, with the hypothesis being that they were continually learning through their failed attempts whereas the quality group was not.
- By committing to their system of continuous production and learning, the students rapidly improved their skills. How can we mimic this in our own life?
- This idea is carried into the business world, with the idea being that the most important this is to release some product and then begin iterating on it as you gain feedback.
- I believe this works due to the clear feedback mechanisms available - you either attract, retain, and profit from customers, or you don’t.
- What are some other feedback systems in our lives that we can exploit?
- I believe this works due to the clear feedback mechanisms available - you either attract, retain, and profit from customers, or you don’t.
- How can we introduce optimal systems into our own lives, and how best to do so?
Closing
On the whole, this book was quite an enjoyable read. Adams’ prior writing prowess is apparent as his book is engaging and entertaining, but more importantly, is effective at communicating the various pearls of wisdom held within.
Thanks for reading!
If you have something to say, i’d love to hear from you.
You can reach me here -
> @hrrsnbbnt | |
> mail@harrisonbroadbent.com |