More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
March 9, 2024 - December 19, 2025
the search for direction and purpose is a quest that every person must embark on at least once.
You must set and accomplish new goals (of one form or another) each and every day, until the day you die.
American author David Deida wrote: Every moment of your life is either a test or a celebration.
the art of goal setting
Alternatively, if you were locked in a cell with your biology textbook and told that you would be released and given one million dollars if you got an A+ on your next exam, then you could probably do that too.
we lack the conviction and willpower necessary to see a long-term goal to its completion. Unfortunately, we humans often find it difficult to engage in the self-directed pursuit of a lengthy project, especially when there are no external drivers prodding us to action. Momentous life goals require us to commit to the completion of strenuous activities each day. But inactivity is the default state of man.
A red “A+” cannot be immediately traded for power, food, or sex. So it’s difficult for our conscious mind to convince our lower mind to spend precious resources trying to obtain it.
Your brain exists to help you survive, not to thrive.
Our mind often seems to be pursuing two contrary sets of goals. The activities that we should be doing are often not the activities that the lower mind necessarily enjoys doing.
Ikigai is a Japanese life strategy that emphasizes the importance of finding your “true calling.”
the word can be translated as “your reason for living” or your “reason to get out of bed in the morning.”
“Lingchi,” is a Chinese term that is commonly translated in the West as “death by a thousand cuts.”
glorious life failures did not result from just one problem. Rather, they originate from a “thousand little cuts”—a thousand little ruinous decisions that come together to create a quagmire.
third concept is called “Hansei” (honest self-reflection). Hansei is a Japanese method for understanding “what went wrong.” It’s about seeking clarity of thought through careful consideration of past mistakes.
“Kaizen,” — often translated as “continuous improvement.” With Kaizen, we understand that the answers to life’s biggest quandaries do not come in the form of a magic pill. Instead, our most momentous accomplishments are typically the result of years of concentrated effort and dedication.
When you train your mind to be ever-cognizant of these four concepts, you’ll have a unique perspective on goal attainment—one
The synergy of these ideas will enable you to muster greater self-discipline, focus, stick-to-itiveness, and drive.
Ikigai is a Japanese term comprised of two words: “iki” and “kai.” The first half of the compound (“iki”) translates to “life” or “alive.” The latter half (“kai”) means “benefit” or “effect.”
Ikigai might be “that which brings benefit to life.”
My reason to get out of bed in the morning.
“When you wake each morning, how do you feel about the workday that awaits you?”
Excited and motivated to do better evryday
First, you can think of your Ikigai as being comprised of four parts: Passion Vocation Mission Profession It’s best to ponder these four attributes in the form of four questions. Each time you encounter a new career opportunity, ask yourself: Could this be my Passion? How much do I love this skill?
Could this be my Vocation? How good am I (or could be) at this skill? Could this be my Mission? How much will this skill benefit the world? Could this be my Profession? How likely am I to get paid well for this skill?
While you’re engaged in each work-related task, take note of which skills you seem to pick up quickly and which jobs you despise doing.
During such inspirational moments, neither a screaming boss nor an alarm clock are needed to prod us to action. Instead, the forces of internal motivation stir within us, and we look forward to any challenge that the day has to offer.
“Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.”
Instead, he posits that the forces of Mastery, Purpose, and Autonomy are more likely to arouse the spirits of creativity that lead to job satisfaction.
Mastery describes our innate desire to become competent at our chosen skill.
He calls it “flow.” And he described the phenomenon in his 1991 book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” writing:
[The “flow state” occurs when] people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.
video games call upon the user to devote long hours of practice to mastering a skill that results in absolutely no financial reward whatsoever. In fact, playing the game often comes at great physical or financial cost to the player.
Lol twitter post
Purpose describes our desire to engage in activities that are beneficial or meaningful to ourselves, our family, or our community.
your limbic system will introduce emotions to your conscious mind—like boredom, doubt, fatigue, and despair—to dissuade you from continuing to expend energy on the objective.
Could this be my Mission? How much will this skill benefit the world?
It is easier to destroy than to create. Most people in this world don’t create anything.
Autonomy describes our desire to lead a self-directed life.
It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself (rather than for ulterior motives), that we learn to become more than what we were.
