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March 27 - April 4, 2021
Just like any other muscle would, our mental muscle gets tired.
we should realize that we have limited energy and devote it only to things that really matter. Of course, the more things that we think really matter, the less energy we have to devote to any one of them. It is only by becoming a minimalist that we can become a maximalist.
When decisions are automatic, you skip the conscious deliberation and associated brain activity.
saving your mental muscle for things that actually matter to you.
The most essential part about adopting the minimalist-to-be-a-maximalist lifestyle, then, is figuring out what really matters to you—what is actually worth expending energy on—and devoting minimal energy to everything else.
•Become a minimalist to be a maximalist.
•Automate as many of the decisions that don’t really matter as you can.
When to complete daily activities (e.g., always exercise at the same time of the day so you literally don’t need to think about it)
don’t devote brainpower to gossip, politics, or worrying about what others think of you.
think about the second- and third-order effects (e.g., commute time, financial pressures, etc.)
If the first step to designing an optimal day is figuring out what to do (and, perhaps more important, what not to do), then the second step is figuring out when to do it.
Daily Rituals, author Mason Currey detailed a typical day for more than 50 of the world’s greatest artists, writers, musicians, and thinkers to ever live.
Some, including Mozart, did their best work late into the night. Others, including Beethoven, were most productive at the crack of dawn.
chronotypes, which is the scientific term for the unique ebb and flow of energy that everyone experiences over the course of 24 hours.
most people tend to perform their best either in the earlier part of the day (i.e., larks) or in the later part of the day (i.e., owls).
While some of us get pulses of energizing hormones earlier in the day, they come later on for others.
ask yourself some key questions.
during our off-peak hours, as we become fatigued and struggle to maintain focus, our more creative mind has a better opportunity to shine.
This allowed for a nice cycle: refining in the morning the raw and creative work we completed the prior afternoon.
great performers let their minds wander and their bodies recover, and in doing so, they often experience “aha” or “eureka” moments of insight.
schedule is to listen to your body.
pay deep attention to when your energy levels feel the highest and when you fall into that foggy brain state in which attention lags and your work starts to suffer.
months of coffee, sugar, and “fighting” fatigue can mess wi...
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7 days without setting an alarm clock or compensa...
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a “reset” period during which your body can return to its natural rhythm.
Protect the time during which you are most alert and use it for your most important work.
Don’t fight fatigue! Rather, use this time for recovery and to generate creative ideas
Research study that tracked a cohort of cadets over 4 years, researchers found that while there was variability in fitness gains/losses across all the cadets, there was hardly any variability within squadrons.
the determining factor as to whether the 30 cadets within a squadron improved was the motivation of the least fit person in the group.
If the least fit person was motivated to improve, then his enthusiasm spread and everyone improved.
If, on the other hand, the least fit person was apathetic or, worse, negative, h...
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your own attitude pales in comparison to the attitudes of those around you.
In the words of Stanford University psychologist Emma Seppälä, PhD, “We are wired for empathy.”
Studies show that if one of your friends becomes obese, you are 57 percent more likely to become obese yourself.
the makeup of your social circle has profound implications for your own behavior.
management guru Peter Drucker, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”
If we are constantly working against the mindset of those who surround us, it’s only a matter of time before we, too, will get dragged down,
If, on the other hand, we surround ourselves with those who support, motivate, and challenge us, we can reach greater heights than we could have alone.
•Positive energy, motivation, and drive are all contagious.
designing the perfect day means nothing if you don’t show up for it.
“The single greatest skill in any endeavor is doing the work.
attitudes often follow behaviors.
Haruki Murakami designs his day with precision and adheres to a strict routine. But he’ll be the first to tell you that the routine itself is really just there to support what matters most—showing up.
I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing;
Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity.
the real secret of world-class performers is not the daily routines that they develop, but that they stick to them.
When the going gets tough, great performers don’t show up for themselves. They show up for something greater than themselves.
eliminating nonessential decision making can enhance your performance.
