More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Identity capital is our stock of personal assets. It is how we add value to who we are, and it is what we have to show for how we have spent our time. These are the investments we make in ourselves, or the things we do well enough or long enough that they become a part of who we are. Rather than coming from that “lightning bolt of intuition” Helen wished for, identity capital is how we build ourselves, bit by bit, over time. Some identity capital—such as degrees or jobs or test scores or clubs—goes on a résumé. Other identity capital is more personal. It is how we present ourselves, where we
...more
The one thing I have learned is that you can’t think your way through life. The only way to figure out what to do is to do—something.
Make yourself relevant.
Happiness is when what you think and what you do are in harmony. —Mahatma Gandhi, writer/philosopher
It is a learned skill to force yourself to articulate your life, your present world or your possibilities for the future. —David Whyte, poet
“It’s just practice. The twenties are a dress rehearsal.” “And look at what you’re practicing,” I said. “Consider what part you’re rehearsing to play.”
If you take care of the minutes, the years will take care of themselves. —Tibetan proverb
Whatever it is you want to change about yourself, now is the easiest time to change it.
• Research suggests that 80 percent of our most defining moments take place by age thirty-five. What are some defining moments you hope will happen for yourself by that age?
What are ten pieces of identity capital you have right now?
What are three pieces of identity capital you would like to earn next?
What effect does social media seem to have on your mood, your self-esteem, or your mental health?
The author distinguishes between goals and “shoulds,” explaining that goals direct us from the inside and “shoulds” are judgments from the outside. Is the difference between the two always clear to you?
Is there anything about your life now that you would like not to be doing in five years? If so, why are you doing it now?
“Whether we are talking about love or work, the confidence that overrides insecurity comes from experience.” What experiences have you had at work or in love that have built confidence?
If you had ten thousand hours to develop a habit, or to gain an area of expertise, what would it be?
Describe one thing you would like to change about your current self by the age of thirty. Say something about how you plan to do it and what might (but won’t) get in the way.
make a rough plan for your life over the next ten years. Include what you might like to accomplish in terms of work, love, travel, money, friends, family, health, habits—you name it.
Write a letter to your thirty-five-year-old self. What are your hopes and dreams for that person? What would you like to say to him or her? • Now, have your thirty-five-year-old self write a letter to who you are now. What do you think he or she would like to say to you in the present?
