Half-assing things. Read a book. Misunderstanding AI impact. Not all questions have answers. Your own private social media. Actions speak louder than words. Blessed silence. What's the worst?
Every person should make a small effort, even the smallest effort,
to improve the general well-being of humanity.
– LeoTolstoy
1. “Maximum economy of ass is an important adult skill”
Meditations for Mortals – Oliver Burkeman – (ebook)
In a chapter entitled “What if this were easy?” Burkeman quotes an anonymous comment on a Washington Post article by the advice columnist Carolyn Hax.
I’m not interested in burning myself [out] by whole-assing stuff that will be fine if I half- or quarter-ass it. Being able to achieve maximum economy of ass is an important adult skill.
We spend a lot of energy, and put a tremendous amount of pressure on ourselves and others, to be the absolute best, and put in whatever it takes to be so, often to an extreme. And often where it’s simply not needed. Sometimes the right solution really is to “half-ass” something.
Do this: Don’t assume your whole ass is always required.
Support 7 Takeaways
(Or just forward this to a friend.)
2. “Your destiny is in your own hands”
Ten Small Actions to Have a Better Life Today – Darius Foroux – (Blog)
Yes, it’s a listicle. And, in fact, it’s a listicle composed mostly of things you’ve heard before. No matter. All ten are good reminders — just because you’ve heard it before doesn’t mean you’ve internalized it. I find coming across these reminders of common wisdom very helpful, particularly when they show up in different forms, and in different places.
Never stop learning. Read books, take up courses, learn a new skill. Stay curious and keep growing.
I want to emphasize the word “never” in that sentence. I know too many people who, for a variety of reasons, have stopped. They think they’re “done”, or there’s little point to it. On the contrary, it is indeed one thing that can improve your life, right until the end.
Do this: Read a book and learn something. Consider reading the entire list as well.
3. “AI isn’t going to eliminate human effort”
The Future of Work Is About Doing Better—Not Less – Rhea Purohit – (every.to)
As with any new technology, there’s a lot of catastrophizing when it comes to AI. In my head I hear the South Park refrain of “They took our jobs!“.
I’m not saying these concerns should be dismissed out of hand, or that there aren’t other important issues relating to AI, but there’s another aspect most are overlooking. AI is a tool, nothing more. If it makes some portion of what we do easier, then that allows us to spend more energy doing the things that only humans can do.
If my writing meets the objective standards I’ve set for myself, I want to be mindful of not dismissing it just because AI made the process more efficient.
AI doesn’t write for me, but it makes my process more efficient, and allows me to do more than I would be able to otherwise. The same could easily be said of many technological innovations of the past which we take for granted today.
Do this: Understand what AI is, and is not, and how you might leverage it.
4. “The goal is to have a lot of questions”
What About All the Questions We Haven’t Answered? – Angela Duckworth & Mike Maughan – (No Stupid Questions podcast)
In this final episode of the long running podcast, Duckworth & Maughan dive into the concept of questions that go unanswered.
I think a big piece of our ability to have a happy, healthy, meaningful life is our ability to learn to deal with uncertainty.
Many people cannot. Many people get very frustrated and anxious when what they feel is an important question has no answer. Perhaps the most common? Why?
Not that we should simply accept not having answers. The search for answers is, of course, the source of all types of progress: technological, societal, and personal. But sometimes there are no answers, and we need be willing to take what we can from that and move on.
Do this: Get comfortable with uncertainty. There’s certainly plenty to go around these days.
5. “Journaling itself becomes a radical act of privacy”
The Art of Not Sharing – Joan Westenberg – (blog)
An interesting take on one solution to our feeling the need to share and share and overshare online, with all the negative ramifications that implies. The solution? Journaling.
I think of my journal as my private social media feed, one where I’m the only follower. Like a social media platform, it’s a place for me to share my thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Unlike social media, there’s no pressure for me to perform, no need to curate, no risk of oversharing.
I’ve struggled with journalling forever. I’ve been working on it lated, because I do see its value, but it’s difficult to remember and it takes effort. Considering it as posting to a private social media feed is an interesting way to reframe it.
Do this: Look for ways to reframe some things you want to do, but let slip by all too easily.
6. “Believe in the deeds”
A Calendar of Wisdom– Leo Tolstoy – (ebook)
For some reason this seems particularly important as we enter the new year.
Do not believe in words, yours or others’; believe in the deeds.
Words are cheap, and we’ve certainly heard a lot of them over the past 4/8/12 years and longer. What matters most is what becomes of those words, and how they do, or do not, translate to action. And, as Tolstoy points out, it’s as true for our own words as those of others.
Do this: Pay attention to actions.
7. “Silence is always an option.”
How to ease holiday stress (or any stress, really) – Susan Cain – (The Quiet Life with Susan Cain)
Cain hands the reins over to Dan Harris, with advice for easing the various stresses of the holidays (or really, the stresses of any days).
What caught my attention was the takeaway above, under Pain point #3: Political beefs. Nothing has really changed in the past couple of months to make this pain point any less painful. Understanding that nothing you say will make a difference in many circumstances means that saying nothing is the least abrasive thing to do. It’s not perfect, but it’s perhaps the “least worst” option when faced with friends and relatives who feel differently than you do, and are strong and vocal about it.
Do this: Embrace silence.
8. “Unrealistically negative expectations”
What’s the Worst That Could Happen? – Leo A. Notenboom – (blog)
I muse on one approach I take to many situations in life, including my driver’s test and Microsoft hiring process.
Many people view the view consequences of failure with unrealistically negative expectations. Sometimes the expectations or assumptions are so negative they either contribute to the failure as undue anxiety, or they prevent the individual from even trying. That’s a shame, particularly when those perceptions are so out of proportion to practical reality.
Not only are the consequences of failure typically not as bad as you might imagine, they often turn out to be a good thing, helping you learn and grow.
Do this: Fail.
What I’m reading
In progress:
- Managing Oneself – Peter Drucker
- Hook, Line and Blinker – Jana DeLeon
- Own Your Weird – Jason Zook
- Meditations for Mortals – Oliver Burkeman
- The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century – Steven Pinker (audio)
Daily:
- A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Selected from the World’s Sacred Texts – Leo Tolstoy
A full list of my common sources is on the sources page, and I list the books I’ve read on my Reading List page.
Support 7 Takeaways
Your support helps keep 7 Takeaways viable. I appreciate your consideration VERY much. I have options for recurring Support (Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly options) as well as one-time support over in The Ask Leo! (my “day job”) store. Purchasing any of the books using the links on my Reading List also helps.
Another thing that really helps is sharing 7 Takeaways with a friend. Just forward this email on. And if you received this email from a friend, you can subscribe at 7takeaways.com to get your own copy every Sunday.
Thanks!
-Leo
If you’re having difficulty viewing this email, visit 7takeaways.com/latest.
If a link to a source below leads to you a paywall read my note: Paywalls.
If someone forwarded you this email, subscribe at 7takeaways.com.