Seek to place yourself in situations where positive outcomes, while random, are more likely to occur.
Compounding Edge
Seek to be the best at what you do, and you will receive a disproportionate share of high-level opportunities that will only increases your edge over time.
North Star
Having a clear picture of what you ultimately want to achieve in life makes decision making and evaluating opportunities easier
Inertia & Escape Velocity
Attempting new things creates friction which makes progress slow initially. But persist, and you eventually hit escape velocity.
Inner Circle
Cultivate an inner circle that is small in size but high in value. It is not the friends in your life, but the life in your friends.
Network Reciprocity
Great people want to work with other great people. Endeavor to be exceptional, and then look to connect with other inspirational people.
Less but Better
Do few things, but do the things you do to the highest standard.
Be Interesting
Being ‘interesting’ is a social currency that can be leveraged more easily than intelligence alone.
Frictionless Pursuits
Pursuits you ‘try to do’ create friction, whereas tasks you ‘want to do’ are frictionless and are more likely to be sustained, irrespective of difficulty.
Personal Priority
A byproduct of being good at what you do is that people will want your time. You must prioritize your own endeavors if you wish to achieve meaningful goals.
Deep Learning
Reading more is not the goal; understanding more is. Dwell on things that you don’t understand and ask questions until you fully grasp concepts.
Lingo
Every field has terminology that outsiders cannot discern. Comprehension of technical words will aid in forming the web of understanding.
Be You
Happiness cannot be found in seeking to emulate the work or achievements of others; focus on being the best version of yourself.
Dis-Agreements
When making agreements, focus on what to do when you disagree.
Apathy
Come to terms with your inability to dictate environments, and you’ll retain the energy often lost in chaotic or uncontrollable circumstances.
Stealing Happiness
Partaking in any destructive behavior is merely stealing happiness and wellbeing from your future self.
Under Promise
We tend to believe our future self will be happier, work longer and be more capable than our in the moment self. Under promise, to over-deliver.
Sleep
An honest man’s pillow is peace of mind. Don’t do things which leads to mental strife, as any short term gains will be lost to anxiety.
Candor
Don’t complain about that which you haven’t tried to resolve. It is better to voice objections in the moment than to foster resentment.
Access Over Ownership
Never seek to own things that you can readily access, as ownership itself is often a burden that can create stress and take up unnecessary mind-space.
Desire
It is okay to want, but it is unflattering to need.
Clarity
Quietness allows for clarity. In a world of abundant distraction, seek to cultivate environments where you can sustain periods of mental focus.
I Think Therefore I Am Not Sure
Avoid being placed in an ideological box. Be certainly uncertain and have strong opinions loosely held. Utilize scientific enquiry to challenge assumptions.
Stubborn Minority
If there are two apposing ideas and one collective viewpoint is stubborn and the other is flexible, then the stubborn minority will often sway the flexible majority.
Positive Risk Taking
From a foundation of stability seek to take small risks on the margins, (that never run the risk of ruin) that have asymmetrical upside and limited downside.
Survivor Bias
Be wary that we often seek to learn from people who have had success while failing to acknowledge the many who have failed while taking the same actions.
Lindy Effect
That which has stood the test of time up till now is more likely to survive into the future than that which is new. Timeless ideas are ‘robust’
Happiness by Decreasing Dissatisfaction
It is often easier to increase overall happiness by reducing the aspects of life that make us unhappy than it is to create more of what makes us happy.
Freedom
You can earn lots of money but still be trapped by a career. Freedom can be only be achieved by incrementally moving towards opportunities where you are rewarded for the actions that you alone dictate.