Note to Self

As long as you feel you’re not getting enough out of a relationship—whether it’s a friend who only calls when she needs something but is always busy when you ask for help, or a partner forgetting to take out the trash, leaving you to do it again—you’re living in scarcity.

It might sound irrational now, but in the moment, it feels real. The problem is, it’s a bottomless bucket. The more others give us, the more entitled we feel, thinking we deserve even more. We get greedy. Have you ever seen a greedy person become less greedy after getting more? It’s usually the opposite.

The same goes for attention, validation, and affection. We start noticing only when they’re missing, never fully appreciating them while we’re receiving them. It’s like running in the dark, unaware of the beautiful scenery around us—until we trip into a hole.

What a miserable way to live. Let the sun rise, enjoy the view, and the holes will take care of themselves.

Lessons Learned From Others

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Ozan Irturk on branding:

“We live in a world where there is no room for the average.
Offer dozens of average products and services—nobody cares.
But offer one great product or service—everybody pays attention.
Take the complexity away from the customer.

It’s not about offering everything.
It’s about becoming known for one thing.”

Source: Why Simple Brands Win

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Shane Parrish on effort:

“School tests weaknesses. Life rewards strengths.

Spending more time on our weakest areas is tempting, but life mostly rewards us for investing in our strengths. Imagine a student who struggles with math but excels at writing. In school, they might spend hours raising their math grades from a C to a B. However, spending the same time on writing might move them from an A to an A+. Focusing on math makes sense when you're taught to think in grades. It doesn't make sense if you think about life. The difference between an A and an A+ in writing ability might mean the difference between a New York Times bestseller read by millions and a book that only 100 people read.

Address weaknesses only to the point where they stop holding you back. Then concentrate effort on your strengths.“

Source: Richer Than Yesterday

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Ted Lamade on the power of less:

“Why are we so inclined to add things rather than take them away when searching for solutions?

The answer is simple—human nature and incentives.

The fact is, people are biased towards solving problems through addition rather than subtraction.

The reason?

Because adding something makes you feel like you are advancing, while taking something away makes you feel like you are retreating. Couple this with the fact that most companies are incentivized to sell us endless “solutions”, and it should come as no surprise that the desire take something away is practically non-existent.

Unfortunately, too many investors manage their portfolios like this. In an attempt to improve or upgrade them, they almost always look to layer on new investments, commitments, asset classes, and securities, often shooting well past an appropriate level of complexity:

Worried about a market crash? Layer on expensive hedges.

Concerned about volatility? Buy complicated options.

Want to generate higher returns in a low interest rate environment? Add leverage.

Trying to keep up with other investors? Chase a hot buyout or venture capital fund.

The trouble is that when they do this, the more vulnerable their portfolios become. It causes them to lose track of what they own, reduces their portfolio’s liquidity and transparency, and forces them to pay higher fees in the process. It also often leads to investors being forced to make decisions they swore they never would, typically at the worst possible moments.”

Source: Take Something Away

Valuable Finds

● All you need to work like Steve Jobs

● Why your ego is running your relationship

● The Double Diamond framework