For folks who want to know how to memorise things effectively, I always pointed them to the Anki app and considered my job done. While I will still point them to the app, my first port of call will be Nicky Case’s delightful new explorable mini site, “How To Remember Anything Forever-ish” ...
There is absolutely nothing I can say about the Personal MBA that hasn’t been said. I cheat and present Derek Sivers’ notes on the book. But here’s his point about the book as a whole … Wow. A masterpiece. This is now the one “START HERE” book I’ll be recommending to everybody interested in business. An amazing overview of everything you need to know. Covers all the basics, minus buzz-words and fluff. Look at my notes for an example, but read the whole book. One of the most inspiring things I’ve read in years. Want proof? I asked the author to be my coach/mentor afterwards. It’s that good. ...
“The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne.” — Geoffrey Chaucer, Parlement Of Foules, 1374 This quote that opens the book reflects the chaos in my life. I have too many things to do, a busy life and yet, innately I am an autodidact. I yearn to learn new things! And learning new things is also how I’m slowly shifting my career goals. Needless to repeat, tonnes to do, and grains of time in hand. ...
I’ve written about the critical distinction between “reasoning from first principles” and “reasoning by analogy”—or what I called being a “chef” vs. being a “cook.” The idea is that reasoning from first principles is reasoning like a scientist. You take core facts and observations and use them to puzzle together a conclusion, kind of like a chef playing around with raw ingredients to try to make them into something good. By doing this puzzling, a chef eventually writes a new recipe. The other kind of reasoning—reasoning by analogy—happens when you look at the way things are already done and you essentially copy it, with maybe a little personal tweak here and there—kind of like a cook following an already written recipe. ...
I’ve been raving to my friends about Akimbo and I’m surprised I haven’t written about it here. It’s one of the reasons, I’m glad I’m alive at a time like this. There’s no way without modern technology, I could learn from a master like Seth Godin for free! Akimbo is Seth’s latest project and it’s podcast on all things Seth. To me, it’s my real life MBA. They’re weekly, punchy, 20 minute episodes on a topic. ...
I’ve come across several a-has in life all on my ownsome. I struggled with credit cards and debt and realised much of what were Dave Ramsey’s baby steps and later Taleb’s thoughts on optionality all on my own. When I read about them later, it was a huge boost of Hell Yeah! While I do realise that life is to short to learn by experience, and that most of my “original” thoughts will have been thought of long before I ever did, it’s such a high to arrive at an insight all on my ownsome. ...