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7: Notes To Self
Optimistic Nihilism, Purpose, Busy vs Productive, Reflection Questions, America
Luke Clancy
September 29, 2023
Yo!
Here is your weekly dose of 5 things I’m pondering and exploring.
In the grand scheme of things, everything we hold dear will fade away. Everything you’ve ever strived for will vanish. You will die. Your kids will die. Even this Earth will be engulfed by the sun some day.
That’s scary to think about. But it’s also incredibly liberating.
Nothing matters. So, stop putting so much damn pressure on yourself to be someone who “matters.” Stop sweating the little things so much. And stop worrying about other what other people think.
It’s all bullshit.
You can do whatever you want with your life. So just live the best life possible, for you. Not for anyone else. Live your life, however you see fit.
And bring other people along for the ride.
2. A Model For Living The Best Life Possible
Being busy and being productive are not the same thing. Running around in circles is busy. Going toward your destination is productive. It's easy to be busy. But, it's hard to be productive.
The real "work" of productivity is less about optimizing efficiency and more about improving effectiveness.
Being productive is not about doing more; it's about concentrating all your energy on the few things that matter.
On that note…
Adrian uses 15 weekly reflection questions to give himself clarity and prime himself for more effective action. Some of my favorites:
Is my calendar optimized for flow?
Where am I trying to be too clever?
What am I putting off? What if I just did it now?
What’s the real goal here? Is there a better way to accomplish it?
Every so often, I revisit this iconic speech. It reminds me of America’s potential and the privileges we enjoy today.
It’s easy to get caught up in today’s current issues and forget that our quality of life is better than 99.999% of humans, ever. Literally ever.
PS: this is the speech that catapulted Obama on the national spotlight. Pretty sick.
Thanks for wanting to know more today than you did yesterday!
Cheers,
Luke