8: Notes To Self

Stupid Games, Parking Lots, New Project Questions, Dopamine Principle, Beautiful Villages

Author

Luke Clancy
October 06, 2023

Yo!

Here is your weekly dose of 5 things I’m pondering and exploring.

There’s banger after banger of one-liners in this one. It’s a must read for still-figuring-it-out-young-professionals like me. Here’s a few quotes that slapped me in the face:

  • We humans are attracted to shiny objects: prestigious job titles, high salaries, material goods. But these ambitions are rarely driven by a pursuit of happiness; they are often driven by a pursuit of status.

  • If your primary motivation for pursuing a career path is to "win" the game of success, you have lost before you left the starting block. If you "win" the rat race, you're still a rat.

  • So the correct question isn't "How do I win the game?" The correct question is "How do I find a game worth playing?"

  • You shouldn't play the game to win, you should play the game for the sake of playing.

My high-level takeaway: play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

"On average, in U.S. cities with over 1 million people, 22% of land in the city center is used for parking.”

Bruh. #MakeAmericanCitiesWalkableAgain

3. Principles To Use When Starting A New Project/Startup

I wrote these down for when my next thing comes.

  • If you can’t launch v1 of your project in 24 hrs, don’t do it. (from Shaan Puri)

  • What’s not going to change about your customer’s wants & behavior? Then, focus on those things. (from Bezos)

  • When you think about working on the project, does it make you say “hell ya!”? If yes, then pursue verociously. (from Derek Sivers)

These questions would’ve easily saved me hours on hours of stress and work if I answered them for some of my previous projects. For example, my brother (Paul) and I spent a few months building a blog/website (never launched) before saying fuck it and just starting a newsletter (Bread Crumbs) because it was easier to spin up quickly.

4. A Simple Happiness Principle I Thought Of The Other Day

Earn your dopamine.

Need to see these villages in person. There’s a ton more in the thread you should check out.

  • Aitoliko, Aetolia-Acarnania, Greece

  • Civita di Bagnoregio, Province of Viterbo, Italy

  • Ushguli, Svaneti, Georgia

Thanks for wanting to know more today than you did yesterday!

Cheers,

Luke

PS: you can find more rabbit holes here & my writing here.