This Week’s BIG Idea
I often find myself thinking about the life-changing tech I have access to. For me, the best one is my Kindle because it removes the friction involved in reading books. So going from wanting to read a book to actually reading one requires seconds. On top of that, buying books is a hassle-free experience and the Kindle also gives you access to audiobooks. Another irreplaceable piece of tech is probably a pair of Bluetooth earphones or headphones. In this case, this life-changing tech enables you to listen to audiobooks and podcasts without having to deal with cables. In most cases, you turn on the earphones, they automatically pair with your device of choice (probably your phone) and you’re listening to a podcast, music, or an audiobook of your choice instantly.
Sometimes I wonder if there’s anything I’m missing when it comes to technology. If there’s a piece of life-changing tech I’m ignoring that could have as much impact as the Kindle or my earphones. But I don’t think I am. Will getting an iPhone or Apple Watch be as transformative as getting a Kindle for the first time? I don’t think so. Also, this is where the law of diminishing returns comes into full effect. While going from having no Kindle to having one improved my life significantly, going from a Kindle Basic to the latest Kindle Paperwhite will improve my life slightly. There will be a time when upgrading equipment makes sense, but I don’t think that time is now.
What I’m Working on
When I first got my Kindle, I didn’t have any digital books. So I ended up doing what a lot of people with Kindles do, I got them from questionable websites. Needless to say, I quickly amassed a massive collection that had thousands of books, graphic novels, and manga. Over time though, I came up with a simple system to get digital books legitimately and for cheap. More importantly, I soon started seeing the benefits of having them: I can read them across a variety of devices (Kindle, phone, PC, and so on), I have quick access to my highlights, and I can support the book’s author.
This was a one-way trip and not only have I deleted most of the books I downloaded illegally, but I have also purchased them on the Kindle Store and reread them. An interesting side-effect has been the fact that I feel more relaxed about my collection. Finding the next read is often a matter of seconds since I have fewer books to go through, the books I own are books I definitely want to read, and should something happen to my Kindle, I can easily retrieve those books again.
What I’m Listening to
I just came across this podcast episode where Ryan Holiday interviews Troy Baker and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been following Troy Baker’s work for some time. For the uninitiated, he voices characters from anime series (Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, One Piece), video games (Final Fantasy XIII, Resident Evil 6, BioShock Infinite, The Last of Us), and innumerable DC animated movies. More importantly, he’s into Stoicism and in this interview, he discusses his relationship with the ancient school of philosophy and how it’s affected his professional and personal life.
What I’m Reading
- Effortless by Greg McKeown: I recently reread Essentialism, so I wanted to check out its follow-up Effortless. While the first book is about doing more with less, this second book is about doing the right things in the right way. I’m working on an updated version of the summary that will be up on the site soon.
What I’m Watching
Although I don’t immediately associate Tim Ferriss with anime, he recently recommended Cyberpunk Edgerunners in one of his newsletters. I’ve been a fan of anime ever since I was a kid and for the past few years, I’ve been reconnecting with this hobby by watching one anime episode daily. I rewatched personal favorites like Dragon Ball Kai, but I’ve also tried newer series I have no experience with. I tried One Piece, but I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. So I moved on to one of my favorite series, Cowboy Bebop. I’m about to finish that show and since I was interested in watching something different, I’ll give Cyberpunk Edgerunners a chance.
This Week’s Quote
“I don’t regret anything I’ve ever done in life, any choice that I’ve made. But I’m consumed with regret for the things I didn’t do, the choices I didn’t make, the things I didn’t say. We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should fear most. Failure is an answer. Rejection is an answer. Regret is an eternal question you will never have the answer to. “What if…” “If only…” “I wonder what would have…” You will never, never know, and it will haunt you for the rest of your days.”
Trevor Noah
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