This Week’s BIG Idea
While you don’t often hear about productivity and entertainment in the same sentence, the two ideas can go hand in hand. Watching a movie or playing a video game could be productive if you do those activities intentionally. For the past few years, whenever I wanted to do something like that I scheduled it into my calendar. So instead of going to Netflix to see if there was something I might like, I knew what I was going to watch and for how long. As simple as it sounds, this is life-changing. Not only because it lets you live more intentionally, but also because it’s a healthier way to engage with entertainment.
Ever since I’ve had a computer, I’ve also had a media collection. I got rid of my music collection a long time ago, but I still have a hard drive dedicated to movies. I love movies, but internet connections are so fast, and hard drives so cheap that it’s easy for any collection to turn into hoarding. With this in mind, I made up some rules so that my collection could never get out of hand.
- I only keep 4K movies
- I only download movies I’m excited about
- I only keep movies I love
Following these simple rules encourages me to keep only movies I love and this has been transformative. Now, whenever I want to choose something to watch, the process is a joy. I watch movies relatively often, but I never feel guilty about it. After all, if I make time for something in my calendar, it must be important.
What I’m Working on
For the past few days, I’ve been making some changes to the website. I’ve been redesigning the homepage, as well as the template for this newsletter you’re reading. Part of the fun of having a website is trying new things as you learn them. Since I don’t have a team of experts working for me, I’ve been trying to identify blindspots to address the areas that I could be taking more seriously. This includes copywriting, online writing, online marketing, and social networks, to name a few.
What I’m Listening to
The Game: Alex Hormozi recently released a new book titled $100M Leads and he posted free audiobook versions of his previous book, $100M Offers, as well as his new one, for free. I’ve been listening to the audiobook version of his first book first thing in the morning. Although I read and summarized $100M Offers back when it came out, I often reread some of my favorite books in order to really digest their principles.
What I’m Reading
Entrepreneur Revolution by Daniel Prestley: According to the author of this book, the last revolution was agricultural. We’re now living in another revolution, but this one is entrepreneurial. While a lot of people are resisting, the ones who will thrive are those who are willing to explore new ventures and opportunities. In other words, entrepreneurs.
What I’m Watching
Shinichi Sakamoto, manga creation in the digital era: I don’t need a new Kindle, but one of the reasons why I’d love to get a new Paperwhite is to read manga. Recently, I found myself going back to this amazing documentary where Archipel interviews Shin-ichi Sakamoto, the mangaka behind Innocent. Innocent is a historical manga set in the French Revolution and it looks stunning. I’ve been thinking about getting a bigger Kindle for manga. Since the one I have now still works well (I have the 2019 version of the Kindle Basic), I’m having a hard time justifying spending on a new one.
This Week’s Quote
Have you been approaching your relationships transactionally? (i.e., “I’ll do this for you but only if you do this for me.”)
Have you been approaching your work transactionally? (i.e., “I’ll do this just so I’ll get money/status/prestige.”)
Have you been dealing with your family transactionally? (i.e., “I sacrificed for you so now you have to do this thing for me in return.”)
If so, how’s that going for ya?
Mark Manson
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