This Week’s BIG Idea
During a long walk this week, I kept thinking about an idea that wouldn’t go away. Everyone has two versions of themselves: the higher version and the lower one and this inner dichotomy creates constant tension. Although everyone’s higher and lower versions of themselves want something different, they all have something in common. When you’re being the higher version of yourself you accomplish something you’re proud of and doing it leaves lasting effects. When you’re the lower version of yourself you’re left empty and its effects are fleeting.
In my case, the higher version of myself reads, writes, and does deep work. When I do those things, I focus on a challenging task for a long time without any distractions. During the session, I push my cognitive abilities to the fullest which means I’m reading a difficult book, working on a complex article, or learning something that challenges me and invites me to leave my comfort zone. As a result, I come up with something I’m proud of, such as a new article I can post on the site or maybe I’m closer to mastering a meaningful habit.
Also, I notice that I do my best work when I’m disconnected from the internet. This means I’m not checking my phone for new notifications or opening new tabs on my computer to do research. I want to be the higher version of myself, but an emotional barrier prevents me from doing it effortlessly. Author Steven Pressfield refers to this barrier as The Resistance. As difficult as overcoming that barrier is, once I do it, I feel energized and lose myself in what I’m doing.
When I’m the lower version of myself, I passively consume content someone else has made. I also multitask and feel hyperconnected. There’s an inherent sense of busyness and distraction to the whole ordeal. It’s as if I’m going in different directions and making no progress in any of them. The deluge of content and possibilities makes me feel overwhelmed and anxious. Since there’s no point in doing this, I find the ordeal mentally and physically draining. At the end of the session, I have nothing to show for it.
So how do you resolve this conflict between the two sides of yourself? After all, they want completely different things. In my case, the higher version of myself wants uninterrupted periods to study and produce something of value. The lower version of myself wants to consume shallow content passively to distract himself for as long as possible. When this happens, remember you’re not a spectator to my life, but an active participant. You have agency, which means that deep down, you know what’s best for you. What will happen if you continue to be the best version of yourself? Likewise, what will happen if you’re the lower version of yourself?
Being a responsible adult implies taking responsibility for our actions. We have a limited time on this planet and our moral obligation is to make the most of it. Life’s impermanent. That’s what makes it meaningful. Flowers wilt, clocks keep ticking, and even if it makes us uncomfortable, we’ll die one day. So what will it be? Netflix or that book on your nightstand you’ve been telling yourself you will read?
What I’m Working on
The latest article I posted on the site is 10x Is Easier than 2x by Dan Sullivan. In the book, the author teaches people to expand their most important freedoms (time, money, relationships, and purpose) to grow ten times more without putting in ten times the effort. This is a genuinely great book and I also enjoyed the author’s previous book, The Gap and the Gain.
What I’m Listening to
Stoic Secrets to Letting Go: as I said previously, I’m only subscribed to two YouTube channels whose content I watch regularly (Mark Manson’s and Ali Abdaal’s). As soon as this video popped up on my feed, I was excited to watch it. I know people are used to watching conversations between best-selling authors, but the fact that Mark Manson interviewed Ryan Holiday felt like a momentous occasion. These authors have been incredibly influential to me personally and I know I’m not the only one, so if you’re remotely interested in this interview, you should check it out.
What I’m Reading
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: I spent the last week completely immersed in this book. The Anxious Generation was eye-opening because it taught me many things about people from my generation and those from newer generations. In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt talks about the root cause of mental illness in the younger generation (spoiler alert: it’s because of smartphones). As a parent, this is probably the best book I’ve read.
What I’m Watching
My Honesty Advice to Someone Who Wants Financial Freedom: in this video, Abdaal talks about a conversation he had with an acquaintance. The person wanted to achieve financial independence, but he didn’t have a plan to get there. Ultimately, the best way to achieve what you want is by following a plan and studying what others have done before you. Something Ali recommends, for example, is reading business books.
This Week’s Quote
“If you already live a comfortable life, then choosing to make more money but live a worse daily life is a bad trade. And yet, we talk ourselves into it all the time. We take promotions that pay more but swallow our free time. We already have a successful business, but we break ourselves trying to make it even more successful. Too much focus on wealth, not enough focus on lifestyle.”
James Clear
Here’s a link to my website where I share chapter-by-chapter summaries of non-fiction books.
You can subscribe to my newsletter on Substack here.