This Week’s BIG Idea
Ever since I came up with the idea for this website, my life has been an experiment. Everything I’ve tried came out of books. That said, I didn’t know if these new habits were going to improve my life or not. When I look at the list of summaries on the site, I think about those habits. I’ve learned about language learning, taking pictures, ranking well on Google, investing, organize my digital life, among many other topics. I’ve done my best to document that journey, but sometimes I wonder if people are interested in this. I love helping others and the numbers I see on Google Analytics suggest that a lot of people see value in what I do. Nevertheless, maybe my coverage has been shallow and visitors would like a more detailed account of what I did (and why).
When I started the site, I had yet to learn it was going to attract thousands of visitors. I thought my content was going to vibe with a handful of people and that’s it. Now that I’m a couple of years into this journey, I realize there’s a desire for high-quality summaries of non-fiction books and I love to be able to provide that for people. I read those books not just for fun, but because I want to implement some of their principles. This is when I decided that I was going to implement new habits. The result was treating my life as an experiment.
Some of those books encouraged me to create a business, change my diet, exercise regularly, and learn as much as I could on certain topics. I’ve treated myself as a guinea pig, incorporating what worked and letting go of what didn’t. There are practical applications to what I do and maybe if I do a better job of explaining that, more people can join me.
If any of what I’m doing brings you joy or benefit, I’d love to hear from you. I decided to treat my life as an experiment to become a 2.0 version of myself. Before reading and summarizing books, I felt lost and those books gave me the tools I needed to improve. I’m by no means suggesting that I’m perfect, but I’ve made some positive changes and I’d love to help others do the same. The best idea I’ve had so far was to share everything I’ve learned in the form of chapter-by-chapter summaries. Maybe I can do something similar that helps even more people.
What I’m Working on
I’ve spent the last couple of days transcribing my summary of Outlive. This has been one of the best books on health I’ve ever read. The thing I loved the most about the book is that it combines several topics in the same book. For those unfamiliar, Outlive focuses on exercise, sleep, nutrition, and more. I just finished writing the article, but it’ll be a couple of days until I post it on the site.
What I’m Listening to
Fire’s Highway by Japandroids: I came across this video a few days ago. I loved it, but for some reason, I forgot all about it, so I never listened to it again. Sometimes I reminisce about old things. Examples include cel-animation and garage rock fall under that category. I was a teenager when bands like The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, and Japandroids came out. I often think about that quote from the movie Stand by Me”: “I Never Had Any Friends Later On Like The Ones I Had When I Was Twelve. Jesus, Does Anyone?” Sometimes you don’t know you’re experiencing something special until it’s gone.
What I’m Reading
Drop Dead Healthy by A. J. Jacobs: in the introduction to this article, I talked about treating my life as an experiment. But that’s not the most original idea. I’ve read about this in The Happiness Project and The Productivity Project. Those books are like doing homework for months; the payoff is usually fascinating. Similarly, in Drop Dead Healthy, Jacobs decides he’s going to be in the best health of his life. He exercises, counts calories, and tries different diets. I know most people who have read this book dismiss it as something funny and weird, but there’s actual science behind some of the bizarre experiments Jacobs tries. I know this book’s not for everyone, but it scratches a very specific itch.
What I’m Watching
6 Important Truths No One Wants to Hear by Marc Manson: I’ve been a fan of Mark Manson’s podcast ever since he announced it. I love his website too, but since there are so many fascinating articles on it, I find it daunting. The best part about the podcast is that it breaks down a lot of ideas from his articles, but he does it in a more conversational and approachable manner. Also, I like the chemistry the author has with his assistant. By the way, here are the main takeaways from the episode:
- When it comes to health, wealth, and love, if you think you have a problem, then you have a problem.
- Sexy and exciting results come from doing all the boring things well.
- Consistency matters more than intensity.
- People will tend to feel about you the way you feel about yourself.
- One day you will look back on your problems today with nostalgia and fondness. Learn to appreciate them now.
- The only thing all of your problems have in common is you.
This Week’s Quote
“The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life.”
Jessica Hische
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