As the coronavirus-forced lockdown makes me spend more time at home, I have recently started listening to a lot more podcasts – both as a go-to-sleep ritual and while doing the dishes.
Some of these podcast episodes are so good, I decided I’ll note down the most important takeaways for me personally.
I am not intending this to be an exhaustive piece, noting down every highlight. Just what appealed to me the most at that point. If you want to read all highlights, here’s a link to those on the Farnam Street website.
Side note : My gut says, that when I revisit these episodes, I’m likely to have different insights pop out to me. Just like how re-reading books give you different/incremental experiences every time based on your experiences, current and past.
Separate the fact from the story
We layer our stories, our perceptions, our conclusions on top of our factual observations.
I did not get that job I applied for. Fact.
I am not good enough for the roles I am looking for. Story.
Stories then go on to dictate how good or bad we are feeling about ourselves. How optimistic we are about our future, near or long-term.
And unless you’re really good at being level-headed, extreme positive or extreme negative emotions can easily put you into a spiral.
If you can learn to separate what’s a story you’re telling yourself from what’s a fact, you can manage your emotions. Managing emotions can help manage thoughts, and actions.
I think this basically comes from being more self-aware of what feelings are going through your head. And where are they coming from.
Facts are actionable. Facts are objective. Often grounded in a real event. Tangible.
I did not get a job? I’ll apply to more jobs. I did not get a job? What am I lacking? Let me polish the skills or my resume parts that I need to.
Stories are emotions with an agenda.
I am not good enough. So maybe I should stop trying. What’s the point anyway?
Deep work vs. meetings
If you are someone who complains about too many meetings on the calendar, start by blocking off time for yourself to do deep work.
That’s it.
If someone has something really urgent that they want to schedule in that slot, they’ll ask you if you can move things. Take a call then.
Planning for decision fatigue
Decision-making is a finite resource. The more exhausted we are, the more prone we are to make decisions that are not in our best interest. Or at least, not aligned to our stated goals and objectives. (IIRC, Daniel Kahneman expands on this beautifully in his book, “Thinking, Fast and Slow”).
It’s why gym is harder to do after a tiring work day. More so if you are just beginning to work out routinely.
Find a way to conserve your decision-making powers. Find ways to automate things in your life so that they become routine.
I use calendars and reminders LIBERALLY to make sure I fall into habits.
After enough recurrences, I find my anchors in other more well-established routines.
For example, if I want to start reading before going to bed, I’ll set a nightly reminder. Around the time I usually go to sleep. After enough recurrences, I’ll pick a book automatically whenever I start my go-to-sleep routine.
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