Hey uguba ndubuisi, I hope you're having a great summer.
This week, we're going to talk about a few topics – the value of kindness, morning routines, a guide to starting your day off well, and insights from four new books I read recently.
Before we dive in, a couple of updates:
❶ Steph Smith and I officially launched our new course about how to leverage the Eliminate, Automate, Delegate, and Iterate Framework to be more effective in life and work. The initial feedback has been extremely positive and focused on how actionable the course is. If you want to learn more and join the nearly 600 people who have already bought the course, you can do so here. Use the code lrcommunity for 25% off. As a heads up, the price will increase to $200 soon.
❷ I'm visiting Alaska soon. If you have any tips or things that I should 100% do while I'm there, let me know!
Failures of Kindness
In his 2013 commencement speech at Syracuse University, writer George Saunders had one simple message for the graduates: be kinder.
We all know the value of kindness, especially when we receive it unexpectedly from others in the times we need it most.
But how often do we practice kindness in our lives?
When the challenges of life come up – a colleague who's annoying you, an argument with your significant other, or a stranger who says something you find idiotic – how often do you stay open-minded, patient, and kind?
It's more likely that you contribute to the problem by creating mental stories that make you spiral or doing things that escalate the situation.
Today, I want to encourage you to try to be 5% kinder. The rewards for your own inner peace and feeling of connection to others are worth the effort.
To start, read or listen to George Saunders' beautiful speech: Failures of Kindness. His words will likely resonate much more than mine.
"Being kinder" may seem obvious or trite, but it's a lifelong and rewarding pursuit. It begins with a decision to be kinder with your actions today.
Simple Morning Routine
I've experimented with many morning routines over the years. Generally, I've found that being consistent with what you do every morning can help you get your day off to a better "average start."
Getting a better average start is valuable because even small improvements in clarity and performance compound over time. While I've changed routines over the years to reflect changes in my goals, this short routine has been working really well for me lately.
Wake up around 6-6:30am naturally. Before checking my phone.
- Drink a glass or two of water. I often add electrolytes.
- Go for a 5-10 minute walk outside to get sunlight and move.
- Journal with no purpose to clear my thoughts for 5 minutes.
- Read for 5 minutes.
- Drink non-caffeinated tea to avoid caffeine in first 90-120 minutes.
The routine is easy to do and takes 20-30 minutes. I end up feeling more hydrated, energized, and clear than when I first wake up.
You can also easily layer in meditation, structured journaling (e.g., What are three things that I'm grateful for?), or light exercise.
"Just For Today"
I originally discovered the daily program below in Dale Carnegie's How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. It's written by Sibyl F. Partridge, and I think it's a beautiful way to level your mind and get more out of each day.
I encourage you to read this right before you sit down and start work for the day. It's a good reminder of how making our lives great ultimately starts with making today great.
If the language seems a little outdated or doesn't resonate for one reason or another, consider editing it so that it resonates with who you want to be.
Just For Today
1. Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
2. Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
3. Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse it nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.
4. Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
5. Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do, as William James suggests, just for exercise.
6. Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor find fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
7. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.
8. Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurrying and indecision.
9. Just for today I will have a quiet half-hour all by myself and relax. In this half-hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.
10. Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.
New book notes
After a bit of a "reading rut," I'm finally cruising through books again. This week, I published my notes for four new books in Foundations.
Mastering the Market Cycle by Howard Marks: In this book, Howard Marks gives a masterclass in economics and markets. He introduces you to the natural cycles that repeatedly occur in markets over time and the factors that drive them. While the details differ across different markets and times, the patterns repeat. With an enhanced understanding of cycles and how they work, you walk away with a better understanding of what drives markets, how to think about where we may currently be in a cycle, and how to use that information to position yourself to benefit.
Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday: Ryan Holiday provides a framework for learning how to slow down and better deal with the overwhelming amount of information that's coming at us. Leveraging stories, he shows us how mastering our minds, souls, and bodies can help us create more stillness and equanimity in our lives. Once we're more "still," we can think more clearly, more easily make decisions, form better relationships, feel better, and focus on what matters.
Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Taleb: Through stories about investing, thought experiments, and lessons from history, Nassim Taleb explores the idea of how randomness influences our world more than we think. He argues that the world is not entirely random – there is a role for hard work, skills, and being prepared to help you ascend – but the role of luck is greater than you might imagine. By the end, you'll walk away with a greater appreciation for how randomness influences our lives and the ways you can avoid common and sometimes costly traps.
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie: In this time-tested book, Dale Carnegie shows us how to conquer worry and anxiety. Via engaging stories that reveal helpful lessons and practical frameworks, Carnegie arms you with an array of tools that will help you start living more fully and without the harmful effects of worry. Even though this book was written in 1936, the deceptively simple lessons from this book will help you better navigate the noise of the modern era.
You can access all of my notes and key takeaways for each of these books with Foundations, my growing digital notebook with curated insights from the books I've read.
After starting the year with less than 80 books, Foundations now has 108 books and nearly 150 users.
Use the discount code lrcommunity for 20% off at checkout.
Thanks for tuning in, and see you in two weeks.
Cheers,
Cal
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