#150 - Derek Sivers - Making Decisions, Achieving Excellence & Finding Meaning

Podcast Summary

• Derek Sivers' dedication to his work: Derek Sivers is fully committed to his projects, putting in long hours to bring his ideas to life, and emphasizes the importance of nuance and complex truths.

  Learning from this conversation with Derek Sivers is his dedication to his work and his ability to fully immerse himself in projects. He shared that he had been working tirelessly on his next book, "How to Live," for months, putting in 15-hour days. However, he had to pause his writing to attend to other business matters. Since then, he has been focusing on programming and developing systems for selling and translating his books online. This shows his commitment to his projects and his willingness to put in the time and effort to bring his ideas to fruition. Additionally, Derek emphasized the importance of nuance and the complexity of truth, encouraging listeners to delve deeper into topics and not settle for simple answers.

• Exploring new ways to optimize productivity and creativity: Embracing new methods like coding while walking or writing orally can lead to unique and enriching experiences, enhancing creativity and productivity.

  Exploring new ways to optimize productivity and creativity, such as coding while walking or writing orally, can lead to unique and inspiring experiences. Steven Wolfram, a coding expert, provides an extreme example of this with his specialized laptop harness that allows him to code while walking. The combination of being outside and the movement seems to enhance the creative process. For instance, writing while walking is an intriguing concept that could be practiced with the help of voice recording and dictation software. The appeal lies in the potential freedom from the constraints of traditional writing methods. Additionally, reading and walking have already been optimized with audiobooks, leaving writing as the next frontier for this approach. The idea is to learn this new skill step by step, just as one would with learning a new language or instrument. A book, "Sum" by David Eagleman, serves as an inspiration with its creative and thought-provoking format, which explores various possibilities of what happens when we die. Overall, embracing new methods and tools to enhance creativity and productivity can lead to unique and enriching experiences.

• Considering the advantages of inaction before making a change: Acknowledge the benefits of staying the course before deciding to alter the direction of your life, as seen in the minimalist approach to content from a songwriter's perspective.

  During life's crossroad moments, it's essential to consider the benefits of both staying the course and making a change. The speaker emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the advantages of inaction before deciding to alter the direction of one's life. The minimalist approach to content, as seen in the speaker's writing, is a result of years spent as a songwriter, striving to convey messages succinctly. The speaker's book, "How to Live," follows this lean format to answer the question of how to live. The average length of their articles and book chapters is only 22 sentences, ensuring readers engage fully with the content.

• Consider the benefits of doing nothing: When making decisions, weigh the benefits of staying the same against potential new actions for informed choices.

  When making decisions, it's important to consider not only the benefits and drawbacks of potential actions, but also the benefits of doing nothing. This approach, as suggested in the book "The Courage to be Disliked," encourages us to identify why we might be hesitant to change and acknowledge the benefits of staying the same. By bringing these reasons to the surface, we can weigh them against the potential benefits of new actions and make more informed decisions. Warren Buffett's partner, Charlie Munger, emphasized the importance of making a limited number of high-quality investments in life, encouraging us to wait for the right opportunities and fully commit when we find them. Ultimately, different approaches and tools can be useful in various situations, and it's essential to understand the context and choose the right one for the specific decision at hand.

• Explore widely, then focus deeply: Start by saying yes to everything and doing it all, then focus on success areas and say no to distractions. Value depth and thoughtfulness in your work.

  It's better to explore widely in the beginning of your career and then focus deeply once you find what resonates with you. Derek Sivers suggests saying yes to everything and doing it all when you're starting out. Later, when you find success in a particular area, it's important to stay focused and say no to distractions. He also emphasizes the value of slow thinking and not feeling the need to provide quick answers. Instead, taking time to consider and reflect can lead to more interesting insights. Sivers is currently pursuing a path as a great writer and thinker, and he values the depth and thoughtfulness that comes with this approach. Ultimately, it's important to identify your unique value and adjust your strategies accordingly.

• Identifying Values Through Actions: Values shape our lives, may change with experiences, and can be clarified by noticing actions vs words. Exercise to align daily life with core values.

  Values are essential in shaping our lives, and they are best identified through our actions rather than just our words. The speaker shared their personal values, which include curiosity, adventure, selfless development, excellence, and self-care. They emphasized that values are not always clear-cut and may change as we gain new experiences. The speaker also cautioned against oversimplifying our self-identity and encouraged trying out new things to truly understand what we value. The values we claim to hold may not always align with our actions, so it's essential to notice the discrepancies and be open to adjusting our beliefs accordingly. The values exercise can help us make the most of our time and ensure that most of what we do daily aligns with our core values.

• Embrace the ever-changing nature of yourself: It's okay to evolve and grow, past selves don't define us completely, embrace freedom from continuity bias and expectations

  Our values and desires can change over time and it's important to acknowledge the nuance and conditional situations in our lives. We don't need to oversimplify and label ourselves as one thing or another. Life is full of color and we can embrace the ever-changing nature of ourselves. It's okay to have different phases and make new decisions that align with who we are in the present moment. Our past selves do not define us completely, and it would be sad to live our lives trying to please an older version of ourselves. We should not be bound by continuity bias or the expectations of others. Instead, we should embrace the freedom to evolve and grow.

• Balancing current goals and new distractions: Determine personal wants, balance goals vs distractions, and strive for fulfillment, not validation from others. Embrace the uniqueness of individual paths.

  Each person must determine for themselves what they want in life, whether it's staying focused on current goals or exploring new distractions. The concept of "what you want now versus what you want most" can help guide this decision. Ultimately, what works for one person may not work for another, and there is no inherently right or wrong approach to life. Additionally, our mortality serves as a reminder to make the most of our fleeting time and live our lives in a way that brings us fulfillment, rather than seeking meaning or validation from others.

• The meaning of life is a personal journey of growth and discovery: Exploring new perspectives, learning, and growing are key components of the meaning of life. It's a personal journey, and the fear of death may drive our search for meaning.

  According to the speaker, the meaning of life is a continuous process of growth, learning, and discovery. He finds joy in exploring new perspectives and sharing them with the world. He believes that every action, no matter how small or large, has a purpose and contributes to his personal growth. The speaker also suggests that the question of the meaning of life may stem from a fear of death and a desire to justify our existence. He acknowledges that people may be seeking guidance to find meaning and purpose in their lives, but ultimately, it is a personal journey. The speaker values the process of learning and growing, and views his work as a legacy to be left behind after his death.

• The impact of our thoughts and creativity lives on: Our thoughts, personality, and creative output continue to exist and influence others after our death. Prioritize creating content with a long-term perspective for a lasting impact.

  Our thoughts, personality, and creative output live on after we die, and the impact we have on others through our content is eternal. Darren Brown, the magician and author, emphasized this idea in his book "Happy" by stating that our thought patterns define our personality, and sharing them with loved ones or publicly continues to exist beyond our physical lives. This perspective challenges the traditional notion of mourning the loss of famous figures, as those who continue to enjoy their past work are not truly affected by their death. Additionally, creating content with a long-term perspective in mind, such as using plain HTML and text, can ensure its longevity. The website designer in the discussion emphasizes this approach by intentionally creating a minimal, hand-coded site with no contemporary tooling, expecting it to last for centuries. This idea of focusing on the eternal nature of our thoughts, personality, and creative output can serve as a reminder to prioritize the impact we have on others and the legacy we leave behind.

• Setting boundaries with technology for focus and peace: Implement rules to limit digital consumption, work offline, and power off devices for improved productivity, focus, and better sleep habits.

  The speaker values disconnecting from the digital world for focus and peace. He prefers using plain text files and working offline, going as far as powering off his internet and phone for the last few hours of his day. This practice helps him avoid distractions and interruptions, allowing him to fully focus on his work. Additionally, he has implemented rules in his personal life, such as keeping electronics out of his bedroom, to further reduce his digital consumption and promote better sleep habits. Overall, the speaker's approach emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries with technology to improve productivity, focus, and overall well-being.

• The impact of poor parenting on a child's perception of fatherhood: Recognize procrastination as a barrier to excellence, acknowledge it, and return to tasks to pursue dreams, rather than wasting time on distractions.

  Observing the absence of good parenting in a friend's household left a strong impression on the speaker's son, leading him to associate playing video games as the opposite of being a good father. The speaker values excellence in life and believes that procrastination is a barrier to achieving our goals. To overcome procrastination, one must acknowledge it and return to the task at hand, even if it's uncomfortable. The concept of excellence, according to the speaker, means facing challenges and pursuing our dreams with determination, rather than wasting time on distractions like video games or social media. In essence, the speaker's discussion highlights the importance of being present in our children's lives and striving for excellence in all aspects of life.

• Choosing the difficult path for excellence: Procrastination hinders excellence, precision is key, fear of failure leads to inaction, embrace change and new perspectives, don't let fear inoculate us from success

  Excellence is the result of choosing the difficult path despite feeling uncomfortable or uncertain. Procrastination, or giving into easier distractions, hinders the pursuit of excellence. Precision, defined as doing what you mean to do, is a key characteristic of excellence. People may fear failure or find it difficult to start, leading to procrastination and ultimately, private failure. It's important to acknowledge nuance and avoid oversimplifying complex ideas. Change and growth involve challenging core beliefs and embracing new perspectives. The quote, "sometimes we procrastinate to ensure that we inoculate ourselves from public failure, but the interesting thing is, by procrastinating we do inoculate ourselves from public success," highlights the importance of taking action and not letting fear hold us back.

• Acknowledging Nuance in Communication: Recognizing nuance in communication can lead to a better understanding of complex situations. Mental models like the barbell strategy help us navigate both black and white thinking. Admire those who simplify complex ideas, but ensure sufficient context is provided.

  While succinctness can help ideas spread, it often falls short of conveying the full truth. The truth is nuanced and complex, and can vary greatly depending on individual circumstances and perspectives. This constant acknowledgement of nuance is a new perspective for the speaker. She shared an example of a friend who was unhappy with her relationship but wasn't ready to leave, and how recognizing this nuance helped them understand her situation better. The speaker also mentioned the importance of mental models like the barbell strategy, which allows for both black and white thinking and understanding nuance. She also expressed admiration for those who can distill complex ideas into simple aphorisms, but acknowledged the importance of providing sufficient context for those ideas to be fully understood. The speaker is currently working on several books, but emphasized the importance of self-publishing and taking the time to get things right.

• Prioritizing control and autonomy over financial gains: Some creators prefer self-publishing and DIY ethos to retain full control and rights, despite potential financial losses.

  Maintaining control over the creative process and business aspects of one's work is a priority for some creators, even if it means selling fewer units or adhering to a more DIY ethos. The speaker shares their experience of feeling restricted by a major publishing company, Penguin, and their desire to self-publish and self-print their books to retain full rights and control. They also express a disdain for relying on large corporations like Amazon and a preference for the independent, punk spirit of the pre-Internet era. The speaker's emotional attachment to the creative process and their desire for autonomy outweighs the potential financial gains of working with larger entities. This approach may not be rational in a traditional sense, but emotions and the feeling of control play a significant role in creative work and personal fulfillment.

• Self-publishing Hardcover Books: Personal Connection and Control: Self-publishing hardcover books allows for custom dedications, personal communication, and control over the publishing process, emphasizing the importance of written work preservation and distrust of corporate middlemen.

  Derek Mann, an author and self-publisher, shared his experience of self-publishing and printing hardcover books, which raised the stakes of his writing and allowed him to offer custom dedications to his readers. He emphasized the importance of owning the publishing process and using open, uncommercial media forms like email for communication. Derek also expressed his distrust of corporate middlemen and the importance of preserving written work in plain text files and email lists. He encouraged listeners to visit his website, Sivir's.org, to email him directly and engage in conversation. Overall, Derek's approach to self-publishing emphasizes the value of personal connection and control in the publishing process.