"Radically rethink how you communicate"
"I've got some tough medicine for you" — the not-so-gentle words that kick off his TEDx talk.
The big picture: Readers are busier and more distracted than ever.
Most skim, not read.
We look at subject lines, headlines, maybe a tweet, then move on.
In most cases, you want to know what is new and why it matters — then get on with your life.
^ADJ: Get the book - well worth the read: The Power of Saying More with Less
How to Break Up with Your Bad Habits
Why is breaking a habit so difficult? Because habits are made up of three components: a trigger (for example, feeling stressed), a behavior (browsing the Internet), and a reward (feeling sated). Each time we reinforce the reward, we become more likely to repeat the behavior. This is why old habits are so hard to break — it takes more than self-control to change them. But after 20 years of studying the behavioral neuroscience of how habits form, and the best way to tackle them, researchers have found a surprisingly natural solution: using mindfulness training to make people more aware of the “reward” reinforcing their behavior. Doing so helps people tap into what is driving their habit in the first place. Once this happens, they are more easily able to change their association with the “reward” from a positive one to a more accurate (and often negative) one.
^ADJ: I am a little obsessed about Habits and how they make a difference to performance in life. Defintely worth thinking about item #3: Replace the reward with curiosity
There are no Shortcuts: Why Showing up In Person is Everything
You had an amazing meeting with an investor. The dialog was great. They told you how much they loved your space. The meeting was only supposed to last 45 minutes but you ran 90.
^ADJ: Critical takeout:
"I always tell people that fund raising is a sales process. The investor has money and the entrepreneur is selling ownership in his or her company. But the real product being bought or sold is “trust.” Trust that you can deliver on what you say you’re going to do, trust that you will follow up when you say you will, trust that you will be a pleasure to work with, trust that in good times and bad you’ll be committed to making the investment valuable."
I keep getting asked about shortcuts, and golden bullets - they are in short supply! Focus on the basics.
Rescuing a project in progress
A friend of mine called. He was overwhelmed by a home renovation project that ballooned in size. What started as a simple kitchen countertop replacement turned into more work in the kitchen, new lighting throughout the house, a master bathroom gut rehab, and new flooring in every room. It became too much.
^ADJ: Loved this process: Stop, status, selection, focus, finish, next.
How to use AI to do practical stuff: A new guide
We live in an era of practical AI, but many people haven’t yet experienced it, or, if they have, they might have wondered what the big deal is. Thus, this guide. It is a modified version of one I put out for my students earlier in the year, but a lot has changed. It is an overview of ways to get AI to do practical things.