Quotes
“Opportunities don't happen; you create them.” — Chris Grosser
“Don't let someone else's opinion of you become your reality” — Les Brown
“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” — Stephen R. Covey
“Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” —Warren Buffet
“The greater the difficulty, the more the glory in surmounting it.” ―Epicurus
“Happiness depends upon ourselves." —Teronie J. Donaldson (Yup, that's me -- cool, right?)
Notes/Observations
(On motivation/accountability)
Few people are built with innate drive - without a boss or someone to keep you accountable; there is zero urgency to do anything. If you’ve done okay financially and have savings, the urge to work is non-existent until you run out of money.
I realized this lesson during the Covid Pandemic. I sat on the sidelines and lived off savings and credit; while creatively, I did well, I still needed to work, and by not doing so when I had the opportunity, I became lazy in some ways. But I will never forget the lesson which helps my drive now.
"Without accountability, it is easy to get lazy."
Articles
Watched
Dave Ramsey shares 5 things everyone should do with money. “If you do these 5 over a couple of decades, 100% of the time, you will get results that will blow your mind!”
Rushion McDonald is a modern-day renaissance man whose career accomplishments range from comedy titles to award-winning baking to numerous hit shows under the global Steve Harvey brand.
His ability to constantly reinvent himself comes from his willingness to start from scratch, regardless of difficulty or doubt.
Producer of Family Feud and host of Money Making Conversations, Rushion McDonald, tells how he’s been able to live a limitless life on this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu.
Book of the Week
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard B. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein
Nudge shows you how you can unconsciously make better decisions by designing your environment. Hence, it nudges you in the right direction whenever temptation becomes greatest.
It’s not always about bold actors and strategic thrusts. Sometimes strategy is about subtle influence. Sometimes it is framing and small tweaks that change behavior.
My biggest takeaway
We can have big aims but get there with little moves. A vital lesson in an instant gratification, get rich and successful quick era of our times.
Another interesting takeaway was the "Target practice in a toilet bowl" part.
It might not seem logical, but according to published studies, a fly painted on the inside of a urinal bowl helps focus attention and improve aim, reducing urine spillage by 80% because it changed where men aimed when they peed.
This is an example of nudge theory, and it pinpoints seemingly irrational human responses to influence standard behavior.
Strategy
Self Accountability is vital.
Here are five tips for holding yourself accountable:
Start small. Don't expect to become a self-accountability expert overnight.
Set goals. Goal-setting forces you to own what you set out to do, so think carefully about your goals.
Create a schedule.
Reward yourself.
Have an accountability partner.
Question
Do you have someone to keep you accountable to your goal(s)?