This Skill Will Set You Apart

Table of Contents

• Mindset: Yet

• Life Skill: Action

• Career Advice: Create Rules Based Systems

• This is Cool: Hiring Our First Employee

• Bonus: Basic New Years Resolutions

MINDSET OF THE WEEK
Your Year of ‘Yet’

You have to believe it is possible.

Not a delusional certainty, but at least possible.

Is there a non-zero chance that you will be able to accomplish that goal, achieve that milestone, ascend that mountain?

Yes.

I believe words matter. Both the words you choose to use inside your head, and of course the ones that exit your mouth.

A big part of the reason why this newsletter exists, and why I’m driven to do the work that I do, is because I (and many, many others) want young people to understand that a massive part of the formula that determines the quality of your life is determined by the stories you create in your head.

And the words you write that story with matter.

Yet is a great example of that.

Consider two almost identical scenarios.

• Person A consistently remarks that they can’t whatever their goal is (i.e. play Wonderwall on the guitar).

• Person B is in the same position, but they add yet at the end of that sentence.

Who are you putting your money on to follow through and accomplish that goal?

Story A is an outcome.

Story B is a possibility.

I get that it might sound silly, but there’s no downside to choosing words that have a positive effect on you succeeding.

Even better would be to add a sentence after, talking about the actions you’re taking to bring it to life.

I can’t play Wonderwall on the guitar, yet. But I’m practicing every week, and have a recital on the calendar in three months from now.

Start with, yet. You can always layer more on.

LIFE SKILLS
Action is a Skill

Using the right words helps, but words without action is simply wishful thinking, and misaligned expectations.

In fact, if you live in reality, the word yet implies action will be taken.

We don’t currently talk about action like it’s a skill that can be learned. That’s a big unlock in the students I coach.

My easy solution: rebrand initiative to action.

Initiative seems harder to define, and is often reserved for use when creating a resume, or receiving an award.

Initiative feels singular, and one off. Action is universal and fundamental.

Here’s how Shaan Puri, a seasoned entrepreneur with multiple exits explains how anyone can develop action, once we start referring to it as a skill.

💡 If you take nothing else from this section, do this…

☑️ Make it Real ☑️ 

Grab a sticky note, and copy this down as you see it:

What should I do?
Will this work?
How can I take massive action on this idea?
How can I move with speed on this?

💡 Reps. Reflection. Repeat.

CAREER ADVICE
Create Rules Based Systems

Friendly reminder that you should take all this ‘plan your best year yet’ content with a grain of salt. Even the stuff I’m sharing here.

There’s no one size fits all solution that works for everyone. If there was, we’d obviously all do that.

Best case scenario is you get exposed to a number of different perspectives, take action on what seems interesting, and then over time and through reflection, frankenstein an approach that works for you.

That’s largely what I do.

For example, Austin thinks that goals are overrated. Maybe he really believes that, or maybe he knows how to create a hook on LinkedIn that will get people to stop scrolling. Not sure.

Regardless, I tend to agree with him. About the systems approach anyway, I still set goals.

But then most importantly, I create a system that will allow me to achieve those goals, and then evaluate my performance based on how well I adhered to that system, not whether or not I achieved that goal.

What I appreciate the most about Austin’s distaste towards goals is the bit about then. I can get behind that.

If you’re goal has a date attached to it that’s 6 months away, you’re waiting half a year to potentially be happy; assuming you accomplish the goal, and it actually makes you happy.

Most people today tend to shrug off their wins and move the goal posts before the confetti has even hit the floor.

I’d rather play a game where winning everyday is not only possible, but within my control.

The solution is prioritizing systems over goals. Goals are what; systems are how.

A goal is driving from point A to point B. The system is you applying gas. Most people overlook systems and wonder why their car never moved.

One layer I would encourage you to add on top of the systems, are rules.

In this analogy, rules are street lights and stop signs. If green, go. If red, stop.

I picked this up after hearing Shane Parrish talk about it. The exercise example hit home with me hard. It’s in the second video; they’re only 1 min each.

I used to try and work out 3+ days a week. But then it became a negotiation, with myself. And somehow I found myself on the losing end.

Hit solution was to create a system that requires exercise every day. Then it’s no longer a negotiation, it’s a rule.

As he so beautifully puts it below:

☑️ Make it Real ☑️ 

What’s a priority for you this year?

Take 10 minutes to define a rules based system you can experiment with to increase the likelihood of doing what you said you were going to do.

THIS IS COOL
The MLS team is growing

Sometime around June 28th, Modern Life Skills will be hiring it’s first employee.

Not sure yet whether it will be a boy or girl joining the team.

This will be baby #1 in our house, so we’re very excited.

Any and all new parenting advice is welcomed.

BONUS
New Years Resolutions: Back to the Basics

A big theme of mine this year is going to be focusing on mastering the basics.

For a longggg time, I was quick to chase the next/new thing.

But I’ve come to the realization that it’s usually the simplest, most basic, time tested advice that we’ve already heard 1000 times that ultimately works best.

It appears that Chris Williamson, host of the Modern Wisdom podcast has come to a similar conclusion. He’s talked to hundreds of elite performers, athletes, thinkers.

And what he’s learned through conversations, and application, is that he typically gets the best return on investment, from the simplest resolutions.

Whatever resolution(s) you land on this year, just remember:

• You’re not there, yet

• Yet requires action

• Reward effort tied to action (system), not only the outcome (goal)

• Babies are expensive. Consider financially supporting Modern Life Skills