Tag: Failure

Self-Awareness, Being Provocative, Shaking Up The NFL

Posted on by Greg

Rupert is reading 'No Country For Old Men'.

An unintentional theme developed as I compiled the links for this weekend: moving confidently forward and shaking things up. The first link shows us how to establish a foundation for development before the second challenges us to not just question the status quo but to take action toward changing it. A piece on Chip Kelly, coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, rounds out the links with a practical example of these ideas in action and the results that have been achieved.

Why Self-Awareness Is the Secret Weapon for Habit Change

The dedication required to change our mind and behavior is the fight of our lives.

This fantastic piece by Paul Jun about self-awareness underscores the importance of understanding yourself and then using that understanding to further your development. He begins by challenging us to stop fooling ourselves with excuses before encouraging reflection on our mistakes (and successes) that should eliminate the need for those excuses. He also prescribes a “philosophical foundation” for your actions that will help keep you centered and focused.

Unlock Your Creative Genius: 4 Steps To Being Provocative With A Purpose (via)

Following from the first article about knowing ourselves and moving confidently forward, here are a few thoughts on being disruptive in a productive (and creative) way. The premise is familiar – the 9 to 5 doesn’t inspire us, children are more imaginative than adults, etc. – but the recipe for innovation on offer here is a practical one that you can put into practice immediately (and without quitting your day job). Resting on your laurels certainly isn’t moving you forward, so click through for a few easy tips on how to stave off stagnation.

The Influencer

Rounding out a week of innovation is an interesting examination of the ways in which Chip Kelly, coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, has tackled (pun shamelessly intended) the status quo in the NFL. His innovations extend beyond playcalls (there is some football nerdery in the middle of the piece but handy GIFs illustrate the plays being described) and into the way the organization is structured and operates in regard to practices and meetings. His implementation of sport science advances (such as monitors that track player health vitals) resulted in the Eagles having the second-fewest injuries among NFL teams last season. For (even casual) sports fans and productivity nerds, it doesn’t get much cooler than this.

ToVa Rewind:

Build A Custom ‘Inflow’ To Stay On Top Of Things
‘Create’ Free Time By Being Early

Rupert is reading: No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

Have a great weekend!

Coping With Ignorance, Better Brainstorming, A Ticking Clock

Posted on by Greg

Rupert is reading 'Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles'

This weekend: cope with not being the smartest person in the room, execute better (and less painful) group brainstorming sessions and get served constant reminders of your mortality (in the name of wasting less time, naturally).

7 Tips for Working With People Who Are Smarter Than You (via)

We’re not always going to be the expert, so how do we deal with our relative ignorance? As this great piece points out, the kicker doesn’t show up to training camp to compete for the starting quarterback position – instead, he focuses on his specialization. Another gem: consider the alternative of being surrounded with genius. Yeah, not as good. Working with those who are smarter than us is a proven avenue for personal development, so don’t be intimidated if you’re not the smartest guy or gal in the room.

The Myth of the Brainstorming Session (via)

It’s no secret that brainstorming as it was initially conceived is next-to-impossible to actually pull off – new ideas are scary and even those of us who embrace failure may not prefer to put possible failure on public display. Here, then, is an alternative proposal for a group approach to creative thinking – one that begins with the individual, allows for incubation and doesn’t get in a hurry.

Motivation Shows Your Life Ticking Away to Fight Procrastination

This isn’t really a read but I thought it interesting all the same (seeing as we’re all trying to make the most of our time). Motivation is a Chrome browser extension that shows your exact age (to a frighteningly precise decimal point) when you open a new tab. Morbid? Maybe. But if you were opening that new tab in search of a distraction, maybe you’ll think again.

ToVa Rewind:

You Need  A System To Convert Inputs Into Outputs
You Can’t Create A New World Until You Handle This One

Rupert is reading: Flimsy Little Plastic Miracles by Ron Currie, Jr.

Have a great weekend!

ToVa Weekend: Failure, Anticipating Hindsight, The Silent Treatment, Following Murad’s Girlfriend

Posted on by Greg

Rupert is watching.

Happy West Virginia Day! This week: coping with failure, setting ‘future you’ up in a way that ‘present you’ thinks they’ll like, ditching the silent treatment and one photographer following his girlfriend around the world. Enjoy!

How to Fail and Live to Talk About It: 10 Tips for Explaining Your Missteps Without Sounding Like a Train Wreck

Art of Manliness take the long-form route to help you embrace your failures without looking like a complete failure. While failure will be the result of some of our more visible efforts (at work, among friends, at school, etc.), it’s important that we learn how to frame that failure so as not to create the impression that failure is our baseline. After all, others are more interested in how you cope with adversity than they are in the adversity itself.

The Psychology of Your Future Self and How Your Present Illusions Hinder Your Future Happiness

We work hard and make short term sacrifices in service to our future selves: foregoing enjoyable foods that are bad for us, taking jobs that aren’t great but ‘might lead to something great’, and socking away money for eventual retirement rather than hopping on a plane to New Zealand. What if our future selves aren’t interested in any of that, though? Recognizing that human beings never stop being a work in progress is the first step to striking a balance between short-term pleasure and long-term interests.

How and Why to Ban the Silent Treatment from Your Relationship

Anybody who has been the victim of – or even, I’d wager, the perpetrator of – the silent treatment knows that it sucks and can set off a self-perpetuating cycle of isolation and anger. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to fix and continually avoid if both parties are willing.

 The ‘Follow Me To’ Project by Murad Osmann (via)

Photographer Murad Osmann has been following his girlfriend around the world and capturing exotic locales in a simple but breathtaking way. Each photograph features his girlfriend (typically dressed in a way to match the scene) holding his hand and leading him toward destinations both famous and obscure (but always beautiful). It’s fascinating stuff that will only irritate your itch to travel – but why not go with that? Your future self won’t mind.

 Have a great weekend!