Quotes

Confessions of a Conjuror (Added to notion)

By Derren Brown

Brilliant, hilarious and entirely unlike anything else I have ever listened to before on Audible, Confessions of a Conjuror, read by Derren Brown himself, was a complete and utter joy.

This is not strictly an autobiography but more a combination of a collection of personal stories, comedic observations, and magic tricks. Derren Brown has a writing style like no other celebrity, or possibly anyone since the days of Dickens and Melville, as the book is told through the intricate process of performing a single magic trick, using the minute observations and feelings experienced throughout performing this trick to Segway into amusing anecdotes, self-help tips, and embarrassing confessions.

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Life Is Short (Added to notion)

Because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. And yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, an afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you cannot conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four, or five times more? Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless.

– Brandon Lee – (Son of Bruce Lee)

Start where you are

Many of us have marvelled at the simple beauty of the Arthur Ashe quote:

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

It’s just a spot-on phrase that never fails to remind us to get out of our own way, stop making excuses and start plugging away at whatever we’ve been procrastinating against.

Instant Gratification

“Every mistake you make in life can almost certainly be tied to instant gratification. If you wait, take a deep breath, and not need whatever it is you are after NOW, you will do much better in life.”

-Joe De Sena, Spartan Race founder.

Write the perfect story

Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.

Stolen from the Pixar story artist Emma Coats, who tweeted out a series of lessons she learned on the job about how to create appealing stories.

The 4 Hour Work Week

The Four Hour Workweek (4HWW) by Tim Ferriss is an eye-opening read, especially for those like me interested in personal productivity, and running internet-based business models.

Here are the best, no-nonsense takeaways from the book:

If you’re spending 12 hours a day at your desk, and still not finishing your work, it’s time to make a change.
Interest, energy and ability go up and down all the time. Trying to work through it when you’re miserable is unproductive.
Doing less is not being lazy. Don’t give in to a culture that values personal sacrifice over personal productivity.
Stop putting hard choices off because of timing. It kills productivity.
Ask people for forgiveness instead of for permission.
Emphasize what you’re good at rather than trying to correct weaknesses.
Figure out how to use stress rather than letting it make you less able and confident.
Don’t choose unhappiness over uncertainty. Define the worst case scenario to change this.
Watch out for fear disguised as optimism.
Give yourself less time to do everything.
Most problems solve themselves. Stop making an emergency out of everything and “cultivate selective ignorance.”
Master the art of not finishing things and interrupting people.
Some things are just time consuming and repetitive. Do them all at the same time.
Don’t make people ask you for permission. Clearly delineate when you absolutely need to and avoid otherwise.
Consider a remote personal assistant. Outsourcing isn’t just for companies.
Set unrealistic and hugely ambitious goals.
Forget about time management and the “results by volume” approach. – the real focus should be on doing less.
Use the 80/20 rule: 80 percent of the results come from 20 percent of the time and effort.

You can by the book here: The 4 Hour Work Week
And follow Tim Ferriss on his blog here: Tim Ferriss Blog