5 lessons from one of the best books I’ve ever read

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares transformative life lessons from Derek Sivers' book, encouraging viewers to explore what they would pursue if not driven by money or attention. Key takeaways include saying 'no' to mediocrity to make room for the extraordinary, embracing a relaxed approach to achieve more with less effort, and recognizing that what's obvious to us can be amazing to others. The speaker also invites viewers to a free alignment workshop and a podcast interview with Sivers for deeper insights.

Takeaways

• 💡 What if you didn't need money or attention? Consider what you would do if you were completely satisfied and didn't seek these external validations.
• 🌟 Explore and journal to find your true interests and desires, moving beyond the default motivations of status, success, money, or security.
• ✋ Learn to say 'no' to mediocrity to make space for opportunities that genuinely excite you, thus empowering your 'yes' with more meaning and impact.
• 🚀 Prioritize quality over quantity in your commitments to focus on what truly matters, leading to more significant achievements and personal satisfaction.
• 🌈 Change your conditions for satisfaction from 'and' to 'or' to appreciate the small wins and feel good about your day, even if not all conditions are met.
• 🚴‍♂️ Sometimes, less effort can yield similar results, reducing stress and increasing enjoyment in your pursuits.
• 🎨 Recognize that what seems obvious to you might be amazing to others, so don't hold back from sharing your ideas and creations.
• 💭 Be aware that creators often undervalue their own work, so trust that your unique perspective can be valuable to others, even if it feels ordinary to you.
• 📚 Revisit impactful books and lessons to internalize their wisdom and apply them to your life continuously.
• 🔗 Connect with like-minded thinkers and creators, such as Derek Sivers, to gain insights and perspectives that can transform your approach to life and work.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the book discussed in the video?

The main theme of the book is exploring what one would do if they didn't need money or attention, and how that realization can lead to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.

What does the phrase 'what if you didn't need money or attention' suggest?

This phrase suggests a thought experiment where one considers their actions and pursuits without the motivations of financial gain or seeking validation from others.

How does the video suggest we approach life if we had 'so much attention and so much praise'?

The video suggests that if we had an abundance of attention and praise, we might stop doing things for the sake of gaining more and instead focus on what we genuinely want to pursue.

What is the advice given for dealing with the question of what to do with our lives?

The advice is to do a lot of exploration, try out different things, and use journaling prompts to get away from default motivations like status or success.

What is the significance of the 'Hell yeah' principle mentioned in the video?

The 'Hell yeah' principle is about saying yes to only those things that genuinely excite and engage you, and saying no to everything else to clear space for what truly matters.

How does the video relate the story of the bike ride to the concept of effort and results?

The video uses the bike ride story to illustrate that sometimes, putting in less effort and taking a more relaxed approach can yield nearly the same results without the exhaustion.

What is the procrastination hack discussed in the video?

The procrastination hack is to change the conditions for when you feel it's acceptable to do something from 'and' to 'or', which can lead to more satisfaction and action in life.

Why does the video suggest that creators might feel their ideas are obvious?

Creators might feel their ideas are obvious because they are so close to their own creations and thoughts that they fail to see the novelty or innovation that others might perceive.

What is the final lesson from the book that the video emphasizes?

The final lesson is that what may seem obvious to the creator can be amazing to others, encouraging individuals to share their ideas and creations without hesitation.

How does the video suggest we revisit impactful books?

The video suggests revisiting impactful books to re-engage with lessons that have had a significant impact on us and to recognize that we may still need to internalize those lessons.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Lessons from Derek Sivers' Book

The speaker introduces the video by highlighting Derek Sivers as a favorite thinker and shares five key lessons from his book. The lessons focus on the idea of what one would do if not driven by the need for money or attention, prompting viewers to consider their true passions and pursuits once basic needs are met. The speaker emphasizes the importance of exploration and introspection through journaling to discover one's authentic interests beyond societal pressures.

05:00

🚫 The Power of Saying No

The speaker discusses the concept of saying 'no' to mediocre opportunities in order to make space for truly exciting and fulfilling ones. By clearing away non-essential commitments, one can focus on what truly matters, leading to more significant achievements. The speaker shares personal anecdotes and advice from successful entrepreneurs about the struggle but necessity of saying no to maintain focus and avoid being overwhelmed by less important tasks.

10:00

🚴‍♂️ Effort vs. Relaxation: A Cycling Analogy

Drawing from personal experience, the speaker contrasts the outcomes of intense, exhausting effort with a more relaxed approach to achieve the same goal. They recount a cycling routine where they realized that by easing up and enjoying the process, they could achieve similar results without the exhaustion, leading to a more sustainable and enjoyable experience. The speaker encourages viewers to reassess their approach to tasks, suggesting that sometimes less effort can yield equally effective results.

🔄 Changing 'And' to 'Or': A Life Satisfaction Hack

The speaker introduces a life hack for increasing satisfaction by changing the mental rules that govern one's sense of accomplishment. By shifting from a mindset that requires multiple conditions to be met ('and') to one that allows for satisfaction when any single condition is met ('or'), individuals can experience more good days and feel more content with their achievements. The speaker illustrates this with a story about organizing a desk and the different ways it can be perceived as orderly or chaotic.

🌟 Sharing the Obvious: Perceptions of Creativity

The speaker reflects on the common experience of creators where their own work seems obvious to them, but can be perceived as brilliant and innovative by others. They discuss the importance of sharing one's ideas and creations without fear of judgment, as what may seem mundane to the creator can be insightful and inspiring to others. The speaker encourages viewers to overcome self-doubt and share their work, drawing from their own experiences with starting a YouTube channel and the impact of Derek Sivers' advice.

Keywords

💡Money

Money in the context of the video script symbolizes a common motivator for human actions and a measure of success. It's discussed as something people often strive for, but the video challenges viewers to consider what they would do if they didn't need money. This prompts a reflection on intrinsic motivations and the pursuit of activities for their own sake, rather than for external rewards. The script uses the concept of having 'so much money that you couldn't possibly want anymore' to encourage the audience to think about their true passions and what they would do if financial concerns were removed.

💡Attention

Attention, as used in the script, refers to the social validation or recognition that people often seek. It's tied to the idea of feeling important or praised. The video encourages viewers to ponder what they would do if they had 'so much attention and so much praise that you couldn't possibly want anymore.' This concept is used to explore the idea of doing things for their own fulfillment rather than for the approval of others, suggesting that true satisfaction might come from within rather than from external validation.

💡Exploration

Exploration in the video script is about trying out various activities and experiences to discover one's true interests and passions. It's suggested as a method for answering life's central questions, especially during transitional periods such as post-graduation. The script implies that through exploration, one can encounter different 'vibes' and better understand what truly resonates with them, moving beyond the default pursuits of status, success, money, or security.

💡Hell Yeah

The phrase 'Hell Yeah' in the script is used as a criterion for selecting activities or opportunities that genuinely excite and engage the individual. It contrasts with mediocrity and half-hearted commitments. The video suggests saying 'no' to things that don't elicit a 'Hell Yeah' response, which can free up time and mental space for opportunities that truly matter. This concept is about focusing one's energy and resources on what truly brings joy and fulfillment, leading to more meaningful engagement and 'Massive Action' when the right opportunity arises.

💡Saying No

Saying No in the context of the video is about the power of rejection to protect one's time and energy for what truly matters. It's a strategy to avoid being overwhelmed by mediocre opportunities and to create space for the exceptional. The script uses the idea of 'refusing almost everything' to emphasize the importance of focusing on high-impact activities. It also touches on the challenge of saying no to good opportunities ('7 out of 10') to make room for the great ones.

💡Relaxation

Relaxation in the script is presented as a counterintuitive approach to achieving results. It's illustrated through the story of a bike ride where the speaker realizes that a relaxed, easy effort can yield nearly the same outcome as an exhausting, full-on sprint. This concept challenges the notion that more effort always leads to better results, suggesting that sometimes reducing stress and pressure can lead to more sustainable and enjoyable outcomes.

💡Effort

Effort, as discussed in the video, refers to the amount of energy and work one puts into an activity. The script challenges the assumption that maximum effort always yields the best results, suggesting that unnecessary stress and pressure can be detrimental. It encourages finding a balance where tasks can be accomplished effectively with less effort, leading to a more positive and sustainable approach to work and life.

💡Procrastination Hack

The term 'Procrastination Hack' in the script refers to a strategy to overcome the tendency to delay tasks by changing the conditions under which one allows themselves to perform the task. The video gives an example of changing 'and' to 'or' in the conditions for exercising, which makes it easier to find opportunities to exercise. This hack is also suggested as a way to increase life satisfaction by adjusting the personal rules that govern when one feels satisfied or successful.

💡Satisfaction

Satisfaction in the video script is about the feeling of contentment and fulfillment that comes from achieving one's goals or meeting certain conditions. It's discussed in the context of changing personal rules to make it easier to feel satisfied with one's day or achievements. The script suggests that changing the conditions from 'and' to 'or' can lead to more frequent feelings of satisfaction, as it reduces the barriers to feeling good about one's accomplishments.

💡Obvious to You, Amazing to Others

This phrase encapsulates the idea that what may seem ordinary or obvious to the creator can be surprising and inspiring to others. The video uses this concept to encourage creators to share their work without fear of it being too obvious or unoriginal. It suggests that everyone's perspective is unique, and what seems common to one person can offer fresh insights to another, emphasizing the value of sharing one's ideas and creations.

Highlights

The idea of feeling completely satisfied with attention and money and what it might lead you to do differently.

Exploring the question of what you would pursue if you didn't need money or attention.

The importance of doing a lot of exploration and using journaling prompts to discover your true interests.

The concept of saying 'no' to mediocrity to make space for great opportunities.

The power of saying 'no' to make your 'yes' more meaningful and impactful.

The struggle of entrepreneurs in learning to say 'no' to maintain focus on important tasks.

The realization that sometimes less effort can lead to similar results without exhaustion.

The personal experience of biking at a relaxed pace versus full intensity and the surprising outcomes.

The insight that sometimes we mistake unnecessary stress for effort.

The advice to change your conditions for satisfaction from 'and' to 'or' to improve life satisfaction.

The story of changing conditions for satisfaction from a Tony Robbins event.

The idea that what is obvious to you can be amazing to others and the importance of sharing your creations.

The impact of realizing that everyone's ideas seem obvious to them, encouraging creators to share their work.

The advice to revisit impactful books to internalize lessons that may still be needed in your life.

The invitation to join a free quarterly alignment workshop for personal reflection and goal setting.

The suggestion to change the mindset of conditions for satisfaction to improve daily life experience.

Transcripts

hey friends welcome back to the channel

so this is a very very short small book

which I read a few years ago and Derek

cers is one of my favorite people

favorite thinkers in the world and the

advice that he shares has resonated with

me so much over the years and so in this

video I want to share five excerpts Five

Lessons From this book that I am

continuing to revisit again and again

and I hope you enjoy it what if you

didn't need money or attention you know

that feeling you have after a big meal

when you're so full that you don't want

anything more ever wonder what that

would feel like in other parts of your

life we do so many things for the

attention to feel important or praised

but what if you had so much attention

and so much praise that you couldn't

possibly want anymore what would you do

then what would you stop doing we do so

many things for the money whether we

need it or not but what if you had so

much money that you couldn't possibly

want anymore what would you do then what

would you stop doing and then if you

stopped doing all those things you're

doing just for the money or the

attention what would be left who would

you be if you didn't do these things

if you were completely satisfied then

what after an understandable period of

relaxing what would you pursue don't say

sit around and do nothing because that's

still just relaxing I mean after that

when you're ready to be useful to others

again what would you do then if you

didn't need the money and didn't need

the attention yeah this question of what

we want to do with our time what we want

to do with our lives is one of the

central questions that we're all trying

to answer mostly when we're when we get

into our 20s often when we graduate and

we're like H what I do now um it's a

really tricky one and one of the best

things I found for this is to just sort

of do a lot of exploration try out a

bunch of different things and see what

Vibes but also journaling prompts like

this questions like this that encourage

us to get away from like the default

things of status or success or desire

for money or desire for security all

that kind of stuff a question like what

would you actually do if you didn't care

about the money and you didn't care

about the attention next up we have if

you're not feeling saying Hell yeah then

say no most of us have lives filled with

mediocrity we say yes to things that we

felt half-hearted about so we're too

busy to react when opportunities come

our way we miss out on the great because

we're busy with the mediocre the

solution is to say yes to less if you're

not feeling hell yeah that would be

awesome about something say no it's an

easier decision say no to almost

everything this starts to free your time

and your mind then when you find

something you're actually excited about

you'll have the space in your life to

give it your full attention you'll be

able to take Massive Action in a way

that most people can't because you

cleared away your clutter in advance

saying no makes your yes more powerful

though it's good to say yes when you're

starting out wanting any opportunity or

needing variety it's bad to say yes when

you're overwhelmed overcommitted or need

to focus refuse almost everything do

almost nothing but the things you do do

them all the way man this is good this

is a lesson I keep on needing to relearn

and relearn and relearn and relearn and

every entrepreneur that I look up to

also worries also really really really

struggles with this lesson where when

you when you're just starting out you

kind of want to say yes to everything

because you're getting all these

opportunities and you're like you want

to you want to try different things you

want to take advantage of all the things

but then at a certain point you kind of

know what you need to do you know what

the things that you want to focus on

actually are and any deviation or

distraction from those things just

scatters you in a bunch of different

directions and you end up not really

making any meaningful progress but that

requires the ability to say no to stuff

was it there was a famous writer I can't

remember who it was who said that one of

the sad things about one of the

unfortunate side effects of being a

successful writer is that you start

getting all this fan mail and if you

were to respond to the fan mail you

would never have any time to do the

writing and one thing a lot of writers

get into into the into trouble with is

that they're in spending too much time

interacting interacting with the fans

because they view that as a good thing

and they really want to do it they then

lose the focus from their work there's a

phrase in business which is that sevens

kill businesses this is like seven out

of tens 7 out of 10 people 7 out of 10

projects things that you said yes to

because it was like a 7 out of 10

exciting if it's only a 7 out of 10

exciting it's not worth doing and

actually those seven out of 10 like it's

easy to say no to the things that are

three out of 10 or 2 out of 10 or 1 out

of 10 it's easy to say no to the stuff

that you just really don't want to do

but it's a lot harder to to say no to

the stuff where it's like H you know

that's that thing's pretty good but h i

mean maybe it's a 7 out of 10 but I

probably should do it anyway cuz I'm

really lucky to be in this position and

I should take it on and it'll be good

for my CV and it'll help me with this

and this this and that and then before

you know it your calendar and your to-do

list are absolutely rammed and you're

feeling overwhelmed cuz you just have

too much stuff going on and then the

stuff that actually moves the needle cuz

those seven out of 10 things never

really move the needle the stuff that

actually moves the needle Falls by the

wayside oh and by the way if you happen

to be watching this before the 20th of

September 2024 then you might like to

join my completely free quarterly

alignment Workshop this is a totally

free online Workshop I host on Zoom

about every 3 months and the idea is

that we reflect on your last 3 months we

align to your life vision and we set

your goals for the final quarter of the

year I've been hosting these every few

months or year and there's always

thousands of people on the call and they

find them super helpful and it's

completely free so if you want to sign

up and join me facilitating a zoom

session then you can check out the link

in the video description ah I love this

one relax for the same result a few

years ago I lived in Santa Monica

California right on the beach there's a

great bike path that goes along the

ocean for 7 and 1/2 miles on weekday

afternoons it's almost empty it's

perfect for going full speed so a few

times a week I'd get on my bike and go

as fast as I could for the 15m loop I

mean really fullon 100% head down

red-faced sprinting I'd finished

exhausted and look at the time 43

minutes every time after a few months I

noticed I was getting less enthusiastic

about this bike ride I think I'd

mentally linked it with being completely

exhausted so one day I decided I would

do the same ride but just chill take it

easy nice and slow and ah what a nice

ride I was relaxed and smiling and

looking around I was barely giving it

any effort I saw two dolphins in the

water a pelican flew right over me in

Marina del re when I looked up to say

wow he in my mouth I had to laugh

at the novelty of it I'm usually so damn

driven always doing everything as

intensely as I can it was so nice to

take it easy for once I felt I could do

this forever without any exhaustion when

I finished I looked at the time 45

minutes wait what how could that be yep

I double checked 45 minutes as compared

to my usual 43 so apparently all of that

exhausting red-faced full-on push push

push I had been doing had given me only

a 4% boost I could just take it easy and

get 96% of the results and what a

difference in experience to go the same

distance in about the same time but one

way leaves me exhausted and the other

way rejuvenated when I noticed that I'm

all stressed out about something or

driving myself to exhaustion I remember

that bike ride and try dialing back my

effort by 50% it's been amazing how

often everything gets done just as well

and just as fast with what feels like

half the effort which then makes me

realize that half of my effort wasn't

effort at all but just unnecessary

stress that made me feel like I was

doing my best

man love that so good 43 versus 45

minutes I I first I remember I first

came across Derk civer stuff in like

2016 when I listened to an episode of

the Tim Ferris show and then binged

everything he'd written and this was one

of the things that stuck out to me so

much what was that 8 years ago sometimes

just putting in a little bit less effort

just taking it a little bit easier

taking a little bit less seriously

ascribing a little bit less importance

to it it's just the thing to do I talk

about this in the first chapter of feel

good productivity which is about play

play is unlocked when we lower the

stakes when we when we take things a

little bit less seriously when we

approach it with a little bit more

lightness and ease cuz a lot of the

resistance and the push and the

discipline and the drive that we put

into stuff a lot of that doesn't

actually help us move any faster or make

our up more efficient it just makes us

feel bad and if we can find a way to

achieve effectively the same thing with

a little bit less effort trying a little

bit less trying trying a little bit less

hard and kind of more like I don't know

going with the flow of the water rather

than trying to push up against the waves

got that kind of thing yeah 43 minutes

versus 45 minutes good stuff

procrastination hack change and to or my

Unwritten condition for when to exercise

was this when it's a nice day and I

finished my work and I haven't just

eaten and I'm feeling energetic but of

course that rarely happens so I wasn't

exercising enough my coach suggested I

change and to or when it's a nice day or

I finished my work or I haven't just

eaten or I'm feeling energetic now I

exercise quite often do you have a list

of conditions you need to have met

before you do something try changing and

to or I Vibe with this not because it's

a hack for procrastination I Vibe with

this because it's a great hack for being

more satisfied with life I came across

this in a Tony Robbins event actually

there was a story that he told there's a

little girl and she goes to her dad's

office and the girl says to the dad

daddy why is everything always in a

muddle and then the Daddy's like what do

you mean honey what do you mean

everything's all in a muddle and she

says like your desk Daddy have a look at

your desk your desk is a model and so

the dad's like huh so help help me sort

it out like what would it look like if

it wasn't a model and so the girl says

okay well this should go here and this

should go here and this should go here

and the computer should go here and the

thing should go here and then after sort

of meticulously organizing his desk she

says Ah see it's not a muddle anymore

and then he takes the mug of pens or

whatever and moves it there and she's

like no no no it's in audle and she puts

it back then he takes the camera or

whatever on his desk

and he puts it there and she says no no

no it's in a muddle again and puts the

camera back then he takes the coffee cup

the used coffee cup and he puts it there

and she's like no no no it's in a muddle

and she puts it back and so the dad says

oh that's very interesting there are all

sorts of different ways for the desk to

be in a mdle but only one way for the

desk to be acceptable for the desk to be

good back in the day I used to have a

set of rules for myself like Unwritten

rules rules that I hadn't really

acknowledged for when I was allowed to

feel satisfied when I've attended all my

lectures and I had a good night's sleep

and I did some socializing and I

finished one of my essays way ahead of

time and because I had this list of

conditions this list of rules that had

and in in between them I was almost

never satisfied at the end of the day I

always felt like I could have been more

productive I felt like I hadn't done

enough one thing that Derek suggests in

this thing one thing Tony Robbins

recommends is when it comes to the rules

that you have for feeling good change

and to or so it's a good day when I've

gone to all my lectures or I've had a

good night's sleep or I've socialized

with someone or I've made some progress

on my essay and changing and toor in one

simple mindset shift completely

transforms our experience of life it's

just about changing the set of rules

that we have for ourselves if there are

100 different ways for things to be in a

muddle and only one way for things to be

perfect if there's only one way for you

to have a good day but 100 different

ways for for the day to be bad you're

probably going to have a lot of bad days

but if you changed the rules if you

changed the set of rules so that it was

easier for you to have a good day easier

for to be satisfied with what you've

done then you still do the same stuff

it's just that you choose to feel more

satisfied at the end of the day with

what you've done all right final thing

from the book is obvious to you amazing

to others any creator of anything knows

this feeling you experience someone

else's Innovative work it's beautiful

brilliant breathtaking you're stunned

their ideas are unexpected and

surprising but perfect you think I never

would have thought of that how do they

even come up with that it's genius

afterwards you think my ideas are so

obvious I'll never be as inventive as

that I get this feeling often amazing

books music movies or even amazing

conversations I'm in awe at how the

Creator thinks like that I'm humbled but

I continue to do my work I tell my

little Tales I share my point of view

nothing spectacular just my ordinary

thoughts one day someone emailed me and

said I never would have thought of that

how did you even come up with it that's

Genius of course I disagreed and

explained why it was nothing special but

afterwards I realized something

surprisingly profound everybody's ideas

seem obvious to them hit songwriters

often admit that their most successful

hit song was one they thought was just

stupid even not worth recording we're

clearly bad judges of our own Creations

we should just put them out there and

let the world decide are you holding

back something that seems too obvious to

share this was one of the things that

really helped me start my YouTube

channel I think I discovered derk's Serv

was before then or like around around

the time where at a certain point I felt

like ah you know this this advice I'm

giving about getting into med school

this like I don't know study tip I'm sh

ing the stuff around like how I take

notes on my iPad H it's all it's all

obvious then I read this thing what's

obvious to you can be amazing to others

I often like to revisit books that have

had a big impact on me because I like to

revisit the same lessons that had an

impact on me and I realize holy I

still need to I still need to take that

lesson I have not yet like internalized

the lesson that what's obvious to you

can be amazing to others I still hold

myself back from creating stuff from

publishing things posting stuff on my

newsletter Life notes you can subscribe

down below if you want by the way it's a

weekly email that I send weekly-ish with

like notes from books I'm reading

podcast I'm listening to that kind of

stuff I still hold myself back from

putting stuff in there cuz it feels too

obvious I'm like oh everyone's read

hello everyone's read finite and

infinite games everyone's read books by

Daniel pink oh it's not worth putting

the thing in sometimes I I'll send an

issue from the archives one that I wrote

like 5 years ago where I'm like yeah I

discovered this thing 5 years ago but

here it is now and I'll get emails being

like whoa I've never heard of that thing

and to me it's obvious cuz I discovered

it 5 years ago and I've been applying it

to my life but we're getting dozens of

emails from people being like holy

I've never heard this thing before well

it's obvious to you can be amazing to

others you should definitely check out

this book it is I think available for

free on Derrik cers website I'll put a

link down below and also if you like

drik cers and you and you Vibe with his

stuff I'll put a link over here to an

interview I did with Derek on my deep

dive podcast you can check that out

loads of people have said that that

interview really changed their

perspective of life and stuff so I'll

put a link over there thank you so much

for watching and I'll see you next time

bye-bye