How To Manage All Your Interests (and get real results)

Summary

The video script discusses effective time management and personal development strategies. The narrator, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a passion for piano, shares a system to manage multiple interests without burnout. Key strategies include creating a 'graveyard' for less urgent projects, eliminating 'zombie projects,' identifying life multipliers, and conducting a time audit. The script also emphasizes the importance of making every day a 'non-zero day' for consistent progress and balancing short-term gains with long-term skill development.

Takeaways

• 📚 Start a 'graveyard' for your drafts and ideas to declutter your mind and reduce pressure during the editing process.
• 🎼 Recognize and 'kill zombie projects' that no longer serve you, freeing up time and mental space for more valuable pursuits.
• 🌱 Identify 'life multipliers'—activities that have a broad positive impact on your life, such as physical exercise, cooking, or learning a new skill.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Engage in physical activities like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for long-term benefits like improved health, social connections, and potential income.
• 🍳 Cooking as a life skill can lead to healthier eating habits and the ability to share meals with others, enhancing social life.
• 🎹 Pursue interests that provide immediate joy and relaxation, like playing the piano, even if they don't directly contribute to income.
• 🗓️ Create a 'Must-Do' list to differentiate between interests that are 'cool to do' and those that are essential for your desired lifestyle.
• ⏳ Conduct a 'time audit' to understand how you spend your spare time and identify opportunities to reallocate time to meaningful activities.
• 📝 Determine your 'Su' (smallest unit) of time for each interest and plan specific actions to take during these periods to avoid wasting time.
• 🐢 Embrace the 'tortoise approach' by making every day a 'non-zero day' of progress, even if it's just a small amount of work towards your goals.
• 🍊 Think like an 'orange farmer' by balancing short-term gains with long-term cultivation of skills and interests for sustained success.

Q & A

What is the main issue the speaker addresses in the video?

The speaker addresses the challenge of managing multiple interests and hobbies while avoiding burnout, and finding a system to make progress in all areas of interest.

What is the concept of a 'graveyard' as mentioned in the script?

A 'graveyard' is a place where the speaker stores drafts, notes, links, and ideas that are not currently being worked on, allowing them to stop worrying about them and focus on current projects.

Why is it beneficial to kill 'zombie projects' according to the speaker?

Killing 'zombie projects' is beneficial because it frees up time and mental energy to focus on projects that are more valuable and aligned with one's current goals and interests.

What are 'life multipliers' and how do they relate to the speaker's approach to managing interests?

Life multipliers are projects or skills that have a significant positive impact on one's life in multiple ways, such as meeting people, providing long-term skills, or improving health. The speaker suggests focusing on these to maximize the benefits of one's time and effort.

How does the speaker use the concept of a 'Musto list' to prioritize interests?

The speaker uses a 'Musto list' to differentiate between interests that are 'cool to do' and those that are 'absolute must-dos', helping to prioritize activities that are most meaningful and aligned with long-term goals.

What is the importance of a 'time audit' in the speaker's system for managing interests?

A 'time audit' is crucial for understanding how time is currently spent and identifying areas where time can be reallocated to pursue interests more effectively.

What does the speaker suggest as the smallest unit of productive time (Su) for pursuing interests?

The speaker suggests identifying the smallest unit of productive time (Su) for each interest, which could be as short as 5 or 10 minutes, to ensure that progress can be made even with limited time availability.

Why is it important to avoid 'zero days' according to the speaker?

Avoiding 'zero days' ensures that there is consistent progress in interests and habits, which helps in maintaining momentum and preventing the loss of skills or knowledge over time.

How does the analogy of an orange farmer relate to managing multiple interests?

The analogy of an orange farmer emphasizes the importance of balancing short-term gains with long-term cultivation. In the context of interests, it means working on immediate skills while also developing those that will benefit in the long run.

What additional advice does the speaker provide for those with multiple interests?

The speaker advises creating a plan, being mindful of life multipliers, and ensuring a balance between short-term and long-term activities to make the most of one's time and efforts.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Managing Multiple Interests and Prioritizing Time

The speaker, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with a passion for piano and various other hobbies, discusses their struggle with time management and the feeling of burnout. They introduce their system for managing multiple interests, which includes creating a 'graveyard' for storing drafts and ideas that aren't currently a priority. This allows them to focus on their current projects without the pressure of losing those ideas. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of 'killing zombie projects,' which are half-finished tasks that no longer serve a purpose, freeing up time for more meaningful activities. They suggest identifying 'life multipliers,' activities that provide long-term benefits in multiple areas of life, such as physical exercise, cooking, and social activities like Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

05:00

🗓️ Time Audit and Prioritizing Must-Do Interests

The speaker encourages viewers to conduct a 'time audit' to understand how their time is currently spent, which can reveal opportunities for reallocating time to more meaningful activities. They suggest recording daily activities in detail to identify where time can be reassigned. The speaker also recommends creating a 'Must-Do' list to distinguish between interests that are merely 'cool' and those that are essential to one's desired lifestyle. They advise considering the long-term benefits of skills and experiences, such as learning an instrument or writing a book, and to plan for both short-term and long-term activities. The concept of 'nonzero days' is introduced, emphasizing the importance of making daily progress, no matter how small, to build habits and maintain momentum in personal development.

10:01

🌳 Thinking Like an Orange Farmer for Long-Term Growth

The speaker concludes by discussing the importance of balancing short-term gains with long-term cultivation in personal interests, using the analogy of an orange farmer from the book 'Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.' They suggest a mix of activities that provide immediate satisfaction and those that build skills for the future. The speaker also highlights the significance of life multipliers and encourages viewers to invest time in learning them for their overall well-being. They propose a step-by-step guide for planning and managing multiple interests effectively, which will be provided in the video description, and they invite viewers to explore additional resources on life multipliers shared in the video.

Keywords

💡Graveyard

In the context of the video, a 'graveyard' refers to a section at the bottom of a document where drafts, notes, links, and other materials are stored. It serves as a repository for ideas that are not currently being worked on but may be valuable in the future. The concept is used to alleviate the pressure of editing and refining ideas, allowing one to delete and revise with the knowledge that nothing is permanently lost. The speaker uses their graveyard for various interests and projects that they are not currently pursuing but may revisit later.

💡Zombie Projects

Zombie projects are initiatives that have been started but are not actively being pursued or completed. The speaker suggests 'killing zombie projects' to free up mental space and time, as these half-finished endeavors can cause unnecessary stress and consume resources without providing value. This concept is tied to the idea of focusing on tasks and interests that actively contribute to one's goals and well-being.

💡Life Multipliers

Life multipliers are activities or skills that have a disproportionately positive impact on one's life in multiple ways. They might enhance social connections, provide lifelong utility, or offer financial benefits. The video uses physical activity as an example of a life multiplier, as it improves energy, mental clarity, and long-term health. The concept encourages viewers to identify and prioritize activities that offer significant, lasting benefits.

💡Bucket List

A bucket list is a compilation of experiences or achievements that one wants to accomplish in their lifetime. The video distinguishes between a traditional bucket list, which includes one-time experiences, and a 'must-do' list for skills and interests that are deeply meaningful. The speaker emphasizes the importance of differentiating between 'cool to do' items and those that are essential for personal fulfillment.

💡Time Audit

A time audit involves tracking how one spends their time, often in detail, to identify areas where time can be reallocated for more productive or fulfilling activities. The video suggests conducting a time audit to understand how time is currently spent and to find opportunities to integrate new interests or projects without feeling overwhelmed.

💡SU Number

The SU number, or 'Smallest Unit' number, refers to the minimum amount of time one can dedicate to an activity to make progress. The video encourages identifying the SU number for various interests to ensure that even small pockets of time can be used productively. This concept supports the idea of making every day a 'nonzero day' by doing a little bit of work towards goals every day.

💡Nonzero Days

Nonzero days are days where one makes some progress, no matter how small, towards their goals. The video promotes the habit of avoiding 'zero days' where no progress is made, to build momentum and maintain focus on long-term objectives. The concept is rooted in the idea that consistent, small efforts lead to significant progress over time.

💡Orange Farmer

The 'orange farmer' analogy is used to illustrate the balance between short-term gains (picking fruit) and long-term cultivation (planting and caring for trees). The video suggests that one should allocate time for both immediate and long-term activities to ensure sustainable progress and success in their interests and projects.

💡Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art that the speaker practices and has reached a black belt in. It serves as a life multiplier for the speaker, as it helps in making friends, staying in shape, and even earning money. The video uses it as an example of an activity that can be both a short-term and long-term investment, providing immediate benefits and long-lasting skills.

💡Piano

Piano playing is a personal interest of the speaker, who sees it as a way to decompress and enjoy a creative outlet. It is mentioned as an example of an activity that can be pursued at any age and can be fitted into small time slots, illustrating the concept of SU number and the importance of making every day a nonzero day.

Highlights

The speaker is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, enjoys playing piano, and has various hobbies including going to the gym, cooking, reading, writing, editing videos, and learning random things.

They've developed a system to manage their interests and make progress without feeling burned out.

The concept of a 'graveyard' is introduced as a method to store drafts and ideas that are not currently being worked on.

The graveyard helps alleviate the pressure of editing and refining ideas by providing a place to store them without the fear of permanent deletion.

The speaker uses the graveyard for various interests like improv piano, cake decorating, surfing, and card manipulation.

Scott Anthony's concept of 'killing zombie projects' is mentioned as a way to eliminate projects that are not providing value.

Life multipliers are projects that have a significant positive impact on one's life in multiple ways, such as meeting people, learning a lifelong skill, or providing financial benefits.

Exercise is given as an example of a life multiplier that provides energy, mental clarity, and long-term health benefits.

The speaker suggests listing all interests and categorizing them into 'cool to do' and 'must do' for personal fulfillment.

A time audit is recommended to identify how time is spent and to find opportunities for reallocating time to meaningful activities.

The concept of SU (Smallest Unit) is introduced to determine the minimum amount of time one can productively spend on a hobby or interest.

Avoiding 'zero days' is emphasized to ensure consistent progress in interests and hobbies.

The analogy of an orange farmer is used to illustrate the importance of balancing short-term gains with long-term cultivation.

The speaker encourages planning and making the most of every day while also preparing for the future.

A step-by-step guide on how to manage multiple interests effectively is promised in the video description.

The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to learn life multipliers and provides resources for doing so.

Transcripts

okay so I'm a black belt in Brazilian

jiu-jitsu with a pretty serious piano

habit but I also like going to the gym

cooking Reading Writing editing videos

learning all sorts of random stuff and

hanging out with my family and honestly

it's not that easy for the longest time

I other felt like I didn't have enough

time to do all the things I wanted to do

or like I was constantly on the edge of

burnout because I was always grinding

and never resting but after a lot of

learning experimenting I actually think

I've found a system that lets me not

just manage all those interests but also

Al make forward progress in all of them

weekly if not daily will also give me

enough downtime to not just feel like

I'm completely burned out so that is

what we're going to talk about in this

video and we're going to start with

probably the simplest single thing that

you can do which is to start a graveyard

so this is something I've done for years

in writing and it's absolutely the best

way to take the pressure off when you're

trying to kind of edit and refine your

ideas the basic idea is that you put

every draft you do along with notes

links and anything else you think you

might want to remember in a graveyard at

the bottom of the document you're

working on and then you just stop

worrying about it it's always there if

you want it and sometimes you will go

back to it but what it really does is

make the process of deleting things from

your current draft feel easier because

you know you're not deleting anything

permanently but the point is this is

something you can do with your interest

too so for instance I quite like to get

better at improv piano cake decorating

surfing making campfires and doing that

sort of weird card manipulation thing

that isn't quite magic but looks really

cool but I'm not really in a position to

work on any of that right now so all of

that goes in the graveyard along with

any like projects or ideas I have that I

haven't quite got the time to work on

right now so that might mean a book that

I've got an idea for an essay that I

want to write or a video that might be

cool but isn't quite right for this

channel so it has to wait until I've got

time to prioritize it and I'm not saying

I'm never going to do this stuff I

actually revisit my graveyard quite a

lot just in case something in it Sparks

something off or if I've got like time

to do a little side project and I fancy

doing something fun but by having it

written down I don't actually have to

stress about it it's just there

somewhere in a backup spot so I'm not

constantly juggling in my brain on a

similar sort of subject something I also

really recommend is what Scott Anthony

calls killing zombie projects or those

projects that you've sort of half done

or started but you aren't really

committing to or getting any value from

We're often quite reluctant to abandon

these because of the time we've already

put into them but admitting to yourself

that you're not really benefiting from

these things can make it kind of easier

to stop worrying about them and that

gives you more time to worry about the

stuff you do want to do and a way to do

that better is to look for Life

multipliers so I like to think of Life

multipliers as those projects that have

like an outsize ability to improve your

life in either one way or even better a

whole bunch of ways that might be

because they're a cool way to meet

people and make friends or because it's

like a skill you're going to use forever

or maybe because it's something you can

use to travel and make money from so I

think the ultimate example of a life

model mullier is getting into some kind

of physical activity for the 2 or 3

hours a week I put into it exercise

really pays off by giving me more energy

more mental Clarity and a mood boost

that lasts for most of the rest of the

day and in the longer term hopefully

it's also keeping me healthy so I can

keep doing all the other stuff I want to

do for a much longer Time Another Life

multiplier is being able to cook you're

going to have to eat for the rest of

your life and so learning to make even a

handful of delicious meals is going to

pay off by helping you eat healthily and

cook for other people for me Brazilian J

as a life multiplier because it's a cool

way to make friends and stay in shape

and now that I'm pretty good at it it's

also something I can make money from and

I don't think I'm ever going to make

money from piano but it is a cool fun

thing that helps me decompress and kind

of takes me away from screens and work

and I'm not saying you have to think

about everything in these kind of

calculating mercenary terms like I

learned to do a Rubik's Cube just cuz it

was something cool and I wanted to

impress my six-year-old but I do think

it can help you out to go through

everything you want to do and list out

the kind of benefits that it might have

now and in the future and once you've

done that you're in the perfect position

to make your Musto list so I think

pretty much everybody is familiar with

the idea of a bucket list I've got one

written down and it's full of stuff I

would genuinely like to do one day like

visiting your semi going in a hot air

balloon and reading Edward gibbons's

decl and fall of the Roman Empire but I

also have one for skills and interests

and with those I think it's really

helpful to make a distinction between

stuff that would be kind of cool to do

and stuff that's super meaningful to you

and the kind of life if you want to lead

so for me for instance I've always

thought it' be kind of cool to get a

black belt in Judo but I won't really

feel like I've failed at the end of my

life if I've never done it whereas piano

was kind of the opposite when I sat down

and thought about it learning an

instrument and that instrument in

particular was one thing that I was like

yeah I'm going to be sad if I get to

like 70 years old and I've never even

tried this and similarly if I never try

and write a book about the kind of stuff

I talk about on this channel I think

that'll be a missed opportunity and I'll

regret not having done it so the first

thing I would suggest is is sitting down

and scribbling out absolutely everything

that you're interested in doing and then

splitting that stuff out into yeah that'

be kind of cool and this is an absolute

must do this is where your graveyard

comes in handy because a lot of the kind

of cool stuff can go in there but it's

also where life multipliers are going to

come in handy because those let you look

at the things that are going to improve

your life right now and then in the

future like maybe you're young and you'd

like to one day travel the world as a

digital Nomad maybe that's a process you

can kick off right now by starting to

learn a skill that world one day let you

work abroad or even teach or is there

stuff that you should do right now while

you're young like I did a bunch of

gymnastics and capera when I was younger

and I'm really glad about that because

as I've got older it's not just

difficult to get to the sort of gyms

where I can do that stuff it's also a

lot harder on my body whereas some stuff

that's on my kind of cool list like cake

decorating an improv piano I can keep

practicing till I'm 90 and then once

you've got all this stuff in the list

it's time to do a Time audit and I will

make you a bet this is probably the one

thing from this video that you are going

to think about and then not do because

it seems kind of boring and obvious but

I also think it's the one thing that you

absolutely shouldn't skip because it's

very easy to think that you don't have

any spare time to do anything until you

look at what you're doing with your

spare time so for instance I recently

got into a video game called seafu and

it's a nice not too challenging way to

just chill out at the end of a long day

but when I looked at all the little

10minute bouts of it I played over a

recent week I was like hm that is

actually quite a lot of time that I

could be spending moving forward in

another one of the many things I want to

do so you can either do this with a pen

and paper or on a spreadsheet but what I

really recommend is trying to record

your daily activities in as much

granular detail as you can like right

down to little 10 minute bursts of stuff

here and there and doing it as soon as

you've done the activities so that you

don't forget them if you sit down at the

end of a long day and go oh how long did

I spend like looking for something to

watch a Netflix before I actually sat

and watched it you're probably going to

underestimate it and how long you do

this audit for is really up to you I

think 3 days is the minimum but a week

is really good and 2 weeks is even

better and once you've done your time

audit you can sit down and look at where

you've got extra time and then work out

what you could actually be doing in that

time like you're probably not going to

make it to a Jiu-Jitsu class at 10:00 at

night but maybe you could spend some of

that time looking over instructionals or

watching match footage or maybe you

can't get to a piano during your lunch

hour at work but could you spend like at

least 5 minutes of that watching some

music theory or going over your notes

and so once you thought about this stuff

and filled the obvious gaps in your

schedule it's time to change your Su so

the question to ask yourself here is

what's the smallest amount of time in

which I can get something done towards

the projects that are meaningful to me

so for Jiu-Jitsu people often think

about that in terms of the hour they

have to go to the gym and the commute

time around it or even for piano people

think about it in terms of like 25 or 30

minutes but the thing is that's not

really true for me a big part of keeping

my piano practice going when I'm busier

is being able to fit into a five or a 10

minute gap which might not be enough to

get into seriously studying a piece but

is definitely enough to work on some

technical skills or some site reading

and in Jiu-Jitsu even on a day when you

can't actually get to the gym it's

pretty easy to watch 5 minutes of an

instructional or go over some class

notes or even just do a handful of band

movements to keep yourself in shape for

the days you can train so what I would

suggest here is to grab a post it note

for each of your main interests and

write down your Su number which is the

smallest unit of productive time you

think you can spend on it and then the

important bit is write down what you're

going to do during that time and make it

as specific as possible being specific

means you'll be able to jump straight in

when you get 10 five or even a couple of

minutes of spare time and that will make

you better at the next bit of advice

which is to avoid zero days so we all

hear the story of The Tortoise and the

hair when we're kids and then we go yeah

yeah slow and steady wins the race I get

it and then we kind of forget about it

but that story really does have an

important lesson when it comes to

practice because there are a ton of

people let's call them hairs who'll

totally throw themselves into a new

hobby for a few days or weeks but there

are far fewer tortoises who commit to

investing time over months or even years

and if you want to be more like a

tortoise because they win in the end

then what I think is really valuable is

to try and make every day a nonzero day

which basically means doing a little bit

of work towards whatever you're trying

to get better at every single day and

there are three reasons this is a good

idea first if you're moving forward you

are going to get where you're going

eventually however slow your progress is

second it builds good habits which is

obviously really helpful but finally

maybe most importantly because it keeps

whatever you're doing on your mind so

that your brain's always working on it

and I think there's a lot to this if you

do something for like an intense week

and then stop then you're going to

forget a whole bunch of it but if you do

5 minutes a day it stays some people

find it helpful to have a streak of

nonzero do I don't really worry about

that but I do try never to have two

nonzero days in a row so if I miss a day

on a project I make sure that that

project is prioritized the next day but

I also think there's another important

thing to consider here which is to think

like an orange farmer so I read this

book tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow

earlier in this year and one line that I

absolutely love from it is one

character's grandmother saying life is

very long unless it is not which kind of

sums up the themes of the entire book

and seems like kind of an obvious thing

to say but actually feels more

meaningful and helpful the more I think

about it because the thing is life is

long and you actually might have plenty

of time to do everything you want to do

but also maybe you won't so that

probably means you should try and plan

for the future but also try and make

sure you're making the best of every day

so what does that mean in a book called

organize tomorrow today performance

optimization coach Tom BTO talks about

the idea that there are two categories

of productive Behavior activities that

produce immediate financial results and

activities that bring about a consistent

supply of Revenue generating

opportunities so he uses the analogy of

being an orange farmer short-term

Revenue means picking fruit but

long-term cultivation is about taking

care of the trees planting new ones that

sort of thing and this sounds kind of

obvious like surely every job does that

but bto's point is that you should be

making time to focus on both long-term

and short-term activities every day so I

think the way to think about this with

hobbies and interests is to mix up

making short-term immediate gains and

also working on skills that are going to

be beneficial over the long term this

has kind of the side benefit that you

get the dopamine hit of quick wins but

you are also laying down the foundation

for making longer term wins that kick in

when those quick wins stop coming so in

BJJ for instance you might learn a few

moves that work almost immediately but

also put some time in and drill in a

foot sweep that might take a th reps

before you pull it off in sparring and I

think that you can also work on ways to

do this in a nonzero days way so for

instance if you've got 15 minutes to

practice piano you can spend five on

technical drills like chromatic scales

and trills that are going to be

important for learning in the really

complex piano repertoire that you learn

down the line and then you can spend 10

on whatever piece you're working on in

the moment so I think one of the best

uses of your time right now if you're

juggling multiple interests is to sit

down with a pen and paper and go through

this stuff and make a plan and I will

put a step-by-step guide to how to do

this in the video description but I also

think there's one more thing to bear in

mind because I mentioned life

multipliers earlier in the video and

there are a handful of those that I

think are so powerful and beneficial to

your life that I think everyone should

take the time to learn them and in this

video I explain what they are and give

the best resources that I found for

learning them fast I will see you over

there

[Music]