## Highlights - The inventory of knowledge work is ideas. What you are selling, as a “worker of knowledge,” are the ideas you’ve “processed” through the focused application of your attention. ([Location 208](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=208)) - Short: anything that is supposed to last a long time must necessarily be low intensity, which is exactly the opposite of what we’re going for. Anything that can be done at any time, tends to get done at no time. Tiny: scale breeds anonymity, which is the arch-nemesis of accountability. These courses offer either limited enrollment that allows personal interaction with the instructor, or peer or small group structures that allow interaction with mentors or fellow learners. Exclusive: a quirk of human psychology is that we don’t value anything that is available in abundance. Exclusivity, through high prices, application and selection processes, time-limited enrollment, or referral-only is a powerful signal that cuts through ambivalence. Virtual: these courses still take place online, but using a whole new generation of collaboration and creation tools. Experiences: this new generation steps away from the pure efficiency of highly condensed media, instead combining the unpredictability, humanity, and connection of live interaction with qualities borrowed from bootcamps: short, very intense, skill-based, forces you out of your comfort zone, develops camaraderie, and…you have to perform to stay in. ([Location 318](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=318)) - the best learning is mostly entertainment. The rewards of education are too far off and abstract to appeal to our lizard brains — we need a reward now to stay engaged, in the form of amusement, surprise, drama, or laughter. ([Location 341](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=341)) - Whystorming is a continuous series of exercises and activities to uncover, refine, and reframe your purpose, your mission, your core values, and your goals in light of new information. ([Location 362](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=362)) - the question every online learner will need to answer in order to decide between the two camps is this: in a given area of my life or work, do I want sustainable behavior change, or just a straightforward answer to a question? ([Location 484](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=484)) - Similarly, modern learning is not a process for maximizing the throughput of insights, but for maximizing the throughput of learning process improvements. The best assumptions to test in our quest for learning are assumptions about learning itself. This is why meditation retreats, globe-trotting, and having kids can always be net productivity gains, broadly defined: even a slight improvement in the machinery of learning (via a shift in perspective, for example) will pay dividends over time far greater than a mere few months of lost labor. ([Location 597](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=597)) - we have to design our mental environment to maximize the throughput of invalidated assumptions, accelerating it to the point that the rules of our learning process break, thereby surfacing even more assumptions, which we can exploit to further improve this process. ([Location 673](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=673)) - The interesting thing about constraints is that they are never on you. They are constraints on your context, shaping the space of possibilities you allow yourself to consider. You can’t change anyone’s mind (have you noticed?), but you may be able to change how they perceive their context. ([Location 696](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=696)) - What all this has to do with learning is that the deepest assumptions can only be revealed through experience and stories, not by reading books or having intellectual arguments. We do these things through the same old lens, and thus cannot examine the lens. It takes another free mind, reaching up and taking off our spectacles, to show us the cracks and the foggy areas. ([Location 701](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=701)) - knowledge workers could instantly and massively reduce information overload just by clearly separating actionable from non-actionable information, and then giving priority to the former. ([Location 717](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=717)) - Flow states (being “in the zone”): action sports, bio and neurofeedback, mindfulness-based stress reduction, martial arts, sensory deprivation tanks, breathwork, transcranial magnetic stimulation, dance Contemplative and mystical states: meditation, near-death experiences, yoga Psychedelic states: MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine, marijuana, LSD Communal states: Landmark, Tony Robbins, Burning Man, concerts, chanting, alternative sexuality ([Location 816](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=816)) - our moods allow us to infer changes not only in individual sources of reward, but in overall trends and fluctuations in our environment, which allows us to commit to a course of action and act more quickly. ([Location 960](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=960)) - procrastination has been one of his most useful productivity tools, insofar as he’s used it in a structured way. Essentially, he always has one intimidating task with a looming deadline at the top of his to do list. He uses his aversion to starting this task as a source of energy to accomplish a whole range of apparently less important, but still worthwhile tasks. ([Location 1037](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1037)) - The key is to understand that premium products and services, like corporate trainings and high-end online courses, require long sales cycles. They are not something one buys on impulse. The customer has to know you, understand where you’re coming from, and trust you. This requires a rich, interactive process of reading your writing, watching your videos, seeing your social media posts, perusing your email newsletter, and trying out your more affordable offerings. ([Location 1199](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1199)) - the very best place to look for breakthrough capabilities is right behind your biggest constraint. ([Location 1441](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1441)) - Mick Jagger’s unique dance style evolved due to the lack of space in the London nightclubs where the Rolling Stones played in the early days. He needed a way to be distinct and noticeable with no more than a few square feet of space. ([Location 1448](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1448)) - Constraints provide boundaries for us to explore and push up against, focusing our energy and creativity on an unforgiving reality that is also limited in scope Constraints produce a directional tension, since they tend to be limits on moving in one direction, but not others, propelling us off well-worn paths Constraints introduce conflicting, often paradoxical frames (we want X, but also Y), which create a cognitive dissonance that we will work hard to resolve Constraints promote higher integrative complexity, broader conceptual scope, and a shift from local to global processing, expanding the space of possible solutions Constraints encourage mental contrasting (comparing the promise of future benefits with the inevitable future if nothing changes), which is a powerful driver of behavior change ([Location 1488](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1488)) - Constraint + [Bold Ambition x 10] = Propelling Question ([Location 1515](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1515)) - Some other examples of propelling questions: How do we build a well-designed, durable table for five euros? How do we establish a stronger relationship with this buyer than the market leader, without a communications budget? How do we grow more and better quality barley using less water? ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1523)) - And the flip side is just as tragic: the particular skill you don’t have, is always precisely the one you think you need before getting started. The knowledge you haven’t quite learned, is always the “best” knowledge. That is, until you have it. Then it’s worth nothing. ([Location 1543](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1543)) - Propelling Question^[accountability] x Abundant Resource = WCI Statement Airbnb: we can offer great photos of each accommodation (bold ambition) without the personnel and travel overhead of staff photographers (constraint) if we use other people’s skills as photographers; people from within our community (resource) ([Location 1574](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1574)) - We learn faster when we pay attention and see the world for what it truly is, not for what it should have been. ([Location 1660](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1660)) - Conversation for Awareness : knowing the present situation with clarity Conversation for Choice : moving in a desired direction Conversation for Trust : accessing one’s own inner resources to make the change ([Location 1673](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1673)) - The Conversation for Awareness This first conversation is meant to answer the question: “What’s happening?” It invites the following types of question: What stands out? What do you notice when you look at x? How do you feel about this situation? What do you understand about x? What don’t you understand? How would you frame the underlying problem? How would you define the task? What are the critical variables in this situation? How do they relate to one another? What are the anticipated consequences of x? ([Location 1680](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1680)) - The Conversation for Choice The primary purpose of this conversation is to remind the client that they have mobility , which Gallwey defines in this context as reminding them that they “have the capability of choice and can move in the direction of their desired ends at any time.” If Awareness is about “what’s happening,” then Choice seeks to answer “What do I want?”, using the following kinds of questions: What do you really want? What do you want to achieve? ([Location 1698](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1698)) - What are the benefits of x? What would be the costs of not pursuing x? What would it look like in y weeks, months, years, from now? What don’t you like about those ends? What would be a fulfilling means of getting there? What changes would you like to make? What do you feel most strongly about in this situation? Who or what are you doing this for? How does this fit in with your current priorities? Do you have any conflicts about this course of action? ([Location 1706](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1706)) - The Conversation for Trust The most important outcome in coaching is that the client ends up feeling respected, valuable, and capable of moving forward. At every turn, the coach seeks to avoid undermining the trust they have in themselves by inappropriately becoming an answer-giver, problem-solver, or judge. These are some of the questions that can be used: If you could do it any way you wanted, how would you go about accomplishing this task? When have you succeeded in a challenge similar to this one? At your best, what qualities, attributes, capabilities, do you bring to the situation? Direct acknowledgment by the coach of some of the above Where could you find the help you need to accomplish this task? What’s the most difficult aspect of this task? What is your understanding of this situation? What first steps do you see? How comfortable (confident) do you feel about doing ([Location 1725](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1725)) - it is only when we are giving full attention, that self-interference (embodied in Self 1) is minimized. We don’t minimize self-interference so we can then focus; we focus so we can minimize self-interference. In the fullness of focus, there is no room for Self 1’s neurotic fears and doubts. ([Location 1751](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1751)) - Attention is more powerful than mere knowledge, but more concrete than consciousness. It’s the middleware layer between the body, mind, and spirit. A kind of mediating fluid, allowing more rigid and mechanical parts to work seamlessly together. ([Location 2039](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2039)) - Gratitude, by the way, could be described in these topological terms. It is the moving of the center of attentional gravity away from yourself and onto the world and others; it is the shifting of its quality from judgmental to appreciative; and it includes a conscious choice to emphasize the good in the situation. Your complaints and self-pity disappear not because the world has suddenly changed, but because your world has changed. ([Location 2110](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2110)) - A network approach to personal productivity would reconceive our pipe as a network, with a capacity limited only by the number of nodes, and the intelligence with which they operate. It would allow us to use the power of networks to produce 100x throughput, just as it has done for Elon Musk, Toyota, and broadband internet. There are 2 things we need to accomplish to make it happen: Break our work down into packets Increase the number and intelligence of our nodes ([Location 2246](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2246)) - Node: any work session where intelligence is applied ([Location 2397](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2397)) - note-taking is: Personal, informal, quick and dirty: notes are optimized not for public consumption, but for your own personal use, like a leather notebook you keep in your backpack Open-ended and never finished: “taking notes” is a continuous and generative process, in which you can noodle on ideas without an explicit purpose in mind Low friction: notes impose low standards for quality and polish, which means they are easy to add to, subtract from, and edit, and can be messy, incomplete, or totally random Multimedia: just like a paper notebook might contain drawings and sketches, quotes and ideas, and even a pasted photo or post-it note, notes naturally combine diverse types of media in one place What further distinguishes creative note-taking from the general purpose kind is that such notes are not meant for a one-time project. They are meant for a lifetime of continuous, open-ended learning and creative output. ([Location 2692](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2692))  ## Highlights - The inventory of knowledge work is ideas. What you are selling, as a “worker of knowledge,” are the ideas you’ve “processed” through the focused application of your attention. ([Location 208](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=208)) - Short: anything that is supposed to last a long time must necessarily be low intensity, which is exactly the opposite of what we’re going for. Anything that can be done at any time, tends to get done at no time. Tiny: scale breeds anonymity, which is the arch-nemesis of accountability. These courses offer either limited enrollment that allows personal interaction with the instructor, or peer or small group structures that allow interaction with mentors or fellow learners. Exclusive: a quirk of human psychology is that we don’t value anything that is available in abundance. Exclusivity, through high prices, application and selection processes, time-limited enrollment, or referral-only is a powerful signal that cuts through ambivalence. Virtual: these courses still take place online, but using a whole new generation of collaboration and creation tools. Experiences: this new generation steps away from the pure efficiency of highly condensed media, instead combining the unpredictability, humanity, and connection of live interaction with qualities borrowed from bootcamps: short, very intense, skill-based, forces you out of your comfort zone, develops camaraderie, and…you have to perform to stay in. ([Location 318](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=318)) - the best learning is mostly entertainment. The rewards of education are too far off and abstract to appeal to our lizard brains — we need a reward now to stay engaged, in the form of amusement, surprise, drama, or laughter. ([Location 341](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=341)) - Whystorming is a continuous series of exercises and activities to uncover, refine, and reframe your purpose, your mission, your core values, and your goals in light of new information. ([Location 362](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=362)) - the question every online learner will need to answer in order to decide between the two camps is this: in a given area of my life or work, do I want sustainable behavior change, or just a straightforward answer to a question? ([Location 484](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=484)) - Similarly, modern learning is not a process for maximizing the throughput of insights, but for maximizing the throughput of learning process improvements. The best assumptions to test in our quest for learning are assumptions about learning itself. This is why meditation retreats, globe-trotting, and having kids can always be net productivity gains, broadly defined: even a slight improvement in the machinery of learning (via a shift in perspective, for example) will pay dividends over time far greater than a mere few months of lost labor. ([Location 597](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=597)) - we have to design our mental environment to maximize the throughput of invalidated assumptions, accelerating it to the point that the rules of our learning process break, thereby surfacing even more assumptions, which we can exploit to further improve this process. ([Location 673](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=673)) - The interesting thing about constraints is that they are never on you. They are constraints on your context, shaping the space of possibilities you allow yourself to consider. You can’t change anyone’s mind (have you noticed?), but you may be able to change how they perceive their context. ([Location 696](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=696)) - What all this has to do with learning is that the deepest assumptions can only be revealed through experience and stories, not by reading books or having intellectual arguments. We do these things through the same old lens, and thus cannot examine the lens. It takes another free mind, reaching up and taking off our spectacles, to show us the cracks and the foggy areas. ([Location 701](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=701)) - knowledge workers could instantly and massively reduce information overload just by clearly separating actionable from non-actionable information, and then giving priority to the former. ([Location 717](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=717)) - Flow states (being “in the zone”): action sports, bio and neurofeedback, mindfulness-based stress reduction, martial arts, sensory deprivation tanks, breathwork, transcranial magnetic stimulation, dance Contemplative and mystical states: meditation, near-death experiences, yoga Psychedelic states: MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine, marijuana, LSD Communal states: Landmark, Tony Robbins, Burning Man, concerts, chanting, alternative sexuality ([Location 816](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=816)) - our moods allow us to infer changes not only in individual sources of reward, but in overall trends and fluctuations in our environment, which allows us to commit to a course of action and act more quickly. ([Location 960](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=960)) - procrastination has been one of his most useful productivity tools, insofar as he’s used it in a structured way. Essentially, he always has one intimidating task with a looming deadline at the top of his to do list. He uses his aversion to starting this task as a source of energy to accomplish a whole range of apparently less important, but still worthwhile tasks. ([Location 1037](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1037)) - The key is to understand that premium products and services, like corporate trainings and high-end online courses, require long sales cycles. They are not something one buys on impulse. The customer has to know you, understand where you’re coming from, and trust you. This requires a rich, interactive process of reading your writing, watching your videos, seeing your social media posts, perusing your email newsletter, and trying out your more affordable offerings. ([Location 1199](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1199)) - the very best place to look for breakthrough capabilities is right behind your biggest constraint. ([Location 1441](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1441)) - Mick Jagger’s unique dance style evolved due to the lack of space in the London nightclubs where the Rolling Stones played in the early days. He needed a way to be distinct and noticeable with no more than a few square feet of space. ([Location 1448](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1448)) - Constraints provide boundaries for us to explore and push up against, focusing our energy and creativity on an unforgiving reality that is also limited in scope Constraints produce a directional tension, since they tend to be limits on moving in one direction, but not others, propelling us off well-worn paths Constraints introduce conflicting, often paradoxical frames (we want X, but also Y), which create a cognitive dissonance that we will work hard to resolve Constraints promote higher integrative complexity, broader conceptual scope, and a shift from local to global processing, expanding the space of possible solutions Constraints encourage mental contrasting (comparing the promise of future benefits with the inevitable future if nothing changes), which is a powerful driver of behavior change ([Location 1488](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1488)) - Constraint + [Bold Ambition x 10] = Propelling Question ([Location 1515](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1515)) - Some other examples of propelling questions: How do we build a well-designed, durable table for five euros? How do we establish a stronger relationship with this buyer than the market leader, without a communications budget? How do we grow more and better quality barley using less water? ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1523)) - And the flip side is just as tragic: the particular skill you don’t have, is always precisely the one you think you need before getting started. The knowledge you haven’t quite learned, is always the “best” knowledge. That is, until you have it. Then it’s worth nothing. ([Location 1543](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1543)) - Propelling Question^[accountability] x Abundant Resource = WCI Statement Airbnb: we can offer great photos of each accommodation (bold ambition) without the personnel and travel overhead of staff photographers (constraint) if we use other people’s skills as photographers; people from within our community (resource) ([Location 1574](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1574)) - We learn faster when we pay attention and see the world for what it truly is, not for what it should have been. ([Location 1660](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1660)) - Conversation for Awareness : knowing the present situation with clarity Conversation for Choice : moving in a desired direction Conversation for Trust : accessing one’s own inner resources to make the change ([Location 1673](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1673)) - The Conversation for Awareness This first conversation is meant to answer the question: “What’s happening?” It invites the following types of question: What stands out? What do you notice when you look at x? How do you feel about this situation? What do you understand about x? What don’t you understand? How would you frame the underlying problem? How would you define the task? What are the critical variables in this situation? How do they relate to one another? What are the anticipated consequences of x? ([Location 1680](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1680)) - The Conversation for Choice The primary purpose of this conversation is to remind the client that they have mobility , which Gallwey defines in this context as reminding them that they “have the capability of choice and can move in the direction of their desired ends at any time.” If Awareness is about “what’s happening,” then Choice seeks to answer “What do I want?”, using the following kinds of questions: What do you really want? What do you want to achieve? ([Location 1698](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1698)) - What are the benefits of x? What would be the costs of not pursuing x? What would it look like in y weeks, months, years, from now? What don’t you like about those ends? What would be a fulfilling means of getting there? What changes would you like to make? What do you feel most strongly about in this situation? Who or what are you doing this for? How does this fit in with your current priorities? Do you have any conflicts about this course of action? ([Location 1706](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1706)) - The Conversation for Trust The most important outcome in coaching is that the client ends up feeling respected, valuable, and capable of moving forward. At every turn, the coach seeks to avoid undermining the trust they have in themselves by inappropriately becoming an answer-giver, problem-solver, or judge. These are some of the questions that can be used: If you could do it any way you wanted, how would you go about accomplishing this task? When have you succeeded in a challenge similar to this one? At your best, what qualities, attributes, capabilities, do you bring to the situation? Direct acknowledgment by the coach of some of the above Where could you find the help you need to accomplish this task? What’s the most difficult aspect of this task? What is your understanding of this situation? What first steps do you see? How comfortable (confident) do you feel about doing ([Location 1725](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1725)) - it is only when we are giving full attention, that self-interference (embodied in Self 1) is minimized. We don’t minimize self-interference so we can then focus; we focus so we can minimize self-interference. In the fullness of focus, there is no room for Self 1’s neurotic fears and doubts. ([Location 1751](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1751)) - Attention is more powerful than mere knowledge, but more concrete than consciousness. It’s the middleware layer between the body, mind, and spirit. A kind of mediating fluid, allowing more rigid and mechanical parts to work seamlessly together. ([Location 2039](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2039)) - Gratitude, by the way, could be described in these topological terms. It is the moving of the center of attentional gravity away from yourself and onto the world and others; it is the shifting of its quality from judgmental to appreciative; and it includes a conscious choice to emphasize the good in the situation. Your complaints and self-pity disappear not because the world has suddenly changed, but because your world has changed. ([Location 2110](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2110)) - A network approach to personal productivity would reconceive our pipe as a network, with a capacity limited only by the number of nodes, and the intelligence with which they operate. It would allow us to use the power of networks to produce 100x throughput, just as it has done for Elon Musk, Toyota, and broadband internet. There are 2 things we need to accomplish to make it happen: Break our work down into packets Increase the number and intelligence of our nodes ([Location 2246](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2246)) - Node: any work session where intelligence is applied ([Location 2397](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2397)) - note-taking is: Personal, informal, quick and dirty: notes are optimized not for public consumption, but for your own personal use, like a leather notebook you keep in your backpack Open-ended and never finished: “taking notes” is a continuous and generative process, in which you can noodle on ideas without an explicit purpose in mind Low friction: notes impose low standards for quality and polish, which means they are easy to add to, subtract from, and edit, and can be messy, incomplete, or totally random Multimedia: just like a paper notebook might contain drawings and sketches, quotes and ideas, and even a pasted photo or post-it note, notes naturally combine diverse types of media in one place What further distinguishes creative note-taking from the general purpose kind is that such notes are not meant for a one-time project. They are meant for a lifetime of continuous, open-ended learning and creative output. ([Location 2692](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2692))  ## Highlights - The inventory of knowledge work is ideas. What you are selling, as a “worker of knowledge,” are the ideas you’ve “processed” through the focused application of your attention. ([Location 208](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=208)) - Short: anything that is supposed to last a long time must necessarily be low intensity, which is exactly the opposite of what we’re going for. Anything that can be done at any time, tends to get done at no time. Tiny: scale breeds anonymity, which is the arch-nemesis of accountability. These courses offer either limited enrollment that allows personal interaction with the instructor, or peer or small group structures that allow interaction with mentors or fellow learners. Exclusive: a quirk of human psychology is that we don’t value anything that is available in abundance. Exclusivity, through high prices, application and selection processes, time-limited enrollment, or referral-only is a powerful signal that cuts through ambivalence. Virtual: these courses still take place online, but using a whole new generation of collaboration and creation tools. Experiences: this new generation steps away from the pure efficiency of highly condensed media, instead combining the unpredictability, humanity, and connection of live interaction with qualities borrowed from bootcamps: short, very intense, skill-based, forces you out of your comfort zone, develops camaraderie, and…you have to perform to stay in. ([Location 318](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=318)) - the best learning is mostly entertainment. The rewards of education are too far off and abstract to appeal to our lizard brains — we need a reward now to stay engaged, in the form of amusement, surprise, drama, or laughter. ([Location 341](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=341)) - Whystorming is a continuous series of exercises and activities to uncover, refine, and reframe your purpose, your mission, your core values, and your goals in light of new information. ([Location 362](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=362)) - the question every online learner will need to answer in order to decide between the two camps is this: in a given area of my life or work, do I want sustainable behavior change, or just a straightforward answer to a question? ([Location 484](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=484)) - Similarly, modern learning is not a process for maximizing the throughput of insights, but for maximizing the throughput of learning process improvements. The best assumptions to test in our quest for learning are assumptions about learning itself. This is why meditation retreats, globe-trotting, and having kids can always be net productivity gains, broadly defined: even a slight improvement in the machinery of learning (via a shift in perspective, for example) will pay dividends over time far greater than a mere few months of lost labor. ([Location 597](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=597)) - we have to design our mental environment to maximize the throughput of invalidated assumptions, accelerating it to the point that the rules of our learning process break, thereby surfacing even more assumptions, which we can exploit to further improve this process. ([Location 673](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=673)) - The interesting thing about constraints is that they are never on you. They are constraints on your context, shaping the space of possibilities you allow yourself to consider. You can’t change anyone’s mind (have you noticed?), but you may be able to change how they perceive their context. ([Location 696](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=696)) - What all this has to do with learning is that the deepest assumptions can only be revealed through experience and stories, not by reading books or having intellectual arguments. We do these things through the same old lens, and thus cannot examine the lens. It takes another free mind, reaching up and taking off our spectacles, to show us the cracks and the foggy areas. ([Location 701](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=701)) - knowledge workers could instantly and massively reduce information overload just by clearly separating actionable from non-actionable information, and then giving priority to the former. ([Location 717](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=717)) - Flow states (being “in the zone”): action sports, bio and neurofeedback, mindfulness-based stress reduction, martial arts, sensory deprivation tanks, breathwork, transcranial magnetic stimulation, dance Contemplative and mystical states: meditation, near-death experiences, yoga Psychedelic states: MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine, marijuana, LSD Communal states: Landmark, Tony Robbins, Burning Man, concerts, chanting, alternative sexuality ([Location 816](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=816)) - our moods allow us to infer changes not only in individual sources of reward, but in overall trends and fluctuations in our environment, which allows us to commit to a course of action and act more quickly. ([Location 960](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=960)) - procrastination has been one of his most useful productivity tools, insofar as he’s used it in a structured way. Essentially, he always has one intimidating task with a looming deadline at the top of his to do list. He uses his aversion to starting this task as a source of energy to accomplish a whole range of apparently less important, but still worthwhile tasks. ([Location 1037](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1037)) - The key is to understand that premium products and services, like corporate trainings and high-end online courses, require long sales cycles. They are not something one buys on impulse. The customer has to know you, understand where you’re coming from, and trust you. This requires a rich, interactive process of reading your writing, watching your videos, seeing your social media posts, perusing your email newsletter, and trying out your more affordable offerings. ([Location 1199](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1199)) - the very best place to look for breakthrough capabilities is right behind your biggest constraint. ([Location 1441](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1441)) - Mick Jagger’s unique dance style evolved due to the lack of space in the London nightclubs where the Rolling Stones played in the early days. He needed a way to be distinct and noticeable with no more than a few square feet of space. ([Location 1448](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1448)) - Constraints provide boundaries for us to explore and push up against, focusing our energy and creativity on an unforgiving reality that is also limited in scope Constraints produce a directional tension, since they tend to be limits on moving in one direction, but not others, propelling us off well-worn paths Constraints introduce conflicting, often paradoxical frames (we want X, but also Y), which create a cognitive dissonance that we will work hard to resolve Constraints promote higher integrative complexity, broader conceptual scope, and a shift from local to global processing, expanding the space of possible solutions Constraints encourage mental contrasting (comparing the promise of future benefits with the inevitable future if nothing changes), which is a powerful driver of behavior change ([Location 1488](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1488)) - Constraint + [Bold Ambition x 10] = Propelling Question ([Location 1515](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1515)) - Some other examples of propelling questions: How do we build a well-designed, durable table for five euros? How do we establish a stronger relationship with this buyer than the market leader, without a communications budget? How do we grow more and better quality barley using less water? ([Location 1523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1523)) - And the flip side is just as tragic: the particular skill you don’t have, is always precisely the one you think you need before getting started. The knowledge you haven’t quite learned, is always the “best” knowledge. That is, until you have it. Then it’s worth nothing. ([Location 1543](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1543)) - Propelling Question^[accountability] x Abundant Resource = WCI Statement Airbnb: we can offer great photos of each accommodation (bold ambition) without the personnel and travel overhead of staff photographers (constraint) if we use other people’s skills as photographers; people from within our community (resource) ([Location 1574](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1574)) - We learn faster when we pay attention and see the world for what it truly is, not for what it should have been. ([Location 1660](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1660)) - Conversation for Awareness : knowing the present situation with clarity Conversation for Choice : moving in a desired direction Conversation for Trust : accessing one’s own inner resources to make the change ([Location 1673](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1673)) - The Conversation for Awareness This first conversation is meant to answer the question: “What’s happening?” It invites the following types of question: What stands out? What do you notice when you look at x? How do you feel about this situation? What do you understand about x? What don’t you understand? How would you frame the underlying problem? How would you define the task? What are the critical variables in this situation? How do they relate to one another? What are the anticipated consequences of x? ([Location 1680](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1680)) - The Conversation for Choice The primary purpose of this conversation is to remind the client that they have mobility , which Gallwey defines in this context as reminding them that they “have the capability of choice and can move in the direction of their desired ends at any time.” If Awareness is about “what’s happening,” then Choice seeks to answer “What do I want?”, using the following kinds of questions: What do you really want? What do you want to achieve? ([Location 1698](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1698)) - What are the benefits of x? What would be the costs of not pursuing x? What would it look like in y weeks, months, years, from now? What don’t you like about those ends? What would be a fulfilling means of getting there? What changes would you like to make? What do you feel most strongly about in this situation? Who or what are you doing this for? How does this fit in with your current priorities? Do you have any conflicts about this course of action? ([Location 1706](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1706)) - The Conversation for Trust The most important outcome in coaching is that the client ends up feeling respected, valuable, and capable of moving forward. At every turn, the coach seeks to avoid undermining the trust they have in themselves by inappropriately becoming an answer-giver, problem-solver, or judge. These are some of the questions that can be used: If you could do it any way you wanted, how would you go about accomplishing this task? When have you succeeded in a challenge similar to this one? At your best, what qualities, attributes, capabilities, do you bring to the situation? Direct acknowledgment by the coach of some of the above Where could you find the help you need to accomplish this task? What’s the most difficult aspect of this task? What is your understanding of this situation? What first steps do you see? How comfortable (confident) do you feel about doing ([Location 1725](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1725)) - it is only when we are giving full attention, that self-interference (embodied in Self 1) is minimized. We don’t minimize self-interference so we can then focus; we focus so we can minimize self-interference. In the fullness of focus, there is no room for Self 1’s neurotic fears and doubts. ([Location 1751](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=1751)) - Attention is more powerful than mere knowledge, but more concrete than consciousness. It’s the middleware layer between the body, mind, and spirit. A kind of mediating fluid, allowing more rigid and mechanical parts to work seamlessly together. ([Location 2039](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2039)) - Gratitude, by the way, could be described in these topological terms. It is the moving of the center of attentional gravity away from yourself and onto the world and others; it is the shifting of its quality from judgmental to appreciative; and it includes a conscious choice to emphasize the good in the situation. Your complaints and self-pity disappear not because the world has suddenly changed, but because your world has changed. ([Location 2110](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2110)) - A network approach to personal productivity would reconceive our pipe as a network, with a capacity limited only by the number of nodes, and the intelligence with which they operate. It would allow us to use the power of networks to produce 100x throughput, just as it has done for Elon Musk, Toyota, and broadband internet. There are 2 things we need to accomplish to make it happen: Break our work down into packets Increase the number and intelligence of our nodes ([Location 2246](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2246)) - Node: any work session where intelligence is applied ([Location 2397](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2397)) - note-taking is: Personal, informal, quick and dirty: notes are optimized not for public consumption, but for your own personal use, like a leather notebook you keep in your backpack Open-ended and never finished: “taking notes” is a continuous and generative process, in which you can noodle on ideas without an explicit purpose in mind Low friction: notes impose low standards for quality and polish, which means they are easy to add to, subtract from, and edit, and can be messy, incomplete, or totally random Multimedia: just like a paper notebook might contain drawings and sketches, quotes and ideas, and even a pasted photo or post-it note, notes naturally combine diverse types of media in one place What further distinguishes creative note-taking from the general purpose kind is that such notes are not meant for a one-time project. They are meant for a lifetime of continuous, open-ended learning and creative output. ([Location 2692](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B07FLQHLTK&location=2692))