why good advice won't change your life
Edition #062
Hey friends,
I hope you've had a fantastic week!
There are couple things to share with you before we jump into this weeks filter.
Makerflow: This week I launched a new project. Makerflow is an educational company focused on the intersection of self-development and entrepreneurship. I'm sure the project will evolve over time but here is the initial focus: community, courses and content (tutorials + articles) helping creators build things on the internet + live happier, healthier lives.
If you're interested you can sign up here - there will be tutorials + articles coming next week!
The best resources for learning how to build high-performing Webflow sites : In this thread I share the best resources on Webflow, Design, SEO & Marketing to help you build high-performing websites.
One Lesson
Advice can't change your life.
Sure advice can set you on the right path.
It can even help you come to your own realisations.
But advice alone means nothing.
In the courage to be disliked the philosopher tells the student:
"Answers from others are nothing more than stopgap measures; they’re of no value."
And it got me thinking, advice can be helpful but it doesn't have the power to change your life.
The only thing that makes a difference is coming to your own realisations.
You quite literally have to figure shit out for yourself.
But how do you come to your own realisations?
- Taking action - There are no substitutes for taking action, learning through making mistakes then iterating is the fastest way to improve.
- Walking - Walking allows us time to be alone with our thoughts, work through ideas and explore concepts without the pressure to conform or worrying about being wrong in front of others. Many great thinkers were walkers.
- Writing - Writing enables us to clarify and communicate our thoughts. “Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard." - David McCullough.
The only answers that really matter are the ones you figure out yourself.
Two Ideas
I.
Running a business = Having 100 things you want to do every day then only getting 2 done. Prioritising well is key.
II.
Life is just making a series of bets.
Find the ones with limited downside and exponential upside.
Then go all in.
Three Favourite Finds
The Hyper Freelance Model: If you want to run your own business but have no idea where to start you should freelance. But going from freelancing (selling your time for money), to building products is hard.
This great article from Ben Issen proposes the hyper freelance model that provides a path from freelancer to product business through education. This business model creates synergy between every aspect of your business combining service work, education and products.
The Courage to Be Disliked: I'm really enjoying this book. It's written as dialogue between a philosopher and a youth who opposes the philosophers ideas.
The philosopher shares a lot of counter intuitive ideas from Adlerian psychology. There are some interesting takes of self ownership which are a great way to overcome mental blocks (which almost all of them are self imposed).
‘The important thing is not what one is born with, but what use one makes of that equipment.’
Should you write everyday? : David Perell makes a compelling point for writing every day but the biggest realisation I’m having recently is that — if you want to get good at something you should do it every single day.
Identify who you want to become (a writer? a developer? an entrepreneur?) pick process-driven habits to become that person then do them every day.
Derek Sivers has a great quote on this:
End note
If you enjoyed this edition of the Sunday Filter then I’d love it if you could share it with a few friends. You can send them over here to sign up or share it on Twitter.
Have a great week!
- Stephen