In General
Meta-beliefs
6 blind men and the elephant. We all have pieces of reality –
all true, all incomplete, all wrong if considered complete. "You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way and the only way, it does not exist." ~Nietzsche
Principles
Find something worthy to care about (youth engaged in their
education, particularly teens). Then be relentless about being effective in this
cause.
Selfcare
Productivity
Beliefs
Believe everything that
David Allen / GtD says (although I find it incomplete). The mind is for having
ideas, not holding them. Have a system that frees up one’s mind.
Pre-Decisions
Any commitment made –
write it down.
Aspirations
Figure out the roles
piece. I can turn projects into widgets and crank them out but not roles –
ongoing commitments to hold to some standard.
Food
Beliefs
Calories in /
calories out are all that matter for weight loss and maintenance.
But mood and effect
of food are caused by much, much more and that in turn affects weight. I don’t
have any particular beliefs about nutrition – I treat much of it skeptically.
Pre-Decisions
Always eat protein
based breakfast. Less hungry later. Protein tends to keep me in good energy.
Aspirations
Want the ideal
cupboard of allotments of the correct calories and best effect on my energy and
then eat nothing but.
Physical Fitness
Beliefs
Exercise helps
EVERYTHING else – the mind, attitude, psychology, fitness. It’s essential but
not sufficient for weight loss. Food plays too big a role. Cross training,
aerobic, strength and balance/flexibility cover it all (though despite this
belief, I primarily just run).
Pre-Decisions
Run three times a
week. No matter what – through injury, sickness, bad weather, any location.
Have kept this up for over 5 years.
Aspirations
Do have a similar commitment
to all around fitness that includes what I listed in beliefs.
Mental and Emotional Wellness
Beliefs
Proper balance to
spiritual and physical. Meditation is best practice for me for emotional
wellness. Mental – so important yet don’t do anything in particular to address
it. I feel like I am always applying my mind. Love chess, crossword puzzles.
But, best application of the mental is to real-life organizational adaptive
change.
Pre-Decisions
Meditate every day
no matter what.
Aspirations
Design a life where
there’s time to indulge in deep thinking.
Relationships
Beliefs
We are the average
of the people we surround ourselves with. Our identities are malleable and are
a function of emergence that occurs in interactions with other.
Pre-Decisions
Be nice.
Aspirations
Be nice
Material World
Abode
Beliefs
I love things and
when having taken a test found that I had a hedonistic value. I enjoy nice things.
BUT, I adjust easily to whatever my conditions even when meager.
Pre-Decisions
Carve out my own
space – some sanctuary.
Aspirations
Be happy with what I
have. Make the most out of whatever I have.
Money
Beliefs
Just a means of exchange.
Not meaningful in and of itself.
Pre-Decisions
Save & budget.
Aspirations
Generate a passive
income and or “endowment” I can live off of.
Consumerism
Beliefs
I focus on what is
functional.
Pre-Decisions
Spend very little on
myself regarding things.
Aspirations
No clutter. Nothing more than what I need/want that is
functional.
Work
Career
Beliefs
Despise work that I’m
not motivated to do – has no meaning for me. But, if I find meaning, it’s no
longer work. Others see me as a workaholic but it doesn’t occur that way for
me.
Pre-Decisions
Do what I love. Quit
what I don’t. Work within my strengths.
Aspirations
Design my career so
that it is only flow work.
Business
Beliefs
Doesn’t apply to my
personal life. Philosophically I tend towards believing in free market.
Pre-Decisions
Look for market
solutions before resorting to government.
Aspirations
Would like to have a
much deeper, comprehensive understanding of economics.
Learning
Beliefs
One of my strengths.
TH White from Once and Future King: “The best thing for being sad," replied
Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That's the
only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies,
you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may
miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil
lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is
only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags
it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate,
never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.
Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to
learn.”
Pre-Decisions
If I’m every
confused, stuck, sad…learning something. See above.
Aspirations
Become a learning
machine like Tim Ferriss, Josh Wozniak.
Passion Projects
Beliefs
What life is for.
Pre-Decisions
Journal frequently.
Don’t feel like I am yet pursuing passion projects as I would like so next best
think is to constantly record thoughts, lines of inquiry.
Aspirations
Endless: chess
master, languages, school of life (alain de botton), philosophy, economics,
theories of emergence, cognitive science….etc.
Politics / Society (my addition beyond template)
Beliefs
The majority of
people are well meaning. Just read somewhere that one’s politics is one’s
genuine attempt to improve the world. I
think that is mostly accurate (there’s always a small percentage of bad
people). The three big domains in society are (a) government (which in turn has
balance of power among three branches), (b) the market and (c) public choice
(ie., unions that organize, black lives matter). Ensuring the conditions so
that all three live in balancing each other is the best approach.
Pre-Decisions
Assume good
intentions, be pragmatic, DO NOT demonize others.
Aspirations
Get a better
understand and be real articulate about the three domains I described above.
