Action / Agency
All about action, agency, how to act in the world and be agentic, how to turn from thought to action, from consumption to creation. how to be the creator of your own life and your own reality
Action / Agency
Take risks in small doses.
If you only ever play defense, life will feel unsafe forever. Tiny risks retrain your body to see openness as safe.
If you only ever play defense, life will feel unsafe forever. Tiny risks retrain your body to see openness as safe.
open.substack.com
On action and being open to the world
The appropriate amount of effort is zero
expandingawareness.org
«So I invite you to go about your day and practice dropping the effort. See how weird it feels, but notice how the activity is still getting done. See what it’s like to drop the energy too low, where you might become lethargic or your performance drops. Notice the sweet spot as a surprising experience of ease and a kind of elegance: the less you grip, the smoother and more precise the movement.»
Vincent Van Gogh on the accumulation of small things:
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. The trick is to focus on the first small thing. Starting small is still starting, and small beginnings often lead to extraordinary endings.”
"Running one mile has more in common with running a marathon than sitting at home.
Investing $100 has more in common with being a millionaire than being broke.
Writing one sentence has more in common with writing a book than never writing one.
It always feels small in the beginning and the big goals seem far away. It's easy to talk yourself out of the
... See moreOn that first step
Dish out baker’s dozens - A baker’s dozen is when a baker gives someone 13 when they expected 12. It isn’t the 12 that makes bakers’ customers happy — it’s the unexpected +1. Surprise generosity creates loyalty. People remember who exceeded their expectations. They tell others. They come back. They reciprocate. Apply this everywhere
George Mack • How to become a luck engineer
also great business advice
Many of the best luck engineers I know faced significant, uncontrollable bad luck early in life. They had to learn the skill of luck. Meanwhile, people who’ve been given luck their entire lives often never develop luck engineering — they’ve never needed to.
I find it useful to distinguish between luck-luck and skill-luck. Luck-luck is pure... See more
I find it useful to distinguish between luck-luck and skill-luck. Luck-luck is pure... See more
open.substack.com
on making luck a skill
Many times, the most impactful things you can do for your career are free. It’s just a matter of not waiting. When you wait, you lose momentum. And momentum is incredibly powerful because when you’re inspired, you act—and you do it with enthusiasm. Honestly, being able to take advantage of inspiration when it strikes is one of the most satisfying... See more
literally just do things
When I observe my own experience and analyse why things worked out, I can tell you that it wasn’t because of any business skills or much of my knowledge; it was 90% because every time I had an idea (for a career project, a new initiative in my business, a role I wanted to learn to do), I would take advantage of the momentum of inspiration... See more
literally just do things
immediate action