- The Quest Newsletter
- Posts
- The Quest Newsletter
Read time: 3 minutes
Preview:
Quote: Strategy for Life
Ideas: Workout, Conversation Trap, and Inputs
Article: Justifying Optimism
Media: Dream Team
Question: Environment
Quote
Clayton Christensen on our strategy for life:
“A strategy — whether in companies or in life — is created through hundreds of everyday decisions about how you spend your time, energy, and money. With every moment of your time, every decision about how you spend your energy and your money, you are making a statement about what really matters to you. You can talk all you want about having a clear purpose and strategy for your life, but ultimately this means nothing if you are not investing the resources you have in a way that is consistent with your strategy. Because if the decisions you make about where you invest your blood, sweat, and tears are not consistent with the person you aspire to be, you’ll never become that person.”
Ideas From Me
I.
"What am I doing with my life?"
*Insert workout*
"Life is good, I'm capable of anything."
The entire narrative of your life can change quickly after a workout.
II.
A trap to avoid in conversation:
Person 1: “We just booked a vacation to Europe.”
Person 2: “I went to Europe a few years ago. I loved...”
Person 1: (slightly frustrated because they just got story highjacked): “Please, do tell me about it.”
It’s natural to try to relate to someone’s story with your own experience. But as you can see in the exchange above, it can be awkward and cause frustration.
A better approach is to lead with your curiosity, not your connection. Make the connection later.
Person 1: “We just booked a vacation to Europe.”
Person 2: “Oh, that’s so cool. Where are you headed?”
Person 1: “Italy, Spain, and France.”
Person 2: “That’s awesome. What are you most excited about?”
Person 1: “The food and just the chance to explore.”
Person 2: “I’m really excited for you. You’re going to have such an amazing time. I can’t wait to hear how it goes. I spent some time in Europe a few years ago and it was one of the best trips of my life.”
To be interesting, be interested.
III.
When I don't like my thoughts, feelings, or actions, I look upstream at my inputs.
• Shows I watch
• Music I listen to
• Media I consume
We become what we consume.
Our habits don't just shape our schedule, they shape our hearts.
Article
Justifying Optimism from Morgan Housel
Physicist David Deutsch says “optimism is a way of explaining failure, not prophesying success.” My interpretation of that is: Saying you are optimistic does not mean you think everything will be flawless and great. It means you know there are going to be failures and problems and setbacks, but those are what motivates people to find a new solution or remove an error – and that is what you should be optimistic about.
Media
The 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team commonly referred to as the “Dream Team”, is considered to be the greatest basketball roster ever assembled.
Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin, and Christian Laettner. Filled with Hall of Famers and some of the greatest players of all time.
The Dream Team dominated every game they played in the Olympics, winning all five of its group games by an average of 46 points. They scored 110+ points in every game aside from the gold medal game in which they had 103. They won the gold medal game by 32, which was the closest any opponent got. They finished a perfect 8-0 in Barcelona.
This team was invincible. They couldn’t be beaten. Or could they?
In their first test from outside competition before the Olympics started, the Dream Team lost — to a bunch of college kids.
More on the story and highlights from the scrimmage here:
Question
Your willpower will rarely beat your environment. How can you adjust your environment to make good choices easier?
If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, feel free to share it with family, friends, or colleagues.
Make it a great weekend.
Much love,
Beau Burns
If this e-mail was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here to receive it in the future.