Weekly Quote: Steven Johnson on Where Good Ideas Come From
This week’s quote comes from Steven Johnson’s Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation. This title came up during a review of another book in a recent Charter Newsletter, and I decided to check it out.
The quote builds on an idea I’ve been thinking and writing about since I started this site, that you learn and grow much more when things go wrong. The idea that mistakes are the language of growth, that we build ourselves through productive struggle and not when things are easy, is such a big part of our personal development
if you’re doing some form of daily review in your journal, I encourage you to ask yourself what went wrong or was especially hard for the day. You can learn a lot from this, particularly how you react against external inputs, which are often beyond your control.
If you examine those reactions, you’re very likely to learn something, particularly if you look over time at trends that may appear. Taking that information and considering how you can build from it is a concrete step in making positive personal improvements.
Six Rules for Improving Your Reading Practice
Reading is a practice, in just the same way journaling or playing music is. After making a conscious effort to read more this year, I’ve created a few rules that I follow to keep on track. I think you’ll find them helpful too.
1. Schedule reading time every day
Making time daily is essential, even if it’s only for 15-30 minutes. I write about the value of incremental growth because It has worked well for me. Making small daily gains is an effective way to accomplish your goals.
2. Remove the progress and clock from reading apps
If you read on the Kindle app on a tablet or phone, it can be helpful to declutter the screen by removing the progress info and the clock from the page view. I wrote about how to toggle that data here.
3. If you aren’t captivated, quit
Don’t finish a book that doesn’t work for you. Your time is precious; respect that, and know it is okay to put a book down that doesn’t inspire you.
4. Buy books you want to read
Keep a list of books you want to read or buy a few you plan to read. I know this can be a trap for some people with lots of bookshelf space they want to fill,, so do what works best for you. I usually have a few new books waiting to be read on my desk or on Kindle. This allows me some readily available choices if I want to dig into something different.
5. Use Focus Mode for iOS and iPadOS devices
If you are reading on an iOS or iPadOS device, create a Focus Mode that disables notifications when you open your preferred reading apps. It’s the ideal way to read and focus on a device that is otherwise a firehose of information.
6. Share what you are reading
Tell those around you about what you are reading. You don’t need to offer a full book report, but if there’s a neat fact or insightful anecdote, it’s worth sharing in the proper context. This is a great way to connect with the people around you, and maybe you’ll help someone else pick up their next book!
If you use only one of these rules, pick number 1. Sure, it seems obvious, yet how often have you wanted to do something and never really started doing it or didn’t dedicate regular time to accomplishing the goal? You need to commit resources to succeed at something, and If you make time every day for the things you want to achieve, you will be successful, even if it takes a while.
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Weekly Quote: Ryan Holiday on Focus and The Muses
This week’s quote comes from Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday.
Focus can be hard to find. There have always been distractions, but they’ve gotten much louder thanks to the tiny supercomputer in your pocket or bag.
Modern tech is a wonder. The Internet has changed our lives and given us so much. Yet, it takes effort to avoid the pitfalls of the always-on data firehose, with apps designed to keep you swiping and engaged, watching, and captivated. Sometimes, there's not much difference between being captivated and captured save for a bit of charm.
It may be something else too. Perhaps your time is not your own anymore. You are busy being a parent, working two jobs to pay the bills, or acting as a caretaker for a family member because they have no one else. When the day ends, you are too exhausted to do anything aside from preparing for the next challenge.
Regardless of what is pulling at you, try to find some time that is yours. Doing so will help you manage your stress and gain perspective. Put your phone away, Take a few deep breaths, daydream a little, go for a short walk, or even write in your journal. Give yourself space to think and listen carefully to what comes to mind.
Make this time a priority. Practice putting the distractions and burdens of life in a metaphorical box, knowing that they will be waiting for you when you're done, and gift yourself one of the most priceless commodities, a little time.
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Weekly Quote: Angela Duckworth, Author of Grit, on Potential
This week’s quote comes from the book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth. Duckworth is a professor of psychology at The University of Pennsylvania and a researcher, author, and co-founder of Character Lab, a nonprofit working to advance scientific insights that help children. In addition, Angela cohosts the podcast No Stupid Questions with Stephen Dubner.
Potential is a state of readiness, and you’re probably more prepared than you realize. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get up and go do whatever it is that you know you should be doing.
Weekly Quote: Dan Harris, Author of 10% Happier, on Mindfulness as an Anecdote to Living Reactively
This week’s quote comes from Dan Harris, author of 10% Happier. I’ve previously quoted the former ABC News Anchor turned founder, author, and podcaster.
The story of Dan’s transformational journey is fascinating. I recommend this one on audio because he narrates the story himself, and unsurprisingly for a former professional broadcaster, he’s pretty good at telling a story, particularly his own!
Reactivity is Volatile
Reactivity is volatile and is rarely productive. You cannot plan for everything, but you do have the ability to understand and make choices about how you react.
This is a foundational element of Stoicism: Your reaction to how you feel when something happens is a behavior that you can learn to largely control. Your anger directed towards a situation at work does nothing but cause you discomfort. The situation does not care how you feel, and while the people involved may, your expression of those emotions typically does little more than inflame a situation.
Practice Makes Progress
You must exercise this ability of control, seek mindfulness, search for perspective, and avoid that volatility. You will not always be successful, but you should try anyway. The saying that practice makes perfect is a misnomer because there is no perfect. Instead, practice makes progress, and progress is meaningful.
In Stoicism, there is an understanding of memento mori, a reflection on one’s mortality. This is not meant to cause despair! Instead, take inspiration because your time is not infinite, and remembering that can help you gather the proper perspective and find a way to stay present.
The Big Idea
Mindfulness is a big idea. It’s a long road to follow. Many more metaphors could fill this space to describe how humans have sought a better understanding of the concept for millennia. Do your part for yourself right now. Read, journal, find some quiet time to think, connect with those who you love or who inspire you, and build your practice.
Weekly Quote: Ryan Holiday on Consistency and Willpower
This week's quote comes from Discipline is Destiny, the new book by Ryan Holiday. I wrote about this book and Ryan's impact on my creative journey earlier in the week.
Another complementary theme to this quote I've encountered in Ryan's work is waking up early to get stuff done, to build the habit of consistency. It isn't always easy to wake up at 5 am to write, but it's what I've been doing regularly for the last few weeks. I'm finding real gains, personally and around the content I can create by building this time into my daily schedule. I'm also happier because I want to do this, I enjoy it, and it's meaningful to me.
I get roughly an hour before the rest of the house begins to wake up, aside from the cats who usually join me. Sometimes, one of my children wakes up early, and I only have twenty minutes, but it's still time spent moving the needle, writing a few sentences, organizing some thoughts, and maybe planning for what's coming next.
It is incremental. It is day-to-day. This is becoming a theme for me because it works. Small gains every day result in something more significant, and that is precisely what I'm trying to accomplish.
Discipline is Destiny
Ryan Holiday's new book, Discipline is Destiny: The Power of Self Control is available today. Discipline is the second in the Stoic Virtues Series, following last year's release of Courage is Calling.
I pre-ordered a signed copy directly from Ryan, which arrived on Saturday. I'm already a few chapters in, highlighter in hand. Ryan is one of those authors whose work I typically purchase in multiple formats, usually Kindle and in print. I have several of his books on audio too. As I said, I'm a fan!
I recommend either The Obstacle is the Way or Courage is Calling for someone new to his work. Although you won’t go wrong with any of his books, particularly the ones focused on Stoicism.
Here's Where I Started
I walked into a book store on a snowy December afternoon in 2017, and The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living caught my eye. It was on a table themed around the coming new year. Although I did not know who Ryan was then, I immediately knew this was a book I wanted to read.
More importantly, it was a book that I needed to read.
I had just finished four years as a business owner and was starting a new mid-level operations management job at a distressed account. I was dealing with a lot of anxiety, and The Daily Stoic was part of how I ended my day and managed the stress. I'd read the day's passage, maybe do a little journaling or some other reading, and go to bed. The book helped me stay grounded after many long and draining days of putting out fires, rebuilding the team, and developing relationships with everyone from the C-Suite to the frontline.
Six years after finding The Daily Stoic, I reach for it nearly every day and still feel like I'm learning new things. I hope you have a book or something similar that does the same for you. If you don’t yet, you know what I recommend.
Weekly Quote: Jan-Benedict Steenkamp on Leading People
This week’s quote comes from Jan-Benedict Steenkamp’s 2020 book Time To Lead: Lessons for Today’s Leaders from Bold Decisions that Changed History. Steenkamp is a marketing professor, keynote speaker, and author. He is also the co-founder and executive director of AiMark, a global non-profit foundation focusing on sustainable brand growth.
Perspective can come from understanding that everyone has days, weeks, or even months where things aren’t going well. So the mess that Steenkamp writes about in this week’s quote isn’t necessarily the product of a malcontent’s wish to cause trouble; it can come from bad luck or a challenging situation.
People go through stuff, and it isn’t always their fault. It could be that a family member is sick and the medical bills are piling up, their child is struggling with depression, or they get injured working around the house. A leader should consider the situation as they try and help the person get through it. That person won’t always make it; some problems are too much or too overwhelming, and the job can’t and probably shouldn’t compete. If you can’t help them find the path through, allow them dignity and offer some grace as they find their way out.
Trying to help is noble. It’s not always easy and sometimes requires more from you than you might like. Remember that giving of yourself in a measured way to someone who is hurting and still wants to show up might be what keeps them going.
Regardless of what happens, you have a choice. You can be someone who helps, even if, in the end, things crash and burn, or you’re just another part of the mess. The choice seems like an easy choice to me.
Weekly Quote: James Clear on Being Proud
This week’s quote comes from a thought James Clear shared on his Instagram. James is the author of Atomic Habits (3) and the 3-2-1 weekly newsletter.
This quote created some deeper thinking about pride and how it fits into daily life, particularly in the professional realm. I’m traveling this weekend for a wedding, and look forward to sharing more in a future entry when I have some time to develop the idea further.
Tony Fadell on Leaders Taking Ownership During a Crisis
This week’s quote comes from Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell. Tony is a longtime entrepreneur, the founder and one-time CEO of Nest Labs, and the co-creator of the iPod and the iPhone.
It’s important to remember that if you are the leader, you are the one who is responsible, especially when things go wrong. In chapter 4.6 of Build, appropriately entitled Crisis, Tony lists some helpful tips for getting to the other side. The above quote is number 5, and here is the complete list with a brief description for each:
Keep focused on the problem. Blame comes later.
Instruct the team on the what and how, and then let them do it. Do not micromanage.
You are not alone. Ask for advice from people you trust who may have experienced something similar.
Constantly communicate with all stakeholders.
Accept responsibility and apologize.
Making excuses or even denying that a problem exists does nothing but make the situation worse and will quickly lose the confidence of everyone around you. Crisis management has become a profession, yet anyone can benefit from having Fadell’s experience-based list. The best way to learn is through experience, so the next time you are in a crisis at work or home, grab this list. You can bookmark this page, or better yet, get the book and highlight the chapter. If you do as Tony suggests, you have a fighting chance of surviving the crisis and learning something from it.
I have two decades of operations management experience, and I can’t think of a time when saying “I’m sorry” to someone for a mistake my team or myself had made caused the situation to get worse. Apologizing humbles you, and that’s a great way to start the process of fixing the mistake and finding your way through the crisis.
Weekly Quote: John Kenneth Galbraith on Changing Minds
This week’s quote comes to us from John Kenneth Galbraith. Galbraith was a professor of economics at Harvard University, United States Ambassador to India under John F. Kennedy from 1961 to 1963, and an advisor to President Johnson. He was also a prolific author of dozens of books, including several memoirs and highly regarded books about history, the economy, and society.
It’s easier and more comfortable to reinforce your current beliefs than question them. So you probably seek out information that helps support and reinforce the things you believe. Most people do this occasionally, and it takes effort to overcome.
Despite the challenges associated with rethinking, the next time you have an opportunity to do it after collecting new information, you should. It may feel difficult in the short term, but it’s worth it because you stand to gain a new and potentially more valuable perspective that can help you grow as a person.
I recommend reading Think Again by Adam Grant if you want to learn more about this idea. Adam does a lot of research on how useful it is to think like a scientist and not a prosecutor or a preacher when searching for the truth. As is usual with his books, the narrative is compelling and the argument is sound. The audiobook, narrated wonderfully by the author, also an experienced podcaster with a talent for telling stories, is worth listening to as well.
Weekly Quote: Seneca on Finding Courage Through Hardship
This week's quote from Seneca is included as part of the chapter on adversity in The Practicing Stoic by Ward Farnsworth.
Ward has written an excellent book on Stoicism that I have quoted multiple times. I read this book slowly for the first time, taking lots of notes and highlights for future reference, and I am already rereading chapters and passages that can help me make sense of something happening.
It's been a challenging year, although none of what's happened is particularly remarkable or unique to my family, and it's all been manageable despite being exhausting and occasionally overwhelming. I know everyone goes through tough times, and I've been trying to learn from these experiences. Here are a few things that I'm figuring out that might help you too:
I Cannot Control Every Situation
I'm getting better at understanding more quickly when a situation is beyond my control. One of our children, who is now fully recovered, got sick and ended up in the hospital for a few days. I couldn't fix that. I could only be a participant in a bigger plan for recovery and stability for the entire family.
I Can be More Patient
I think I am a pretty patient person, and I am working on getting more tuned in to what it means to be a patient son, father, and husband. Different roles in my life need other things from me. Patience is universal, but there are nuances that I'm picking up on.
Creating Through Adversity Shuts the Resistance Down
I believe that adversity can spark creativity. Unfortunately, I've had very little time to create or write over the last several weeks, but the ideas are still coming and are meaningful to me. I've been feeling The Resistance a lot recently. Its presence encourages me that I am on the right path. I'm not giving up. I'm doubling down.
Building Courage is Worth Doing
I'm building my courage through practice. Living a rich life means that adversity will happen, and while it can be difficult, I feel more prepared to face what is next because of what I have already gone through.
How I Face Hardship Matters
Whether it's at work or home, someone is watching. I may struggle with a situation, but I can strive to have a measured and thoughtful response when it all goes wrong, or something scary happens. Essentially, the definition of being courageous.
Recognizing my Good Fortune Builds Endurance
I am deeply fortunate to have a healthy and happy family. We are coming closer because of these experiences, which is another gift of endurance I will gladly take as part of this journey.
Weekly Quote: Marcus Aurelius on Having no Opinion
This week’s quote comes from Marcus Aurelius, author of Meditations, Stoic philosopher, and Roman Emperor from 161 to 180.
Choosing not to have an opinion on a subject over which you have no control is a valuable lesson. It’s vital to learn the difference between what should receive your attention and the low signal, high noise stuff that doesn’t deserve your time but does its best to get in front of you regardless.
When you cast your opinion towards things that don’t matter, when you comment and like or share, when you offer an idea that you may not even believe in, it’s easy to get sucked into a vortex that makes you unhappy and robs you of your attention and inspiration. It’s not an easy place to escape, so avoid it.
In fact, entire industries thrive when you don’t follow this advice, with some sharing impressive quarterly earnings on calls to their investors, touting the financial success of their engagement strategy.
Time is the most valuable commodity you have. Do everything you can to avoid getting caught up in things that don’t matter. Guard your attention, and honor yourself by making the most of it.
Weekly Quote: Tony Fadell, Author of “Build,” on Screwing Up
This week’s quote comes from the book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell, founder and one-time CEO of Nest Labs and the co-creator of the iPod and the iPhone.
Mistakes are the language of growth, and the idea of productive struggle is one of untapped potential. It’s a powerful experience to learn something, especially after getting it wrong.
I’m a few days late with this because of illness in the family, and I’m unable to write many thoughts, although I do not doubt that I’ll be sharing more from this book in the future. Tony is an accomplished and driven guy from whom we can all learn a great deal.
PKM Toolkit: Using Kindle for Learning and Research
Books are a significant source of joy in my life and a big part of what inspires this site. I read daily, even if only for a short time on busy days, and I do most of my reading using the Kindle app on my iPad.
I like using Kindle because it makes reading more manageable and more accessible. I can easily organize highlights and streamline knowledge transfer into other places for future access. Here are some other reasons why Kindle is an essential aspect of my personal knowledge management system.
Readwise Integration
I wrote about how much I use and like Readwise in the first entry of the PKM Toolkit series. I have used an old-fashioned highlighter in print books and then typed those quotes or passages into Readwise, but it’s time-consuming. Live Text on iOS makes this a little easier by taking a photo and then copying the text,, but highlighting in the Kindle app is simple. Readwise is integrated with Kindle and can automatically sync highlights for me.
Using the Kindle highlight feature, which imports into Readwise easily, is a low-friction way for me to take notes because I need to highlight the text. As a result, the interruption in reading is limited.
Split Screen for Intensive Note Taking
While Readwise is my go-to app for short highlights and the quotes that I feature, Craft is the app I use for data collection, in-depth note-taking, and as a tool for reviewing and tracking my projects.
On my iPad, I can have Craft and Kindle open in split-screen, so I can paste text and take notes. I don’t do this often, but it’s convenient to have the option.
Searching
The keyword search feature in Kindle works well. I like how It breaks down the results into different sections, starting with notes and highlights and then sections of the book by chapter.
I use this feature a lot when building a quote post, so I can find the original context from which the quote was pulled.
Access on Other Devices
Sometimes I read on my iPhone or my hardware Kindle, and because the sync feature is pretty reliable, I can switch back and forth as needed.
Where it Fits in
I get a lot of information from the books I read, which end up in different places based on the intended use. Highlights go into Readwise but can end up in Craft for a different kind of review, and some go to Day One in my personal reflection journal, where I can write at length to get more clarity on a concept.
Despite enjoying ebooks, I still like the printed page, and my personal preference for Kindle is what works best for me right now. With Kindle, I like the portability, ease of note-taking, and access to my books on different devices.
If you’re trying to improve your reading experience on the iPad, you can read about how I hid the reading progress and clock in Kindle and also check out my Reading Focus Mode that helps deal with distractions.
PKM Toolkit is a series featuring software and ideas that help collect, organize, review, and share knowledge. You can learn more about personal knowledge management by reading the first entry of the series.Weekly Quote: Annie Murphy Paul, Author of “The Extended Mind,” on Teaching to Learn
This week’s quote comes from a favorite and often quoted book here on 24 Letters, The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain by Annie Murphy Paul.
The context of this quote is that children who are encouraged to take home what they are learning and teach it to their family members can learn more and better understand the material through this act.
This seems to work, in a few different ways, in our adult lives too.
When you were asked to teach your colleague that new system at work, it probably helped you learn it more thoroughly. It may have sharpened your social skills, potentially giving you more confidence, greater empathy, and a better understanding of communicating clearly.
When you go to your doctor, you may experience the teach-back method. Health care professionals are increasingly being trained to ask in a nuanced way for the patient to repeat back what they heard after a conversation so they can offer clarification and address any misunderstandings. The added benefit is that by doing this, the recipient has an opportunity to better understand the information by teaching it to the provider.
You probably remember someone who taught you something important. It may have been in school, a job, or maybe a friend who impacted your life. Perhaps it was a new skill that made you better at your job or a new idea that helped you improve your relationships. Whatever it was, you know the value of teaching even if it isn’t your job because you not only remember that person, you remember how they changed you. Everyone can and should teach what they know; it’s a gift you can give someone that can help improve their lives and the lives of those they touch.
Weekly Quote: Stephen Covey on Leadership and Management
This week’s quote comes from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
This quote resonates with the leadership and management styles that I most admire. Skilled leaders recognize that they are a beacon of strength, experience, and guidance to those around them, and they see their team as vital to their own success and treat them as such.
I’ve found the best outcome for a leader, and a team is to develop a symbiotic relationship where all involved rely on each other for individual and collective success. No one does it alone, and embracing that can be the key to the kind of forward momentum that results in triumph.
Finding Focus: Hiding the Clock and Reading Progress in Kindle
I like to minimize distractions while reading on the iPad. Without the proper controls, a connected device can become a firehose of eye-catching notifications. I wrote about how well my Reading Focus Mode is working for me, and that has inspired me to try and reduce the amount of visible data on screen in the Kindle itself. To accomplish this, I’ve decided to hide the Reading Progress data that displays in the lower left corner and the current time that appears in the upper left corner.
It’s easy to toggle these options in the Kindle App. Just do the following:
1. Open a book and press anywhere in the middle of the screen. Doing this will change the view and offer settings and other options.
2. In the upper right corner of the screen, press the icon featuring an upper and lowercase letter and navigate to the More category.
3. Under the More pane, toggle Visible Clock.
4. Press on Reading Progress and adjust as desired.
5. If you check all options available under Reading Progress, it will hide the information but keep it accessible with a tap to the lower left corner while you are reading.
I’m enjoying the white space that this creates. I know it’s a little tweak, but sometimes those can significantly improve an experience. I think this is one of those situations. If you try it, let me know if you find it helpful.
Weekly Quote: Ward Farnsworth, Author of The Practicing Stoic, on Living in the Present
This week’s quote comes from The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User’s Manual by Ward Farnsworth, a book I am slowly reading and very much enjoying. I’ve written about this book before and continue to gather insights into Stoicism and how it can help shape my personal and professional journey.
I’ve spent this week living firmly in the present with a house full of sick people (that includes me), and I haven’t had much time to write or do anything beyond survival. I’m happy to live in the present, yet I look forward to the family being well and our routine returning to normal soon.
Weekly Quote: Harry Truman on Reading to Lead
This week's quote comes from Harry Truman, the 33rd President of The United States. In A 1962 letter to Dean Acheson, his Secretary of State from 1945 to 1947, Truman references how essential his reading as a young man was for his time as President, referring to it as his "terrible trial."
Good leaders aren't just readers. They like to write things down as well. Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations as a journal, likely with no intention of anyone reading it. Winston Churchill wrote and published multiple volumes about his early life and World War II. Their motivations may have differed, but society benefits from their accounting for the historical record.
Biographies are perennial bestsellers because you can gain much insight into the subject's thoughts and ideas and learn lessons from choices and mistakes. You can read widely and deeply into the history of the world and come away with a more profound sense of curiosity and wonder while also learning something new.
You are likely a leader in some aspect of your life. So go and read with intention, even if it is just a few pages before going to bed or during your lunch break. Do it daily, and you will educate yourself, satisfy your curiosity, and build ideas that can inform the future.
If you are interested in reading more about Truman, I recommend The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World by A. J. Baime. So much of our world changed in just the short period this book covers, and it’s an eye-opening read.