Tom's Top 3 Tuesday: September 24, 2024
1 Museum, 2 Interviewers, and a 3-Step Plan
Hi everyone! Welcome to this week’s installment of Tom’s Top 3 Tuesdays, where I highlight three pieces of content (Podcasts/Shows/Songs/Articles/etc.) that I found interesting or noteworthy from the prior week.
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Greeting from Copenhagen! I’m on vacation this week, but still wanted to say what’s up. Apologies if this edition sucks. 😅
Let’s get into it.
[Podcast] Modern Wisdom - Tim Ferriss
I’m used to listening to Tim Ferriss as the interviewer on his podcast, so it was cool to hear him on the other side of the table. I’ll warn you, it’s a long one, but there are a number of useful takeaways that I will be stealing for my own life. Tim’s also just a very interesting and entertaining person, so it goes by quick.
If you want to save some time, I noticed some general buckets of advice/learnings from the episode that I will try my best to capture in bullet point format:
Clarity- What you work on is more important than how you work on it
Have a clear definition of what you consider success
To get ahead of 99%: define your 1-2 most important things in advance and work on them for 2-3 hours per day (few actually do this)
Systems - Using your calendar as a tool, rather than a source of stress
Work will end up filling the void if you don’t have things in the calendar to say yes to
“If you’re serious all the time you’re going to burn out before the serious stuff is even done”
Scheduling trips with family and friends for the year in advance
Anticipation pays off almost as much as the trip itself
Always have something to look forward to
General Tips & Fortune Cookie Wisdom
Invest in your shoes and your bed because if you’re not in one you’ll be in the other
Reflect: What are things you think are productive but aren’t? What are things you think aren’t productive but are?
Tim uses three asterisks (“***”) in his notes so he can Ctrl+F to easily search for highlights later
In Relationships: Make the implicit explicit, don’t leave things unsaid
Alcohol is borrowing happiness from tomorrow
[Shoutout] Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
The art in this museum is stunning, but this was the first time that I really noticed just how much impact the museum itself has on the experience (both positive and negative).
The Positive: the descriptions on the plaques were truly exceptional. Usually I feel like these signs just state the name of the piece, the author, and maybe a time period. At this museum, however, each plaque was a miniature history lesson on the art, artist, and/or the influence of Dutch culture on the output. The attention to detail and care that went into these descriptions really improved the viewing experience for me.
The Negative: this museum was difficult to navigate and lacked a comfortable flow from room to room. The signage is rather minimal, and there was no clear sense of where you were supposed to walk next. This, combined with narrow doorways, made it feel more like trying to find your classroom on the first day of junior high rather than enjoyably navigating one of the best museums in the country.
[Blog] Shaan Puri - Strategically Broke and a 3-Step Plan
Shaan is incredibly funny, and I love his writing style. These two quick essays provide a framework for how to approach your career, especially if you’re young and fresh out of college.
Shaan believes that you should give yourself time to wander early in your career in order to identify what really excites you. Try a bunch of different projects and see what sticks. Take this time to build useful skills and learn what you enjoy.
Role models are tricky because you cannot see what they sacrificed for their success. Shaan suggests you should seek out role models that live the overall lifestyle that you desire (not just the role or salary).
Overall, these essays are an easy and enjoyable read. I loved Shaan’s personal success story, and he lays out some great advice for anyone in their 20s trying to figure things out.
That wraps up this edition of Tom’s Top 3 Tuesdays. If you know anyone who would like this newsletter, please consider sharing. I’ll be back next week. ✌️