Keywords:: PermanentNote makePublic
Reference: R: How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us"
Don't make plans unless you plan the process. Planning for outcomes (like I want to sell 1,000 copies of my book) is not effective because you leave out the most important thing that generates these outcomes—the inputs.
Outcomes without inputs are too abstract. It's like saying I want to grow apples without having a tree. You can't directly influence how an apple tastes and looks. What you can do, however, is influence the tree—by picking the right place for it to grow, fertilizing it, watering it regularly, etc.—which will indirectly impact the apples that grow on it.
Similarly, to achieve your goals you must first and foremost define the actions—processes, habits, systems, or, in one word, inputs—that will bring you toward your aims. Inputs are what's in the gap between your desire and the outcome.
Furthermore, having a process defined (instead of just defining the goal) increases the chances that you'll actually do the work required to achieve your goals. It's due to the Parkinison law, every kind of work tends to fill the time we set aside for it like air fills every corner of a room (research more about the Parkinson law). So, if you plan your inputs such as writing every day from 8 AM till 10 AM you'll be more successful because you'll have a defined time in which to do the work (or let the work fill it).
Another consequence of the Parkinson law is that we tend to speed up if we have the finish line in sight (it's also related to the Zeigarnik effect – the mind craves closure). Creating such 'boxes' for your inputs creates mini finish lines which accelerate your efforts. This means that the most important step is to get started. Once you're inside such a 'box,' your brain will focus on getting to the finish line as effectively as possible.
"Begin - to begin is half the work, let half still remain; again begin this, and thou wilt have finished." - Marcus Aurelius
Relevant notes:
Relevant notes:
PN: Play the long-term game, PN: Pick the long-term over the short-term: making plans early in your life can immense consequences.
PN: How to get into flow, PN: Get into deep work, PN: How to study smart: If you plan to work cognitively, make sure you have the right tactics.
P: Bring the metaphysical into the physical: only by doing you can realizing the potential of your plans because only then reality can validate them.
Next, you need to translate the book's insights into action. Ask yourself, how can you implement the ideas from the book in your life? A great way is to follow a process that lays down the specific steps to implement the knowledge. Project: Processized