Personal Development for Smart People
So I'm reading this book, Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina, and I keep going back and forth on what I think. A brief description of Pavlina: Started out a stealing-addicted loser, in and out of jail. Decided to make something of himself. Started studying time-management and then, double majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics, received his degrees in exactly three semesters and graduated top of his class, even while working full time in his final semester and working out everyday. Even now, he leads this action packed life where he's booked solid everyday.
While I'm amazed, I can't help but go from motivated to irritated, intrigued to pissed off. Who do you think you are, Steve Pavlina? Why does everything have to be a fucking race to the finish line with you? Even stopping to enjoy a sunset is a timed activity in your daily agenda! And while I do definitely enjoy a daily agenda, I've learned that being too specific about times and activities will fuck up your social life and eventually create resentment and endless irritation both for you and for the people in your life.
That said, he makes a list of 66 habits to make you more efficient that, for the most part, I really like. A few that I'm seriously considering:
- Give up idle web-surfing. If you remember something you want to look up during the day, write it down and look it up later during your allotted internet time.
- Wake up early everyday (Pavlina wakes up at 5am everyday, even weekends) and accomplish what you need to get done (Pavlina works out for an hour everyday, learns 20 new words a day and meditates twice daily) before work or school.
- Tackle the most difficult/worst task first thing in the morning. It will set the tone for the rest of the day. (One of discomfort and alienation? Joking... kind of.)
- Take action immediately after creating a goal. Avoid the "I'll Start Tomorrow" way of thinking.
- At the end of the day, identify the first task you'll address the next day and set out the materials in advance so you can start immediately.
- Schedule a specific time each day completely devoted to working on a specific task or habit.
- Estimate how long something will take you, set a timer and push yourself to complete it sooner than the alarm.
- Find people who already have the results you want and ask them about how they do it.
... I should probably buy a bigger notebook. :/
While I'm amazed, I can't help but go from motivated to irritated, intrigued to pissed off. Who do you think you are, Steve Pavlina? Why does everything have to be a fucking race to the finish line with you? Even stopping to enjoy a sunset is a timed activity in your daily agenda! And while I do definitely enjoy a daily agenda, I've learned that being too specific about times and activities will fuck up your social life and eventually create resentment and endless irritation both for you and for the people in your life.
That said, he makes a list of 66 habits to make you more efficient that, for the most part, I really like. A few that I'm seriously considering:
- Give up idle web-surfing. If you remember something you want to look up during the day, write it down and look it up later during your allotted internet time.
- Wake up early everyday (Pavlina wakes up at 5am everyday, even weekends) and accomplish what you need to get done (Pavlina works out for an hour everyday, learns 20 new words a day and meditates twice daily) before work or school.
- Tackle the most difficult/worst task first thing in the morning. It will set the tone for the rest of the day. (One of discomfort and alienation? Joking... kind of.)
- Take action immediately after creating a goal. Avoid the "I'll Start Tomorrow" way of thinking.
- At the end of the day, identify the first task you'll address the next day and set out the materials in advance so you can start immediately.
- Schedule a specific time each day completely devoted to working on a specific task or habit.
- Estimate how long something will take you, set a timer and push yourself to complete it sooner than the alarm.
- Find people who already have the results you want and ask them about how they do it.
... I should probably buy a bigger notebook. :/