1/ The Art of Non-Conformity (Chris Guillebeau)
"My motivation is to help people challenge authority and live unconventional, remarkable lives. You don’t have to live the way other people expect you to." (p. 4)
amazon.com/Art-Non-Confor…
"My motivation is to help people challenge authority and live unconventional, remarkable lives. You don’t have to live the way other people expect you to." (p. 4)
amazon.com/Art-Non-Confor…
2/ "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with their song still in them." Henry David Thoreau
"People expect you to behave like they do. If you don’t, they get irritated. It’s as if they're asking: “Everyone else is jumping off the bridge. Why aren’t you?”
"People expect you to behave like they do. If you don’t, they get irritated. It’s as if they're asking: “Everyone else is jumping off the bridge. Why aren’t you?”
3/ "Asking “why?” to everything like a three-year-old is helpful: make sure you don’t jump off the bridge without at least considering the alternatives.
"Halfway through the required courses for graduate school, I realized that 80% of the assignments had little value.
"Halfway through the required courses for graduate school, I realized that 80% of the assignments had little value.
4/ "The projects were simply “busywork” designed to keep students working on something so that the system could sustain itself.
"Faculty and administrators were also engaged in a significant amount of pandering.
"Faculty and administrators were also engaged in a significant amount of pandering.
5/ "If you’ve ever completed a task for the sole purpose of making yourself look better, you’ve participated in the game of mediocrity.
"Similarly, if you’ve ever been to pointless meetings that drag on far too long, this description should come as no surprise." (p. 5)
"Similarly, if you’ve ever been to pointless meetings that drag on far too long, this description should come as no surprise." (p. 5)
6/ "I don’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones." John Cage
11 Ways to Be Unremarkably Average (p. 8):
Accept what people tell you at face value; don't question authority; get a large mortgage and spend 30 years paying for it.
11 Ways to Be Unremarkably Average (p. 8):
Accept what people tell you at face value; don't question authority; get a large mortgage and spend 30 years paying for it.
7/ "The key to an improved life is not less work but *better* work. Most of us want to work hard at the kind of work that energizes us and makes a positive impact on others.
"Instead of being easy, the most memorable times in our lives are often the most challenging." (p. 10)
"Instead of being easy, the most memorable times in our lives are often the most challenging." (p. 10)
8/ "It’s usually better to do something than not do it. We tend to regret what we haven't done.
"Unfortunately, most people don't start thinking about legacy until late in life. Start thinking about this right now. Immediately begin living with that vision in mind." (p. 24)
"Unfortunately, most people don't start thinking about legacy until late in life. Start thinking about this right now. Immediately begin living with that vision in mind." (p. 24)
9/ "The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them." George Bernard Shaw
"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." Walter Bagehot
"The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." Walter Bagehot
10/ "Your dreams and big ideas belong to no one but you. You never need to apologize for or justify them to anyone.
"Write your own winning lottery ticket, not by the sudden accumulation of wealth but by gradually reducing your expenses to what you decide is essential." (p. 28)
"Write your own winning lottery ticket, not by the sudden accumulation of wealth but by gradually reducing your expenses to what you decide is essential." (p. 28)
11/ "Many people have no idea what they want to accomplish.
"Our systems of education do not devote much time to this.
"Our lack of self-awareness hurts us. We have to define what we want and find a way to make it happen.
"Start taking your dreams very seriously." (p. 29)
"Our systems of education do not devote much time to this.
"Our lack of self-awareness hurts us. We have to define what we want and find a way to make it happen.
"Start taking your dreams very seriously." (p. 29)
12/ "If something is worth doing, you might as well do it all the way.
"Once we get serious about planning for big goals, they tend to be achieved more quickly than we expect. We overestimate (underestimate) what we can complete in a single day (longer periods of time)." (p. 34)
"Once we get serious about planning for big goals, they tend to be achieved more quickly than we expect. We overestimate (underestimate) what we can complete in a single day (longer periods of time)." (p. 34)
13/ "Create a structure around work that allows you to improvise.
"In the short run, I have to take steps toward my goals, but it’s not a highly regulated environment. I’m free to change it up whenever I want. If anything, it’s a flexible-but purposeful environment." (p. 36)
"In the short run, I have to take steps toward my goals, but it’s not a highly regulated environment. I’m free to change it up whenever I want. If anything, it’s a flexible-but purposeful environment." (p. 36)
14/ ...
Start thinking seriously about how you will change the world:
• What needs can you meet?
• Who looks to you as a leader?
• What bothers you about the world?
• How can you make things better?
• What can you offer the world that no one else can?
...
(p. 38)
Start thinking seriously about how you will change the world:
• What needs can you meet?
• Who looks to you as a leader?
• What bothers you about the world?
• How can you make things better?
• What can you offer the world that no one else can?
...
(p. 38)
15/ "If you don’t know what to do on any given day, spend at least some of your time helping someone else.
"Instead of this being an afterthought, you can build a life focused on the relentless pursuit of what you yourself want coupled with the call to make a difference." (p.38)
"Instead of this being an afterthought, you can build a life focused on the relentless pursuit of what you yourself want coupled with the call to make a difference." (p.38)
16/ "There is always more than one way to accomplish something.
"There is usually a fast track or alternative path that will allow you to skip steps everyone else spends ages on. The unconventional choice is not only more efficient; it’s also often more effective." (p. 39)
"There is usually a fast track or alternative path that will allow you to skip steps everyone else spends ages on. The unconventional choice is not only more efficient; it’s also often more effective." (p. 39)
17/ "Refuse to view the world as a zero-sum competition. No one else needs to lose for you to win (and vice versa).
"You’ll regret the things you didn’t do much more than anything you did, so try new things. You won’t have to worry about burnout if you are doing what you love.
"You’ll regret the things you didn’t do much more than anything you did, so try new things. You won’t have to worry about burnout if you are doing what you love.
18/ "You will need to be determined. We live in a conventional world, and doing what you want can be surprisingly difficult.
"If you’re afraid of sacrifice or lack the ability to stick with something you believe in, you might be tempted to give up along the way." (p. 39)
"If you’re afraid of sacrifice or lack the ability to stick with something you believe in, you might be tempted to give up along the way." (p. 39)
19/ "People are uncomfortable with change and different ideas, and they’ll work hard at rationalizing their own choices when they come across someone who has made different ones.
20/ "The most amazing parts are the first steps. Somewhere along the way, momentum kicks in and never stops. It carries marathon runners from mile 24 to mile 26. It can help you scale up your life, but you need to be very clear on what you want and where you are going." (p. 42)
21/ "The absence of fear is not courage; the absence of fear is mental illness." Po Bronson
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." Elbert Hubbard
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one." Elbert Hubbard
22/ "When you choose to defy convention, you’ll run up against people who are resentful of your decision to chart your own path.
"With preparation and courage, you can usually find a way to stand up to those people, and other times you can just do your own thing and ignore them.
"With preparation and courage, you can usually find a way to stand up to those people, and other times you can just do your own thing and ignore them.
23/ "Be forewarned: the toughest obstacles most of us have to overcome are the direct result of our own fears and insecurities. It’s good to get a handle on these issues before you worry about anyone else." (p. 49)
"Always do what you are afraid to do." Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Always do what you are afraid to do." Ralph Waldo Emerson
24/ "We generally resist change until the pain of making a switch becomes less than the pain of remaining in our current situation.
"People accept all kinds of situations that are unproductive or harmful, from jobs that drain their energy to dysfunctional relationships." (p. 49)
"People accept all kinds of situations that are unproductive or harmful, from jobs that drain their energy to dysfunctional relationships." (p. 49)
25/ "The people who are ready to change want the change more than almost anything. They want a way out of their current situation.
"Most remarkable people were not born competing in the Tour de France or flying to Asia to climb onto trash heaps.
"Most remarkable people were not born competing in the Tour de France or flying to Asia to climb onto trash heaps.
26/ "They were fairly average people who simply woke up from sleepwalking somewhere along the way. They made a few key decisions that forever altered the course of their lives—decisions like filling out an application or having a big talk with a boss." (p. 56)
27/ "I used to worry about what other people thought. I allowed the fear of disappointing them to influence my decisions." (p. 59)
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Get busy." Dale Carnegie
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Get busy." Dale Carnegie
28/ "Asking yourself, “What’s the absolute worst thing that could happen?” can be very empowering. It helps you put things in their proper perspective.
" “Will the world end if this does not go the way I expect?” Shockingly, I’ve found that the answer is usually “no.” " (p. 61)
" “Will the world end if this does not go the way I expect?” Shockingly, I’ve found that the answer is usually “no.” " (p. 61)
29/ "People will always try to stop you from doing the right thing if it is unconventional." Warren Buffett
"Gatekeepers are especially effective at telling you which choices you have, providing the illusion of freedom while simultaneously blocking access to what really matters.
"Gatekeepers are especially effective at telling you which choices you have, providing the illusion of freedom while simultaneously blocking access to what really matters.
30/ "Gatekeepers are “no” people. They are skilled at coming up reasons why a request should be denied or why a particular strategy won’t work. Many organizations have an entire Department of No, which usually goes by a disguised title such as Legal or Human Resources." (p. 74)
31/ "Gatekeepers maintain power by convincing people that their roles are necessary.
"Why do we do things this way? “That’s how we’ve always done it.” “Because someone said so.” When someone asks questions, gatekeepers appeal to (possibly incorrectly remembered) history." (p.75)
"Why do we do things this way? “That’s how we’ve always done it.” “Because someone said so.” When someone asks questions, gatekeepers appeal to (possibly incorrectly remembered) history." (p.75)
32/ "Keep this old Chinese proverb in mind:
"The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it.
"Gatekeepers are good at interrupting, so you’ll need to become good at doing the impossible." (p. 80)
"The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it.
"Gatekeepers are good at interrupting, so you’ll need to become good at doing the impossible." (p. 80)
33/ "Taking control of your own career is *less* risky than trusting someone else to look after you.
"Your own competence is your best security.
"When faced with a recession or bad event, change the way you interpret events, and then act to change your circumstances." (p. 89)
"Your own competence is your best security.
"When faced with a recession or bad event, change the way you interpret events, and then act to change your circumstances." (p. 89)
34/ "I’ve started five businesses in the past decade, and every one cost <$1,000. I had a good idea whether each business would succeed or fail.
"None has gone on to make me wealthy. But that wasn’t the goal—the goal was to support myself so I wouldn’t have to get a job." (p.91)
"None has gone on to make me wealthy. But that wasn’t the goal—the goal was to support myself so I wouldn’t have to get a job." (p.91)
35/ "You can come back from almost anything. No one else can bear the blame or take responsibility for the comeback.
"Paradoxically, when you manage to survive a crisis that had “deathblow potential,” you’ll often end up stronger than you were before." (p. 101)
"Paradoxically, when you manage to survive a crisis that had “deathblow potential,” you’ll often end up stronger than you were before." (p. 101)
36/ "Some people get an education without going to college; the rest get it after they get out." Mark Twain
"My MA thesis was read by a grand total of three people: the audience was extremely limited. My online writing was making much larger impact." (p. 112)
"My MA thesis was read by a grand total of three people: the audience was extremely limited. My online writing was making much larger impact." (p. 112)
37/ "Formal education and learning do not always go hand in hand. If your goal is to learn instead of to prepare for a career, you may be better off going it alone.
"It is often quicker, cheaper, & easier to become your own expert." (p.117)
More on this:
amazon.com/Next-Future-Ha…
"It is often quicker, cheaper, & easier to become your own expert." (p.117)
amazon.com/Next-Future-Ha…
38/ "If you give people a good enough reason, many of them will stick with you for life, allowing you to scale up your project or move to another goal after you achieve the first one.
"Leadership has little to do with titles and everything to do with influence." (p. 126)
"Leadership has little to do with titles and everything to do with influence." (p. 126)
39/ "Not everyone is a potential recruit for your cause. Not only are some people a poor match for your audience, some will do more harm than good. The wrong people will drain your energy, distract you from what is important, and may even try to influence you to give up.
40/ "Ron Paul attracts libertarian-minded citizens who believe the federal government should be reduced. There aren’t many who think Ron Paul is just “okay.” Having a mission statement like his is a good way to attract the followers you want while deflecting anyone else." (p.133)
41/ "If you want to destroy your relationship with your followers, all you need to do is abuse their trust: fail to do what you say you’re going to do, and fail to apologize when you make a mistake. If you let people down without apology, good luck rebuilding that trust.
42/ "When things are going smoothly and you find you can take shortcuts that no one seems to notice, you may be tempted to take more and more shortcuts. Eventually, everyone notices, but by then, it may be too late.
43/ "Challenge people without insulting them. Lift up your followers and improve their lives in a meaningful way. If you continue to meet the needs of your fan base, it won’t be difficult to maintain their trust." (p. 146)
44/ "If you don’t have clarity of purpose on how you view the role of money in your life, you’ll end up doing what other people do.
"The life we want is closer than we think. Most of us don’t want to spend every day on the beach. We want meaningful work and plenty of free time.
"The life we want is closer than we think. Most of us don’t want to spend every day on the beach. We want meaningful work and plenty of free time.
45/ "Frugality is about making conscious choices to spend on the things I value—and avoid spending on other things.
"Even the so-called good debt (student loans, mortgages) locks people into decisions that they may not be comfortable with for all of the years they hold the debt.
"Even the so-called good debt (student loans, mortgages) locks people into decisions that they may not be comfortable with for all of the years they hold the debt.
46/ "Think about increasing and diversifying income rather than cutting expenses.
"The goal is to get to the point where you can stop working for a boss." (p. 159)
"If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed." Edmund Burke
"The goal is to get to the point where you can stop working for a boss." (p. 159)
"If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed." Edmund Burke
47/ "Every man dies; not every man really lives." William Wallace
"Embrace life to the fullest and order your life around a few key priorities. Look carefully at all of your current obligations to determine which ones are actually necessary and which can be eliminated.
"Embrace life to the fullest and order your life around a few key priorities. Look carefully at all of your current obligations to determine which ones are actually necessary and which can be eliminated.
48/ "When you say goodbye to unnecessary tasks, obligations, and expectations, you welcome in a wide range of other things to enrich your life.
"Let go of the belief that you must work a certain number of hours each day without considering what actually gets done.
"Let go of the belief that you must work a certain number of hours each day without considering what actually gets done.
49/ "Ask “Why should I do this?” and “What will happen if I don’t?”
"The further you advance toward your goals, the more you’ll have to decline requests for your time. You may even need to devote of time to shutting out anything that distracts you from your key priorities.
"The further you advance toward your goals, the more you’ll have to decline requests for your time. You may even need to devote of time to shutting out anything that distracts you from your key priorities.
50/ "Not everyone will understand. Some people may get frustrated with you. Meanwhile, you’ll be getting more done and than all of them.
"Think about the tasks that drain your energy without contributing to anything worthwhile. Add them to your to-stop-doing list." (p. 176)
"Think about the tasks that drain your energy without contributing to anything worthwhile. Add them to your to-stop-doing list." (p. 176)
51/ "Turn off the TV for a month. If anything you read is not interesting and helpful to you, put it down and spend your time in a more meaningful way.
"Seth Godin doesn't watch TV or go to meetings, giving him four to five more hours a day than most people have." (p. 178)
"Seth Godin doesn't watch TV or go to meetings, giving him four to five more hours a day than most people have." (p. 178)
52/ "I want to be tired—not from a grind of tasks (“What did I really do today?”) but with a sense of wow." (p. 183)
"The best moments occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something worthwhile." Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
"The best moments occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something worthwhile." Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
53/ "I’m interested in reducing unnecessary stress, but I want to find ways to do interesting things.
"When you say no to some things, you can say yes to many more. I’d rather regret something I did than wish I had done something I didn't have time or courage for." (p. 185)
"When you say no to some things, you can say yes to many more. I’d rather regret something I did than wish I had done something I didn't have time or courage for." (p. 185)
54/ "It would cost roughly $30,000 and several years of regular travel to get to 50 more countries I hadn't visited yet. I was stunned at how relatively little it was.
"My friends at home were buying cars (SUVs or minivans at the time) that sometimes ran upward of $30,000.
"My friends at home were buying cars (SUVs or minivans at the time) that sometimes ran upward of $30,000.
55/ "My time living overseas had given me a new appreciation for simplicity and frugality, so I had no desire to spend that much money on a car. Choosing to see the world, however, was an investment I could easily buy into.
56/ "The more I traveled, the more comfortable I became, and the more I learned about “travel hacking”—my system of round-the-world fares, a big stash of frequent flyer miles, and other tricks to bring the cost of my trips down to around $400 per flight anywhere in the world.
57/ "Google “Priceline winning hotel bids.” I’ve used this strategy to stay at the Brussels Marriott for $60 (usually $240), the Prague Sheraton for $45 ($195), & other nice hotels all over the world.
"If transatlantic airfare is pricey, look for a repositioning cruise." (p.200)
"If transatlantic airfare is pricey, look for a repositioning cruise." (p.200)
58/ "We are rightly proud of our glory days, our time of rapid discovery and advancement. Looking back, we sometimes refer to them as “the best days of my life.”
"When the time came to an end all too soon, we felt a bittersweet combination of accomplishment and sadness.
"When the time came to an end all too soon, we felt a bittersweet combination of accomplishment and sadness.
59/ "But there comes another time, not long afterward, to put those days aside. If those experiences were really so great, shouldn’t they motivate us toward greater challenges?
"Since our glory days were so transformative, we need to find a way to have more of them." (p. 206)
"Since our glory days were so transformative, we need to find a way to have more of them." (p. 206)
60/ "Think about every day as the first day of your life: all we have is today. The good news is that the failures have already taken place. There’s no need to continue reliving them in your head. The bad news is that the successes are locked away too.
61/ "By the time you come to the end of your life, you don’t have the chance to change anything that happened long ago. That’s why I think it’s better to begin thinking about your legacy right now, regardless of how old you are or what season of life you’re in." (p. 207)
62/ "Legacy work creates something new as opposed to responding to something that already exists.
"Measure work in output, not hours.
"Eight hours reading the news doesn't help the world. 30 minutes working on a project for my readers makes the world better off.
"Measure work in output, not hours.
"Eight hours reading the news doesn't help the world. 30 minutes working on a project for my readers makes the world better off.
63/ "Create a continual metric for your most important work.
"I have a generic “1,000 words/day” standard. This creates 300,000 written words—about 100 blog posts, 20 newspaper columns, 20 guest articles for various outlets, 3 information products, and 1 book—per year.
"I have a generic “1,000 words/day” standard. This creates 300,000 written words—about 100 blog posts, 20 newspaper columns, 20 guest articles for various outlets, 3 information products, and 1 book—per year.
64/ "This works because I do a lot of different kinds of writing. If I only wrote books, I don’t think I could sustain the output. The creative diversity definitely helps keep me going.
"Instead of comparing yourself to others, keep the competition internal." (p. 217)
"Instead of comparing yourself to others, keep the competition internal." (p. 217)
65/ "Sitting down to do something and forcing yourself not to get up until real progress is made can work more powerfully than any time management program. Just be careful about putting in the hours for no good reason, because that’s when legacy work shifts back into busywork.
66/ "We all get one life to live. You might as well take it seriously.
"A legacy project will ensure that what you bring to the world will continue to be valuable for a long time." (p. 220)
"A legacy project will ensure that what you bring to the world will continue to be valuable for a long time." (p. 220)
67/ "Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." Sir Cecil Beaton
68/ "A common criticism of unconventional ideas is that they are unreasonable to implement:
“We can’t all do what we want all the time.”
“Some of us have to be responsible.”
“That doesn’t work in the real world.”
“You wouldn’t want a non-conformist heart surgeon, would you?”
“We can’t all do what we want all the time.”
“Some of us have to be responsible.”
“That doesn’t work in the real world.”
“You wouldn’t want a non-conformist heart surgeon, would you?”
69/ "But innovation comes from entrepreneurs who are willing to accept risk and try new things.
"Leave the “real world” to those who are happy with it, and come join the living world.
"You’ll end up feeling alone from time to time. You will also feel very alive." (p. 222)
"Leave the “real world” to those who are happy with it, and come join the living world.
"You’ll end up feeling alone from time to time. You will also feel very alive." (p. 222)
70/ "Creating a life based around what you love without being selfish is not a widely accepted idea.
"Doing what you want most of the time is uncomfortable for some people. So too is the conviction that our lives should count for more than our own narrow interests." (p. 224)
"Doing what you want most of the time is uncomfortable for some people. So too is the conviction that our lives should count for more than our own narrow interests." (p. 224)
71/ "Luck, fate, childhood environment, social privilege—none is completely irrelevant, but they aren’t the whole story.
"What we are responsible for, however, is our future. What matters from here on out has little to do with luck and much more to do with our own choices.
"What we are responsible for, however, is our future. What matters from here on out has little to do with luck and much more to do with our own choices.
72/ "If one plan doesn’t work out, try something else—but do try.
"Most inventions were initially judged to be impractical.
"Provocative ideas that challenged authority were rarely welcomed by the people who controlled access to power and wealth." (p. 228)
"Most inventions were initially judged to be impractical.
"Provocative ideas that challenged authority were rarely welcomed by the people who controlled access to power and wealth." (p. 228)
73/ "Do something excellent with your life, something that you want to do more than anything else in the world.
"When you start waking up at night with ideas, that’s a good start." (p. 237)
Living creatively has benefits for quant trading as well:
"When you start waking up at night with ideas, that’s a good start." (p. 237)
Living creatively has benefits for quant trading as well:
https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1196576684218015744
75/ In Defense of Troublemakers: The Power of Dissent in Life and Business (Charlan Jeanne Nemeth)
https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1368396960688869381
78/ Examples of bad calls and conventional thinking gone wrong:
https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1316380442765914115
79/ "One of the key findings was that the super-rich are frequently nonconformists. They enjoy swimming against the prevailing current and have no problem contradicting prevailing opinion."
https://twitter.com/robkhenderson/status/1371210537309237249
80/ Jim Rogers: "Be skeptical. Most of what you are told is inaccurate, reflecting a lack of knowledge or a distortion of information, whether on the part of a government, company, or individual."
https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1371221173162319879
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