1/ On the Right Way to Worry
Should you spend your whole life stressing out about all the various opportunities and challenges in your life?
Should you retire to your inner Buddha, impervious to the ups and downs of life?
My proposal to you is: Why not both?
Should you spend your whole life stressing out about all the various opportunities and challenges in your life?
Should you retire to your inner Buddha, impervious to the ups and downs of life?
My proposal to you is: Why not both?
2/ In this tweetstorm, I will propose the Ocean Framework.
Remember, all frameworks are wrong, some are useful.
It is my personal integration of the dominant frameworks of the cultural context of most of my life - upper middle class, male, United States.
Remember, all frameworks are wrong, some are useful.
It is my personal integration of the dominant frameworks of the cultural context of most of my life - upper middle class, male, United States.
3/ The first framework to integrate, the framework that a lot of you are running, a highly American framework, is something like:
Salvation Through Personal Productivity Systems.
These are catnip to Type A personalities like me. I think I have read them all.
Salvation Through Personal Productivity Systems.
These are catnip to Type A personalities like me. I think I have read them all.
4/ The original temple for this religion is the airport bookstore and the main congregant is the business traveller
"Super-Orgs (tm). How To Delight Your Customers, Inspire Your Employees, and Hit Your OKRs!"
"WIN! How To Climb The Career Ladder Like Sun Tzu & Attila The Hun"
"Super-Orgs (tm). How To Delight Your Customers, Inspire Your Employees, and Hit Your OKRs!"
"WIN! How To Climb The Career Ladder Like Sun Tzu & Attila The Hun"
5/ But airport bookstores are for boomers.
About a decade ago, a hyper-charged version of this appeared on blogs and LinkedIn.
"The 11 Things Top CEOs Do Before Breakfast"
"Aligned! How Implementing Jira At Home Has Made My Family Ready For Disruptive Innovation"
About a decade ago, a hyper-charged version of this appeared on blogs and LinkedIn.
"The 11 Things Top CEOs Do Before Breakfast"
"Aligned! How Implementing Jira At Home Has Made My Family Ready For Disruptive Innovation"
6/ Unfortunately, the bar has now gotten higher.
It is no longer sufficient to smite your business enemies through the Power of Better To-Do lists.
You have to also compete on a variety of physical and spiritual dimensions.
It is no longer sufficient to smite your business enemies through the Power of Better To-Do lists.
You have to also compete on a variety of physical and spiritual dimensions.
7/ In addition to revenue growth, you have to also deliver:
✅ low resting heart rate & high heart rate variability
✅ low inflammation
✅ ice baths
✅ saunas
✅ triathlons
✅ 3 day silent meditations
✅ elimination of all carbs, meats, seed oils and tomatoes
✅ low resting heart rate & high heart rate variability
✅ low inflammation
✅ ice baths
✅ saunas
✅ triathlons
✅ 3 day silent meditations
✅ elimination of all carbs, meats, seed oils and tomatoes
8/ The ultimate endpoint of this is in crypto, both the new era BTC maxis and the general sigma grindset.
We must sell our chairs, live on a mattress on the floor and HODL.
This is the truest expression of business success as a religion.
Literal monasticism for Number Go Up.
We must sell our chairs, live on a mattress on the floor and HODL.
This is the truest expression of business success as a religion.
Literal monasticism for Number Go Up.
9/ So how do I feel about all this? Let me start with the easy stuff.
I am of European heritage so I have some immune system defenses against "we must all be triathletes eating chicken"
Nothing wrong with exercise of course, but we must also eat delicious French cheeses.
I am of European heritage so I have some immune system defenses against "we must all be triathletes eating chicken"
Nothing wrong with exercise of course, but we must also eat delicious French cheeses.
10/ But the other productivity religion items worked on me for a long time.
My "personal" folder on my computer is full of deprecated Excel lists of goals and personal life organizational systems, of perfectly organized days, of nirvana IF I AM JUST MORE ORGANIZED.
My "personal" folder on my computer is full of deprecated Excel lists of goals and personal life organizational systems, of perfectly organized days, of nirvana IF I AM JUST MORE ORGANIZED.
11/ Unfortunately, this dream is oversold in my humble opinion.
I have done conventionally well in life, partially because I do work very hard and I am reasonably well organized.
This systems are, within their limitations, helpful for business success.
I have done conventionally well in life, partially because I do work very hard and I am reasonably well organized.
This systems are, within their limitations, helpful for business success.
12/ But is nirvana around the corner? No, nirvana is not around the corner.
Business success is much closer to "mo' money, mo' problems" than "nirvana"
I have lots more economic and human resources at my disposal now, but...
Business success is much closer to "mo' money, mo' problems" than "nirvana"
I have lots more economic and human resources at my disposal now, but...
13/ ...along with that comes an endless list of challenges, problems and opportunities.
I wake up every day and feel like one of those advanced radar systems that have to monitor hundreds of friendly and unfriendly planes and missiles across my integrated battlespace
I wake up every day and feel like one of those advanced radar systems that have to monitor hundreds of friendly and unfriendly planes and missiles across my integrated battlespace
14/ You see how the war analogy creeped in again?
"10 Things CEOs Can Learn From Integrated Battlefield Management Systems"
is coming to a bookstore near you this Fall.
"10 Things CEOs Can Learn From Integrated Battlefield Management Systems"
is coming to a bookstore near you this Fall.
15/ A useful analogy is to think of this business productivity / hustle stuff as video game levels.
As soon as you get good enough, organized enough to play a certain level with ease, you are inevitably tempted to go to the next harder level and you are anxious again.
As soon as you get good enough, organized enough to play a certain level with ease, you are inevitably tempted to go to the next harder level and you are anxious again.
16/ You might say this is a good thing and I think it probably is.
It is the way society trains us to take on greater responsibilities.
But just know that no personal salvation lies in this direction, no salvation in being a high functioning Level 4.
It is the way society trains us to take on greater responsibilities.
But just know that no personal salvation lies in this direction, no salvation in being a high functioning Level 4.
https://twitter.com/punk6529/status/1435229502708322313
17/ The other framework that floats around is vaguely of eastern mysticism, of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism.
The "serious" nerd version of this is Siddhartha or the Tao Te Ching.
The retail version is some yoga studio in a strip mall in LA.
The "serious" nerd version of this is Siddhartha or the Tao Te Ching.
The retail version is some yoga studio in a strip mall in LA.
18/ What is the promise here? extremely tl;dr
The day-to-day world and everything you worry about is just a mirage.
Everything will change, suffering comes from fighting this change, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
When you truly fully accept this, you are at peace
The day-to-day world and everything you worry about is just a mirage.
Everything will change, suffering comes from fighting this change, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
When you truly fully accept this, you are at peace
19/ Like productivity porn is accurate within its context, this is also accurate within its context.
But its context is severe.
Siddhartha fasted in the woods, lived in the world and knocked up a sex worker, and proceeded to take the kid to live on the river and eat bananas.
But its context is severe.
Siddhartha fasted in the woods, lived in the world and knocked up a sex worker, and proceeded to take the kid to live on the river and eat bananas.
20/ I love Siddhartha, was very helpful to me, but I don't see myself retiring to the bank of a river, to meditate on the changing water, to eat bananas for the rest of my life
The Western shortcut version won't get you to salvation either - it is more like going to gym.
The Western shortcut version won't get you to salvation either - it is more like going to gym.
21/ There are of course other frameworks floating out there:
✅Abrahamic religious ones of various types
✅European epicurianism (and cynicism)
✅Huge numbers of non-Western, non Type A frameworks
✅Abrahamic religious ones of various types
✅European epicurianism (and cynicism)
✅Huge numbers of non-Western, non Type A frameworks
22/ To be absolutely clear, I am not trying to exhaustively cover global religion and philosophy in a few tweets.
People spend whole lifetimes on that and don't succeed.
I am taking shortcuts, mangling everything, to make a very specific point about "worrying"
People spend whole lifetimes on that and don't succeed.
I am taking shortcuts, mangling everything, to make a very specific point about "worrying"
23/ The business productivity mindset worries a lot.
It does not call it that of course because "How To Worry Your Way To The Top" would not be a very popular airport book.
But it is all worrying, from top to bottom.
It does not call it that of course because "How To Worry Your Way To The Top" would not be a very popular airport book.
But it is all worrying, from top to bottom.
24/ "Is my CRM properly set up to enable a high net promoter score"
"Did I reach out to 20 people on LinkedIn this week?"
"Am I getting my Vitamin D levels up?"
Are all forms of worrying, forms of anxiety dressed up in business and health science language.
"Did I reach out to 20 people on LinkedIn this week?"
"Am I getting my Vitamin D levels up?"
Are all forms of worrying, forms of anxiety dressed up in business and health science language.
25/ But aren't these good things? Of course they are.
You should get your Vitamin D levels up for many reasons!
You should worry about it if it is too low so you take supplements or go outside or both.
You should worry enough to track it.
You should get your Vitamin D levels up for many reasons!
You should worry about it if it is too low so you take supplements or go outside or both.
You should worry enough to track it.
26/ I want to act in the world. I want to do things.
And if I want to do things at any meaningful scale, then yes, I need to wake up and worry about things.
But I am also sure that in the grand cosmic scheme of things that none of the things I worry about matter even 0.001%
And if I want to do things at any meaningful scale, then yes, I need to wake up and worry about things.
But I am also sure that in the grand cosmic scheme of things that none of the things I worry about matter even 0.001%
27/ So how to integrate these two thoughts?
Day to day things matter, humans matter, a better society matters, your own health matters, your family matters and also, of course, at cosmic scale, nothing matters whatsoever.
How can you integrate these two thoughts practically?
Day to day things matter, humans matter, a better society matters, your own health matters, your family matters and also, of course, at cosmic scale, nothing matters whatsoever.
How can you integrate these two thoughts practically?
28/ The best analogy for me, that I stole, I think, from some Taoist book is to think of yourself as the ocean.
The ocean surface on a day-to-day basis changes a lot.
It might be flat as a pancake, there might be some ripples, there may be waves, there may be a wild storm
The ocean surface on a day-to-day basis changes a lot.
It might be flat as a pancake, there might be some ripples, there may be waves, there may be a wild storm
29/ But the ocean is also deep and permament and heavy and at the bottom of the ocean, the waves on the surface don't matter too much.
In fact, the deep ocean may not even know or care about the waves on the surface.
(press 'read more' soon to keep reading)
In fact, the deep ocean may not even know or care about the waves on the surface.
(press 'read more' soon to keep reading)
30/ So for me all the day-to-day worries, all the business productivity worries, all the opportunities and challenges, are the ocean's surface.
It is OK for there to be waves.
You don't have to fight to keep everything 100% surface calm at all times - it is unnatural IMHO.
It is OK for there to be waves.
You don't have to fight to keep everything 100% surface calm at all times - it is unnatural IMHO.
31/ Waves can be scary, but waves can be fun.
You can surf them, you can watch them in awe, on quieter days, you can sit in an inner tube and let them push you around, you can throw rocks at them.
Going to the beach is mostly fun, but [if hurricane] then take measures!
You can surf them, you can watch them in awe, on quieter days, you can sit in an inner tube and let them push you around, you can throw rocks at them.
Going to the beach is mostly fun, but [if hurricane] then take measures!
32/ At the exact same time as you are skipping stones or waterskiing on the surface, be the Big Blue Deep.
Be the vast mass of ocean deep, thousands and tens of thousands of feet deep, for which a 100 foot wave is a trifle, a joke, a nothing, a little shudder.
Be the vast mass of ocean deep, thousands and tens of thousands of feet deep, for which a 100 foot wave is a trifle, a joke, a nothing, a little shudder.
33/ The oceans will be here after the storm, and after you and me, and after generations and generations and generations of our civilizations, for billions of years.
They will grind mountains into sand on geological scale.
They will be here for billions of years
They will grind mountains into sand on geological scale.
They will be here for billions of years
34/ So this is my proposal to you regarding The Right Way To Worry.
Worry on a day-to-day basis, try to be better, try to take positive action in the world.
Be the ocean's surface that is active in the world.
Swim, ski, snorkel, sunbathe on this fun surface
Worry on a day-to-day basis, try to be better, try to take positive action in the world.
Be the ocean's surface that is active in the world.
Swim, ski, snorkel, sunbathe on this fun surface
35/ But also at the same time keep a level for yourself that is untouched by day to day worry.
A level that the surface world can't get to.
A level that knows that your worries are a trifle in the scheme of things.
A level of the ocean deep.
A level that the surface world can't get to.
A level that knows that your worries are a trifle in the scheme of things.
A level of the ocean deep.
36/ Frameworks are a tool, not absolute truth.
Their relevance depends on culture, personality and stage in life.
Use it if it is useful to you, ignore it if it is not. 🤝
If you are new around here, our fight is for an open metaverse
Their relevance depends on culture, personality and stage in life.
Use it if it is useful to you, ignore it if it is not. 🤝
If you are new around here, our fight is for an open metaverse
https://twitter.com/punk6529/status/1448399827054833668
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