Sunday Snacks: Never miss twice
Hey friends!
Just a quick one for this week. I’ve been writing short essays since I last wrote the newsletter. If you’re interested in getting them in your inbox, sign up here [https://mail.haikal.blog/]!
I’m supposed to write it daily, but I’m giving myself some slack for this as I’m cultivating a new habit. It’s not an easy thing to do after all.
One of the most important things when building a habit is to never miss twice [https://jamesclear.com/second-mistake]. I’m fine with skipping publishing for a day, as long as I publish the day after.
In this article by James Clear [https://jamesclear.com/second-mistake], studies have shown that missing a single day has no long term impact on your ability to build that habit. What’s important is getting back on track.
Even your idols slip up too. They make mistakes from time to time. What makes them different is their consistency. For one bad day, they compensate it the next day.
One mistake is just an outlier. Two mistakes is the beginning of a pattern. Killing this pattern before it snowballs into something bigger is one reason why learning how to get back on track quickly is an essential skill for building good habits. Here’s a reminder to take it easy. Don’t feel bad if you missed a day; get back on track the next day.
What I Want To Share With You: Productivity is a function of adequate rest [https://haikal.blog/productivity-is-a-function-of-adequate-rest/]
It’s time to put a spotlight on enough rest. If you don’t get your zzz’s, you’re more prone to get sluggish and unproductive.
Using your downtime to work on your side projects [https://haikal.blog/using-your-downtime-to-work-on-your-side-projects/]
Instead of saying “I don’t have time” to start a side project/hustle/hobby, it’s time to make use of something we all have: downtime
Make your work more enjoyable with temptation bundling [https://haikal.blog/temptation-bundling/]
Our future self only feels the rewards of behaviours like exercising and reading. Meanwhile, eating junk food and watching Netflix gives you instant rewards. Our nature to crave instant gratification causes us to procrastinate on our resolution every year to diet and read more. To fix this, we can kill two birds with one stone by using temptation bundling.
Habits are like Jenga [https://haikal.blog/habits-are-like-jenga/]
If you want to stop forgetting your habits, it’s time to treat them like Jenga and stack them on top of things you already do.
Sleep is good [https://haikal.blog/sleep-is-good/]
It’s time to prioritise our sleep more and not let it be consumed by the infinity pool of work.
Plan your week [https://haikal.blog/plan-your-week/]
Planning your week might take lots of time, but the time spent has a high return on investment considering how much you get done.
How many pets do you have? [https://haikal.blog/how-many-pets-do-you-have/]
You can’t take care of too many pets (read: projects) at once. It’s unfair to neglect them. Give some of them away so you can focus on the ones that really matter.
How I begin my day [https://haikal.blog/how-i-begin-my-day/]
Here’s how I begin my mornings that changed my perspective when dealing with others.
Best Things I’ve Discovered This Week 5 Ways to Distraction-Train Your Mind [https://www.nirandfar.com/distraction-train/]
“So when we think that technology is hijacking our brains or it’s addicting everyone, we are making it more likely that we won’t be able to put technology distractions in their place.
So don’t believe this lie that there’s nothing we can do.”
Does money really make you happy?
Keep going. The pros are good at what they are because they’ve failed plenty but kept going.
I once read that @david_perell [https://twitter.com/david_perell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] once did one new Youtube video a day challenge and kept up until 114 days.
And apparently only got 31 subscribers in total 🤯
Nobody remembers your failures.
That’s why it’s important to keep swinging & trying things and failing in public.
— KP (@thisiskp_) August 10, 2021 [https://twitter.com/thisiskp_/status/1425094592484028425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] How to Search Google Like a Pro
How to Google should be a mandatory class in school. pic.twitter.com/2NOfuZL2Sm [https://t.co/2NOfuZL2Sm]
— Chris Hladczuk (@chrishlad) August 12, 2021 [https://twitter.com/chrishlad/status/1425820831209381888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] How to start a newsletter
If social media can ban a President, they can ban you too.
Creators shouldn’t have their audience in one place.
For example, get them into a newsletter.
But, because every newsletter is eventually ignored, some quick realizations on designing high-retention content:
— Julian Shapiro (@Julian) August 14, 2021 [https://twitter.com/Julian/status/1426614440602918912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] As usual, thanks for reading! If you loved this issue, could you help by sharing it with someone who would find it useful?
What do you think? Any comments or feedback? Just send a reply, and I’ll get back to you!
