Learn: How to Make 2023 Your Worst Year, The 5 Second Rule, The Voice

Read: 3 min

Hola from Buenos Aires, 

Here are your 3 nuggets, in 3 minutes.

😞 Worst Year Yet

Here’s how to be miserable in 2023. 

• Stop learning. Most people stop learning new things after school. Be like most people.

• More is more. Put more things on your to-do list. You prob won’t do them, but this way it feels like you’re busy.

• All-or-nothing exercise. Gonna run a marathon in 2023? A 100-mile race? Doubtful. Forget small walks or consistency. Go big or stay home.

• Random productivity. Show up each day and do whatever comes up. Don’t prioritize. Default to waiting.

• Short-term games. “What can you do for me?” This is the trillion-dollar question. Let it guide all your interactions.

• Free attention. Turn on notifications so no matter what you’re doing, anyone can steal your attention. If you do choose to focus, prioritize things you cannot control.

• Go alone. Accountability is for the weak. Prove yourself first and don’t share emotions along the way.

Okay here’s the dealio. 

Almost half of people quit their new years' resolutions by February. The other half play a different game with a simple premise. Minimize stupidity (eg. all the above examples). 

Legendary investor Charlie Munger put it best, “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.” 

5️⃣ The 5 Second Rule

Mel Robbins coined “The 5 Second Rule” and wrote a bestselling book on it. 

It’s dead simple. Just count down from 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and take action. 

I’ll be honest, I thought it was pretty lame at first. But then I heard her say, “I don’t give a f*ck how stupid you think this is…” 

Okay Mel, dang girl. You had my curiosity, now you have my attention.

So I’ve been trying it…Turns out it works! 

Check out her explanation here. 

👂 The Voice

Shel Silverson wrote children’s books (The Giving Tree), adult magazine columns (Playboy), and hit songs (for Johnny Cash and others).  

Natural career progression right? 

Maybe not at first glance. Until you read his short poem called “The Voice.” 

Then it actually makes perfect sense.

Silverson listened to his voice.

What's your voice telling you? 

(Mine keeps speaking Spanish so I don't know what it's saying. Hopefully, I'll learn soon...)

Feliz año nuevo,

Mitchell