Topics: Calm Productivity Self-discovery
When discovering that writing brought me alive, I started by drastically reducing my workload to leave space for what would emerge. Then, I noticed that my work towards a previous (failed) startup, Naima, always involved writing. To learn about new topics, I’d read, write artifacts, then teach the contents to my team. This realization sparked excitement and curiosity about this thing I’ve always done, but never accepted as “true work”. I tested this hypothesis by writing daily, and I noticed my motivation increase. It was always my favorite part of the day — I could do this work every day, regardless of its outcome. Luckily, Being beats winning.
To align with the ‘being’ state, you need to find a game you’re always willing to play. What interests and talents do you have that you could follow to become the best at what you do? To discover these, first you’ll need space for the signal to come through (see Essentialism and ^81b8b2). Then:
- Examine your past actions: Actions reflect priorities
- Measure your current internal signals. What motivates, inspires, or sparks curiosity in you? Internal scorekeeping is a virtuous cycle. Try writing down everything you’re thinking — Externalization transforms internal thoughts into environment
- Prototype potential interests: Look before you leap. You’ll learn more this way because Experience beats observation