International Law

Is effort a myth?

I am not much for self-help blogs, or the like.  The just-so stories don't appeal to my nature.  I suspect that this is a function the skeptical nature I cultivate.

But Seth Godin wrote an intriguing piece on effort and luck.

"Here's a bootstrapper's/marketer's/entrepreneur's/fast-rising executive's effort diet. Go through the list and decide whether or not it's worth it. Or make up your own diet. Effort is a choice, at least make it on purpose:

1. Delete 120 minutes a day of 'spare time' from your life. This can include TV, reading the newspaper, commuting, wasting time in social networks and meetings. Up to you.

2. Spend the 120 minutes doing this instead:

Exercise for thirty minutes.

Read relevant non-fiction (trade magazines, journals, business books, blogs, etc.)

Send three thank you notes.

Learn new digital techniques (spreadsheet macros, Firefox shortcuts, productivity tools, graphic design, html coding)

Volunteer.

Blog for five minutes about something you learned.

Give a speech once a month about something you don't currently know a lot about.

3. Spend at least one weekend day doing absolutely nothing but being with people you love.

4. Only spend money, for one year, on things you absolutely need to get by.

Save the rest, relentlessly.

If you somehow pulled this off, then six months from now, you would be the fittest, best rested, most intelligent, best funded and motivated person in your office or your field.

You would know how to do things other people don't, you'd have a wider network and you'd be more focused."

Hmm, this is an interesting list, just interesting enough to try.

Full post as published by Misleading Advertising Law on October 08, 2008 (boomark / email).