5 Mental Models to Help You Succeed in Life (Part 1)
Consistent, incremental improvement is the goal. Here are the systems to get there.
I spend a lot of time reading and researching various mental models and concepts that help us improve our lives. I figured it was time to disperse some of this knowledge to help others.
Pomodoro method
Work hard for a bit, then break- briefly.
That’s the simple version. And really the unsimplified version isn’t that complicated either. The method says to work 25 minutes then take a 5 minute break. Sometimes I do 45–60 minutes then take 10–15 minutes. Whatever works for you, but the method, in general, is very effective. Though, of course, there is a caveat- deep work is hard to do like this. Einstein was not a Pomodoro man, put it that way.
Pareto principle
The 80/20 Rule.
This is pretty accurate across the board. Sometimes it’s 75/25, sometimes it’s 95/5. But the hard truth is, it’s pretty much winner take all. And it’s pretty much that finding your most important 20% is the key to unlocking most of your desired results. And it’s pretty much that being busy does not mean you’re helping yourself or your company. So, find your 20% that gives you 80% and focus hard on it. Use this example- being fit, there are literally a 100 things you could write down to meet this goal, but if you focus on diet, sleep and exercise, you’re good. Then you can even narrow those down too! Example- for diet, focus on getting enough fiber and protein.
Compound interest
Start early, teach your kids to start early.
Einstein called it the 8th wonder of the world. And that’s really the only reason you need to pay attention to it. But if you need more proof, Google some examples of starting early (with a little bit of money) vs. starting late (even with considerably more money). And then start investing every extra penny you can. Right now.
‘Do it anyway’ concept
Beat procrastination using this method.
You need to go to the gym, but you really don’t wanna. Oh well, do it anyway. Get super used to telling your brain “oh well” when it balks about doing something that helps you. With enough practice this becomes automatic.
‘Don’t skip 2’ rule
With regards to good habits, miss one day- fine. But never make it a habit to miss multiple days.
Pretty self-explanatory. Never skip 2 days of your good habit whether it’s the gym, dieting, writing, journaling, etc. It’s okay to miss a day for an emergency or a bad illness, but you never want to let it become a habit to break your habits.