Saturday Success Series: Volume 45

Making life & money work for you.

Welcome back to the Saturday Success Series email!

In this edition we’ll have:

• Five to Focus On: A quote, stock, book, show & a beer.

• Master Yourself: Death changes everything

• Master Your Money: Find ways to earn more

  And of course…

• The Weekly Special: 14 pieces of genius wisdom from Seth Godin

The goal here is maximum value, so let’s get to it.

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Five to Focus on:

In a noisy world, it’s hard to know what’s good out there. Let me help.

• Quote to ponder: “Don’t make a habit out of choosing what feels good over what’s actually good for you.” - Eric “ET” Thomas

• Stock to consider: DKNG (DraftKings)

  With the NFL season heating up and Kevin Hart on the commercials, I see a big surge coming for DraftKings. Sports betting is about as sure a thing in rough times as alcohol sales.

  Disclaimer- this is not financial advice, I am not a financial advisor, and you should always do your own research.

• Book to read: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

  It’s an interesting dip into the mind of someone on the autism spectrum. It’s a clever book and well written. And also a nice little mystery.

• Show to enjoy: Tell Me Lies on Hulu

  Doomed romance that’s too hot to handle? Nothing new there. But, the psychology the show explores makes this a standout in the genre.

• Beer to sip: Kickin’ Knowledge Pumpkin from Barrier

  Milkshake IPA. One of my favorite styles. Barrier has an entire Kickin Knowledge series (think creamsicle, key lime and more) that is delicious. The pumpkin one is a nice stand out for the season.

Master Yourself

I used to wake up on Saturday mornings in the spring with a warm, gentle breeze blowing in my window. I knew that within an hour’s time my dad and I would head to my grandparent’s house to cut their lawn. I loved them so much.

I was 13 when my grandfather died and I realized that week, I would never be purely happy again. Not like I was when I was 13 and death hadn’t visited yet.

Once we lose someone we love, we’re not all the way happy again. Not like we were when we were little and innocent and didn’t know the deep pain of real loss.

And no loss is as deep as death. It’s just so permanent and there’s not a damn thing you can do to fix it.

We can never be all the way happy again, after death touches our door. But we can learn to be happy with our new normal. Humans are very adaptable. And in the death of a loved one, we have a chance to grow. If we allow it.

So, like everywhere in life, be sure to feel the gratitude of having that person in your life for whatever amount of time. And look for the opportunity to grow.

Master Your Money

Find ways to make more money

• Get a second job or side hustles- you have more time than you think and you’re good at something that others will pay for.

• We never want to focus solely on reducing costs, but also on earning more money and growing our money. We intend to play offense and defense.

• Anything you make in a side hustle should either be reinvested in that hustle (or additional hustles) or put into an investment account. Don’t go blowing it by upgrading your lifestyle just because you earned a little more this month or year.

Weekly Special

14 Pieces of Genius Wisdom from Seth Godin

1. Skill is not the same as talent.

‘Talent’ is a natural capacity to perform something without thinking about it; it is something you are born with. ‘Skill,’ on the other hand, is something you develop after putting in a lot of effort; unlike talent, it is learned rather than inborn.

2. A good process can lead to good outcomes, but it doesn’t guarantee them.

Good judgments don’t necessarily lead to good results, and bad decisions don’t always lead to bad results. Sometimes good decisions result in disastrous outcomes. And occasionally excellent things happen as a result of poor choices. The key to rapid improvement is learning to discriminate between when you’re smart and when you’re lucky.

3. Perfectionism has nothing to do with being perfect.

Perfectionism isn’t about achieving excellence; it’s about being hampered by it. Claude Monet, a perfectionist, famously said, “My life has been nothing but a failure.” Nothing is ever flawless enough for a perfectionist. Perfection is a deception; we think it makes us better, but it actually makes us worse.

4. Reassurance is futile.

If we get hooked on hearing the warm words of reassurance, we start to lose focus. Our focus becomes hearing more reassurance. And reassurance is never guaranteed. Better to get hooked on the art of action. Ship the work as Seth would say.

5. Hubris is the opposite of trust.

We don’t need to be certain. We might just put our faith in ourselves. We can put our faith in the process. We can recognize that future outcomes are unknown, but we must remember that our process is all we have.

6. Attitudes are skills.

You may discover that the things that other people call attitudes are talents once you learn that you can improve, amplify, and perfect them. These are referred to as “soft skills” by some. This is due to the fact that they are difficult to quantify. They are, nevertheless, real skills for me. The abilities that will influence how far we can go and how it will feel to collaborate with us as we go.

7. There’s no such thing as writer’s block.

Writer’s block is an indulgence that we can’t afford. Create a process where you act (in this case, write) instead of overthink. Where you put pen to paper, or fingers to computer keys. Where you don’t think of every excuse (I’m too busy, I’m too boring, etc.). Space and time where you just write. Every day.

8. Professionals produce with intent.

According to Seth, here’s how you produce with intent: For people who believe _____, who want ____, my work creates ______. You’re not just here bullshitting. You’re actively creating things that mean something.

9. Creativity is an act of leadership.

Managers manage. Leaders paint visions. You can’t paint visions without creativity. Your creative work creates followers. Who has followers? Leaders.

10. Leaders are imposters.

That’s a good thing you feel like an impostor because it implies you’re on to something. It signifies you’re adding value and going above and beyond what most people are prepared to accomplish. To put it another way, the impostor syndrome serves to keep you in check.

11. All criticism is not the same.

Some of the criticism comes from well-intentioned but misguided people. They fear for your safety and believe that your life would be better if you were never rejected or even acknowledged. As a result, they will criticize your dreams in order to convey their dread.

12. We become creative when we ship the work.

If you want to be funny, you tell jokes. If you want to be a runner, you run. The same holds true with being a creative. Create the work, make it public, you’re a creative. You don’t magically become creative and then “ship the work”. You ship the work because you’re a creative.

13. Good taste is a skill.

It’s a talent. It comes from a combination of domain expertise, perseverance, and a genuine concern for your audience and the impact of your work. Good taste, like all skills, takes time to develop and is well worth the effort.

14. Passion is a choice.

Your attitude is always a choice. Passion is part of attitude. It goes hand in hand with engaging your surroundings. For the most part, we choose our passion. While it would be amazing and extraordinary to wake up one day knowing exactly what you want and where you want to go, it is unlikely. Your passion is a fire you must light for yourself, within yourself.

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Thanks for reading! If you found this valuable, please share with someone who could use it. See you next Saturday!

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