Hey friends,
It’s that time of year where I sit down, have some tea, and reflect on what I’ve learned over the past 12 months.
So, here are six key lessons that I want to carry with me into 2023.
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😓 1. Stop Pressing the Try Harder Button
We all fall into the trap of thinking “I’ll just try harder next time” when we fail. But that approach isn’t usually effective.
Instead, it’s better to build a sustainable system for achieving our goals. That way, we won’t repeatedly fail or push yourself to burnout.
For example, if you’re a YouTuber and struggling to get your weekly video out on time, don’t just plan to work extra hours in the evening. Consider outsourcing your editing, making shorter videos, or replacing one video per month with a simple vlog.
Build a system that works for you.
🔋2. Energisers vs Drainers
Next time you have to choose between two options, ask yourself which one will drain you and which one will energise you. Then choose the option that’ll energise you.
Some examples might include:
- Time with friends > Netflix
- Evening gym sesh > morning gym sesh
- Your dream work > soulless corporate job that pays twice as much.
🛋️ 3. Choose to Be Satisfied
Don’t beat yourself up at the end of the day for not getting enough done. You can just choose to be satisfied with what you did.
This might sound a bit wishy-washy, but it genuinely works. You can even say to yourself, Well done [insert name here], you wrote 200 words today. Now it’s time to take a break.
Give yourself permission to switch off and get enough rest so that you can perform properly the next day.
📆 4. Planning and Doing Are Different Modes of Being
Planning is fundamentally different to doing, and both require a totally different headspace.
So, plan out what you’re going to do at the start of the day. Then for the rest of the day, simply execute on that plan. Never try to plan and do at the same time.
This is incredibly effective and works on a macro level as well. In 2022, my weeks where I planned everything in advance were much smoother and more productive.
🌅 5. Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day
One of the best hacks for improving your sleep quality (and overall quality of life) is to wake up at the same time every day.
Choose a waking time like 7 or 7:30 that’ll let you get plenty of morning sunlight. Listening to the Huberman Lab episode on sleep and talking to circadian rhythm specialist Russell Foster made me focus a lot more on sleep last year.
I’ve been more rigorous about waking up at the same time, and feel way better for it.
This week I learned from a sleep expert @UCLA that if we go to sleep 1-2hrs later than usual we get none (zero) of the normal in-sleep bolus of growth hormone that night, regardless if we sleep in. In other words, keeping regular to-sleep times is as important as sleep duration.
— Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. (@hubermanlab) December 24, 2022
🤔 6. The Pain of Rejection is Better than the Pain of Regret
Whatever you’re struggling to do, shoot your shot. Whether it’s asking someone out, starting a business, moving to a new country… 99% of the time, the pain of failure or rejection is 100 times better than living with ‘what if’ for the rest of your life.
There have been some bumps along the way… but if I hadn’t studied medicine, started a YouTube channel, or moved to London, I guarantee that I’d still be thinking about those things today with some mild regret.
So, carpe diem.
Have a great week!
Ali xx
📒 Essentiali – 50% Off
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All of my Essentiali products are now 50% off, including planners, notebook bundles and might-do lists. Now’s the time to get organised for the new year…
Here’s a link to the full collection.
♥️ My Favourite Things
🎙️ Deep Dive Podcast – Matthew Hussey: The Secret To Attracting True Love That Lasts. Matthew’s a world-famous dating coach. We discussed love, flirting, and how to break through the 2D world of online dating (ghosting, red flags, icks and all) and start building real, long-lasting relationships.
📱 App – Reader. Readwise’s super-powerful read-it-later app just entered public beta – so it’s free for anyone to download and try out. I’ve had access for the last few months, and I highly recommend it.
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📮 Newsletter – 22 Lessons Learned in 2022 by Sahil Bloom. If you’re looking for more wisdom heading into 2023, Sahil has some gems in his list, including ‘Never let the quest for more distract from the beauty of enough.’
🐦Tweet – 9 Laws for Success in Business, by Nicolas Cole. An interesting look at how a high-level creator/writer thinks about his work. It’s also a good example of how, once you start making 200k+ per year online, you start thinking differently about your work.
In 2020, I set 3 rules for myself that changed my life:
• The biz must be scalable (products, not services)
• I must own a piece of the upside (no trading hours-for-dollars)
• My name must be on it (no more ghostwriting)This year, I’m adding 6 more rules to my Laws List: pic.twitter.com/PmnOXWc83A
— Nicolas Cole 🚢🏴☠️ (@Nicolascole77) December 12, 2022
🎬 My New Videos
🤞 How to Become Luckier: An Evidence-Based Guide. In this video I talk a bit about luck, and share 5 practical tips on how to become luckier, drawing on Richard Wiseman’s book The Luck Factor (plus my podcast with him).
⚕️My Regrets About Quitting Medicine. 1 Year Later. This time last year I decided to completely quit medicine. It was a tough decision, so I made this video to reflect on how I feel about it now.
✍️ Quote of the Week
I have found that remembering what play is all about and making it part of our daily lives are probably the most important factors in being a fulfilled human being. The ability to play is critical not only to being happy, but also to sustaining social relationships and being a creative, innovative person.
From Play by Stuart Brown & Christopher Vaughan. Resurfaced using Readwise.
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Want to learn more from me? Check out my online video courses 👇
🚀 Productivity Masterclass
→ Do more of what matters to you, in a fun and sustainable way
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📹 YouTube for Beginners
→ The ultimate guide to starting your channel from scratch
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📚 How to Study for Exams
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