exploring: why I hate setting goals, productivity & success gurus (including "Audio Author" Brian Tracy), reaching your "true potential", Locke & Latham's goal-setting theory, a bit of positive psychology, bonsai, "Asian Points," my goals for YouTube, and dollar bill* penguins & lotus flowers.

(*joss paper)

This video was accidentally made in memory of my gongon, John Chi Ching Tam. hope he was able to use those wrinkled ass bills.

00:00 Introduction
01:39 Success Expert, Brian Tracy
07:21 “Real science” part 1: Locke & Latham’s goal-setting theory
11:50 “Real science” part 2: maybe goals good?
13:48 Bonsai
16:52 Digression: “YouTube”
19:00 Goal-setting still makes me feel like trash
22:22 Intermission
23:30 Unfortunately, I agree with Brian


The script was heavily influenced by 4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman; great snippet here - https://www.theguardian.com/bo....oks/2021/aug/07/on-e

- I seriously listened to this audiobook twice in 1 week. And then parts of certain chapters again. And again. It's so, so good, and such an antidote to that nagging feeling that you haven't "reached your potential." Among many many other brilliant insights, at one point he says something like - "what if you never reach it? what if you never become that perfect version of yourself you expect yourself to be? then what?" and hearing that made me mad at first and then cry (mostly internally) and then finally heal a bit.

I also read and thought lots about the article "The Rise and Fall of Getting Things Done," by Cal Newport, about productivity guru Merlin Mann - https://www.newyorker.com/tech..../annals-of-technolog

Also watched a tiny bit of productivitytube, which mostly did not end up being relevant - but Ali Abdaal, Matt D'Avella & struthless are doing cool stuff out there!

Direct citations are in the video itself!


be kind to yourself.

artisanalcheese / artisanal cheese / art is anal cheese

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