Each year, I write a guide on what I have learned in the year. Writing is one of those crafts that I strive to improve life long. I am currently writing the 2020 editing. You can read the 2019 editing from here. And at the end of the decade, I will turn them into a pdf to make money off amazon.
Anyway, so here is what I have learned this year.
Breakup your essays into posts
I think the most important lesson that I learned this year is that people have limited time and if you have two choices, to write a detailed one post and to write multiple posts explaining one idea, then write multiple posts. And link them together densely. …
Bullet journaling is a way to capture the past, living the present, and plan the future. It’s a conscious way of living. It’s made by Ryder Caroll.
A commonplace notebook is a notebook where you store favorite quotes and scribblings. It is kept by everyone from Leonardo Da Vinci to Benjamin Franklin.
Commonbullet notebook is invented by me. (Yes I am bad at coming up with names). It’s a combination of a bullet journal and commonplace notebook.
This is a combination of technical stuff from the bullet journal and the philosophy of commonplace notebooks. And made this — Commonbullet journal.
The problem it solves
After highlighting the (physical or digital) book, you export notes and done with it. …
The reason is simple, you are going to read books because I have explained and developed video essays about it. Here is the link to that playlist.
And having a separate device (not just Kindle, you can have a dedicated smartphone for it) just for reading long-form complex books helps you make some time to read.
The physical existence is worth the price of it.
Originally published at https://www.chetneetchouhan.com on January 2, 2021.
Let’s explore this cognitive bias.
DIY Diagnoses
A British teen went to the doctor. The doctor made a rare mistake. The news got viral.
On the other hand, people who have died because they tried to DIY their diagnoses don’t make any good news. At-least they don’t get viral.
Because it feeds the public’s insatiable confirmation biases that doctors get so much wrong. And their “research” (which is usually is just internet grazing) is correct all the time.
Confirmation Bias
With this, we have learned that something that contradicts your belief, even that is true, we don’t like it.
This makes it harder and harder to bring changes. …
I have spent money on both of these. But I find that I am better off spending my money on a laptop.
Things that I do on a smartphone.
- Calling
- Text
- Writing on go
Things that I do on a laptop.
- Making presentations for videos.
- Video editing.
- Workout instructions.
- Reading essays and articles.
- Making/designing websites.
- Watching lectures for my studies.
- Watching videos on YouTube.
- And making videos.
- Doing occasional video calling.
- Maintain my website.
- Taking notes. And reading them.
- Researching.
- Rereading my book summaries and highlights.
If you want to know where the company’s profit lies, look at intention.
Laptops are designed to sell. Smartphones are designed to get you hooked. …
What people get wrong about reading?
Don’t just read self-help only.
People try to read the most famous (more than often, hyped) books. People try to ask for book recommendations. People ask whether reading for them or not.
To be honest, read whatever you like, I can recommend you a book but if you didn’t like that book, then you might think reading isn’t for you.
Again, this may look obvious but it’s important to articulate, that reading book is like watching movies, if I didn’t like Slumdog Millionaire, then it doesn’t mean watching movies isn’t for me.
Better read diverse books. From erotica (this is where I started) to reading scientific books (like Wealth Of Nations). You may hate both books, but hate books, not the act of reading.
This page discusses my perspective on my YouTube channel. If you came here to watch my video essays, you can do so from my YouTube channel. To get video essays + essays, subscribe to my newsletter to get notified.
We are watching videos more than ever
We are watching more videos than ever and YouTube is dominating in this place. This is the reason why I shall be starting to produce video essays. (One is already up, titled Why you should keep a Notebook.) …
You should not write to persuade but to write something useful.
The most hard-hitting sentence from Paul Graham’s essay. Must read for all storytellers and content creators.
Someone asked in Social Skills subreddit about his social life and it is now not what it is used to be. Here was my answer, I had gone through it too.
My answer.
Anyway, what I did is started reading books, which lead to me writing each day. And started a youtube channel.
The point being, I did my own shit. Completely unaffected by other people.
Remember: If you are not happy alone, then you won’t be happy with friends.
That’s why (for example) if you don’t have a girlfriend now and think if you get a girlfriend you will be happy. No, that won’t happen. …
It does give you tools and material to work with. But having it only is not enough. What you can do with only pieces of wood if you don’t work with it?
Critical thinking.
It’s looking at things objectively.
By thinking critically, you navigate contradictions and connect the dots others aren’t seeing. You challenge the status quo. You contribute insights. Sometimes, you make people feel. — Julian Shapiro
Having a Perspective.
A standard point of view. Because we are now entering the era of rising though leaders who can hold unique, status-quo breaking ideas.
Cal Newport and his unique perspective on Social media. …
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