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1% Notes
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
If you run a business, read this book. If you want to start one, read it first.
I wish I had read this book before I started my first business. Most people start a business because they're good at something. A great baker opens a bakery. A great coder builds a software company. And then they get stuck. Because doing the work and building a business are two completely different things.
Here are the best 1% lessons:
- You are three people in one. The entrepreneur with the vision. The manager who creates order. And the technician who does the work. Most people get stuck in the technician role and never get out.
- Work on your business, not in it. If it can't run without you, you don't have a business. You have a job.
- Build it like a franchise. Even if you never plan to franchise. Create systems. Write things down. Make it simple enough for anyone to run.
- Your business is a mirror. If your life is chaotic, your business will be too. Fix yourself first.
I caught myself being the technician way too often. Doing the work instead of building the machine. This book changed how I think about that.
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
She's 22. And She Thinks Like This.
During the Winter Olympics in Italy, I was on a ski trip in Austria. I barely checked my phone. But somehow this one video found me. You might have seen this already. But I still wanted to share it.
A clip of Eileen Gu. I had never heard of her. She's a 22-year-old freestyle skier and Olympic gold medalist. A reporter asked her a brilliant question: "Do you think before you speak? Can you take us into your brain?"
Her answer blew me away. I think she is completely right. And it's amazing that she thinks about things like this at 22 and can explain it so clearly. I was genuinely impressed.
Watch it. It's short but powerful.
You lived 365 days, but you remember 15
I always enjoy reading George Mack. Clear thinking and no fluff.
His latest essay made me stop and think. How many days from last year do you actually remember? Not vaguely. Really remember. For most people it's about 15. Out of 365.
That's 95% of your year gone.
This is because your brain doesn't store routine. It stores new experiences.
Same morning, same drive, same walk. Your brain deletes all of it. But that trip. That random conversation. That day you did something different. Those stay.
The fix is simple. Do something new every day. Even something small. You can't control how many years you get. But you can control how many you actually remember.
Take a few minutes and read the full essay here.
Your confidence is lying to you
Every day I get notes from A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle in my inbox. This one I had to share with you.
I do this all the time. Without even noticing. Around some people I feel small and unsure of myself. Around others I walk in like I own the place.
Same me, but a different situation. Maybe a different energy. I just feel different depending on who's in front of me.
I'm catching it more and more now. And that's the whole point. You don't need to fix it right away. You just need to be aware of it first.
This book stays incredible. So much wisdom packed into every page. The kind of book you have to read more than once. Every time you pick it up, you find something new.
Tiny Upgrade
AppBlock
Screen time is still a battle for me every single day.
I try to keep it as low as possible. I've tried everything. Deleting apps. Black and white screen. Time limits. Nothing really works long-term. Currently I end up around 3 hours a day, and that's okay for me.
The one thing that actually works best for me is the app AppBlock.
I block all distracting apps and websites. News sites are blocked almost all the time. (Not a happy place to be right now.) Social media I can only open a short window in the morning and again after 8pm. The rest of the day, they simply don't exist.
No willpower needed. If you can't open it, you can't waste time on it.
Reading list
What I’m Reading
Here’s what I’ve been reading lately:
- I finished Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. A timeless story about one man's search for meaning, wisdom, and inner peace.
- I started reading Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill. Written in 1938 and hidden for over 70 years. A strange and bold book about why most people never reach their potential.
- I’m still reading. The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch. A fascinating book about how knowledge, progress, and explanations shape everything around us.
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