Follow the rules

Take any game in the world. What makes those games truly enjoyable are the constraints we set. If you don't follow the rules, the game would lose its charm. The same is with life. But at the same time don't let the rules stop you from living your life.

Today, not tomorrow

What you avoid today is harder to do tomorrow. Today’s choices become tomorrow’s position. If you put off things today, they don’t magically disappear tomorrow. They just get added to the list of things you want to do. Don’t wait till tomorrow. Tomorrow is where dreams go to die.

Our brain hides things from us

The human brain has evolved to hide from us those things we are not paying attention to. In other words, we often have a cognitive blind spot: We don’t know what we’re missing because our brain can completely ignore things that are not its priority at the moment— even if they are right in front of our eyes.

Our world has exploded

Our world has exploded. Information is abundant. I didn’t think we could process it all but Levitin argues that we can, at a cost. We have a limited number of decisions. After all, there are only so many we can make in a day without compromising quality. Once we’ve hit that limit it doesn’t matter how important they are.

Learning how to think really means...

Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed. Think of the old cliché about the mind being an excellent servant but a terrible master. This, like many clichés, so lame and unexciting on the surface, actually expresses a great and terrible truth.

Take calculated risks

To effect change, you must take calculated, thoughtful, and well-planned risks. This requires you to overcome your fears and have faith in your abilities. Know your limitations, but believe in yourself enough to try.

One of the dangers of being on a team is...

One of the dangers of being on a team is falling into a role that is ill-fitting or uncomfortable. When you’re new to a group, think hard about what you're good at and what you love, versus what you hate doing. Consider what brings you joy and ignites your passion, and ask yourself how that contrasts with the people around you. Make a conscious decision about how you want to fit into that dynamic.