66 Mastery, impact, and the scientific method
No. 66 – 8 Mar 2024
Welcome to the 66th edition of the True Progress Newsletter, a weekly newsletter on beating fear and anxiety for optimal performance.
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Article
The 5 surprising areas where mastering your emotions matters most.
— Read more
Quote
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on making an impact:
Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.”
Insight
How do Elon Musk, Obama, and Jacinda Ardern manage to command presence in high-pressure situations? It's not confidence. It's a byproduct of something deeper. If you can do this, you're in the top 1%.
It's adaptation to change and uncertainty. To stress. They have practiced the science and art of intentionally putting themselves under increasing levels of pressure. It's counter-intuitive but highly effective.
Here's how they do it:
1. Raise the stakes
Put yourself in increasingly challenging situations.
2. Do it often
You must do this multiple times per week. Schedule it.
3. Do it in multiple areas of your life
Not just work. Make a list of fears: physical, relationships, etc.
Emotion Signpost
Neuroscience and brain-imaging research shows that properly naming an emotion is critical to managing and taming it.
It's key to decreasing fear and anxiety, becomes a pause for reflection, and increases understanding of yourself and others.
Here are 2 to explore:
Frustration
Definition | The feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of an inability to change or achieve something.
Origin | Mid 16th century: from Latin frustratio(n-), from frustrare ‘disappoint’.
Resignation
Definition | The acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable.
Origin | Late Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin resignatio(n-), from resignare ‘unseal, cancel’.
Question
Trying things out is part of the journey of getting better at your craft. And often the key is to move with velocity.
This means failing fast, analyzing results, getting feedback, then making adjustments and reiterating.
This is the scientific method, which scientists have embraced as the art of failing often.
How can you apply this method to improve a skill you're currently working on?
Till next week,
— Carlos & Stef
