70 Navy SEAL tactics, losing friends, trust
No. 70 – 7 Apr 2024
Welcome to the 70th edition of the True Progress Newsletter, a weekly newsletter on mastering fear and anxiety for optimal performance.
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We've decided to change things up a little bit. We'll be sending out our newsletter on Sundays from now on.
Article
When faced with a tough project or leading an important meeting, your thoughts will determine your outcome. They will lead you to unmanaged anxiety or give you the mental fuel to succeed. After lots of research and trial and error, I found one tried and battle-tested approach to effective thought control.
— Read more
Quote
"Being honest may not get you a lot of friends but it’ll always get you the right ones."
— John Lennon
Insight
I'm obsessed with good decision-making.
Good writing → good thinking → good decision-making
I learned good writing after $125,000 of law school. Here are 3 simple rules you can steal to get you from good writing to good decision-making:
Writing clearly → clear thinking → emotional regulation
Emotional regulation → good decisions → good actions
1. KISS
Keep it simple silly.
Simple is clear and to the point.
Strip your writing to its cleanest parts.
Take out every word that has no function and make every long word shorter.
Fix every passive sentence into the active voice.
Constantly ask what you're trying to convey to the reader.
Then look at what you just wrote and ask whether you answered the question.
Is it clear to someone encountering the subject for the first time?
Read your drafts out loud.
2. Take out the clutter
Zone in on the words you use.
At the present time, presently → now
Utilize → use
Experiencing pain → it hurts
More examples:
Assistance → help
Numerous → many
Initial → first
Implement → do
Don't try to sound smart.
Use plain English. Watch out for word clusters:
"I might add" → Don't add, just say it.
"It should be pointed out" → Don't point it out, say it.
"It is interesting to note" → If it's interesting, just say it.
How to apply rule:
Use brackets between words or sentences you think may not be doing any useful work.
Then read the sentence and words without the brackets to see if it still makes sense.
3. Don't focus on style
Writing is a craft with principles, like carpentry. You first need to learn how to saw wood and drive nails in correctly. Focus on the principles first.
With style, trying to add it is like adding a toupee. At first, the bald man looks nice with it on, but after a while, you notice he just doesn't look right. He doesn't look authentic. The same is true with trying to write with style. People want authenticity.
How to apply rule:
Be yourself and don't try to adopt any style.
How to be yourself: write in the first person.
If you can't use "I" in your writing, write the first draft with "I" and then take it out later.
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:
Pessimistic
Definition | Tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.
Example | He was pessimistic about the prospects.
Origin | From the Latin word pessimus, meaning 'the worst'.
Apathetic
Definition | Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
Example | People have been surprisingly apathetic to these important social problems.
Origin | Mid-18th century: from apathy, on the pattern of pathetic.
Question
Whenever you're working on a new goal, two things are important to keep top of mind: managing expectations and trusting the process.
There is going to be some trial and error in the beginning. There are going to be setbacks. The mind is adjusting to new levels of discomfort. Manage expectations.
Progress is often invisible until it becomes visible. Give it time. Trust the process.
Often, it's these two factors that derail us and make us quit after setbacks.
What are some things you can do to keep these two factors top of mind?
Here are some questions to help:
Am I setting realistic initial goals?
How long have I been on this journey so far?
Have I truly dedicated enough effort to this?
Till next week,
— Carlos & Stef
