#26 Your passion is waiting for your courage to catch up
Paul Graham, freakonomics & some classics for the festive week
Yak shaving refers to a task, that leads you to perform another related task and so on, and so on — all distracting you from your original goal. This is sometimes called “going down the rabbit hole.”
Ref: Sketchplanations
We all have been there. In fact, most of us might be in one of those yak shaving tasks right now. Finding the flow is difficult. And we strongly believe that the world conspires to keep us from getting there. I’m sure some of you will agree with me on how wrong we’re to think like that. It’s our lack of awareness & indiscipline that keeps us there. Nobody else.
But is “going down the rabbit hole” that bad? I say it’s not. At least, not always. Our curiosity knows one method and that’s to chase unknowns. Sometimes it’s the purpose, sometimes it’s the means - do whatever pleases you. But in your own mindful way and some moderation, if you may.
Let's get to the discoveries of this week.
1.
We see our food choices and habit through a narrow lens. The popular dieting & nutrition media does very little to surface the not-so-cool fundamentals. After all, nobody will pay you to hear "eat more colourful and in moderation." I found a few interesting reads on healthy eating habits from other cultures. French & Japanese love their food. Yet, they are mostly fit & healthy. How does it happen? Here are my 3 key takeaways:
Binging is a real culprit. But its solution is not in deprivation but in moderate eating. Right plate and cup sizes can be great enablers.
Lunch should be the biggest meal of the day; cut or stop snacking.
Enjoy the food, with great conversation and around your loved ones. Sit down meals are great.
Two other interesting ideas from french culture:
Openly call out weight gain - the French openly call out weight gain... this is not from an aesthetic point of view but a health one.... it is easier to lose a couple of kilograms or two and maintain your weight than to wake up one day and realise you ought to lose 15kg.
Food education in primary schools - As per the law, French school lunches must include a main course, a side dish, a dairy product and a starter and/or a dessert. There is a national ban on vending machines and junk food in French schools. The law also requires schools to provide at least 30 minutes sat at a dinner table for lunchtime, but it is common for lunchtime to last as long as 2 hours.
2.
I revisited some classics this week. They have inspired and guided thousands of entrepreneurs and creators and will continue to do so for the years to come. Book mark them.
Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule by Paul Graham
We Don’t Sell Saddles Here by Stewart Butterfield
Do Thinks that Don’t Scale by Paul Graham
How to be an Effective Executive - essay inspired by Keith Rabois’s inputs
1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly
3.
Freakonomics gained popularity for its pop-culture meets economics storytelling. It applied economic theory to diverse subjects not usually covered by "traditional" economists. Academically accurate or not, it got millions to think one extra moment on cause & effect.
Just now, we’re surrounded by more such fascinating stories of cause & effect. This is the time to revisit some of those basic concepts of economics. It's mind-boggling to see how our lives & businesses are intervened with so many different things. Here’re some samples of what is transpiring in the world:
The connection between sawdust & milk pricing - how a sharp downturn in the production of new housing has an unfortunate effect on milk prices?
How price of tomatoes surged 3-4x in just a few months?
Semiconductor shortages and other reasons causing a shortage and steep raise in paint prices.
4.
Some random goodness from the internet:
Youtube: The craft of bookmaking in Japan - the attention to details and workmanship is so magical.
Resources: IKEA catalogues through the ages - a glimpse into the changes in our homes & lifestyle as seen in IKEA catalogues.
Exhibit: “Forever is now” brings contemporary art installations near Giza Pyramids. Some weird, some cool creative takes with the backdrop of the majestic pyramids.
Before we sign off, here's a snapshot of a tweet worth saving.
That's all for this week, folks!
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