2-Truth Tuesday: Are You Capable Of Being A Murderer? Habit Framework, And Literal Skin In The Game
Truth #1: Are you capable of being a murderer?
When you embark upon your own path, you reject the opinions and acceptance of society and those closest to you.
In the beginning, you are filled with energy and are fueled by your ambition and goals.
But then the going gets tough.
And then it gets harder.
And then there is a voice within you that says they were right. That you can’t do it. That you should give up.
For you to succeed, you are left with one option.
“Are you capable of becoming a murderer”
You must kill that voice.
Here's Nietzsche On The Way Of The Creator,
"Thus is a star thrown out into the void and into the icy breath of solitude. Today you are still suffering from the many, being one: today your courage and your hopes are still whole.
But the time will come when solitude will make you weary, when your pride will double up, and your courage gnash its teeth. And you will cry, "I am alone!" The time will come when that seems high to you will no longer be in sight, and that which seems low will be all-too-near; even what seems sublime to you will frighten you like a ghost.
And you will cry, "All is false!" There are feelings which want to kill the lonely; and if they do not succeed, well, then they must die.
But are you capable of this - "to be a murderer?""
Truth #2: Habit Framework from Atomic Habits
I distilled 320 pages into a simple 5 steps. As promised in my last newsletter, here they are:
Once you have desired habit:
1. Create clarity for action
An implementation intention for the habit: I will (behavior) at (time) in (location).
Habit stacking: Pair your new habit with a current habit. “After I (CURRENT HABIT), I will (NEW HABIT).” Example: After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute.
2. Prepare your environment for success
Make the habit cue a big part of your environment (like gym shoes right by front door). Utilize new environments for new habits.
“One space, one use.” Every habit should have a home (even digital spaces). Whenever possible, avoid mixing the context of one habit with another.
Remove the exposure to bad habits from the environment as well. (Once you notice something, you begin to want it)
3. Make it attractive
Create a reward to drive action: The habit stacking + temptation bundling formula is: After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [HABIT I NEED]. After [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT].
Use social proof and commitment devices to your advantage. Join a culture where (1) your desired behavior is the normal behavior or (2) Change the task such that it requires more work to get out of the good habit than to get started on it. Example - paying for yoga session ahead of time
Reframe and associate new habits w/ positive feelings. (1) Highlight their benefits rather than their drawbacks. Example: “You don’t have to, you get to” (2) Desired state rituals - Create and repeat a ritual before you enter a specific state (for example focus, happiness, etc.) Then use that ritual to get into the desired stated even if not related to the original situation
4. Get your reps in: Make repetition easy.
You just need to practice it. Use the two minute rule. “Study for class” becomes “Open my notes.” This will become a ritual at the beginning of a larger routine.
Set up rewards and punishments. What is rewarded is repeated. What is punished is avoided
Master the decisive moments - Create a list of what these moments are for you. Focus on mastering them to make following habits easy
5. Track your habits:
Develop a system that works best for you. Record habit immediately after it occurs. The completion of the behavior is the cue to write it down. Review each week or month. Or every 6 months.
Here's an example of this filled out for myself: https://imgur.com/LF7n525
Painting I'm Looking At: The Judgement of Cambyss
Be warned: this painting is not for the faint of heart.
You've heard the phrase "skin in the game". Being accountable to your decisions and facing the consequences of your actions if they hurt people. Justice 101. This painting is the literal representation of skin in the game.
Here's the description: Sisamnes was a corrupt judge who was ordered by King Cambyses to be flayed alive. The left panel presents the arraignment of Sisamnes while Cambyses is recounting the guilty charges. Sisamnes had, among other things, allowed himself to be bribed in order to mete out an untrue verdict. In the background, he receives a merchant on the steps of his home. On the right panel, the gruesome flaying of Sisamnes is depicted. On the upper right, Otanes is seated as judge on the peeled off skin of his father.
Book I'm reading: Total Immersion Swimming by Terry Laughlin
This book will teach you how not to drown. I'm not quite at graceful yet, but not sinking is a great feeling.
Song I'm listening to: The Man Comes Around by Jonny Cash
I've been bumping this song when my willpower starts to wain.
This song doesn't represent righteousness in a religious sense to me. We all have a choice - to be men of character and virtue, or to give into vices and impulses. Our monkey mind. When we give in, and violate our values, our will weakens. Our confidence starts to crack. It's a shitty feeling. There's something about this song that just hits that spot for me.
Quotes I'm Pondering
“A wheel may have thirty spokes, but it's usefulness lies in the empty hub. A jar is formed from clay, but it's usefulness lies in the empty center. A room is made from four walls, but its usefulness lies in the space between. Matter is necessary to give form, but the value of reality lies in its immateriality. Everything that lives has a physical body, but the value of a life is measured by the soul.”
-Lao Tzu (from Tao Te Ching)
Start getting excited for next Tuesday's edition.
All love, Cormac