I picked up this book up earlier this year with a glowing recommendation from Seth Godin. So, I decided if Seth Godin likes it… well, so should I. Here’s what we tooke away from the book:
- The more original idea, the less good advice other people will give you.
“There a reason why feelings scare us – because what they tell us and what the rest of the world tells us are often two different things.” - A big idea comes with a big burden. Not everyone is equipped to handle that.
- Doing anything worthwhile takes time. 90% of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort, and stamina.
- If somebody in your industry is more successful, it’s probably because he works hard than you.
- No one can tell you if what you’re doing is worthwhile. The more compelling the path, the lonelier it is. You’re responsible for your own experience.
- Listen to your creative voice. You’ve been silencing it since kindergarten since it doesn’t make money, grades, or sense. Explore it again.
- Creativity. You can think independently. You can articulate passion. You can override the fear of being wrong. And your company needs you.
- If you don’t see yourself as creative, your limiting yourself by your mind.
- The better you get at your craft, the less tools you need to assist you. e.g. Van Gogh never painted with more than six colors. Abe Lincoln wrote the Gettysburgh address a friend’s piece of paper.
- If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you. Think of the harm and counter it. But at least you’ve planned.
- Always hang out with the people you want to become. Avoid people who play it safe all the time.
- The only people who can change the world are people who want to. It’s a primal calling to want to do this.
- Don’t make a commodity of yourself. It’s an easy way to get yourself removed.
- Quite making excuses. Time waits for no one.
- Everybody is too busy with their own life to give a damn about you.
- Work through the drudge. Inspiration is part of the process, not the beginning.
- SIng your own tune: Picasso always looks like Picasso. Hemingway writes like Hemingway…. Find your own shtick.
- The way to get approval is not to ask.
- Power is never given. Power is always taken.
- Being creative is learning how to protect your freedom. That includes freed from financial obligations.
- You become older faster then you think.
A lot of people in business say they have 20 years experience. Truth is that they have 1 year of experience repeated 20 times. - The biggest mistake young people make is underestimating how competitive the world is out there.
- The best thing to be in the world is an effective human being.
- Blog. It’s important.
- Adventure. You don’t know how its going to end.
The final note is that the author never intended his career to end where it is today. He’s a professional cartoonist. Out of college, he joined an ad agency. He realized that the space was going to eat people like him up. He was good enough for the job, but not good enough to become great at it. He saw a bad fate for himself years down the road. So, he started his blog, and then started making cartoons. This caught fire, and he found his niche. It was his thing that nobody else was doing. And that’s the gold.
Work hard. Keep at it. Live simply. Remain humble and positive. And create your own luck.