2023 Review & Lessons Learned

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Books Read

Did not finish:

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Daylio Mood

My average mood in 2023 was still 3.8 which is consistent with my previous research.

Lessons Learned

  • We are goal-based cybernetic systems. The Big 5 traits collapse into two independent dimensions of stability and plasticity. It’s the dance between those two states that ensures functionality. As Viktor Frankl said, “What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him.” It’s important to have a purpose to align our goals and values in a coherent yet flexible hierarchy.
  • Adopting a Second Brain is a must in the information era. Large Language Models such as chat-GPT will add to the power of our second brain since they can consume tons of highlights and find the themes. 
  • Thinking in terms of probabilities is a superpower. Being fundamentally skeptical coupled with transparent necessary leaps of faith is a functional dialectic model. Using bets is an effective way to make people think again.
  • Data analysis and causal inference are difficult. Science needs to be more transparent and systematic. No causes in, no causes out.
  • Not many things significantly affect happiness or wellbeing long term. H(appiness) = S(etpoint) + C(onditions) + V(oluntary activities). Our set point or probability distribution seem to be mostly genetically influenced. Being 5 out of 5 mood daily is probably not desirable. We should focus on living a rich life in line with our values and mostly positive affect will tag along.
  • “Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu
    • It’s important to develop a strategy based on an objective that is in line with our values before looking at tactics. Tactics are abundant, shallow, and potentially counterproductive to your value hierarchy. Don’t play someone else’s game.
  • Psychotherapy is a game changer if you have benefits or can afford it. No one is too psychologically healthy not to take advantage of working with someone. You can expect to try a few therapists before finding a good fit.
  • We don’t need that much money when we’re old. Most of our experiences that cost money occur when we’re young. Consider buying a house, travelling, getting married, raising children, etc. Playing bingo and gossiping at Tim Hortons doesn’t cost a ton of money. Our aim should be to die with zero. Be explicit about your will and give the money while you live.
  • You don’t need to prove your point or have an opinion. People don’t care what you think. Ask them if they want to hear something, you’ll be surprised how much people hesitate or simply say no.
  • Tracking your affective state is a worthwhile exercise. Affect is always there. Emotions are a superimposed interpretative layer constructed by the brain. You can challenge its assumptions.
  • Success for novices in any field is mostly about not screwing up. Get good at the basic strategy of any field and move on. Most of the juice of a lemon is produced by a fraction of the force. The last few drops require maximum effort. Get to good enough and move on. Save your maximal effort for the things that matter according to your value hierarchy.
  • Be cautious of external motivators. An hour of deep work per day on something meaningful to you will take you far and keep you energized. Don’t try to master everything. Just keep learning, take notes along the way, and trust that the knowledge will compound. 
  • Explicit instruction is more effective for teaching novices than exploration-based methods.
  • Risk-taking is necessary. We might as well practice via games so we can become better decision-makers. Avoiding risk at all costs is 100% risky as you are guaranteed to fall behind. That said, avoid risks that have the possibility of ruin. Playing the game in the long run is where the repeatable returns reside.
  • Boundaries are crucial. Being a people pleaser is not a long-term viable strategy to please people. What are your minimal viable boundaries (MVB) that you won’t compromise on?

Goals for 2024

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