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“Effective Philosophies” explores practical wisdom for Creativity, Business, and Life

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Effective Philosophy of the Day

Over the years, as I’ve turned again and again to those who came before me for advice, I’ve collected quotes and snippets in various notebooks. I recently made a project of going through those notebooks to find out what themes had recurred throughout my life, to find the “throughline.”

I discovered that though the specifics changed from year to year and decade to decade depending on my goals, my biggest struggles, and my focus at that time (whether it be school or business or writing, etc.), ideas indeed tended to cluster around themes that bubbled up again and again, said many different ways by many smart people. If one smart person says something, you might take notice, but if many smart people say the same thing, you might want to take action, am I right?

Here are ten Effective Philosophies to get us started. For now, we’ll keep it at a high level. Though I reserve the right to veer off course whenever I feel like it (it’s my blog, after all, and if you don’t like it, feel free to start your own!), I plan to dig into these a bit more in the months to come:

1. Focus and Simplify:
   • Concentrate on one meaningful project at a time
   • Narrow down your focus and take deliberate action
   • Eliminate distractions and simplify your life and work
2. Take Consistent Action:
   • Start now, start where you are, with what you have
   • Make daily progress, no matter how small
   • Value progress over perfection
   • Finish what you start
3. Trust the Process:
   • Be patient and persistent
   • Embrace failure and learn from it
   • Trust your instincts and intuition
   • Focus on the journey, not just the destination
4. Develop a Clear Vision:
   • Define what success means to you
   • Align your vision, efforts, intentions, and lifestyle
   • Set specific, achievable goals and break them down into actionable steps
5. Cultivate the Right Mindset:
   • Practice gratitude and radical acceptance
   • Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth
   • Stay curious and open-minded
   • Be willing to take risks and step out of your comfort zone
6. Balance Creativity and Business:
   • Find the intersection of passion, skill, and market demand
   • Create value for others while staying true to your artistic vision
   • Develop multiple income streams to support your creative work
7. Continual Learning and Improvement:
   • Regularly review and adjust your strategies and goals
   • Learn from failures and successes alike
   • Stay open to feedback and constructive criticism
8. Build Meaningful Relationships:
   • Network and collaborate with like-minded individuals
   • Seek out mentors and be willing to help others
   • Value quality connections over quantity
9. Maintain Work-Life Balance:
   • Take care of your physical and mental health
   • Make time for rest, reflection, and recreation
   • Practice mindfulness and stay present in your daily life
10. Embrace Your Unique Path:
    • Don’t compare yourself to others
    • Follow your interests and passions
    • Be willing to pivot or change direction when necessary

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Extras

Mentors & Models

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

— Aristotle

Why this resonates: This captures the essence of all effective philosophies – it’s not about one-time actions or occasional bursts of effort, but about the daily habits and consistent practices we maintain.

Rabbit Holes

Want to explore these ideas further? Here are some great blogs that consistently explore similar themes:

• The Marginalian by Maria Popova: Deep dives into wisdom across centuries
• James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter: Habits, systems, and continuous improvement
• Seth Godin’s blog: Daily wisdom on creativity, business, and making things happen

Also, if you are just joining us, please check out Effective Philosophies #1: Get Started! and Effective Philosophies #2: Beyond Avoidance for a bit of backstory on my inspiration for starting this blog.

Today’s Exercise

Pick one philosophy from the list that resonates with you and challenges you. Don’t choose the easiest one – choose the one that makes you think “That would be amazing if I could do it, but…” Then spend a week consciously applying it to your daily life. What happens when you push past that “but”? What changes? What stays the same? What surprises you?

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I’d love to hear about your experience with these philosophies. Which ones resonate most strongly with you? Which ones make you scratch your head and go “Huh?” Share your thoughts in the comments below, and if you’d like to join me on this journey of exploring and developing Effective Philosophies, enter your email below. I won’t spam you, and if you ever want off the list, it’s okay, we can still be friends!