Eggplant.place

37d

Wants to read How to Measure Anything Workbook: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business

Edited 37d ago

37d

This book has a lot of insight into what it takes to break personal barriers and write/direct/paint/build something astounding.

The single most important idea that I take away from this book is the idea of resistance. The author believes that our species have spent generations trying to fit in with the “tribe” or “group”. Fitting in with that social structure was the key to survival within that group and world. He claims that the unknown force that keeps us from achieving our best is our need to fit in, and never to stand out. He names this force “resistance”.

The author explains resistance as the self-sabotage part of ourselves that keep us living mediocre lives. The individual sees being extraordinary as problem that will separate him/her from the group or tribe that they belong to. This anxiety causes everyone to discount their own abilities, to save their energies to become extraordinary, and instead distract themselves.

This idea does resound with me because we all have had those moments of self doubt. The moment when you think of doing something great, and then do your everyday tasks instead. You rationalize this with yourself by thinking of how much work it would take to be extraordinary, and that you would probably fail at it in the end anyways. I think we all have struggled with this. I know I have struggled with this in most of the major decisions of my life.

The author discusses the individual’s fear of achieving. I always think of a quote that is commonly attributed to the former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She said (I assume) that everyone should “do one thing each day that scares them”. I try to use this quote in my everyday life, because if I never do anything that scares me, then I will never do anything amazing.
The negatives
This book lost me when the author started talking about the muse and angels, higher powers that help ordinary people be great. I think that we all have something original to contribute, whether it is something small that’s great or something great that’s small. I also find books that a filled with anecdotal evidence to be mildly concerning. I really like anecdotes because they are more inspiring than clinical evidence, but a book of nothing but anecdotal evidence leaves me skeptical to say the least.

However, I find the sections on what is resistance, and how to identify it to be very helpful. I struggle with resistance all the time. I try to pick the hard tasks.

Edited 37d ago