Category: Productivity

Efficiency Beats Legacy

Posted on by Phil Garland

The reason entrepreneurship is so successful is because it’s made up of people searching for opportunities in the market trying to make things more efficient. Startups fall into this category too. Even the unicorns. Stripe, Uber, Box, etc. are all entrepreneurial endeavors that became billion plus dollar companies. They figured something out that the legacy firms were failing at; efficiency. 

Based on R.H. Coase’s paper “The Nature of the Firm”, the larger a company gets, the harder it is to control costs. The startups will eventually fail (see Facebook). And in their place a more efficient company will arise. The world economy is a constantly shifting world of rising and falling efficiencies. But at the end of the day, in a capitalist society, the most efficient always win. 

Even if Uber is to fail, it made it clear the world is better off with a car sharing app as opposed to the outdated medallion system taxi drivers had to utilize. Even if Spotify fails at becoming the world leader in music streaming, it has set a course of action on how to share music while compensating artists. The world is constantly evolving and becoming a better place because of the market. We are living in a time where entrepreneurs have boundless chances to create a more efficient system and they are despite the existence of legacy firms and laws.

Small Steps Forward Are Better Than None

Posted on by Phil Garland

When I was first starting my career I’d have some pretty rough days where I didn’t get anything done. I’d sit there, staring blankly at my work, hoping to be done with it but not able to produce. After a day or two of that, the anxiety would grow and I’d get stuck in a self-doubting circle.

Now, I still have bad days where I don’t get as much as I want done, but it doesn’t stop me from moving forward. Instead of tackling the hardest tasks, I focus on the smaller things that I’d put off when doing the bigger projects. I also make sure to respond to all emails and not let anything sit for long. 

Although I don’t always love having days where I don’t accomplish as much as I know I’m capable of, accomplishing some things from my to-do lists moves me closer to achieving my end goals. It’s all about taking small steps forward.

Nobody Sees the Hardwork Before Success

Posted on by Phil Garland

Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and countless other names are touted as visionaries capable of massive successes. They have every right to be admired for the things they have been able to accomplish. However, a lot of the successes also came with failures, perceverence and good ol’ hard work.

In the words of B.o.B

It’s like, people only see it the way it appears
But they never see the ropes and the pulleys and the gears
Blood, sweat and tears. We cry blood, all we sweat is tears

–B.o.B vs Bobby Ray

We love to see success stories. You can read 1,000s of articles on Medium about people’s morning routines that create massive results. Or the life hacks that make successes seemingly happen overnight. Those are all well and good. Good habits and good routines are required to become successful. But the biggest driver in success is putting in the hardwork each and every day.

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. There’s probably no such thing as a five-year success. It takes countless hours, unending mistakes, and a drive to keep going to become the next Bezos or Musk. They didn’t happen overnight and neither will you.

Consistently building on your personal goals is the only way to success. It it takes time, hard work, and a commitment to leaving things better than when you found them. From the famous Robert Collier:

The great successful men of the world have used their imaginations… they think ahead and create their mental picture, and they go to work materializing that picture in all its details, filling in here, adding a little there, altering this a bit and that a bit, but steadily building — steadily building. 

Personal Progress is Incremental

Posted on by Phil Garland

Last weekend I had a lot of fun and hung out with some really good friends and some new friends. It was great spending social time outside with people from throughout our friend group, however, it was a break from my typical good habits.

This weekend I had a lot of fun but didn’t veer too far away from my habits. I feel refreshed for Monday and don’t feel like I sacrificed my mind or health to have fun. Although it might seem like an obvious skill, being responsible on the weekend creates personal progress.  

My past two weekends have been opposites in being responsible (last weekend not so responsible, this weekend fun but more responsible) and each taught me a lesson. I learned I don’t want to repeat my irresponsible weekends very often. I also learned I can have fun without being irresponsible. Personal progress isn’t always a giant leap forward but a small (incremental) step in the right direction. 

Everybody Needs Help Doing Something

Posted on by Phil Garland

One of the best lessons I’ve learned is that nobody is perfect. Everyone has different aspects of life they have mastered but everyone has aspects of life they haven’t. People could have poor diets, bad workout routines, not get enough sleep, have relationship issues and the list goes on and on. No matter what, everybody needs help doing something.

Your objective is twofold. (1) To become as well rounded as possible. To develop an understanding of as many subcategories as possible (sub categories being something from the list above) so at any time you can help people in different areas. And (2) to seek opportunities to help people with their issues. Whether it’s giving personalized relationship suggestions to your ideal mentor or telling a colleague an approach to a problem they haven’t thought about.

Your goal in adding value is to become well-versed in learning new skills and applying them to your daily life. Then, when the opportunity arises, giving helpful advice to others in applying the lessons you’ve learned. I guarantee you will find yourself a valuable member of society or at your job if you follow those two objectives.

What’s Going on in the News

Posted on by Phil Garland

I have no fucking clue what’s in the news. I’m busy. I have stuff to do to build something bigger than myself. I don’t have time to read about dramas unfolding or the next big fad.

People become obsessed with what’s going on in the media so they don’t have to think for themselves. Yes, it’s scary that people can be so blind to the reality of the world but that doesn’t mean we have to listen to them.

The less creedance we give to media, the less it becomes a focal point of society. And, the less it makes money. Improving your own life should be the only outcome you’re looking for. 

If following the news makes your life better then go for it. For me, it’s a terrible piece of banter distracting me from my true objectives. I ignore what’s going on and get stuff done.

You Have Unique Value to Add

Posted on by Phil Garland

When I started at my first “real” job, I wasn’t sure what to do or say. A lot of times I was handed work, a budget and guidance of what to do once I got stuck. However, very rarely did I add much value. Instead, I spent most of my time figuring out how to do the task at hand and getting the job done. Once completing a task in that manner, I’d move on to the next assignment.

Being naive or a first year worker I didn’t think to add value to my actions. I acted like a a cog in the machine. I could even calculate the amount of revenue I was generating vs the amount I was being paid and could tell I was making a miniscule amount on the effort I put in. To me, that wasn’t adding value. That was keeping the engines running.

Flash forward four years and multiple other jobs later, and I have a clear idea how to add value. It’s not as simple as maintaining the machine but it’s not hard either. Everything I have seen in my professional career gives me unique insight on how to complete a task. I have seen ways successful companies have handled situations and know how to apply them when needed. 

By developing an understanding that I can add value by providing my unique insights, I am capable of adding value to nearly any company. It might not always be my job title but I know enough to improve what’s being done. Apply your unique perspective to your work and don’t wait to be handed a budget.

Steady Progress is Better Than None

Posted on by Phil Garland

Part of building the life you want is coming to the realization that it takes time and hard work to get to where you want to be. Although it’s nice to think hustling all the time, 100% of the time, will help you arrive at your end goal, it doesn’t quite work that way.

Yes, spending time getting to where you want is essential but spending every waking minute to get there will only end in exhaustion. Instead, taking a long term approach to big goals allows you to achieve your dreams without burning out.

Making steady progress towards your end goal is far more beneficial than a couple of sprints while running on empty. At the end of the day, empires are built over time and from continually building. Taking a small step every day is better than taking giant leaps that deplete your willingness to move forward. Progress begets progress but it shouldn’t be looked at as a short term objective. Move forward but don’t burn out.

The Number One Lesson I’ve Learned Reading 100 Business/Productivity Books

Posted on by Phil Garland

TL;DR Don’t read for consumption, read to create.

Although it’s a lot of fun to read books like Four Hour Work Week and dream up the things we’d do with that kind of free time. A lot of Tim Ferris’s advice is centered around a few assumptions. (1) You have a business that has a client base (2) You have stumbled through the entrepreneurial journey (3) You have processes that can now be optimized.

I’m Not Singling Out Tim Ferris

I love Tim’s writing and think he has a TON of valuable insight. My issue with it is he actually writes for a very small niche — those that fall under the three assumptions I outlined above. All authors of business books speak to a niche as well. Even if you think it’s generic business advice, it’s not. Every author has their strengths and weaknesses. Someone with a marketing background might be able to speak to the marketing side but could be terrible with financials.

The most successful copy writing books/blogs teach others how to copywrite/blog. That’s a great value but not all that it takes to run a business. Every time you read an article, you’ll add a little bit more knowledge to your archives but that doesn’t mean it needs to be using space in your brain hard drive.

Business books are always for a specific niche. Finding the right book for your given problem is key. Nothing else matters.

Build Your Own Thing, Then Read Applicable Books

I’ve heard it called many things but my favorite is just-in-time learning. Kylon Geinger, host of The Successful Dropout has an excellent recording on the topic. The premise of just-in-time learning is the complete opposite of what we were taught in school. Instead of putting away information in our brain, as soon as a problem arises, we look for a solution. Never sooner. There’s no need to fill your brain with empty thoughts.

By putting challenges in front of me, and trying to build things, business books are 100x more valuable. Not only do I get nuggets from the greatest minds in the world, I have an action item right away. For example, I started Growth Hacker Marketing to gain insight while writing content for a business and read The End of Jobs to help curate a newsletter involving the future of work.

Giving myself projects has allowed me to apply just-in-time learning regularly and my value derived from books has increased exponentially. Next time you’re looking for a business book to read, combine it with a business project. The amount of applicable insights will increase and you’ll be able to put lessons into practice immediately.

Your Brain Doesn’t Need Permission to Succeed

Posted on by Phil Garland

Unless you were homeschooled growing up, odds are you spent at least ten years in school. For me, I spent seventeen years in the public education system (K-12 and four years of college). During those years I was trained to do things by the books and stay within the rubric. Not only did I have to follow instructions to get a good grade, I also had to show respect for my superiors and ask permission to do nearly anything. Go to the bathroom, make a comment, try a creative approach to a problem. All of this required permissions.

Even if I didn’t know it, my brain built up a permission-based mindset to think for itself. My brain wouldn’t let me deploy creative ideas or get shit done because it had to ask itself if those things were okay. A lot of times my creativity is outside social norms. Meaning, my brain had to ask permission to do these non-traditional actions and a lot of times the permission wouldn’t be granted. Thoughts like “No, that’s not realistic” or “Yeah, that’s a cool idea but you can’t actually try that,” often ran through my head.

Today, I still have problems fighting my permission-based mind. It’s hard to tear down the thoughts that have been with me for my whole life. But I do a few daily practices that help me fight my permission-needing mind.

  1. I blog daily. This habit makes me step outside my comfort zone. I also share it on social media (Facebook and sometimes Twitter) to keep me accountable and keep me from hiding from readers. This helps my mind realize I can create things from scratch and don’t need anyone’s permission.
  2. Another habit I’ve developed is writing in a journal. Both stating things I want to accomplish and things I’m gracious for. The journaling trick makes my mind focus on the steps I have taken and where I can move forward. It keeps my mind from falling into the trap of “I need someone’s permission” and helps my habits work towards cultivating the life I want.
  3. The last thing I have been doing is making my desires/goals public. I try and share what I’m up to or content I want to write with people every day. The one thing I don’t want to do is fail to follow-through. By stating these things publicly, and to stakeholders in my outcomes, I cannot hide behind my permission-based brain. I have to step forward and do it.

Although I still struggle with this, I have been fighting hard over the past couple months to keep my permission-based brain at bay. Each day I make sure I’m achieving results and reaching toward my vision of success. I don’t think I’ll ever completely destroy my permission mentality but the more things I do to fight it, the further back in my thought-process it’ll go.