What it means to be resourceful

By Derek Sivers

I was at a musicians’ gathering(ˈgaT͟HəriNG) in Memphis(ˈmemfəs). I met a lot of people complaining that their various forms of online distribution weren’t earning them as much as they’d hoped.

Then I met a musician who sold 8000 copies of his album himself. No distributor. No website. Just by himself.

I asked him how he did it. He said, “I just slowly drove(drōv) around the city every night, with the windows down, playing my music loud. When I saw someone digging(dig) it, I’d go talk with them. I’d sell almost everyone a copy — about 20 or 30 a night. Been doing this about a year. Sold 8000 so far.”

I love this story! It’s so direct! It hit me especially hard because all the musicians I’d met before him were complaining about how it’s impossible to make money anymore.

It got me thinking about what it means to be resourceful.

The succinct(sə(k)ˈsiNG(k)t) way to show it is to contrast two different mindsets. I’ll call them A and B.

A: “I spent $60,000 making this album.”
B: “I spent $60 making this album.”

A: “There are no good live music venues(ˈvenˌyo͞o) anymore!”
B: “I made us a new venue.”

A: “I’ve tried everything.”
B: “I found a book from the 1970s with some unique ideas I’m applying to our marketing.”

A: “I don’t have time to do it all!”
B: “Two of my fans help with promotion, one edits my videos, and one runs my website.”

A: “I’m not some Hollywood networking dude(do͞od). I don’t have connections in the industry.”
B: “My barber(ˈbärbər) knew the promoter’s wife, so it took some persistence, but now we’re playing at his festival.”

A: “They said we weren’t allowed to just show up.”
B: “We just showed up, and wouldn’t leave. Eventually they said OK.”

A: “We didn’t get the festival gig.”
B: “They rejected us, so we contacted every artist at the festival until we found one that insisted the promoter book us as their opening act.”

A: “There’s just no way!”
B: “I figured out a way.”

It means being creative, rebellious(riˈbelyəs), determined(diˈtərmind), and unstoppable(ˌənˈstäpəbəl).

It means asking for help, but not waiting for help.

https://sivers.org/res

Limits & Focus: What I’ve Learned

I’m on a trip to Japan and Guam(gwäm) right now, and with all the things going on with family and other things I need to get done, my time to do work has been limited. Maybe an hour a day, maybe a little more but sometimes even less.

This has been fantastic for my focus.

I don’t waste(wāst) (as much) time on distractions(disˈtrakSHən), and when I need to write something, I get down to it without delay(diˈlā). I know my time is limited, and I know how important it is to use that limited time wisely(wīz).

This is Haiku(ˈhīˌko͞o,ˌhīˈko͞o) Productivity, the power of constraints(kənˈstrānt). We often rebel against constraints, but they work for us.

Limit yourself to one habit change at a time, and you’ll be much more focused on that habit change, much more likely to succeed with it. Limit yourself to one important project at a time, and you’ll be much more focused on that project, doing an amazing job with it. Limit yourself to one task at a time, and you’ll be more focused on it.

One task at a time. A limited time box to do that task. Pure(pyo͝or) focus, with a mindful appreciation(əˌprēSHēˈāSHən) of how precious that limited time really is.

Here’s what you might try:

Pick one task to do in the next hour. Make it a hard deadline(ˈdedˌlīn) by promising it to someone by the end of the hour, and making other appointments(əˈpointmənt) after the hour is up so you can’t extend the deadline. Your time is limited, and you need to get it done.

Now see what changes with your focus. See if you waste less time and fill your hour with fewer distractions. See if you appreciate(əˈprēSHēˌāt) that hour more.

This is the power of constraints, and I’d love for you to apply it to a few areas(ˈe(ə)rēə) of your life in the next month.

https://zenhabits.net/haiku/

Blue Origin(ˈôrəjən)

WORKING AT BLUE ORIGIN

At Blue Origin, it’s our genuine(ˈjenyo͞oin) passion(ˈpaSHən) for space exploration that makes an incredibly(inˈkredəblē) difficult job equally exhilarating(igˈziləˌrātiNG). We’re looking for people who share that passion.

Our hiring bar is exceptionally(ikˈsepSHənəlē) high, and we want to keep our team small and collaborative(kəˈlabərətiv). You have to want to work in an environment where the people occupying(ˈäkyəˌpī) each and every role are among the most technically(ˈteknik(ə)lē) gifted in their area(ˈe(ə)rēə) of expertise(-ˈtēs,ˌekspərˈtēz). You should be at the top of your field, remarkably(riˈmärkəbəl) dedicated, and excited about shaping our future in space.

We’re also working on real hardware—so building and testing should be in your blood, too. Our engineering, manufacturing(ˌmanyəˈfakCHər), and business teams work in a 260,000 sq.(skwe(ə)r) ft.(feet) facility(fəˈsilətē) on 26 acres(ˈākər) in Kent(kent), Washington—just 20 minutes south of Seattle. We do our engine(ˈenjən) and flight testing at our range in West Texas(ˈteksəs) (two hours east of El Paso(el ˈpasō)) at the world’s only privately(ˈprīvitlē) owned and operated launch site.

INTERNSHIPS

Our interns participate(pärˈtisəˌpāt) in real engineering design(dəˈzīn) projects related to the development and construction of human spaceflight systems. Interns work directly with our engineers to contribute to project goals in the fields of mechanical(məˈkanikəl) design, fluids(ˈflo͞oid), aerodynamics(ˌe(ə)rōdīˈnamiks), rocket propulsion(prəˈpəlSHən), flight controls(kənˈtrōl), electronics(ilekˈträniks,ˌēlek-), avionics(ˌāvēˈäniks), enterprise(ˈentərˌprīz) software, flight software, composites(käm-,kəmˈpäzət), chemistry(ˈkeməstrē), human safety, and systems engineering. We also offer opportunities in business development and finance(fəˈnans,ˈfīnans). Working directly with our team, students gain(gān) real-life experience that allows them to apply classroom learning to real aerospace(ˈe(ə)rōˌspās) challenges(ˈCHalənj).

https://www.blueorigin.com/careers

Jeff Bezos thinks his fortune(ˈfôrCHən) is best spent in space

Critics(ˈkritik) offer suggestions on how his wealth(welTH) can be better spent closer to home.

By Mike Murphy

Jeff Bezos has so much money he doesn’t know what to do with it all, so he figures he’d might as well spend it on spaceships(ˈspā(s)ˌSHip).

That’s what the Amazon.com Inc.(inˈkôrpəˌrātid) AMZN, +0.15% founder and chief executive(eg-,igˈzekyətiv) told Mathias Döpfner, the CEO of Business Insider parent Axel Springer, in an interview(ˈintərˌvyo͞o) published over the weekend.

Bezos is worth about $131 billion, according to Forbes’ latest calculations(ˌkalkyəˈlāSHən).

And while those billions were largely built on e-commerce(ˈēˌkämərs) and cloud computing, Bezos told Döpfner that his space company, Blue Origin(ˈôrəjən), is his most important work.

“I’m pursuing(pərˈso͞o) this work, because I believe if we don’t we will eventually end up with a civilization(ˌsivələˈzāSHən) of stasis(ˈstāsis), which I find very demoralizing(diˈmôrəˌlīz),” he said about his goals of space exploration — and eventually colonization. “I am very lucky that I feel like I have a mission-driven purpose with Blue Origin that is, I think, incredibly(inˈkredəblē) important for civilization long term. And I am going to use my financial(fī-,fəˈnanCHəl) lottery(ˈlätərē) winnings from Amazon to fund that.”

Bezos said he’s spending about $1 billion a year to fund Blue Origin.

But while Bezos did mention philanthropic(ˌfilənˈTHräpik) efforts, such as combating(ī) homelessness, many on social media found his priorities to be lacking — especially when compared to fellow(ˈfelō) Seattle(sēˈatl)-area billionaire(ˈbilyəˌne(ə)r) Bill Gates, who has pledged(plej) to give away the bulk(bəlk) of his fortune and has already donated(dōˈnāt,ˈdōnāt) more than $40 billion through his foundation.

…
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/jeff-bezos-thinks-his-fortune-is-best-spent-in-space-2018-05-01

How Your Mind Really Works

By Steve Pavlina

How is it that your mind is capable(ˈkāpəbəl) of handling new situations you’ve never previously(ˈprēvēəslē) encountered(enˈkoun(t)ər)? How do you solve a problem you’ve never solved before? Is this just the magic(ˈmajik) of consciousness(ˈkänCHəsnəs), or is there an underlying process — or algorithm(ˈalgəˌriT͟Həm) — your mind uses behind the scenes to deal with the unique experiences you encounter each day? And if there is a process(ˈpräsəs), how can you use it to improve your ability to think?

Computers are still very inflexible(inˈfleksəbəl) at solving problems they’ve never seen, but your mind is not nearly so limited. Without much difficulty you can converse(ˈkänˌvərs) with someone you’ve never met before, read and understand something you’ve never read before, or navigate(ˈnaviˌgāt) a shopping mall you’ve never visited before.

Your ability to handle new situations goes way beyond behavior though. You can solve a problem entirely(enˈtīrlē) in your mind, even without taking any direct action. Sometimes you’re aware of the process, and sometimes it happens unconsciously, but either way there’s a purely(ˈpyo͝orlē) cognitive(ˈkägnətiv) aspect(ˈaspekt) to human intelligence(inˈtelijəns) that’s independent of behavior.

I think you’d agree that when trying to solve a new problem, the solution arises(əˈrīz) when you reach a certain(ˈsərtn) level of understanding, even before you’ve taken any action. When a new insight, decision, or perspective(pərˈspektiv) is attained(əˈtān), the action steps may be very straightforward(ˌstrātˈfôrwərd). Certainly for some problems the physical implementation(ˌimpləmənˈtāSHən) remains difficult, but that’s usually because there are remaining sub-problems that haven’t yet been solved at a cognitive level. For example, you may come to the awareness that the solution to your relationship problems is to break up with your current(ˈkə-rənt,ˈkərənt) partner, and on one level that may in fact be a solution. However, before you can implement that solution, you must solve a myriad(ˈmirēəd) of sub-problems such as how and when you’ll inform your partner, who will move out, and so on.

A problem-solving exercise

Let’s consider a simple, real-world problem, with the goal of gaining insight into the key aspects of human intelligence. This exercise should be fairly(ˈfe(ə)rlē) easy for you.

Suppose I tell you I just moved into a new house, and I have a problem. The lighting in my new home office is too dim. What can I do to fix this? (This is an actual problem I must solve.)

…
https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/06/how-your-mind-really-works/

Call
CALL

INT: A SMALL APARTMENT

LEAH is moving restlessly(ˈrestləs) around her apartment, idly(ˈīdlē) picking things up and moving them around. Every now and then, though, she pulls(po͝ol) out her phone and checks the screen.

LEAH

He still hasn’t called. Awesome(ˈôsəm). Isn’t there some kind of cliché(kli-,klēˈSHā kli-,ˈklēˌSHā) sitcom(ˈsitˌkäm) rule about waiting three days? What kind of stupid crap is that? Like, if he calls earlier than that I’m going to think he’s desperate(ˈdespərit) or something? What if I just think he actually wants to talk to me?

(Pauses(pôz) to check phone again)

I guess technically(ˈteknik(ə)lē) it hasn’t been three days, because it was like 2 A.M. when I left, but still.

(Shakes her head and laughs in a self-deprecating(ˈdepriˌkāt) way)

Okay, I just heard myself say that out loud? And now I’m thinking there’s definitely(ˈdefənitlē) something wrong with me. I could call him, I guess. It’s 2015, that’s something I’m allowed to do. I just…don’t want to seem desperate. I’d like to know he’s interested in me. But maybe he’d like the same thing? I dunno(dəˈnō).

(Checks phone again and sighs(sī))

I should just go out. This isn’t the ‘80s—I don’t have to be shut in my apartment in order to stare(ste(ə)r) at my phone all night. But I probably won’t, because I’ve spent my whole life waiting for everything to come to me, and it never does.

(Finally stops pacing(pās,ˈpäˌCHā,ˈpāˌsē) and sits down)

I don’t know why I do that, except that it’s not just this, or my job, or that I never travelled. I can remember when I was just a kid and we all played kick-the-can in the street. I was the one kid who would never go for it. I’d just sit there in my hiding place, not really sure if I wanted to be found and caught or never found, ever. I just knew I didn’t want to try for it and fail.

You know, I think I was just waiting for the right time, for the right signal(ˈsignəl). Sometimes they’d forget about me and start another game without me. But I was just sitting there, knotted(nät) up and breathless(ˈbreTHlis), crouched(krouCH) behind the bushes(bo͝oSH), waiting for the call, waiting for someone to shout Olly-olly-oxen-free!

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Call

A Note to the Classically(ˈklasikəl) Insecure(ˌinsiˈkyo͝or)

By Miles(mīl) Hoffman

I was talking about music recently with a friend who makes his living cloning genes(jēn), manipulating(məˈnipyəˌlāt) molecules(ˈmäləˌkyo͞ol) and investigating(inˈvestiˌgāt) the pathways of the human immune(iˈmyo͞on) system. This is a person whose intellectual(ˌintlˈekCHo͞oəl) molecules are clearly very well arranged. But he proceeded(prō-,prəˈsēd) to tell me that although he loved classical music, when he listened to it he wasn’t able to perceive(pərˈsēv) anything other than his own emotional reactions.

Could it be true? Well, he thought(THôt) it was. But he was wrong.

What my friend was expressing(ikˈspres) was merely(ˈmi(ə)rlē) a symptom(ˈsim(p)təm) of a common affliction(əˈflikSHən), one that crosses all intellectual, social and economic classes: the Classical Music Insecurity Complex. Immediate(iˈmēdē-it) therapy(ˈTHerəpē) was indicated(ˈindiˌkāt).

There’s no question, I pointed out, that he perceives more than just his own reactions. Lots more. In every piece he listens to he perceives changes, both great and small, in tempo(ˈtempō), volume(-ˌyo͞om,ˈvälyəm), pitch(piCH) and instrumentation(-men-,ˌinstrəmənˈtāSHən). He perceives melodies(ˈmelədē), harmonies(ˈhärmənē) and rhythms(ˈriT͟Həm), and their patterns. He perceives, in short, virtually(ˈvərCHə(wə)lē) all the musical(ˈmyo͞ozikəl) ingredients(iNG-,inˈgrēdēənt) that composers(kəmˈpōzər) manipulate(məˈnipyəˌlāt) to stimulate(ˈstimyəˌlāt) emotional effects(iˈfekt), which is precisely(priˈsīslē) why he’s emotionally affected(əˈfektid). His “problem” isn’t perception(pərˈsepSHən) — it’s description(diˈskripSHən). And what he doesn’t know is the jargon(ˈjärgän,ˈjärgən), the technical(ˈteknikəl) terms for the ingredients and manipulations(məˈnipyəˌlāt).

And why should he? He’s a scientist, not a musician. And frankly, it’s not even essential(iˈsenCHəl) that he be aware of the specific musical and technical means by which his reactions are being stimulated(ˈstimyəˌlāt).

…

Perhaps it’s overly optimistic(ˌäptəˈmistik) of me, but I still cling to the hope that, with the right approaches and experiences(ikˈspi(ə)rēəns), longtime sufferers will feel sufficiently(səˈfiSHənt) encouraged(-ˈkə-rij,enˈkərij) to go ahead and jettison(-zən,ˈjetisən) the C.M.I. Complex outright. I’d like the legions(ˈlējən) of actual and potential classical music lovers to believe that, like my friend the scientist, they hear more than they can name, and that the very point of listening to great music is to be moved, not to put names on what moves you.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/18/opinion/classical-music-insecurity.html

Rock(räk) stars have a boss(bäs,bôs)?

By Derek Sivers

I was 20 years old. I had just moved to New York City. And I was working inside the music industry.

I ran the music library at Warner/Chappell. It was a huge room, near the executives’(eg-,igˈzekyətiv) offices, and I had it all to myself.

Rock stars would come into my room before or after their meetings, to wait or relax(riˈlaks). Because I was just some nobody working in the library, they would often speak candidly(ˈkandid).

What surprised me was this: These rock stars’ biggest complaints(kəmˈplānt) were about the things they were forced to do, or not allowed to do! Things like, “I think the album(ˈalbəm) is perfect and finished, but the label says they don’t hear a hit, so they’re making me co-write.” Or, “I wanted to make a video with this director I admire(ədˈmī(ə)r), but the label won’t let me.”

I had always assumed that rock stars were the top of the food chain(CHān). It was weird(wi(ə)rd) to realize they had a boss! But that’s the trade-off when you sign(sīn) away your rights.

The independent music revolution(ˌrevəˈlo͞oSHən) was so exciting because thousands of musicians were realizing that they didn’t need to sign these kinds of deals anymore. They didn’t need labels, distributors, publishers, or anything else to get their music to the public.

But years later, I still hear people making that trade-off. Giving up their rights and serving a company, in hopes of a greater reward.

authors who act like Amazon is the boss
web designers who act like Google is the boss
promoters who act like Facebook is the boss

But you only have a boss if you choose to! Nobody is making you serve these masters(ˈmastər).

Of course, if you don’t want a boss, then everything is up to you. Less promotion, but more freedom. Less help, but keeping all your rights. Riding the back roads, not the highway. Serving no one but yourself.

Never forget you have the choice.

https://sivers.org/noboss

Are they old shoes, or memories waiting to be unearthed(ˌənˈərTH)?

By Barbara Robertson

My grandmother’s shoes were black with four eyelets(ˈīlit) and a one-inch(inCH) stacked(stakt) leather(ˈleT͟Hər) heel(hēl). Orthopedic(ˈˌɔrθəˈpidɪk) shoes for old, bone(bōn) tired feet – these were my Granny(ˈgranē) B’s shoes. She detested(diˈtest) buying them, wore them begrudgingly(biˈgrəj) and looked pained(pānd) every time she put them on over her thick(THik), brown(broun)-pressure(ˈpreSHər) stockings. At day’s end, she would undo the laces(lās) and pry(prī) her swollen feet and legs out of both shoes and stockings, relieved(riˈlēvd) to have both out of her sight.

“Barbara” she would sigh(sī), rolling her feet on a yellow tin(tin) of Habitant(ˈhabitənt,ˈhabətnt) pea(pē) soup(so͞op), “take care of your feet, you need them, even at my age. Make sure your shoes fit. Don’t wear high heels unless the occasion(əˈkāZHən) calls for it, otherwise, you will be like me. Bunions(ˈbənyən) and corns(kôrn), wishing these feet didn’t need to take you anywhere and some mornings wishing they still could.” I would nod(näd), only partly listening and usually out of obligation(ˌäbliˈgāSHən). We would be in the living room: she in the La-Z-Boy with the orange flower pattern(ˈpatərn), and I, perched(pərCH) on the gold sofa(ˈsōfə) under the front(frənt) window, usually with my nose(nōz) in a book. I was 17, she was 89.

Marilyn Monroe was right when she said that with the right shoes, you can conquer(ˈkäNGkər) the world.

…

Shoes are memories, advice and often polished(ˈpäliSHt) with care and worn with pride(prīd). Shoes are fashionable(ˈfaSH(ə)nəbəl), practical(ˈpraktikəl) and powerful. Some shoes are too dear to abandon(əˈbandən), others are too loud(loud) to keep.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-are-they-old-shoes-or-memories-waiting-to-be-unearthed/

Clever(ˈklevər) people spark(spärk) greater cooperation(kōˌäpəˈrāSHən)

The more generous(ˈjenərəs) and cooperative(kōˈäp(ə)rətiv) members of society(səˈsīətē) work in the best interest of others - and themselves.

By Andis Sofianos and Eugenio Proto and Aldo Rustichini

What drives people to cooperate with each other? And what characteristics(ˌkariktəˈristik) lead a person to do something that will both benefit them, and those around them? Our new research suggests(sə(g)ˈjest) that the answer is intelligence(inˈtelijəns): it is the primary(ˈprīm(ə)rē,ˈprīˌmerē) condition for a socially cohesive(-ziv,kōˈhēsiv) and cooperative society.

In the past, some economists(iˈkänəmist) have suggested that consideration of others and generally pro-social attitudes(ˈatiˌt(y)o͞od) are what motivate(ˈmōtəˌvāt) people towards more generous and cooperative behaviours(biˈhāvyər) which help sustain(səˈstān) a cohesive society. Others have suggested that adhering(adˈhi(ə)r) to good norms(nôrm) and respecting institutions(ˌinstiˈt(y)o͞oSHən) push us towards more socially useful behaviours.

But another possibility is that insightful(inˈsītfəl) self-interest guides us to become effectively(iˈfektəvlē) good citizens – and that cooperation arises(əˈrīz) in society if people are smart enough to foresee(fôrˈsē) the social consequences(-ˌkwens,ˈkänsikwəns) of their actions, including the consequences for others.

Our study, which took part in behavioural labs in the US and UK with 792 participants(pärˈtisəpənt), was designed to test these three different suggestions for why people cooperate with each other. In it, we used games that contain a set of rules that assign(əˈsīn) a reward to two players depending on their decisions.

…
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180327-how-clever-people-improve-societies