Do the Opposite #58 - I Urge You: Save Money, How to Thrive in an Unknowable Future, Be the Master of Your Own Kingdom

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I Urge You: Save Money

I hope you, your families and people around you are healthy and well. If you have been affected by the COVID-19 changes, I hope life goes back to normal for you soon.

If you are currently employed, I want to suggest that you temporarily stop buying any unessential items (besides food, rent and other payments) and focus on saving money. The world is in flux these days, more than it was in recent history, so I hope you take my advice.

The point here is not to become paranoid or lose sleep over your situation. It's the opposite: having savings will bring you a little bit more peace of mind than you otherwise would have, a little more sanity and a little less fear of the future. No matter what happens (and I hope nothing at all will!), you will have that cushion to rely on. Many companies are shrinking, restaurants closing down, individual proprietorships run out of capital and so on. The extra TV, a new computer, or a nice new couch are awesome, but not as awesome as having money on hand.

If everything continues smoothly, by the end of this crisis you will have a hefty sum of money you can spend whichever way you want. No matter what, you will sleep better.


Articles

1) "The Perks of Being a Weirdo" by Olga Khazan
We often think that weird people are somehow at disadvantage in life, because they have probably been bullied in school or can't be a part of that or this group (normal groups like "people who love sports" or "people who watch TV in the evening" or "people who like cars" or "people who care about fashion" etc etc.) Here's an article where Olga explores the benefits of being weird :)


2) "How to Thrive in an Unknowable Future" by Derek Sivers
I thought this article was definitely written in 2020, and, probably, in March. It, however, was written in 2016. It applies to the current reality well. Derek shows how we can become resilient and navigate the world in times of rapid change. As Ryan Holiday would say: "The obstacle is the way".


3) "Things I Don’t Have That Many Do" by Leo Babauta | mnmlst blog
How many things do you own? What's considered normal to own by the people in your country, city, neighbourhood? What would your life look like without some of them? Here's a look into the life of Leo in 2013. It's interesting to read the list and "try his life on" to see how it would fit. What could you give up without hesitation? What would you want to hold on to and why?

Videos

1) Guy Ritchie "You Must Be The Master of Your Own Kingdom" | The Joe Rogan Experience
I've never seen Guy Ritchie or his movies ever before, only heard a lot about them. Just by watching this relatively short video (which is a part of Joe Rogan's interview of Guy) I've become a convert. Also now I feel the interest and need to watch many of his movies. :) The wisdom he shares is incredible, I'm still shocked by his personality, his presence and his worldview. His understanding of the human condition, of personal power, of what each of us goes through as we experience our lives and grow is truly profound. Wow. I'm proud to have found this clip to share today :)

If you, like me, resonate with Stephen Pressfield's "The War of Art" and "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, you will love this.


2) "How The Comfort Zone Is Ruining Your Life" | Better Ideas
Joey reminds us that we only derive long-term happiness and fulfillment through actions that we don't really want to do; the ones that lie outside our comfort zone. The lesson here is that if you don't do these actions, your comfort zone will not stay the same, it will shrink, and it will shrink rapidly. This is how people end up not being able to get away from a TV screen or a game on a weekday night, or to meet a new person over a coffee, or deal with a pile of unopened mail.

The key is not to jump far outside your comfort zone, thereby performing a one-off miracle. Instead, we should do actions that are just a little outside the zone, maybe 10% or 15% away. That grows the comfort zone consistently over time.

If you've read Tim Ferriss's "The 4-Hour Work-Week" book, the exercises that he gives throughout the book are designed to gradually decrease your level of discomfort of doing things that are considered weird or scary. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for?


3) "My New Morning Routine" | Matt D'Avella
I really enjoyed this honest and vulnerable video by Matt, where he discusses how the COVID-19 changes to the world have affected him, his mood and daily activities and his life in general. Matt also shares the steps he took to transform his morning routine to adjust to the new reality.


Tweet of the Week

Encouraging bonus tweet

Ethos

Quotes

"The ultimate measure of our lives is not how much time we spend on the planet, but rather how much energy we invest in the time that we have."
— Tony Schwartz

"A self is not something static, tied up in a pretty parcel and handed to the child, finished and complete. A self is always becoming."
— Madeleine L'Engle

"To get good, it's helpful to be willing, or even enthusiastic, about being bad."
— Daniel Coyle

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Keep doing the opposite,
Alex Kallaway
Website: dotheoppo.site
Twitter: twitter.com/ka11away