Do the Opposite #73
Early Retirement, Over-stimulation Is Bad for You, Push to Expand Comfort Zone, Saving vs Investing, Furnishing an Apartment Second Hand
Good News Everyone!
Welcome to the newest issue of the Do the Opposite newsletter, sent every other Monday!
If you enjoy reading it, share it to help it grow:
If you want to help Do the Opposite grow & receive a paid subscribers only monthly guide with practical tips, materials and realistic, actionable next steps on topics covered in DTO, you can subscribe to the paid version or upgrade your existing subscription to a paid one:
If you want to share any resources (articles, books or anything else) with the community, please reply to this email with your recommendations or DM me on Twitter!
Hey everyone, I hope you’re enjoying autumn!
I’ve prepared for you this brand spanking new issue of Do the Opposite newsletter. In this one I’m trying out a short description format: so these letters are easy to skim and less of a TL;DR commitment. Let me know what you think of it!
Articles
“Save Like A Pessimist, Invest Like An Optimist” by Morgan Housel
Some amazing advice in this article. I was surprised to learn that ever since the start of Microsoft, Bill Gates has always kept enough cash to keep it going for one year in case revenue was to dry up.
“Push, Push, Push. Expanding Your Comfort Zone.” by Derek Sivers
I find that as soon as I relax a bit I get comfortable and it’s hard to keep growing in all areas of life. The next step always feels scary and there’s no escape from the Resistance. It constantly pulls back and tries to lull me into good ol’ status quo. It doesn’t go away, so the best way to ensure we evolve and continue to develop is to get used to pushing against it.
Videos
Early Retirement in One Lesson (or How I Retired at 30) | Mr. Money Mustache
Throughout the life of Do the Opposite newsletter I’ve often shared Mr. Money Mustache’s articles. Now you get to meet him in person! I had no idea he had a YouTube channel and was pleasantly surprised when I found out. This video is a great overview of an idea of FIRE (Financial Independence / Retire Early): Pete shares his story, dispels common FIRE myths and explains that you don’t have to live like a monk or a hermit to become financially independent.
Furnishing a Tiny Apartment Second Hand | Rob Greenfield’s Channel
I personally find that the idea of getting things second hand is a bit foreign and distant to me. I think that due to having lived a relatively privileged life, I didn’t have to get things second hand growing up. Now, understanding the benefits of getting things used: financial, social, and ecological, I want to get more comfortable with it and throw my limitations and inhibitions out the window :) The more we warm up to this idea the better off we will be (saving $$$) and we’'ll help the Earth along the way!
How Overstimulation Is Ruining Your Life | Better Ideas
We live in the too-much-information age. If we adopt the habits of the average person, we allow the advertisers, the marketers and the like direct access to our brains. Smartphone is our window into “the cyberspace” in which we live these days. It’s only up to us to control how wide that window is open and to put systems in place that prevent all sorts of garbage and debris flying into our window. By limiting our consumption and stimulation we are able to take control back into our own hands.
Featured Tweet
Ethos
Quotes
“We all need small sparks, small accomplishments in our lives to fuel the big ones. Think of your small accomplishments as kindling. When you want a bonfire, you don’t start by lighting a big log. You collect some witch’s hair — a small pile of hay or some dry, dead grass. You light that, and then add small sticks and bigger sticks before you feed your tree stump into the blaze. Because it’s the small sparks, which start small fires, that eventually build enough heat to burn the whole fucking forest down.”
— David Goggins
“From then on, I brainwashed myself into craving discomfort. If it was raining, I would go run. Whenever it started snowing, my mind would say, Get your fucking running shoes on. Sometimes I wussed out and had to deal with it at the Accountability Mirror. But facing that mirror, facing myself, motivated me to fight through uncomfortable experiences, and, as a result, I became tougher. And being tough and resilient helped me meet my goals.”
— David Goggins
“There is no authority who decides what is a good idea.”
— Richard Feynman
🌱 ZERNO APP
I’m building an app called ZERNO to help you build & stick to habits ― if you join the waitlist, you’ll be in the limited few to get early access to the app!
YOUTUBE
There's also a YouTube channel with weekly videos on the same themes that are covered in this newsletter. Take a look at the channel here and let the ideas influence you into an improved and happier life!
TELEGRAM
Do the Opposite has a public Telegram channel. The content there is a little different than in the newsletter: faster to consume, a bit more random ― basically anything weird or interesting that catches my eye: articles, tweets, videos, images, etc. Hope to see you there as well! :)
SHARING IS CARING
If you find this newsletter helpful, you can help it grow by spreading the word!
Subscribe to the free version of this newsletter and start getting a letter every other week.
If you want to help Do the Opposite grow & receive a paid subscribers only monthly resource with practical tips, materials and realistic, actionable next steps on topics covered in DTO, you can subscribe to the paid version or upgrade your existing subscription to a paid one:
Keep doing the opposite,
Alex Kallaway
Website: dotheoppo.site
Twitter: twitter.com/ka11away