Self-Mastery Nº54
Leave people better than you found them
When I created this newsletter, I had no bearing on what it would be about, how long I’d do it for and whether it’ll even be useful to anyone besides me.
Naturally, I looked to my own problems to determine what the core of this newsletter would be. Self-Mastery was a clear fit. I knew I wanted it to be described in one of four ways—beautiful, simple, valuable, fun—and I knew I wanted it framed around one (or close to one) central idea. Honestly, I’ve spent an absurd amount of time thinking about it all, trying to make my philosophy clearer and better.
But hey, that’s the beauty of mastery.
Then I recently realised this newsletter had actually been subconsciously stringing multiple ideas together around one consistent and refined tenet: leave people better than you find them.
That’s it. Perfect. And that’s just what life is about really, isn’t it?
Self-Mastery is about wisdom. Simplicity. Ending the day better than we started it. Self-Mastery is not a destination but a path. A lifelong commitment. All of this requires knowing what you did wrong before so you can do things better (or simply, do things well) next time. And this can be repeated with almost anything.
Your time is the most valuable thing in your life. So, it’s my job as a writer and human to work hard to maximise the value I can provide to your time using my words. Thus, it makes sense now; all of these rules, ideas and principles bind this newsletter—and my values—and shoot it towards one goal: to have you close these weird weekly emails as a better person than when you opened them.
Better in how you think, or move, or live. One percent at a time.
Obviously, I can’t change your life in one email. Even if I could, that would miss the point. Self-Mastery is fueled by Kaizen—the Japanese term for “Change for better”. But this occurs slowly, over time. As life is lived one small step at a time, the same goes for the framework we should use to improve who we are.
I can’t tell you everything, either. So, more often than not, the value I bring is in sharing what others in this world have already said.
James Clear famously stated that a 1% improvement every day (indefinitely) would make gargantuan differences to your future simply from the compound effect. This idea changed my life, and I employ it here by writing to improve your life (and my own) by 1% every week, in the things I know best.
My mission is to refine and improve every edition; make this newsletter 1% better every week, make you 1% better every week, and continuously improve everything and be a beacon for Self-Mastery and what it is all about. And so leaving you better than I found you is my top priority.
What’s on My Mind
I have a teeny tiny request.
I’ve recently been thinking more about my audience (yes, you)—your goals, needs, wants, and problems. In my head, I want to write forever to help you and many others with their problems. To make this newsletter give as much wisdom and value-per-word as possible, I believe it’s key to know exactly what you want from it.
So, I’d love it if you could spare 2 minutes of your time to do this survey so I can get to know what you want a little bit better (it’ll be 100% private and 110% not a waste of time, I promise). Cheers!
Explore
Brain Food
“For me, identity is not about what you believe, it’s about what you value. And so I want to have a set of principles. For me, my highest values are generosity, excellence, integrity, and freedom. I am completely flexible on the best ways to live those values.”
→ Adam Grant: Rethinking Your Position [The Knowledge Project Ep. #112]
“Productivity systems often focus on how to do the work. However, it is crucial to understand why we are struggling to do the work in the first place. Often, our procrastination triggers are emotional rather than rational, which makes it hard to analyse them in an objective way. Learning about the most common triggers can help in identifying and mitigating them.”
→ Procrastination triggers: eight reasons why you procrastinate
Timeless Quote
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
My Favourite Things
Twitter Page - I started a new Twitter page to share timeless quotes. Check it out if you want.
Pixar - Few people come close to perfect storytelling than Pixar. Have a read of their 22 tips for it.
A Question For You
What’s the limiting factor in getting you the life you want, and what would your plan to overcome this look like?
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Until next week!
Yours truly,
Jelani