Dude, this video is absolute gold! 😎 Timestamps / Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:28 1) Starting Projects (Big and Small) 0:50 Eating the Frog 1:10 Thinking First 1:40 Overcoming Resistance / Flinching 2:27 2) Building Habits 3:05 Habit Loops 3:35 Habit Stacking 4:03 3) Creating Systems 4:17 If-Then Thinking 4:40 Checklists 5:16 Small Projects need Checklists as well 6:07 4) Making Improvements - Regular and Tiny 6:32 Break Skills down into micro skills 6:50 5) Building Resilience 7:30 Anti-Fragile 8:48 6) Focusing 9:52 Intentional Downtime - Percolation 10:19 7) Being Nice to Yourself 11:22 You can bring value to the world
It’s mind-blowing to me to realize I’ve read multiple books in every section mentioned here, so this whole video is like review, but I’ve never really put it all together like this. I think that by cycling through these categories (like a checklist in itself) I might be able to gradually (as in continuous improvement) build a system that works. I also like this interpretation of eating the frog, to do the thing you most want done rather than the worst thing just to get it out of the way. Reminds me of the Current Initiative in Mark Forster’s “Do It Tomorrow.”
Really enjoyed this video - very good "flyover" of the major topics in self-improvement, and solid book recommendations with reasons why you might want to read them. Thanks.
After a lot of good events from my hard efforts, I realized whatever that is, just start (never overestimate something you haven’t tried, do things you have never thought you could do that and set challenges and tiny improvement (“0.1% summary is more than 0%”/ “resilience >>”)
FYI: eating the frog actually means doing the thing that you least want to do first, so you know that everything after that is infinitely better. It's a way to avoid procrastinating, which I see is how you are using it. But as a chronic avoider of the things I usually need to do, knowing that meaning is very helpful. It also is part of a system I learned while in grad school which is to always schedule in (like literally put it on your calendar) some time to relax or do what you enjoy. Even if it is listening to an album uninterrupted once a week.
I was going to ‘like’ this video, but there was so much valuable advice in it that I decided to comment. I discovered your Substack and this RUclips channel recently and as a sixty one year old lifelong learner, I’m bowled over by the clear way you express learning concepts. Currently using some of these to help improve my level of Spanish, but am tempted to try the piano soon too. Keep up the good work Joel.
I really appreciate you taking the time to comment, Michael - it helps with visibility for the video and this is one of my favorites even though it doesn't have as many views as some others. Hope you keep watching and reading!
Awesome video! Summarised almost every book I’ve ever read and hope I’ve remembered. Have saved this as a checklist to remind me. I wondered if you were going to include 4000 weeks and you didn’t disappoint 😁 haven’t heard of the last but keen to check it out 🌹🌹
The rate at which you create highly digestible and quality content is outstanding. I get so much from your videos and I truly appreciate it. I’ve got wayyy too many books to read now thanks to you haha.
Thanks for that compilation! I'm not sure if I got Range after you recommended in an earlier video, but I agree that it's an amazing book. As is the "9 Out Of 10 Climbers..." Are there other must-reads out of these 103 that you recommend? Maybe the ones in the description?
No problem! Awesome that you read 9 Out Of 10. I should post the full list somewhere (I actually counted), but apart from the ones in the description I REALLY recommend: Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed The Organized Mind: The Science of Preventing Overload, Increasing Productivity and Restoring Your Focus by Daniel J. Levitin Originals: How Non-conformists Change the World by Adam Grant The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh ...and Conflict Communication, which I've got another video about somewhere on the channel!
You didn’t make it clear why not to hit the like button, but I took your advice anyway (joke). Great video and I have made lots of notes. My favourite piece of advice from you “be intentional about how you spend your time“. That is my biggest thing I need to change.
All 103 of them? To be honest, I wouldn't recommend reading all of them - the ones I recommend most strongly are already in the video. Other must reads are below - but I might print the whole list if there's interest! Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed The Organized Mind: The Science of Preventing Overload, Increasing Productivity and Restoring Your Focus by Daniel J. Levitin Originals: How Non-conformists Change the World by Adam Grant The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh ...and Conflict Communication, which I've got another video about somewhere on the channel!
Thank you for your answer and the recommendations I appreciate it. No I don't want you to sit and write the list. I asked if it was easily available in your archives.
There are only two books I recommend to mentees when I work with them. 1 - "Wanting" Luke Burgiss - this book helped me understand what I wanted from life, how to get it, and most importantly how to stop wanting stuff I didnt need. Amazing book. The scientific theory behind it also debunks things like Maslows hierarchy of need. 2 - "The Ego is the Enemy" Ryan Holiday - How to understand when your Ego is getting in the way, and helps you actually think more constructively about your motives for certain things.
Funny how apparantly these "103 self improvement" books prompt a story about goalsetting. What is any goal worth if there are no high virtues behind it. Attained goals without virtue are empty shells.
So, why don’t you compile everything that works into one book - and we can all avoid a lot of wasted time and money. Cheers! Note: there will be a lot of “copycat” writers who will have to find (yet) another side hustle. ;-)
If you like this video, you might like my free, weekly newsletter about starting (and finishing) new things: joelsnape.substack.com/
I’m a 74yo woman and found your channel very helpful. A daily goal for me is “learn something new everyday”. Even looking up a word definition counts.
This is fantastic to hear Debbie, I'm glad it's helpful - thanks for letting me know!
Dude, this video is absolute gold! 😎
Timestamps / Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:28 1) Starting Projects (Big and Small)
0:50 Eating the Frog
1:10 Thinking First
1:40 Overcoming Resistance / Flinching
2:27 2) Building Habits
3:05 Habit Loops
3:35 Habit Stacking
4:03 3) Creating Systems
4:17 If-Then Thinking
4:40 Checklists
5:16 Small Projects need Checklists as well
6:07 4) Making Improvements - Regular and Tiny
6:32 Break Skills down into micro skills
6:50 5) Building Resilience
7:30 Anti-Fragile
8:48 6) Focusing
9:52 Intentional Downtime - Percolation
10:19 7) Being Nice to Yourself
11:22 You can bring value to the world
Ah I'm glad you think so! And thanks so much for breaking it down into this much detail, better than I could have done it! 🙏
ur summary is gold as well :)
It’s mind-blowing to me to realize I’ve read multiple books in every section mentioned here, so this whole video is like review, but I’ve never really put it all together like this. I think that by cycling through these categories (like a checklist in itself) I might be able to gradually (as in continuous improvement) build a system that works. I also like this interpretation of eating the frog, to do the thing you most want done rather than the worst thing just to get it out of the way. Reminds me of the Current Initiative in Mark Forster’s “Do It Tomorrow.”
Super useful, amazed by how you were able to encompass so many learning from multiple books in one one video!
Just stumbled on your stuff in The Guardian and then found you on several platforms. Impressive and impressed that I hadn't heard of you earlier
Really enjoyed this video - very good "flyover" of the major topics in self-improvement, and solid book recommendations with reasons why you might want to read them. Thanks.
After a lot of good events from my hard efforts, I realized whatever that is, just start (never overestimate something you haven’t tried, do things you have never thought you could do that and set challenges
and tiny improvement (“0.1% summary is more than 0%”/ “resilience >>”)
FYI: eating the frog actually means doing the thing that you least want to do first, so you know that everything after that is infinitely better. It's a way to avoid procrastinating, which I see is how you are using it. But as a chronic avoider of the things I usually need to do, knowing that meaning is very helpful. It also is part of a system I learned while in grad school which is to always schedule in (like literally put it on your calendar) some time to relax or do what you enjoy. Even if it is listening to an album uninterrupted once a week.
Scheduling time to relax is a huge help, I find. I very rarely listen to whole albums, this is a really nice idea. Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! As a 22 year old guy trying to improve his life, this video is invaluable! ❤
Glad to hear it, my man!
Very grateful I stumbled across this video
Glad it was helpful!
I was going to ‘like’ this video, but there was so much valuable advice in it that I decided to comment. I discovered your Substack and this RUclips channel recently and as a sixty one year old lifelong learner, I’m bowled over by the clear way you express learning concepts. Currently using some of these to help improve my level of Spanish, but am tempted to try the piano soon too. Keep up the good work Joel.
I really appreciate you taking the time to comment, Michael - it helps with visibility for the video and this is one of my favorites even though it doesn't have as many views as some others. Hope you keep watching and reading!
Awesome video! Summarised almost every book I’ve ever read and hope I’ve remembered. Have saved this as a checklist to remind me. I wondered if you were going to include 4000 weeks and you didn’t disappoint 😁 haven’t heard of the last but keen to check it out 🌹🌹
amazing content mate, really clear and well presented!
I am happy that i found your channel. You have unique insights on things.
I'm happy you've found it too, Rohit. Glad it's helping!
The rate at which you create highly digestible and quality content is outstanding. I get so much from your videos and I truly appreciate it. I’ve got wayyy too many books to read now thanks to you haha.
Thanks, Zachary. I'll be honest, it's not easy, but it's definitely helpful to know that people are finding it valuable. Hope you keep watching!
Excellent as always, thank you.
Thanks for saying this!
clear, succint, full of value!
Thank you, Monika!
Thank you. This was superb.
Thanks Peter, very kind of you to say
this video is PACKED with good info! 👍
Thanks very much! It's one of my favourites.
Thanks for that compilation!
I'm not sure if I got Range after you recommended in an earlier video, but I agree that it's an amazing book. As is the "9 Out Of 10 Climbers..."
Are there other must-reads out of these 103 that you recommend? Maybe the ones in the description?
No problem! Awesome that you read 9 Out Of 10. I should post the full list somewhere (I actually counted), but apart from the ones in the description I REALLY recommend:
Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
The Organized Mind: The Science of Preventing Overload, Increasing Productivity and Restoring Your Focus by Daniel J. Levitin
Originals: How Non-conformists Change the World by
Adam Grant
The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh
...and Conflict Communication, which I've got another video about somewhere on the channel!
You didn’t make it clear why not to hit the like button, but I took your advice anyway (joke). Great video and I have made lots of notes. My favourite piece of advice from you “be intentional about how you spend your time“. That is my biggest thing I need to change.
It's something I'm always working on, too. Glad the video's helpful!
Fantastic thank you
perfect💘💘
it's very helpful joel
thank you
Love this!
Thanks Lotte!
Can't believe this doesn't have more likes. But then maybe people just followed your advice not to waste time 'liking' things on social media 😄
It's honestly one of the videos I'm most proud of, I spent a ton of time thinking about it. Oh well, maybe it'll catch on in a year or two...
Greetings. Is it in any way possible you could provide as with list of all the titles of the books? Thank you in advance.
All 103 of them? To be honest, I wouldn't recommend reading all of them - the ones I recommend most strongly are already in the video. Other must reads are below - but I might print the whole list if there's interest!
Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed
The Organized Mind: The Science of Preventing Overload, Increasing Productivity and Restoring Your Focus by Daniel J. Levitin
Originals: How Non-conformists Change the World by
Adam Grant
The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh
...and Conflict Communication, which I've got another video about somewhere on the channel!
Thank you for your answer and the recommendations I appreciate it. No I don't want you to sit and write the list. I asked if it was easily available in your archives.
There are only two books I recommend to mentees when I work with them.
1 - "Wanting" Luke Burgiss - this book helped me understand what I wanted from life, how to get it, and most importantly how to stop wanting stuff I didnt need. Amazing book. The scientific theory behind it also debunks things like Maslows hierarchy of need.
2 - "The Ego is the Enemy" Ryan Holiday - How to understand when your Ego is getting in the way, and helps you actually think more constructively about your motives for certain things.
Read the second but never heard of the first, I'll check it out - thanks!
Thank you! Enjoyed your video! Will look up Stoic! Life is short! Aussie Lady
I mean, did you actually read all 103 of those books the whole way through?
Yep. Took me about a decade, though.
Funny how apparantly these "103 self improvement" books prompt a story about goalsetting. What is any goal worth if there are no high virtues behind it. Attained goals without virtue are empty shells.
What would you suggest as an example of high virtue?
So, why don’t you compile everything that works into one book - and we can all avoid a lot of wasted time and money. Cheers!
Note: there will be a lot of “copycat” writers who will have to find (yet) another side hustle. ;-)