Notes to the explorers

I find it incredibly fun to study people that inspire me. To dig through the internet to find tid bits of information that may be hard to uncover. I use these gems to learn and ultimately shape the way I think. There’s no operation manual on how to live life so we must all individually come up with our own. Here are some notes from my own operation manual.

When faced with a decision to do what is logically right vs what you feel is right - always choose to follow your feeling. The world is always changing and what is logical today may not be so tomorrow. Doing what feels right has scared me many times in life as the outcome is unclear and most likely would result in less success - however in practice it has yielded the opposite.

Life is short. Very short. Choose your path and give it everything. I call it "lean-forward energy"—what others might call being a "try-hard." But if you aren’t giving your maximum effort, why try at all? If people dislike you for your intensity, they aren't your people anyway. Live a life worth living for - so you can be of true service to others.

Failure is not an option - it’s guaranteed. So learn as much as you can from your failure with gratitude.

Inspiration and focus goes through waves. For me I can be highly focused and driven for years at a time, but also lose the focus and drive for years as well. When lost - do not worry because you are meant to be lost at that time. Keep searching and be patient. Learn as much as you can in those periods of being lost as it’s a rare time to expand your view and in the future your learnings will allow for more dots to be connected even if you don't see it yet.

Allow discussion and criticism of your ideas. Find people you can trust to give you honest criticism that comes from service rather than ego. A good critic will always allow for two-way back and forth conversation.

A good collaborator is someone with matching competence and drive.

Ideas are fragile. Give them time to grow and breathe.

Dogmas are dangerous. Everything in life is in a constant state of change. Allow for your ideas to adapt and change as well.

Truth is extremely rare and hard to uncover. Many people lie to themselves, are grounded in assumptions, and veil their thoughts out of fear. This is not evil, but it’s just part of human nature. Attempting to uncover truth is one of the most rewarding things a person can do.

You can just do things. Take action.

You are not the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. You are the sum of your actions. Eat well, workout, stretch, consume content that enriches you. Act with honor even when no one is watching. Stay in your lane and don’t waste time gossiping about others. Ascend. One small step at a time.

To make something palatable for the masses it has to be incredibly simple and easy to understand. Anything novel must be wrapped in the familiar. Conversely to get attention and target a smaller set of people - you can turn the ordinary and familiar into something novel.

The most beautiful design isn’t just highly aesthetic, but also highly functional. When aesthetics and function are interconnected it sings in harmony.

The best designers have eclectic interests. Design books are a waste of time. Consume, create, and invest your time in multiple disciplines.

More important than “taste” is good sensibilities and judgement.

Why so serious? Have fun.