“The breaking of a wave cannot explain the whole sea.” — Vladimir Nabokov
Life is a series of waves.
Sometimes just as you get up on a good one, you get blindsided by another that knocks you down.
But there are more coming.
So get ready to get back up.
Now, on to this week’s ideas…
1. HOW TO TELL IF YOU SLEPT WELL LAST NIGHT AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU DIDN’T
“The less you remember your dreams, the better you slept.”
It’s one thing to feel well-rested, but it’s another to actually sleep well.
In this post I explain how to tell if you slept well last night including a breakdown of how long it should take you to fall asleep, how many times a night you should wake up, and what your dreams can tell you about the quality of your sleep.
Plus, I share a sleep routine that’s proven to help 96% of people fall asleep in two minutes or less.
RELATED: Where to start when you want to optimize your health.
2. 13 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF THAT MAY CHANGE YOUR LIFE
“In every situation, to every invitation or request, to everyone who asks for ‘just a little’ of your time, ask yourself: What if I said no? If the answer is, ‘I’d be happier’ or ‘No one would care,’ then guess what? Say no!”
When was the last time you interviewed yourself?
Ryan Holiday suggests 13 questions to ask yourself daily including, “Is this getting me closer to my ideal life?,” “What am I working to get better at?,” and “Does anger make this better?”
Side note: Next week I’m sending For The Interested All Access members a helpful video about how to simplify your life. Become an All-Access member here if you’d like to receive it.
RELATED: Five questions to ask yourself when you start a project.
3. WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN ARTIST
“If someone doesn’t hate what you’re doing, you’re doing it wrong.”
So you say you want to be an artist…
This Bob Lefsetz take on what it means to be an artist is full of insightful observations about what it takes to make art and what comes with doing so.
He suggests an artist knows the difference between selling and creating, runs on emotion instead of intellect, and is constantly told how to do it by people who can’t do it.
RELATED: A manifesto for creative people.
4. FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BOSS
“Your boss is craving to know what you’re working on. We recently conducted a survey of 355 people and learned that the #1 piece of information that managers want to know is the progress that’s being made on a project.”
You hear people talk about the importance of “managing up” all the time, but what you actually need is to strengthen your relationship with your boss.
Claire Lew shares five ways to improve your relationship with your boss including to build trust through actions instead of words, get clear on expectations, and uncover your boss’s work preferences.
RELATED: Four ways to convince your boss to say yes.
5. THE FIVE QUALITIES SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE SHARE
“While DNA and luck certainly play a role, the truth is most of the qualities successful people share can be developed by anybody through hard work, dedication, and a willingness to pursue them.”
Over the course of three decades as a Hollywood talent manager, Brian Medavoy has seen plenty of people succeed at all sorts of different things.
In this post he breaks down the five qualities successful people share including an eagerness to help others, a desire to be strategic about everything, and an ability to manage information.
RELATED: Seven things successful people ignore.
NEW MUSIC FOR THE INTERESTED
I added six songs to the For The Interested playlist this week including the theme song from one of TV’s most underappreciated (and recently ended) shows, a classic 90’s alternative song about fruit, and a hip hop anthem about saving money instead of spending it.
Got a song to recommend for the playlist? Send it to me.
COMING NEXT WEEK TO ALL ACCESS MEMBERS…
Here’s a sneak peek at some ideas All Access members will get in next week’s newsletter:
• How to simplify your life
• How to think and talk about sales
• How to set up your iPhone like a minimalist
• How to use checklists to improve your work
• How to get media coverage for your creations
If you’d like me to send you these ideas, sign up here to become an ALL ACCESS member before next Sunday.
This newsletter is 100% reader supporter (no ads!), so it’s your support that keeps the ideas coming.
Thanks!
WHERE I FOUND THIS STUFF
I got some of this week’s ideas from Further, Ann Handley, Trevor McKendrick, and Paul Metcalfe — they’re awesome and worth checking out.