If you’re a creator, you’re a gambler.
But how much have you bet on yourself?
How many hours have you wagered?
How much money have you invested?
How much ego have you risked?
Big payoffs come from big bets.
Maybe it’s time to double down.
Now, on to this week’s ideas…
1. 40 One-Sentence Writing Tips
“The things you write will never be ‘done’ and once you realize that you’ll be able to publish them.”
Writing is foundational to success…even if you’re not a “writer.”
In this post I share 40 one-sentence writing tips to help you write everything from blog posts and books, to emails and sales proposals.
Related: 40 one-sentence social media tips.
2. Four Ways To Grow Your Membership After It Plateaus
“In that relaunch process our membership grew 50% in one month.”
This is a must-watch if you have a Patreon or any kind of membership or subscription offering to monetize your fanbase.
In a 13-minute video Patreon founder Jack Conte shares four ways to grow your membership after it plateaus based on research they did with creators on the platform who have successfully done just that.
The tips include to revamp your benefits, roll out a special offer, and create new ways to recognize patrons.
Related: How to increase your creative productivity.
3. How To Decline A Meeting
“Can you justify two hours in a needless meeting if your vital project gets eight hours in the whole week?”
Get ready to get some of your time back.
Duncan Jones breaks down how to decline a meeting and offers four templated responses you can use to politely bail on weekly status meetings, meetings with no agenda, brainstorming meetings, and more.
Btw, I found this link in Nir Eyal’s newsletter.
Related: How to use a “no” template to make it easier to say no.
4. How To Be The Kind Of Person Steve Jobs Defined As “Smart”
“You have to not have the same bag of experiences as everyone else does.”
What Steve Jobs looked for in people had nothing to do with raw intelligence — instead he believed smart people are able to see connections others can’t because they’ve experienced things others haven’t.
This 6-minute Art of Improvement video dives deeper into how to be the kind of person Steve Jobs defined as smart including the importance of being open to experiences and engaging with people who challenge your core assumptions.
Related: How Steve Jobs approached marketing.
5. How David Perell Produces His Podcast
“The same people who ignore an email about ‘picking their brain’ are delighted to explain their worldview to you with a microphone in front of them.”
Four years ago, David Perell launched a podcast with virtually no audience and has managed to attract a slew of big guests over the years ranging from Neil DeGrasse Tyson to Seth Godin.
In this post he breaks down exactly how he produces his podcast including how he books guests, preps for interviews, produces and distributes the show.
Related: Seven ways to find a life-changing podcast.
This Is How I Get Things Done Each Day
In a recent issue of my This Is How I Do It newsletter, I shared an in-depth breakdown of the simple productivity system I use each day to manage my To-Do list, focus on my most impactful and important work, and get things done.
That single issue is now available for $10 if you want to check it out.
You can get how I get things done each day here.
My take on how I get clients is also available.
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My Final Words Of The Week
I recently finished reading The Almanack of Naval Ravikant and highly recommend it.
It’s a curated compilation of Naval Ravikant’s perspective on wealth, happiness, business, and life in general — I found it equal parts inspiring and thought-provoking.
Here’s an excerpt I thought you might like:
“Your goal in life is to find the people, business, project, or art that needs you the most. There is something out there just for you. What you don’t want to do is build checklists and decision frameworks built on what other people are doing. You’re never going to be them. You’ll never be good at being somebody else.”
Have a great week.
Josh
PS — If you dig this newsletter, I’d love for you to share it with others who might enjoy it.
Thanks!