Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.
Personal Mantras: Got one?
Merlin Mann | Jun 6 2005
Personal Mantras - 43FoldersWiki I’ve been digging the personal mantras that people have been adding to the wiki. It’s interesting to see the different approaches and interests people have been taking; for some it’s an affirmation, for others it’s a motto or creed, and for many it appears to be a persistent reminder about the right thing to do. My mantra—if you can call it that—is “Smaller, smaller.” It’s a principle more practical than spiritual, I suppose. I say it to myself several times a day to try and always remember that small things are easier to do than big things, and that most big things are really just a pile of small things if you break them up right. In real-world terms, “Smaller, smaller” means:
There’s been very few times that “Smaller, smaller” has done me wrong. No matter how ambitious a project, idea, or problem is, there’s usually a way to break into very small pieces. Anyhow, that’s mine. Got a personal mantra or motto of your own? Why’d you choose the one you did? (And, no, “I believe I’ll have another beer” probably doesn’t count.) 98 Comments
POSTED IN:
A few of mine: "What we...Submitted by Keith Handy (not verified) on June 7, 2005 - 4:57pm.
A few of mine: "What we criticize, we become." "Time enjoyed is never time wasted." "Use what you have while you have it." "Whose script are you running?" (I say this last one to myself when I find myself mentally fighting with people who aren't even present, and getting more and more angry and frustrated; it gets me off the negative feedback loop, and then I demand of myself that I think of the other person's good qualities. The implied answer is of course "my own".) "Don't do the whole thing; just do the first thing." (A good kickstart against procrastination -- usually the first thing leads to the whole thing anyway. But you don't tell your brain that.) I'm sure I have more somewhere in my head .... » POSTED IN:
|
|
EXPLORE 43Folders | THE GOOD STUFF |