The narratives in our head

We all have a narrative in our heads about how things work, about how others think of us, about how things will turn out, about what is important to those around us.

These narratives go through reinforcement (both positive and negative) as per the real…

Efficiency

When it is just one person working on a project, that person can hold everything that needs to be done in their own head, and can simply execute. This lets the spend 100% of their time on actively furthering the project.

Giving a hundred percent

You often hear sports stars talk about giving a hundred percent in every training session and every time they go out on the field for a match, representing their team. This is seen as a pre-requisite for success in today’s world of sport.

Enthusiasm

When we’re young, our understanding of the world is limited. And we marvel at every new thing we discover about how the world works.

As we grow older, we begin to accumulate knowledge of how the world works. This knowledge need not be factually correct. It is just our mental model…

Sticking to the plan

We all operate with some semblance of a plan in our heads when we approach anything. Those that achieve outsized outcomes operate with a strong plan and a strong rigour in sticking to that plan.

Preparation

All through school, I knew there were classes and there were tests and exams. The classes were where we turned up to hear things for the first time, internalise and understand them, while tests and exams were where we went prepared to prove what we had understood.

Expertise

We, along with a vast majority of the animals, have an acute sense of our surroundings.

We can tell when someone else’s voice or their behaviour is off and end up inquiring if they’re feeling alright. We can tell if there’s an unexpected change in the quality of air, brightness of…

Conversations

Conversations with others offers us a different perspective on the topics that we are considering in our heads.

At the same time, they also offer us a spotlight on our own perspective and forces us to sometimes make a stronger case for the way we are thinking, or solidify what…

Knowing and Doing

Knowing is the easy part. Especially in the age of the Internet and smartphones. It has never been easier to access relevant knowledge quickly in the history of our species.

It is the doing that has been as difficult as it has always been.