How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life is a 2013 nonfiction book by Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert. Adams shares many of the techniques and theories from his life which he believes can drive anyone to success.
Be a creator in the morning and copier in the afternoon.
Mindless tasks go later in the day. Do the single biggest thing with the most impact first thing in the morning.
Interesting Read: Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod, When by Daniel Pink
Don’t expect people to be reasonable.
You’re setting yourself up for a life of frustration and confusion if you believe people use reason for their important decisions. Never assume people are mostly rational because they are not.
You can be selfish.
You can spend time on your fitness, diet, career and still spend quality time with your family and friends. Think of it this way, you can’t eb generous to others if you’re not in a good place. Once your needs are met, you can focus on the needs of others.
Adults are starving for praise.
Children are accustomed to a continual stream of both criticism and praise, but adults can go weeks without a compliment while enduring criticisms both at work and home. When something impresses you, voice your praise and respect to humanity.
Interesting Read: 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
The truth is not always in the news.
Don’t read news for the truth. Instead read it to broaden your exposure to new topics and patterns.
Fake it till you make it.
What we think influences what we do. But what’s also true is what we do also influences what we think. If you’re having a crappy day, find a reason to smile. It will make your day better.
Changing your mind is not a sign of weakness.
It is in fact one of the best life skills you can ever develop. You shouldn’t hesitate to modify your perceptions to whatever makes you happy.
Interesting Read: 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Edward Burger
Use systems over goals.
If you’re doing something everyday, it’s a system.
If you’re waiting to achieve it some day in the future, it’s a goal.
In this context, eating right and exercising regularly is a system. Losing twenty pounds is a goal. Same way in business, being a serial entrepreneur is a system. Making a million dollars is a goal.
Goals can backfire because if your goal is to lose twenty pounds, you’ll constantly think you’re falling short until you reach it. On the other hand, systems focus on building a habit that adapts and evolves over time. Put it another way, they increase your odds of success and reduce overreaching.
Interesting Read: Atomic Habits by James Clear
Learn psychology.
On a scale of one to ten, the importance of psychology is a solid ten.
Interesting Read: Influence by Robert Cialdini
Calibrate your self-perception.
Realistically, most people have poor filters for sorting truth from fiction, and there’s no objective way to know if you’re particularly good at it or not. Consider people who routinely disagree with you. See how confident they look while being dead wrong? That’s exactly how you look to them.