Intrenion

Books as Frameworks: Mixed Advice

Table of Contents

• Not Taught (Jim Keenan)
• Principles (Ray Dalio)
• Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise (David Niven)
• The Almanack of Naval Ravikant (Eric Jorgenson)
• The Diary of a CEO (Steven Bartlett)
• Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill)

Not Taught (Jim Keenan)

1. Reach
2. Brand You
3. Create Content
4. Change
5. Have the Balls to Make It Happen
6. Think
7. Learn How to Sell
8. Screw Your Degree
9. Experience versus Expertise
10. Time versus Results
11. Don’t Be Boring
12. Have Fun. Be Happy
13. Deliberate Learning
14. Bonus Skill: Be the Best You Can Be
15. WTF, Now What?

Principles (Ray Dalio)

Life Principles

1. Embrace Reality and Deal with It
2. Use the 5-Step Process to Get What You Want Out of Life
3. Be Radically Open-Minded
4. Understand That People Are Wired Very Differently
5. Learn How to Make Decisions Effectively

Work Principles

To Get the Culture Right

1. Trust In Radical Truth and Radical Transparency
2. Cultivate Meaningful Work and Meaningful Relationships
3. Create a Culture In Which It Is Okay to Make Mistakes and Unacceptable Not to Learn from Them
4. Get and Stay In Sync
5. Believability Weight Your Decision Making
6. Recognize How to Get Beyond Disagreements

To Get the People Right

1. Remember That the WHO Is More Important than the WHAT
2. Hire Right, Because the Penalties for Hiring Wrong Are Huge
3. Constantly Train, Test, Evaluate, and Sort People

To Build and Evolve Your Machine

1. Manage as Someone Operating a Machine to Achieve a Goal
2. Perceive and Don’t Tolerate Problems
3. Diagnose Problems to Get at Their Root Causes
4. Design Improvements to Your Machine to Get Around Your Problems
5. Do What You Set Out to Do
6. Use Tools and Protocols to Shape How Work Is Done
7. And for Heaven’s Sake, Don’t Overlook Governance!

Simple Secrets for Becoming Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise (David Niven)

January

1. Motivation Beats Everything
2. Be Happy to Succeed
3. Give Yourself Time
4. Creativity Comes from Within
5. The Mundane Is Heroic
6. Never Give Up
7. See Possibilities Where Others See Obstacles
8. The Quest for a Perfect Body Is Doomed
9. Don’t Let Your First Idea Be Your Only Idea
10. What You Do Matters
11. There Are Second Chances
12. Wonder
13. Volunteer for Yourself
14. Use a Plan, Not a Piecemeal Approach
15. You Have Nothing to Envy in Your Partner
16. Resist the Urge to Be Average
17. Too Much of a Good Thing Is Too Much
18. It’s Never Just One Thing
19. Change Is Possible, Not Easy
20. Know Your Health
21. It’s Not How Hard You Try
22. You Can’t Force Yourself to Like Broccoli
23. The Past Is Not the Future
24. Competence Starts with Feeling Competent
25. We’re Too Good at Imagining the Worst-Case Scenario
26. Set Rules for Conflict in Your Relationship
27. Give Yourself the Best Chance to Eat Well
28. You Are Never Too Old to Improve Your Habits
29. A Victory at All Costs Is Not a Victory
30. You Have to Have Art
31. Accomplish Something Every Day

February

1. You Must Approve of Yourself
2. Healthy Living Is an Attitude
3. Write Down the Directions
4. It’s the Little Things That Matter the Most
5. Couch Time Affects Body and Mind
6. Winners Are Made, Not Born
7. See the Love Around You
8. The Cold Doesn’t Give You a Cold
9. Anticipate Irrationality
10. Attitude Triumphs over Outcome
11. The Best Defense Is to Listen
12. Always Being Right Is Wrong for Your Health
13. How We See the World Is More Important Than How the World Is
14. Express Your Love
15. Eat Your Spinach
16. Don’t Be Bound by Tradition
17. Seek Input from Your Opposites
18. Avoid Tanning Beds
19. Know What Makes You Happy and What Makes You Sad
20. Wipe, Don’t Blow
21. Do Things in Order
22. Avoid Internet Takeover
23. You Can Worry Your Health Away
24. Seek Harmony in Your Life
25. Take Small Victories
26. There’s Never Been a Better Time

March

1. Think in Concrete Terms
2. Slow Music for Dinner
3. A Relationship Requires Two Equals
4. Cleaning Isn’t Clean
5. Get Experience Any Way You Can
6. Cultivate a Common Interest
7. Health Is Mental and Physical
8. Embrace Challenges
9. Look Up, Literally
10. Tell Your Family Story
11. Self-Motivation Works Once
12. There Are No Mind Readers
13. Do What You Say You Are Going to Do
14. Put Stuff in Its Place
15. History Isn’t Everything
16. There’s No Point to Putting on a Show
17. Speak Slowly
18. Pursue What You Need Forever, Not What You Want Today
19. Don’t Buy the Fountain of Youth
20. Make Your Mark on the Next Generation
21. Do One Thing at a Time
22. Remember Who You Are and Where You Are
23. Relationships Are Not Random
24. Emergencies Can’t Wait
25. Treat the Disease, Not the Symptom
26. Help the Next Person Who Needs Some Minor Assistance
27. Negotiate with Confidence, or Don’t
28. Your Surroundings Will Affect Your Health

April

1. Overcome the Culture of Failure
2. Play the Odds
3. Decide Whether You Want to Win or Be Happy
4. Travel the Stable Road
5. Mold Is Everywhere - Relax
6. The Most Time Is Not the Best Time
7. The Past Is Not the Future
8. Look on the Bright Side
9. Avoid Generational Competition
10. Drink Less
11. Try Something New
12. Remember the Task, Forget the Rankings
13. Find a Community That Fits Your Family
14. Turn Off the TV
15. Honor Your Spiritual Beliefs
16. Drink Grape Juice
17. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
18. Drive Safely When It’s Safe
19. Seek a Tall Plateau, Not the Peak
20. A Sense of Humor Helps
21. Avoid the Second-Guess Paralysis
22. Eat Less, but Eat Often
23. See Around Career Roadblocks
24. Be Engaged to Reality
25. You Don’t Have to Get Straight A’s Anymore
26. Write Down Your Thoughts
27. Fitness Is Free
28. There’s No Need to Hurry
29. Notice Patterns

May

1. Get Out of the Car
2. It’s Always a Choice
3. It’s Less What Happened Than What Happened Next
4. Forgiveness Helps You Heal
5. There Is Plenty of Time
6. Do Not Go to War with Bacteria
7. Be Open
8. Home Means More Than Work to Your Health
9. Balance Depends on Which Way You Lean
10. Buy Fun, Not Stuff
11. Happy Looks for Happy
12. Ask Whether a Medicine Is Right for You
13. Beware of Fairy Tales
14. Lessons Can’t Threaten
15. Stay in Control
16. Use the Stairs
17. The Future Matters More Than the Past
18. Listen to Your Favorite Music
19. Separate Hype from Substance
20. It Starts and Ends with You
21. See the Big Picture
22. Make Your Work a Calling
23. Stretch
24. You Need to Know More Than Just How Talented You Are
25. Ask Where Your Water Comes From
26. You Don’t Have to See Eye to Eye on Everything
27. Have a Tomato Any Way You Like
28. Volunteer to Achieve
29. It Doesn’t Matter Who Earns the Money

June

1. Self-Protection Prevents Self-Reflection
2. Ambivalence Is a Negative
3. Let Your Stress Out
4. Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day (but How Exactly?)
5. There’s No Better Time to Be Sick
6. A Relationship Starts with Yourself
7. Breathe Right
8. Use Your Own Self-Interest
9. Doing Nothing Is Rarely a Solution
10. Accept Yourself - Unconditionally
11. Second-Hand Smoke Is Optional
12. Listening Is More Than Not Talking
13. You’ll Get Knocked Down and Then Get Back Up
14. Keep Your Fears in Line
15. Television and Eating Should Not Go Together
16. Think of Your Own Ideal
17. Communicate on Your Listeners’ Terms
18. Talk to Your Pharmacist
19. Let Go of the Burden of Pain
20. Boredom Is the Enemy
21. Share Housework
22. Role Models Are Not One Size Fits All
23. The Mirror Will Be Kinder
24. Common Chores Can Be Dangerous
25. Foundations Are Created in the Beginning
26. Get Away from It All
27. Study Your Sports Drink
28. Make Change Count

July

1. The Best Life Needs No Trophy
2. Control Your Health
3. Transitions Can Be Both Happy and Sad
4. Stay Safe in the Sun
5. Leadership Is Contagious
6. Don’t Romanticize the Past
7. Laughter Really Is Medicine
8. View Your Life As a Choice
9. Life Is Not a Zero-Sum Game
10. Don’t Confuse Stuff with Success
11. Respond to Stress
12. Have an Orange
13. Share the Praise and Share in the Blame
14. Embrace Work - It May Have to Last Forever
15. Don’t Gamble Your Future
16. Combinations Matter
17. Resolve to Pursue Resolution
18. Limit Your Exposure to Pesticides
19. Even in a Relationship, You Are Still an Individual
20. Want Support? Deserve It
21. Make “Should” and “Want” the Same Thing
22. The Fun Is Not Over
23. Build Your Energy Level Gradually
24. Meaningful Commitment Is Mutual Commitment
25. You Will Give Up Faster If You’re Not in Control
26. Anything Beats Boredom
27. Most People Are Sensitive to Whitening Teeth
28. Like the Way You Look
29. Remember, Ginkgo Biloba Won’t Help You Remember
30. Develop a Healthy Calm
31. Learn from Losses

August

1. See the Beauty Around You
2. Whet Your Appetite for Success
3. Write Through Pain
4. To Find a Better Way, Look Where You’ve Been
5. Tell Clean Jokes
6. Turn Off the TV
7. Don’t Bring Your Job Home with You
8. Practice Maintenance for Life
9. Don’t Pack Like a Mule
10. Look for Value
11. Never Trade Your Morals for Your Goals
12. Don’t Let Irritation Be Louder Than Joy
13. Sleep Well
14. Recognize the Value of Shared Values
15. Get Your Motivation Where You Can Find It
16. Have Some Tea with Your Remodeling
17. We Assume Similar Preferences
18. Memories Are Not Lost
19. Nobody Wins Without a Loser
20. If You’re Not Sure, Guess Positively
21. Understand What You’re Looking For
22. See Your Goals
23. Short-Term Stress Is Healthy
24. Prepare for Milestones
25. Your Health Isn’t Just About You
26. Don’t Want Everything
27. Rest Up - This Is Going to Take Some Effort
28. Your Lives Must Fit Together
29. Find a Physician You Like
30. Don’t Let Secrets Eat You Up
31. Remember the Difference Between You and Everybody Else

September

1. Be an Expert
2. Root for the Home Team
3. The Future Can Be Brighter Than the Past
4. Religion Can Help Ease Your Burden
5. Regrets Hold Us Back
6. Your Teeth Are More Than Something to Chew On
7. Define What You Need
8. You Can’t Be Persistent Without Perspective
9. You’ll Need Some Relationship Friends
10. Your Goals Are a Living Thing
11. Limit Yourself to Thinking About One Subject As You Go to Sleep
12. Express Yourself in What You Do
13. Hostility Hurts You
14. Changing Jobs Doesn’t Change You
15. Share What You Know
16. Home Is Where Accidents Happen
17. Take Off Your Blinders
18. Smell Healthy
19. Music Can Bring Us Together
20. You Are Not in This Alone
21. Value the Multiple Uses of Aspirin
22. Make Your Decisions for Positive Reasons
23. Think About Who You Ought to Be
24. Noise Matters
25. Work on Your Own Terms
26. Never Let Faults Stand for the Whole
27. Care

October

1. If You Don’t Believe, No One Else Will
2. Don’t Let Negativity Build
3. See a New Way
4. Remember the Drugs We Tend to Forget
5. The Pieces of Your Life Must Fit Together
6. You’ll Work Harder If You Feel Wanted
7. Do You Work in a Sick Building?
8. Show You Care, Even When It’s Hard To
9. Electric Brushing Is Easier, But Not Much Different
10. Avoid Roller-Coaster Emotions
11. We Are All Much More Alike Than Different
12. Value Practical Knowledge
13. Guilt Is Bad for You
14. The Relationship Test: Are You Lonely?
15. Be Careful with Botox
16. Limit Your Interest in the Past
17. Don’t Talk to Yourself
18. Money Can’t Buy Happiness
19. Pay Attention to Your Dreams
20. Choose Not to Worry
21. A Relationship Is Built on a Foundation of Support
22. Limit Your Piercings
23. Seek Coherence and Congruence
24. Where You Live Matters
25. Don’t Let Others Set Your Goals
26. See the Risk in Doing Nothing
27. Your History Strengthens Your Future
28. We Look Inward to See How People Feel About Us
29. Keep Variety in Mind When Exercising
30. Get Your Reality from Reality
31. It Will Get Worse Before It Gets Better

November

1. Vote
2. Connect, See You’re Capable, and Know You Count
3. You Need to Know What You Are Looking For
4. The Most Treatment Is Not the Best Treatment
5. Life Gets Easier
6. Avoid the Comparison Game
7. Cherish Animals
8. The Benefits of Alcohol Must Be Weighed Against the Risks
9. Own What You Do
10. Beware of Second Opinions
11. Be Realistic About Yourself
12. Adjustments Never End
13. Recognize the Difference Between Caution and Fear
14. You’ll Forget the Disagreement but Remember the Disagreeing
15. Don’t Forget Packaging
16. Vitamin Levels Do Not Have to Be Constant
17. Learn to Lead Yourself
18. Don’t Let the Holidays Ruin Your Health
19. Always Think About What’s Next
20. You Are Never Too Old to Find Love
21. Stretch Out and Fly Right
22. Foundations Shift, but Life Stands
23. Closeness Cannot Be Measured on a Map
24. Believe You Can
25. Hug for Health
26. Exercise for Your Mind
27. You Are Complete by Yourself
28. Be Honest for Your Future
29. Find Your Own Path
30. Why Not Be Optimistic?

December

1. Your Life Has Purpose and Meaning
2. Can I Do It? Ask Yourself
3. Pets Are Healthy
4. Have Faith, but Don’t Forget Reality
5. Be Careful What You Ask For
6. Take Action
7. Health Is About Life
8. The Search for Perfection Is Endless
9. Win Your Own Respect First
10. Think As If Others Can Read Your Mind
11. Don’t Drown Yourself in Water
12. Relationships Are Like Modern Art
13. Keep Your Goals Where You Can See Them
14. Make Health a Convenience
15. Don’t Settle
16. People Who Have It Right Work Harder to Make It Better
17. What Is the Point?
18. It’s Not Easy, Even If It Looks It
19. Hope Springs Internal
20. Completely Healthy Is Rare
21. We Seek Warmth
22. Don’t Run in the Wrong Direction Just Because You’re Near the Finish Line
23. Do It Now
24. Happiness Is Not an Accident
25. Master Your Fears
26. Nice People Don’t Finish Last
27. Your Goals Must Engage All of You
28. See the Horizon, and Watch Your Step
29. Follow Through for You
30. Only You Can Say If This Is a World You Can Succeed In
31. There’s No Deadline for Your Dreams

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant (Eric Jorgenson)

Wealth

Building Wealth

1. Understand How Wealth Is Created
2. Find and Build Specific Knowledge
3. Play Long-Term Games with Long-Term People
4. Take on Accountability
5. Build or Buy Equity in a Business
6. Find a Position of Leverage
7. Get Paid for Your Judgment
8. Prioritize and Focus
9. Find Work That Feels Like Play
10. How to Get Lucky
11. Be Patient

Building Judgment

1. Judgment
2. How to Think Clearly
3. Shed Your Identity to See Reality
4. Learn the Skills of Decision-Making
5. Collect Mental Models
6. Learn to Love to Read

Happiness

Learning Happiness

1. Happiness Is Learned
2. Happiness Is a Choice
3. Happiness Requires Presence
4. Happiness Requires Peace
5. Every Desire Is a Chosen Unhappiness
6. Success Does Not Earn Happiness
7. Envy Is the Enemy of Happiness
8. Happiness Is Built by Habits
9. Find Happiness in Acceptance

Saving Yourself

1. Choosing to Be Yourself
2. Choosing to Care for Yourself
3. Meditation + Mental Strength
4. Choosing to Build Yourself
5. Choosing to Grow Yourself
6. Choosing to Free Yourself

Philosophy

1. The Meanings of Life
2. Live by Your Values
3. Rational Buddhism
4. The Present Is All We Have

The Diary of a CEO (Steven Bartlett)

The Self

1. Fill your five buckets in the right order
2. To master it, you must create an obligation to teach it
3. You must never disagree
4. You do not get to choose what you believe
5. You must lean in to bizarre behaviour
6. Ask, don’t tell - the question/behaviour effect
7. Never compromise your self-story
8. Never fight a bad habit
9. Always prioritise your first foundation

The Story

1. Useless absurdity will define you more than useful practicalities
2. Avoid wallpaper at all costs
3. You must piss people off
4. Shoot your psychological moonshots first
5. Friction can create value
6. The frame matters more than the picture
7. Use Goldilocks to your advantage
8. Let them try and they will buy
9. Fight for the first five seconds

The Philosophy

1. You must sweat the small stuff
2. A small miss now creates a big miss later
3. You must out-fail the competition
4. You must become a Plan-A thinker
5. Don’t be an ostrich
6. You must make pressure your privilege
7. The power of negative manifestation
8. Your skills are worthless, but your context is valuable
9. The discipline equation: death, time and discipline!

The Team

1. Ask who not how
2. Create a cult mentality
3. The three bars for building great teams
4. Leverage the power of progress
5. You must be an inconsistent leader
6. Learning never ends

Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill)

1. The Power of Thought
2. Desire: The Starting Point of All Achievement
3. Faith: Visualizing and Believing in the Attainment of Desire
4. Autosuggestion: The Medium for Influencing the Subconscious Mind
5. Specialized Knowledge: Personal Experiences or Observations
6. Imagination: The Workshop of the Mind
7. Organized Planning: The Crystallization of Desire Into Action
8. Decision: The Mastery of Procrastination
9. Persistence: The Sustained Effort Necessary to Induce Faith
10. Power of the Master Mind: The Driving Force
11. The Mystery of Sex Transmutation
12. The Subconscious Mind: The Connecting Link
13. The Brain: A Broadcasting and Receiving Station for Thought
14. The Sixth Sense: The Door to the Temple of Wisdom
15. How to Outwit the Six Ghosts of Fear (Clearing the Brain for Riches)
16. The Devil’s Workshop (The Seventh Basic Evil)