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Friday, February 15
📝 Starting next week I'll be trying something new. Taking a page out of my favorite newsletter - Leanluxe - I'll be discussing one big topic as well as sharing several other must-reads from the week. In that way, I hope this will continue to grow as a resource for you to learn something new every week while also keeping up with macro trends.

The Biggest Wastes of Time We Eventually Regret
One recurring theme of this newsletter is the subject of life.

How to live a good life. How to get the most out of life. 

We only have one after all.

You've most likely heard of many people's biggest regrets before they die:

- Spend more time with family
- Live your own life
- Let yourself be happier
- Have the courage to express your feelings
- Keep in touch with friends
- Don't work as hard

But two recent articles from The Atlantic and Lifehacker led me down a rabbit hole of research around what people feel they wasted time on throughout their lives.

I found these fascinating because they focused on our current behavior, not the hypothetical. 

1. Not fully disconnecting from work

Lots of us have careers and many of us work hard. That's not a bad thing. In fact, a long and prosperous career can lead to happiness in many regards. But there's a difference between working hard and neglecting your personal life (family, friends, play). 

In his book, Essentialism, Greg McKeown discusses the importance of giving your whole self to everything you do. When it's time to work, work hard. But when it's time for you to focus on your personal life, go all in.

Live in the now.

2. Not focusing on your strengths


As humans living in a world where everything is connected and we're "on" nearly 24/7, it can be easy to compare yourself to others. Doing so tends to make you dwell on the things you don't have, rather than focusing on your strengths.

Depression and loneliness from social media are real.

Remember that no matter how successful or confident someone appears to be on the outside, they all have their internal moments of self-doubt. They've just honed the ability to ignore the voices in their head better than others.

Find the unique value that you bring to the world and double down on that strength.

3. Not recognizing the Sunk Cost Fallacy

The sunk cost effect is the general tendency for people to continue an endeavor, or continue consuming or pursuing an option, if they’ve invested time or money or resources into it.

Toxic relationships are a perfect example of this effect in many people's lives. They stay in a relationship because they feel like they've "gone too far to turn back now" or the person "knows them too well." When in reality getting out of the relationship as soon as possible would be a much healthier solution long-term.

Look for the sunk cost fallacy in all aspects of your life - investments, dining, exercise, travel, work. Just because you've invested in something or because you own it, doesn't mean you should continue to care for it.

Until next Friday, Thinkers.

🤙 Brian

@brian_g_peters

P.S. This NYT "Obituary for My 20s" is funny and fairly spot on. A solid light read for your Friday, especially if you're turning the corner as I recently did.
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