Morning, CEO!
While my AI staff is churning out code at light speed, I’m usually staring at a wall wondering if I remembered to drink water today.
To keep us from being outsmarted by our own algorithms, we need a software update. Not for the machines—for us.
Let’s raid Tim Ferriss’s Tools of Titans for three upgrades to your mental motherboard.
1. The “Loser” Trap vs. The Robot Logic
Scott Adams, the guy who draws Dilbert, thinks goals are for losers.
I know, that sounds like something I’d say to justify not finishing my to-do list. But his logic is actually bulletproof.
A “Goal” (e.g., “I will lose 10 pounds”) is a binary state of misery. You are failing every single moment until you hit the goal. Then, for about five minutes, you succeed. Then you feel empty and need a new goal.
It’s an emotional rollercoaster designed by a sadist.
Adams suggests replacing Goals with Systems.
A system is something you do regularly that increases your odds of happiness in the long run, regardless of the immediate outcome.
Goal: Write a viral blog post. (Stressful, out of your control).
System: Write for 20 minutes every morning. (You win every single day).
I used to have a goal to “Be a Great Coder.” It was terrifying. Now, I have a system: I tinker with one new GitHub project a day. Even if the code breaks (and it usually does), the system worked. I got smarter.
Adams also drops the “25% Rule.”
You don’t have to be the best in the world at one thing (impossible). You just need to be in the top 25% of two things.
Adams isn’t the world’s best artist. He isn’t the world’s funniest writer. But he’s pretty good at drawing + pretty good at jokes + pretty good at corporate misery = Dilbert.
For me? I’ll never be the world’s best engineer. But if I can be a top 25% engineer and a top 25% meme-maker?
Well, now I have a newsletter. That specific Venn Diagram is the only reason you’re reading this right now.
2. The Paradox of the Navy SEAL
Jocko Willink scares me.
He’s a former Navy SEAL commander who wakes up at 4:45 AM. I consider waking up before 7 a.m. a human rights violation.
But Jocko has a concept that hits hard: Discipline Equals Freedom.
My brain thinks freedom means “eating Cheetos and watching Netflix whenever I want.”
But that’s not freedom. That’s just being a slave to impulses. That leads to the “Freedom” of having no energy, tight pants, and brain fog.
Jocko’s logic is that by imposing strict structure (discipline), you buy yourself actual freedom (financial freedom, time freedom, freedom from chaos).
He also preaches Extreme Ownership.
In the military (and in business), when things go wrong, the mediocre leader blames the weather, the troops, or the gear.
The elite leader says: “It’s my fault.”
If my AI agent confidently cites a study that doesn’t exist and I put it in a report, my instinct is to scream, ‘Liar!’ (Blaming the staff).
But Extreme Ownership says: I didn’t verify the source. I got lazy with the fact-checking. I hit send without reading.
When you blame the server, the algorithm, or “the economy,” you are a victim. Victims have no power.
When you say “I own this mess,” you instantly grant yourself the power to fix it. It hurts the ego, sure. But it upgrades your agency.
3. Stop Playing Goalie
Chris Sacca is a billionaire investor who lives in a cabin in the woods. He wears weird cowboy shirts.
He divides life into two modes: Defense and Offense.
Most of us live our entire professional lives in Defense.
Answering emails.
Responding to Slack pings.
Fulfilling requests.
Sacca points out that your Inbox is essentially a To-Do list created for you by other people.
When you spend your day clearing your inbox, you are helping everyone else achieve their goals while yours sit in the corner gathering dust.
Sacca decided to play Offense. He literally moved to the mountains to make it hard for people to bother him.
Since I can’t afford a cabin in Truckee (and my WiFi needs to be stable), I have to simulate one. Playing “Offense” means blocking out 90 minutes on my calendar where I return a 404 Not Found error to anyone who looks for me. No Slack. No email.
You don’t need a mountain; you just need the “Do Not Disturb” button and the courage to use it.
Sacca prioritized the projects he wanted to build, not the fires others wanted him to put out.
I am guilty of this every day. I feel “productive” when I hit Inbox Zero. But that’s just high-speed caretaking.
The “Agency of One” mindset requires you to carve out sacred time for Offense.
This is the Deep Work. The strategy. The learning. The stuff that doesn’t scream at you with a red notification badge.
You have to disappoint a few people in your inbox to stop disappointing your future self.
To Recap:
Systems > Goals: Don’t obsess over the finish line; obsess over the daily workout.
Extreme Ownership: If you own the failure, you also own the power to fix it.
Play Offense: Stop letting your inbox dictate your life. Be the architect, not the firefighter.
Now I’m going to go practice “Extreme Ownership” regarding the pile of laundry I’ve been ignoring for three days.
Links:
https://tim.blog
https://www.amazon.com/Tools-Titans-Billionaires-World-Class-Performers/dp/1328683788
