Six-Week Horizons & Compounding Decisions

`0:41:56`

They're like, "You seem to have something good going right now. What does success look like — Oh. — five years from now?" So, you hate the question I'm going to ask you. — Yeah. — I'm going to ask what your answer is, and I'm going to tell you what my answer to that question is. — "I don't know" is the answer. I don't care. — So what? — So what? I don't even know five years from now. What's the difference? It's an interesting question because it's a directional question, but I don't care. I don't have an answer. My answer is boring. "Just more of this." — Yeah, sure. Well, exactly. — I think there's... — And that's essentially what it is. — So, here's the thing about those questions. People answer those questions today for who they think they're going to be then. You don't know who you're going to be then. So, it's kind of a silly thing to answer or even to ponder.

`0:42:43`

So, yeah, I'm with you, which is like this. — I feel... — This is the answer, basically. — I've read all your books. I've listened to almost all your episodes. We've shared a bunch of meals together. — Yeah. — And I never even knew that you just did the day thing, too, because I was like, I try to make a good 24 hours, and then I'm like, "Oh, I like this day. — Yeah — So, I'll do it again tomorrow." — Yeah. — And I had this line that I just said by accident. I was like, "Well, all a great life is is just a string of great days." — Thank you. Of course — So, all I need to focus on is just, let me make a great day. And I told you last night, the way I think about, very similar to what you're doing or what I'm doing, is I'm just laying bricks. — That's it. — And today, I'm making a podcast, and tomorrow I'll make another one, and a few days later I'll make another one and then I'll let the score take care of itself because I just like doing this, and I do it the way I want to do it,

`0:43:30`

— Yes. — and I want to make a great product. — Yes. — And so my answer to that question is just like "This." — "This." — Like, five years from now, I just want to be making more podcasts. I know I'm going to be — Yes. — reading books forever. — Yeah. — That's the only unbroken habit I've ever had in my entire life, over 30-something years. I can't stop reading, so I'm going to be reading books. — So that's what my other podcast is about — Yeah. — and I like talking to smart, interesting people that do great shit. — Yeah. — And I don't think I'm ever going to stop doing that, so that's what this is. — Yeah, great answer. And if one day you decide you don't want to do this anymore, then you just change. — That's where me and you start to separate a little bit. — I don't know, I said, "if." There might be a time. — And I'll jump off a cliff. I'd be very disappointed. — Maybe that would be the thing, you start doing, is jumping off cliffs. I don't know. Well, with parachutes, hopefully. But, I mean... — I'd be very disappointed in myself. You might find another interest in your life. Something Jeff Bezos told me, which I've always kept close at heart

`0:44:18`

because I've examined the things I've come into enjoying doing. He says, "You don't find your passions, they find you." And I've always believed that. And I didn't know that, but I've always believed it, but I didn't really know that I believed it. When he said it, I'm like, "Yeah, I have always felt that way," because I'm into things now that I wasn't into 10 years ago, that I didn't know about 10 years ago. And so, I'm hopeful for you, that there's other things, too, even though you can do this, too. But who knows? I think there's another beauty in just being empty and open to the world and how it presents itself to you. And you might find that you love this, and you love something else, and there might come a time where you don't like this anymore, and that's okay. It's okay. I can tell you don't believe me.

`0:45:05`

— No, it's not that I don't believe you. — Maybe we do this until 80, right? — Hopefully. — And I hope you do, too, because you're damn good at it, right? But who knows? And it's okay. It's okay. This is why the whole idea of a five-year plan, it's kind of a ridiculous thing. How about just get tomorrow right? Get tomorrow right, and by the way, if tomorrow wasn't right, this is the thing. I think this gets back to, in some ways, tying it back to the thinness, and you want to find tiny units, find small units. So, a day is a good small unit, right? A simple decision is a good small unit. And the good thing about that is, if you screw up, it's not a big deal. If tomorrow sucks because whatever happened, okay, it's behind you in 24 hours. It's over. Versus big, huge decisions, where you take eight months to think about it