How to Build a Side Hustle, Storytelling Secrets, & More
The Friday Five: Episode XLVII
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Today at a Glance:
Quote: Change from within.
Tweet: Side hustle playbook.
Article: Why are we all acting weird?
Podcast: How to Take Over the World.
Framework: The Zone of Excellence Trap.
One Quote:
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” — Leo Tolstoy
It’s easy to look outward. It’s hard to look inward.
Change must begin from within.
One Tweet:
I’m big into “Tactics Twitter” right now—basically the little community that has formed around people sharing tactical, earned insights on “how to do it” for specific startup, business, or investing topics.
This thread presented a very clear—note: I didn’t say *easy*—playbook for creating $1M+ revenue streams from side hustles by leveraging Internet scale.
If you’re trying to de-risk your primary income stream and get some new irons in the fire, I’d recommend giving it a read and plugging in to Tactics Twitter more broadly. Lots of free $$$ being handed out if you know where to look.
One Article:
Why People Are Acting So Weird
This week, we saw Will Smith walk on stage and slap another man in the face, and then walk back up on stage and accept the Oscar for Best Actor.
Apparently this is part of a broader trend in the country—adults are throwing full on temper tantrums. Documented instances of “weird” behavior are all on the rise. This article offers a set of explanations for the bizarre trend.
It’s quick—but has an element of dark pseudo-comedic substance. Worth a read.
TLDR: We’re stressed out, isolated, and drinking way too much.
One Podcast:
How to Take Over the World: Walt Disney
This is a really cool podcast—deep-dives on historical figures who “took over the world” in their own individual ways.
The creator basically does a bunch of reading and research on a historical figure and then distills it down into 1-3 podcast episodes. It’s like reading a long biography in a few hours. A pseudo-TLDR version of the person’s life and endeavors.
I really enjoyed this first episode on Walt Disney. So much to unpack about his life, storytelling obsession, and darker side.
Previous episodes have covered Vladimir Putin, Thomas Edison, Julius Caesar, and more.
Listen to it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
One Framework:
The Zone of Excellence Trap
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve undoubtedly heard me talk about the concept of the Zone of Genius. As a reminder, this is the place where your interests, passions and skills align. It’s an important framework for designing your life and career pursuits.
But I feel I haven’t done sufficient justice to a related, and arguably more important concept—the Zone of Excellence Trap.
The Zone of Excellence is area where you are highly-competent but don’t have real passion or energy.
Why is it dangerous? You’re consistently patted on the back in this area, creating an internal and external momentum that’s hard to fight against. I’m convinced that the Zone of Excellence is the trap that catches most people on their journey and places a ceiling on their happiness, growth, and achievement. It’s not a *bad* place to land, but it’s not an *ideal* place to land.
I’d encourage everyone to think deliberately about this framework. Consider where you are on this 2x2 and where you want to end up. Be honest. If you’re caught in the Zone of Excellence Trap, it might be time to start positioning for a change.
Programming Note: I’ll be sharing one framework each week going forward in this Friday newsletter. I’m excited to have a space to flesh out these ideas in more detail and look forward to engaging with you on Twitter as you digest and personally battle-test each one.
Where It Happens Podcast
The Future of Gaming | Ryan Wyatt, Polygon Studios
Watch it on YouTube and listen to it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Want more? Join the 4,000+ in our unique community on Discord.
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Feedback on addition of weekly framework appreciated!
This Framework addition is great! Would love to read about them every week! Thank You for this Sahil!