February 7, 2024
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Serial Recall Effect, Company of Inspiration & More
At a glance
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Good Morning. Welcome to all the new readers of Faster Than Normal who have joined us since last week!
Here’s what we’ll cover today:
Mental Model: Serial Recall Effect.
Insight: Company of Inspiration.
Quote: Passion Fuels Greatness.
Question: A Day Worth Reliving.
Parable: Belling the Cat.
Cheers,
Alex
| Morning Brew
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| Mental Model
Serial Recall Effect
The tendency of a person to recall the first and last items in a series best, and the middle items worst.
Awareness of this can assist us when choosing how to present information or in how we remember past events and their relative importance.
| Insight
Surround yourself with people who inspire you.
Challenge: Write about someone who inspires you and the qualities you admire in them. Consider how you can incorporate those qualities into your own life.
Example: A friend who is always kind and compassionate, a coworker who is incredibly disciplined, or a family member who is resilient.
| Quote
Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc., on the significance of loving your work:
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."
| Question
If you had the opportunity to relive a single day from the past year, which day would it be and why? What does this choice reveal about what you cherish most?
A Parable I Enjoyed
Belling the Cat: Execution Is More Important than Ideas
The Story: A family of mice is living in fear of a cat that hunts them all day and night. Tired of fearing for their lives every second, they decide to try and think up a plan to help their situation. After some time, one of the younger mice comes up with a brilliant idea. The mouse suggests that they tie a bell around the cat's neck, so they can hear it approach and always be able to hide in time. All the mice agree, except one: the oldest, wisest mouse. The old mouse agrees that it's a good plan in theory, but asks "who will be the one to bell the cat?"
Have a wonderful Wednesday, all.
Until next time,
Alex
| P.S. — My Weekly Picks
Riding the Writing Wave by David Perell. “The ultimate test of how well you understand something is how clearly you can explain it in writing — clear writers are clear thinkers.” A brilliant exploration of the value of writing.
The CEO of No by Dan Shipper. As I get older, I realise more and more that being able to Say “No” is a superpower that we’re often not born with.
How To Speak So That People Want To Listen by Julian Treasure. One of the better public speaking resources I’ve come across. Learning to speak well is an evergreen skill.
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