Hi Everyone,

Happy Friday! Thanks for spending part of it reading The Lake Street Journal.

26 Rules to Be a Better Thinker

Sometimes it seems like thinking is going out of style.

At a minimum, it's less common than it used to be. Between AI, GPS, and social media, a machine can give us an answer, a destination, or an opinion.

The problem is that outsourcing our thinking is like outsourcing our exercise. Someone else can do it for us, but we won't reap the benefits. To use a similar metaphor, our brain is a muscle. If we don't work it out, test it, and challenge it, it will shrink. It will become weak. It won't be worth the skull we use to carry it around.

The ability to think clearly—to accumulate wisdom and apply it to the real world—is one of the most valuable skills you can have. But it takes work. And it's perishable. And unless we're actively working to preserve it in the face of today's technology, it will disappear like a snowman on a sunny day.

Anyway, I'll step off my soap box. But if you agree, check out this article from Ryan Holiday. It's a great piece on how to improve your thinking.

The Super Bowl's Most Expensive Lesson

Related to the point above, it's hard to be a good thinker if you can't focus. I thought this article did a great job of using a current event to make an important point. From the piece:

"Once a year, most of us become remarkably intentional with our attention.

We minimize our distractions. We prep everything we’ll need to minimize extra trips away from the TV screen. We become glued to all the details of the event including the commercials, halftime shows, and the surrounding pageantry.

In other words, the Super Bowl doesn’t just capture attention, it commands it. Companies understand this better than anyone. That’s why they’re willing to spend roughly $8 million for 30 seconds of access to your focus.

Here’s the reminder I have every year following the Super Bowl: If your attention is worth millions to companies, why do you give it away so casually the rest of the year?"

I think it's a good reminder to audit where we're putting our focus and what we're allowing to consume our attention.

If you can't focus, you can't think. If you can't think, you can't make good decisions. If you can't make good decisions, you're in for a life of disappointment and discomfort.

Life is Short

This is one of those essays that's worth re-reading at least once a year. We all know life is short, but what should we do with that information?

Graham's suggestion is a good one: "Cultivate a habit of impatience about the things you most want to do. Don't wait before climbing that mountain or writing that book or visiting your mother. You don't need to be constantly reminding yourself why you shouldn't wait. Just don't wait."

If you like Tim Urban's The Tail End, you'll like this piece as well.

Workout of the Week

This is a fun workout you can do pretty much anywhere.

Tower of Terror

10 rounds for time:

• 10 alternating dumbbell snatches (35/20)

• 10 burpees

• 10 situps

My time best time is 16:14. Let me know how you do.

Quote of the Week

“Far too many good brains have been afflicted by the pointless enthusiasm for useless knowledge.” - Seneca

Have a question or a comment? Respond to this email.

Talk soon,

Joe