Reading Reflection 2
General theme of the book:
For this assignment, I read the book How
to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams, the
creator of the comic Dilbert (along with many other entrepreneurial ventures). Throughout
the book, he argues that creating a system for your life, rather than setting
goals, will increase your chances of success. Moreover, whatever system you
chose (his was to maximize personal energy – which totally resonates with me)
should help you overcome many (inevitable) failures on your path to success.
Connections with ENT3003
There were so many things that linked to what we are
learning in class. In one chapter, Adams explains how most huge successes (he
gives the example of cell phones) start out as small successes with many problems.
Over time, the kinks get worked out, while consumers are already using
the product. This sounds like the MVP (minimum viable product) framework to me!
Biggest “aha moment” from How to Fail at Almost
Everything and Still Win Big
The most prominent takeaway I got was to “maximize personal
energy, not number of tasks.” When I read that, a spark went off in my mind,
and I actually got up to grab a pen and underline the sentence. I am typically
a really energetic person, but especially this semester, I have been finding
myself drained from trying to get so much done in so little time. I am the
opposite of a procrastinator, and I often push off relaxation in order to “just
finish everything up” – even if I don’t have to right at that moment. Being a
student athlete in 18 credit hours and an internship, I’ve been struggling to
find balance these past several weeks.
I think reading this was exactly what I needed. It was a reminder to do things I enjoy, such as FaceTiming my sister, having a dance party, going on a brisk walk, baking some brownies, refreshes my mind and body. Then, I can be more productive at other (incremental) times, and still get everything I need to done AND have fun.
If I had to design an exercise based on the book…
I would create an activity that involved writing down everything
you do on a given day. Then, students would rate (on a scale of -10 to 10) how
much energy it drained from them or gave them, as well as the total number of
tasks. This would be a great exercise for realizing how to maximize personal energy!
After reading your blog post I did not realize how much time I put towards school and other school related work and I am pretty sure this is what is causing all my stress. But when I read the part about you taking a break to enjoy yourself and doing things you like, I realized I should do the same. By that, I mean just giving a day to myself so I can relax and take a mental break. But overall, I enjoyed reading your blog post and that is a very interesting book.
ReplyDeleteHey Leah,
ReplyDeleteIt seems like you have an incredibly busy schedule and the aha moment you had is what a lot of other students could use in their life as they also have so much to do in so little time. I'm glad that you took meaning from the books messages and remember that the little things in life are what make you happy and it seems like you already have some ideas on how to relax a little and enjoy yourself.
Hi Leah!
ReplyDeleteI chose the same book! I absolutely hated the book. To me he was constantly repeating himself and basically stated common sense, while trying to incorporate humor. I am glad that you found a connection with his ways of maximizing energy :) I do think that maybe I didn't like the book as much because I had just finished the Phil Knight book and was blown away! It really set the bar for me and my expectations.
V/r,
Elizabeth Fullwood
Hello Leah,
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to trying to find balance these past few weeks. I used to wake up early to go to the gym before my morning classes and always have meal preps ready at the beginning of every week. But now I barely have time to even sleep, on a good day I get roughly 5.5 hours of sleep. I also chose this book for my reflections and the part about maximizing personal energy also stood out to me.
Hello Leah,
ReplyDeleteI chose the same book as well! I found it interesting that he recommends using systems instead of goals. I love how your "aha" moment had such an affect on you. I wish the book spoke to me the same way it did to you. I like how your exercise related to your aha moment. Overall, I enjoyed reading your post.
Leah,
ReplyDeleteI read this book as well and really enjoyed the message. I think that you highlighted a great main takeaway and one which resonated with me as well. I think that most college students can relate to feeling as if they have little to no balance in their lives, and I think that the education and hiring systems themselves are partially to blame for that. In university, we are being crafted to follow a basic path in which we are to take up a corporate position and work hard to work our way up. It is not emphasized nearly enough that it is important to find something that excited you, motivates you, and energizes you when you get out of bed in the morning and I think we both gathered that very valuable point from the text.
I think the exercise you came up with is a great idea. I think it would be really interesting to see how different students utilize the time they have and to see how different yet similar peoples schedules are. Maximizing personal energy is actually quite difficult, and people often think they've done enough while they still have so much more in them. I also really think it's incredible you're taking 18 credit hours, you HAVE to be using your maximum energy! Now I'm going to rethink mine!
ReplyDeleteHi Leah.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at what a busy schedule you have this term year. I agree, juggling so many things at once can be very challenging and finding a middle ground is not as easy as it appears. Maximizing personal energy is something that does not come easily, but in the end, it can be so rewarding. Thanks for sharing a bit of yourself along with the reading you read.
Kaitlin
Leah,
ReplyDeleteYou are doing fantastic! This book is really intriguing me as I'm a person with little to no energy. Especially after having kids I feel like the last bit of me was drained. So setting goals, creating a list is how I drive myself. However, I must say that not completing tasks can be very disappointing. You're so lucky that you have so much energy, use that energy and continue to excel.