Hey Reader,

Hope your weekend is off to a Rad start. This week, I examined agreements - specifically, the agreements we break with ourselves.

This Thursday, we're hosting a workshop on the iconic (and time-tested) Getting Things Done system. We know you've bought the book (but probably haven't read it). And we've got a live crash-course ready for you.

We'll teach you the key steps, tweaks and use cases so that you can achieve mind like water - in just 90 minutes.

Sign up for the GTD workshop →

And before we jump in, check out my friend Tara Schuster's Emotional Survival Guide to the Holidays. (Yup, we all need that.)

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Are you at war (with yourself)?

I'm a man of my word.

If I say I'll send you a follow-up, I will send it.

If we have a meeting, I won't be late. (Which is hard in LA.)

Said differently, I honor my agreements.

With others.

But what about agreements I've made with myself?

Do these agreements adhere to the same high-bar of reliability and completion?

David Allen, the productivity icon and author of Getting Things Done believes that we've gotten time management completely wrong.

We're not overwhelmed.

We don't have too much to do.

Nope:

He continues. If we constantly break agreements with ourself, we suffer in the form of "disintegrated self-trust."

And since I love using productivity as a gateway for uncomfortable introspection, I asked myself:

Do you break agreements? (2 mins)

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Here are this week's top reads:

// one

Effective altruism in the garden of ends

39 minutes | Effective Altruism Forum
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I’ve struggled with the premise that a good life, is an impactful one. If you stretch that reasoning to edge cases, you’d sacrifice EVERYTHING for impact. And in this essay, the author did just that — in the name of Effective Altruism. This is an absolute must-read.

→ Read the post​

// two

How are people buying these $10M homes?

2 minutes | @ohadsamet​
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​Having enough can feel so elusive — especially for a checks notes Facebook engineer. This post has a lot in it, I want to hug the redditor and say “You’re ok, friend.” For starters, it misses the point that sizable wealth creation typically doesn’t come from a W-2 job. But the more tragic part is that they are living someone else’s definition of success. And you can feel the pain.

→ Read the tweet​

// three

Woulda, coulda shoulda: the haunting regret of failing our ideal selves

3 minutes | Cornell Chronicle
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​We all have regrets — and yet, not all regrets are created equal. Our sense of self is made up of three parts - the actual, ideal, and the “ought” self. It turns out that the failure to be our ideal selves is where we harbor the most regret (whereas we feel less regret for the things we felt obligated to do but didn’t). How can we curb this? Don’t wait for inspiration to kick in before getting closer to your ideal self - just start moving closer.

→ Read the post​

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// four

Macro-procrastination

5 minutes | Neel Nanda
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We all procrastinate on our daily tasks (or engage in meta-work instead of $10K work). But what happens when we procrastinate on those long-term goals (the “important, but not urgent” ones)? That’s macro-procrastination. What can we do about this? Notice that you’re procrastinating and then do something towards your goal in that moment. Systematize the process of noticing with a weekly review. Carve out regular time that is specifically dedicated to long-term goals.

→ Read the post​

// five

Not the best

6 minutes | Human Stuff
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I’ve often fallen into a hole of deeply questioning my own “enoughness”. What if sometimes what we have to offer won’t be unique or extraordinary, deep or profound? If being the best is the only thing that makes creating worth our time, we’re putting ourselves in a very bleak bind. What if we focused less on making something totally unique and amazing and more on making something heartfelt and true, aligned and honest? You don’t need to be the best at anything for the thing to matter; your desire and longing to do it is enough.

→ Read the post​

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Below the Fold
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LAST WEEK'S MOST READ

• ​How to win the week (with a weekly review) (RadReads, 730 clicks)
• ​How cultivating an “abundance mindset” can change your life (Byrdie, 422 clicks)

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And finally, John Mayer improvising a live song.

With gratitude,

Khe

PS For Black Friday only, get our Practical Productivity Bundle which includes the LifeOS and 5 private trainings. Expires Monday at midnight EDT.

PPS Refer 2 friends and get the Weekly Review Cheatsheet. Here is your personal RadReferral link: [RH_REFLINK GOES HERE]

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