ATTACK MODE

Notes from the course by Shwetabh Gangwar.

Section 1: Fundamentals
How the Brain Works: Neuroplasticity
Whenever we do something new the brain forms new connections
between neurons.
The more we do that thing, the stronger the connections grow. Eventually
those strengthened neural connections make it so that we don't have to
expend a lot of mental faculties into doing that thing.
We can never unlearn/overwrite behaviors because the neural
connections for those behaviors always remain in our brain.
We can only form new connections, which means new behaviors.

How Success Works: The Formula

Success =
Showing up to work everyday under a system +
Evolving the System by rapid problem solving.

Blind consistency doesn't work because the system we start out with might
have a high error rate. It might be too inefficient and may cause us to drop the
work we're doing. The discomfort of learning a new behavior might become
too much and cause us to quit. A system evolving as data pours in keeps
becoming more and more efficient with time. Also as we get more and more
used to the system we've created, it becomes easier for us to stick to it
(neuroplasticity)

But consistency in nonetheless an important requirement. Because without it

No shit gets done

Those neural connections that are strengthened by repeated action, don't
get strengthened.

How Success Works: Pareto Principle

 A system will start out with an 80% error rate, and only a 20% success
rate.
But with time and patience, this split can be moved toward the other
direction.
Our goal must be to achieve a high enough success rate where our
system works efficiently.

Section 2: Mindforting
Become a slave to your logical brain
Because a logical brain will create a system that for aforementioned reasons
works. Also your logical brain works in your best interests. Becoming a slave
to anything else will DESTROY you.

Using Hindu Philosophy: Gita

The old quote from the Bhagavad Gita:

You have the right to work only but never to its fruits.
Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to
inaction.

This is scientifically accurate. People who focus on performance rather than

the output of their actions actually do better in terms of productivity.

But who/what do you perform your actions/duty for?

There necessarily has to be something greater than oneself to which one
would anchor oneself to, which would act as the motivator of one's actions.

Action is the most important. Unbelievable, unsurpassable action every

single day. Give your 100%. And on some days, surpass 100%. Focus on
action, not outcome. Doing action is freedom. Outcome is slavery.
Outcome will come without your control. Let go.

Using Chinese Philosophy: Taoism

Know what your DESTINATION is. Do not preempt the journey to it.
Accept that you don't know what might come your way on the path to that
 destination. If you have a ideal journey mapped out in your mind, you will
be disappointed when things inevitably don't go your way.
As Bruce Lee said, be like water, my friend. Water doesn't map out every
curve and hurdle it will face when it flows, it just flows.
Navigate through the labyrinth with the ease and grace of water, on your
way to your destination. Do not be adamant on some pre-determined
path which was laid out knowing nothing about the actual path.

Journey: be prepared for a thousand failures (success stands on the

graveyard of failures), It will never go as planned (all plans will fail), the
story of your journey is what will change and shape your character. Don’t
abandon the journey. Ride it.

You can decide the destination, but not the path. The destination is the top
of the mountain, but if you think you already know what the path is, you are
a fool. The journey is the story, the destination is the end of the journey.
People live for the end. They think the fruit is in the end. No, the journey is
where all learnings are, all wisdom, all friendships are, all betrayals hide.
Don’t fight the journey, don’t force rigidity into it. Move with it, know the
direction you want to go but don’t fight against the direction. Know your
deadline but do not fight against time.

The MANTRA
Expect a thousand failures. Accept that things will not go as planned.
Accept that the story of the journey will make sense at the very end.

Using Practical Philosophy

Three rules

1. REPAIR don't blame

What can you work on fixing rather than finding someone to blame, when
things inevitably go to the dogs?
2. It is OKAY
Say this when you fuck up. Practice rapid acceptance. Things go wrong,
okay. What next? Accept and acknowledge the damage
 3. FIX, don't fixate
Don't wallow in overthinking about your missteps or what went wrong.
Work on fixing things if they can be fixed. If they can't, then work on
moving on.

Every problem is an opportunity to improve your game and yourself.

Problems expose malfunctioning in your system, in you, and help you
become better at problem solving

Attribution Theory
What we attribute our failures to determines how we perceive it's do-ability. If
we think we failed because of some inherent lack of intelligence/talent within
us, it becomes easy for us to just give up on the whole thing altogether. Its an
easy way out of addressing the actual problem: our lack of effort and the
lack of a well functioning system. Once we acknowledge that, we can
begin working towards those things.

Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

Fixed Mindset
I, simply, am incompetent. Therefore, I cannot achieve whatever it is I want to
achieve

Growth Mindset
What I know, what I do and how I perform CAN be changed with effort.

Section 3: Battle Training

Visualization
Clearly and Realistically define what you want from life and create a tangible
reminder of those things. Those things can be materialistic or immaterial, but
it needs to be clear to you that you want them.

Clarity
Be clear on:
 1. Where you are going
2. And if you are the top 1% of the thing your doing or what you're going
towards

Screw Motivation
Don't rely on intensity, because it it NOT reliable. You cannot choose to feel
intensely towards something and work on it.
Instead, rely on a SYSTEM which is a product of your logical brain which you
are a slave of

Consistency
Consistency is Repeatable damage that you can do everyday

The keyword is repeatable. Consistency means consistently following the

system. Neither underworking nor overworking yourself. Only doing as much
as is required by the system for the day.

Bulletproof Planning that NEVER Fails

Plans should not be based on theory. Rather, they should be based on data
accumulated from your actions. Plans should mutate as new data pours in.
Not doing that will make your plans go down the drain.

Deadlines are GOD

Set deadlines first → plan later

How to beat Talented People

Talent doesn't necessarily translate into effort.
Remember Attribution Theory and Growth Mindset.
Efforts. Consistent, conscientious efforts over a long period of time are
what lead to success.

Anchor: Psychological Connection to your Goal

Anchor: One thing that keeps you aligned to your duty

If you lose your grip on your anchor, you know that you're losing your grip
on the system.
 Physical disconnection from your duty is inevitable, but do not allow
psychological disconnection from it.

Section 4: Weapons and Armor

Introspection Method: Pointed Journaling
Remember

Nothing is set in stone in this journal. It is an ever changing

documentation of your life. Alter it as and when necessary.
Write conversationally. You do not have to be poetic. Be as prosaic as
you want, since that is the language you'll relate to upon future reading.

Read Everyday (RULES that need to be drummed into your

head as default codes)
Convert your learnings into concise rules for you to read everyday and follow.

Read everyday or whenever in doubt

Not-so-important rules or learnings that warrant periodic revisitation.

Read Everyday (Learnings)

Patterns in your behavior that you've noticed in that data you collect about
yourself. Remind yourself of them. Write in a way where you're speaking with
yourself.

Everything about your behavior (Data Drops)

A log where you jot down things that you notice about your behavior, as and
when you notice them. Think of it as writing observations of an experiment on
a chimp. Except the chimp and the observer are both you.

Specific Problems
Similar to the data drops but about more specific issues or problems that
you're having.

My Purpose
Emotionally-heavy purpose statements
Problem Solving
Problem solving basics:
Does the solution apply long-term?
Is the solution feasible and practical to apply? Can I make these changes
tomorrow?
Does it give me long-term satisfaction?

Other pointers
Follow the template
Write conversationally
Be optimistic, and solution-oriented
Pointed journaling and problem solving go hand in hand. Integrate them
both.

Script: When you mess up

If you mess up, go back and read the script. Create your own scripts that are
tuned to your specific problems that help you cope when you mess up.

Attack Mode
Using Self-Determination Theory
If you are stuck doing a thing that you do not have intrinsic motivation for,
rather you are doing it because of external reasons, our goal should be to
move from

External regulation → Integrated Regulation

We want to get to a place where we have mostly intrinsic motivation for doing
something and minimal external pressure.

One statement to achieve this:

I want to be incredibly powerful

Become Powerful System

Become incredibly Rich
Become incredibly Muscular
Become incredibly Intelligent
Work towards these goals everyday, and do not stop until they are
achieved.
Assign daily tasks for each goal, create a task list
Plan the week ahead
Do a daily review of how many tasks you have completed in the day.
Do a monthly review of how many tasks you completed that month
Keep track of your shortcomings and their reasons
Gamify this process

Today
Create a task list for all the (trivial or otherwise) things to be done today.
Also keep track of the most important things to do in the month, to keep
you aware of them

Deadlines
List all the deadlines you currently have with their due dates.
Color code them according to importance and urgency.
Remember Deadlines are GOD

Practical Planning
Plan ONLY for the next week. Any longer and there's no point.

Have a fixed time for waking up

Time block your tasks (from Become Powerful System) on a calendar
app.
Set reminders and alarms to remind you of those tasks