Stillness is the Key reads similarly to a lot of modern research-based self help books. Holiday pulls together anecdotes from the most successful people in history. What makes this book different is the fact that he considers both the successes and failures of these people.

I really think anyone can be a producer, as long as they can communicate well and make good decisions quickly. A key factor in making good decisions quickly is a good budget spreadsheet.

Masterclass sells access to his course for $100. They also sell annual access to all their courses for $200. Meanwhile, business students around the country are taking Zoom classes from professors who have done less research, and who communicate worse than Daniel Pink for 25-50x the cost.

We can’t change the course of events by checking social media more often. We can change the course of our local world by showing up and completing the work that we said we would do.

Ryan Holiday makes compelling arguments through Churchill’s painting hobby, and other hobbies of successful people, that leisure and relaxation is an important piece of true productivity. Finding a way to turn our brains off and completely focus on one task actually reenergizes us to perform at a high level.

On nights when you can’t sleep, it’s ok to stop trying. Get up and read. Make some tea. Have some toast. 

I usually say something like, “I want to make sure you feel good about this. How are you feeling with this new plan?” This gives them a chance to say something if they feel bad. It also leads them to say that they do feel good, and lets them log that feeling for future reference. But most importantly it just makes them feel heard.

Working with clients is a little bit like meeting your significant other’s parents. Of course you won’t lie about anything or pretend to be someone that you’re not. But you’ll probably be on your best behavior.

If you’re a freelancer, a service-based entrepreneur, or a creator, pitching is how you get work. What separates you from a hobbyist is your ability to pitch and win projects. I’ve written and designed over 50 winning pitch decks for clients like DJI, The Chainsmokers, Adidas, and Red Bull. Here are a few of my best practices for writing solid pitch decks.

He recommended trying out a One Line A Day journal. One Line A Day is a journal that has 365 pages, and 5 places to write a few lines on each page. It allows you to keep track of what you did every single day for 5 years in one little book.

We must take successes, failures, and confusions as equal opportunities to feel, understand, and learn. A failure now might lead to a success in the future. Confusion now might become clarity later. We can’t write off our experiences, or shove them down, hoping the negative ones go away.

Attracting an audience is a self-focused task, where people try to become a mini celebrity so they can live the lifestyle. Cultivating a community is a service-focused task, where people gain knowledge and skills to fill the needs of their community.

“Drop a teaspoon of [thief detector dye] in to a swimming pool, and all the water in the pool will become permanently bright purple. But if you drop it in the ocean, no one will notice.”

Moving to LA to be a creative is a good move. So is moving to New York. The demand for creative skills is much higher, and the community is in place to support you. Big cities like this carry so much potential for creative work. But what about medium-sized cities? While we’re on it, what about medium-sized colleges? Small towns?

I have so much respect for Jeremiah, because as the creative developed, we realized we’d have to spend a majority of our budget on creators, talent, music, and travel. He was fine with that, and shot virtually every single shot in the entire video himself. Seeing Jeremiah in his element has been one of the great joys of working with him the past 3.5 years. When he’s in the zone, it’s a work of art in itself.

The reason I love working in production is that there is a storyline to every shoot. There’s the initial excitement, the big dreams at the beginning, the sacrifices, the difficult moments. I always find that the stress melts away once I see the final product. It’s very rewarding work.

I’ll leave you with a piece that says more than if I wrote 5,000 words. If you’re wondering what I do, this is it. Enjoy.

For many of us, growing up in school taught us to feel guilty about not finishing books. It made us feel like we owed the author our time. We don’t owe authors our time or attention. They owe us the respect to present their ideas in the most concise, digestible way possible.

Between the hills of inspiration and meaning, there is a valley. It is the dip. Don’t fear the dip. Stay in it. It won’t last long. The view from the other side is well worth it.

Nobody yells about moderation. You’ll hear people yell to push their progressive beliefs forward. You’ll hear people yell to keep their conservative beliefs in tact. But you won’t hear people yell about their moderate beliefs.