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Never Normal Newsletter

Being “smart” (this hit way too close to home for me)

Last week I wrote about rethinking education to take advantage of technology and teach for mastery.

I saw this tweet a few weeks ago, and it’s been on my mind ever since:

https://twitter.com/Chandos_II/status/1442176388732227586?s=20

It’s tempting to laugh this off and make a joke about people who are a little too obsessed with winning trivia night at the local pub.

Or to dismiss the insight altogether and say, “of course being smart isn’t important as an adult. Besides, who cares what anyone else thinks about you?”

But if you happen to catch me in a brutally honest and self-reflective mood, then I would say, this cuts deep.

I’m one of those people who was praised often as a kid for being smart. <Takes a hit of dopamine>. Being praised feels good, so we go off looking for more opportunities to prove how smart we are. <Takes another hit of dopamine>. It creates a positive feedback loop.

So what’s the problem?

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Never Normal Newsletter

Rethinking Education

Last week I shared a few weird theories and a study about seemingly sentient plants.

Thinking through theories and reading scientific studies and journal articles makes me I wish I’d studied more math and science in school.

My grades were okay. I passed all the classes that were required to graduate. And I still remember a decent amount of what I learned.

So why is it that now when I try looking into the more advanced, theoretical topics, I find myself lacking the fundamentals to make sense of it all?

An equation like the one below might as well be ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, as far as my brain can tell:

This TED Talk on Teaching for Mastery by Sal Khan (founder of Khan Academy) explains one of the reasons why:

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Never Normal Newsletter

Web 3: Overhyped or overlooked opportunity?

In addition to writing about to breaking free from the “default life plan”, I also like sharing what I’m thinking, learning, and working on…

Last week I sent my latest long-form essay on What’s Worth Owning. It’s an open-ended piece; I left off talking about blockchains and NFTs.

This week there’s been some heated debate on twitter about the value of NFTs, and whether they even constitute “ownership” at all.

I couldn’t resist weighing in myself here, here, and here:

Ultimately, I think most people are over-focused on NFT art projects and missing the bigger picture (and opportunity).

The internet is evolving.

Allow me to explain…

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Never Normal Newsletter

From Belarus to Finding Meaning, Pro Wrestling, and Web3

I’m experimenting with a different format this week and sharing a few of the things I’ve been reading, watching, listening to, and learning.

Reading

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Never Normal Newsletter

My Biggest Weakness and What I Learned from Pablo Picasso in Barcelona

Have you ever interviewed for a job and been asked “What’s your biggest weakness?”

Most people hate this question, because it puts them on the spot, but knowing your strengths and weaknesses is a super power in life.

Do you know yours? (my answer is below)

There are lots of books you can read and coaches you can hire to help you discover your strengths and weaknesses…

But here’s another approach you can try right now:

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Never Normal Newsletter

Working in Public and What I’m Working On

In the last email I wrote that I believe the “New American Dream” is getting paid for being yourself — and that the way to do this as a creator working online is to build a Personal Monopoly.

“A Personal Monopoly is the unique intersection of your knowledge, personality, and skills that nobody else can compete with.”

David Perell

This is something that I’m actively in the process of discovering for myself.

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Essays

Normal is Broken

Society pushes us to follow a certain normal path in life. Do it and you will be rewarded, we’re told.

Study hard and work hard. Then you can buy a house, a couple of cars, and a gigantic TV. Maybe get married and have a few kids somewhere along the way. That’s supposed to be the dream, right?

Maybe it used to work that way. Or was it always just a fairytale?

These days if you follow what’s normal, you don’t end up healthy, wealthy, and happy. 

Instead, you end up sick, miserable, and under a mountain of debt.

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Never Normal Podcast

How to Earn Six Figures without a Job — Freelance WordPress Developer Tom Hirst (Episode 014)

Tom Hirst consistently earns over $100,000 / year, even though he’s never had proper job. Tom’s found success as a freelance WordPress developer, working on projects for the likes of England’s National Health Service, sportswear brand Umbro, and Facebook.

Tom also writes about the business of freelancing and mentors other freelancers. Tom is the author of two eBooks: 10 Steps To Becoming A Better Freelancer and Pricing Freelance Projects, and the creator of the video course, The Personal Website Playbook.

You can find all of these resources and more on Tom’s website.

In this episode we discuss:

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Never Normal Podcast

Self Care, Shadow Work, and Starting Up on the Side with Amanda Goetz (Episode 012)

You’re supposed to be satisfied once you’ve “made it”…

But what if you’re not?

What if you “check all the boxes” but find yourself craving a new adventure? What if you’d rather go build something new?

What do you do when you have a crazy idea that you just can’t let go of? How do you chase a dream when it the world wants you to settle for safety? And how do you balance your aspirations with your obligations?

Amanda Goetz is the founder of House of Wise, a luxury CBD brand for women. She’s also the part-time Chief Marketing Officer for Teal. And she has a popular account with a very engaged following on Twitter.

On top of all that, Amanda is a single mom with three young kids!

In this episode we discuss:

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Never Normal Podcast

Verity Harrison Doodles Professionally (Episode 005)

Verity Harrison is a graphic recorder, a visual storyteller, and an animator. Verity makes a living doodling during meetings and translating long presentations and complex concepts into simple, beautiful graphics.

In this episode we talk about:

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Never Normal Podcast

Taren Gesell is a Triathlon Influencer (Episode 004)

Taren Gesell, better known as Triathlon Taren, is a former financial advisor based in Winnipeg, Canada. Not exactly a stereotypical social media influencer (aside from his fondness for posting photos and videos in skimpy bathing suits). But over the past few years Taren has amassed something of a cult following of “Traniacs” (as his devotees are known). In this episode we discuss how Taren managed to turn his passion for triathlon into a successful business via social media.

In this episode we talk about:

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Never Normal Podcast

Anna Rova Helps Successful Women Attract Masculine Men (Episode 003)

They say that the best jobs are the ones you invent yourself. Well, my guest for this episode has done exactly that. Anna Rova is a “feminine embodiment coach” who helps successful women attract masculine, committed men.

Anna is no stranger to success herself. She has changed the lives of countless women through her coaching program, and her podcast, Claimed, is downloaded more than 18,000 times per month.

In this episode we talk about: