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“Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service.” Deming, 14 Points for Management Week 5 of our re-read of The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons On Wealth, Greed, And Happiness by Morgan Housel Patience is a virtue. Why it matters: Short-term thinking leaves A LOT of money on the table. Change, like interest, builds exponentially if you don’t withdraw the principal…

Go Deeper:  Simple Interest Versus Compound Interest The difference between simple and compound interest can elude people. The two ideas have VERY different outcomes. A few differences include: In simple interest, interest is calculated on the principal. In a loan, minimum payments often only cover the interest due.  Compounding yields exponential growth; interest builds on…

Week 4 of our re-read of The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons On Wealth, Greed, And Happiness by Morgan Housel A Cautionary Tale: Years ago, an acquaintance of mine won a lottery prize that was more than enough to secure their retirement. They possessed a stable, clear path to their future, yet they fell prey to the seductive narratives of day traders who promised instant wealth. The…

“That space between your ears—that’s yours. You don’t just have to control what gets in, you also have to control what goes on in there.” Ryan Holiday Luck and risk sway outcomes – a lot. Continuing with our re-read of The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons On Wealth, Greed, And Happiness by Morgan Housel.  Why it matters:  Assuming your actions completely control a specific outcome is…

Continuing with our re-read of The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons On Wealth, Greed, And Happiness by Morgan Housel.  “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”  Anaïs Nin “Mama, Weer All Crazee Now” Noddy and Holder, Slade No One’s Crazy Why it matters: One of the central premises of the book is that, financially, people do what they think is right at the time. The…

Wk 1, Logistics and Introduction The next book in our re-read theme is The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons On Wealth, Greed, And Happiness by Morgan Housel.  Why? This is more than a book about money and wealth; it is more than a psychology book; it is as much a philosophy book in the ancient tradition.  “For the Stoics, a true philosopher was not someone who merely held subtle thoughts,…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”  Blaise Pascal Five of my takeaways: The only thing we truly control is our reasoned choices and thoughts. Stillness is the tool that protects that choice from being hijacked by “impressions” or “emotions.” Actions matter more than words or thoughts. Our tangible choices—not…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF We are nearly done with our re-read of Stillness Is The Key by Ryan Holiday.   Why it matters: The next book in the re-read series will be The Psychology of Money by xxx.  BUY your copy now and get a head start on your reading or re-reading.  One more thing, next week we will feature our final thoughts on our current re-read. Please share your thoughts on Stillness is…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF “This is the main question, with what activity one’s leisure is filled.”  Aristotle Leisure restores, idleness degrades. Why it matters: Leisure, defined as engaging in activities that are meaningful in themselves, helps you to find stillness. It is a path to fulfillment, not just time to doomscroll on your phone.  Context: Why leisure and work are different. The easy…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF Sleep when you die OR die if you don’t sleep? The grind HAS a high cost! Why it matters: Much of our physical well-being depends on moderating the urge to work ourselves to exhaustion. It is a constant struggle to balance the “always-on” demands of modern life and the biological necessity of regeneration. Personal context: I can recall several stretches of my career…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF Body – Seeking Solitude “I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.”Henry David Thoreau “All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”Blaise Pascal Creativity and self-knowledge REQUIRE solitude.  Why it matters: Continuously operating in a high state of arousal impedes memory consolidation and creativity.…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF Body – Build a Routine  “I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.” W. Somerset Maugham Extraordinary results are built on  “boring” foundations. Why it matters: Habits and routines provide certainty that fosters stillness and flow. Holiday states, “We buy room for peace and stillness, and thus make good work…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF Body – Take a Walk “Stillness is not the absence or negation of energy, life, or movement. Stillness is dynamic. It is unconflicted movement, life in harmony with itself, skill in action.”  Erich Schiffmann Stillness is not just sitting quietly and repeating a mantra.  Why it matters:  You can find stillness while interacting with the world around you. Repeated motions…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF Body – Say No “Focusing is about saying no.”Steve Jobs If you can’t say no, you will not find stillness. Why it Matters: The word “yes” is at the root of all distractions and work intake issues.  Continue reading ⛔Yes Is The Root Of All Evils, Stillness IS The Key by Ryan Holiday, Re-read Saturday, 16, Say No

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF Part III: Body The third leg of the stillness stool is the body.  You need a strong mind, a strong soul, and a strong body. Holiday uses Winston Churchill as a model to show the value of balancing. Quoting Paul Johnson, a biographer of Churchill, “The balance he maintained between flat-out work and creative and restorative leisure is worth studying by anyone holding a…

https://amzn.to/3KXLYzF Spirit – All Is One “Meditate often on the interconnectedness and mutual interdependence of all things in the universe.”  Marcus Aurelius Our universe is a jigsaw puzzle; everything is interconnected. Why it Matters: A tiny change in an initial condition can lead to huge differences in outcomes– Chaos Theory. The author introduces the Greek concept of sympatheia: “The…

Welcome to the Software Process and Measurement Cast’s final podcast.  Today we have a treat, a radio play titled, Navigating the Silos or Playing a Game with House Rules written by   David Herron and me. Over the years, Mr. Herron has been a boss, colleague, mentor, and most of all, a friend.   The story unfolds in the aftermath of the late 1990s tech boom. Innovatech, a pioneer in construction…