Friday Forward summary

Perhaps you’ve heard of Ed Sheeran, the ordinary boy from Halifax, England who shot to the top of the pop charts. Even if you aren’t familiar with him, you’ve more than likely hummed along to one of his songs at some point. 

Well, what does Ed Sheeran have to do with you? He was an overnight success. You couldn’t possibly have that kind of good luck. Actually, luck has little to do with Sheeran’s success. In interviews, he’s revealed that he played over 300 live shows and performed at countless open mic nights before he was “discovered.” And there were plenty of points where he wanted to give up. Why didn’t he?

Life hacks! There’s a huge appetite for these tips and tricks that seem to offer a shortcut to success. So, when venture capitalist Morgan Housel offered to share his hacks, people were eager to hear them. Here are a few…

Housel’s marketing hack? Make a product that everyone needs.

Are you a serial snoozer, always swiping the five-minutes-more button on your morning alarm? Sure, you gain an extra five minutes of glorious sleep. But what are you missing out on?

Entrepreneur Hal Elrod surveyed the daily routines of some of the world’s most successful high achievers, from CEOs to artists. He found their morning routines all shared six elements. Silence – which involves meditation or reflection. Affirmation – or employing positive self-talk. Visualization – which helps you build a mental image of what you’ll achieve in your day. Exercise – to wake your senses and get your blood moving. Scribing – also known as writing or journaling. And, finally, Reading – taking time to be inspired by the words of others. 

How do you train for a marathon? With carb-loading and daily runs? Your body might be prepared, but will you have the mental strength to keep going when every muscle in your body is crying out to stop?

How do you study for a high-pressure exam? With flashcards and late-night study sessions? You might be mentally sharp, but is your body ready to meet the demands of grueling daily study? Will you be sharp and healthy on exam day?

At the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, US swimmer Michael Phelps clinched the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly. Phelps’ performance was an undeniably impressive athletic feat. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that, halfway through the race, his goggles had filled with water. Despite this physical setback, Phelps was able to draw on his mental training to reach the finish line. He had put in hours visualizing himself winning the race, right down to counting out the number of strokes he would need to make it to the end.

Elite athletes like Phelps use mental training to take their performance from great to world-beating. Knowledge workers, too, can boost their mental performance using skills and strategies from the sports world.

In 1981, Dr. Mary-Claire King had one of the worst weeks of her life. At the start of the week, her husband told her he was leaving her for one of his graduate students, effective immediately. She was left as the sole caregiver for her then six-year-old daughter. A few days later, her home was burgled. And to top it all off, that Friday she was scheduled to pitch for grant funding at an out of state conference. 

No one could have blamed Dr. King for putting off her conference pitch and calling it a week. But somehow, she found the emotional resilience to make her presentation as planned. She successfully secured funding for her project – a project which ultimately identified the BRCA1 gene. Women who carry the BRCA1 gene are more susceptible to breast cancer. Thanks to Dr. King’s research, not to mention her emotional fortitude, these women can now access life-saving preventative cancer care.

“How was your day?”

“Fine. How was yours?”