The 100-Day Plan, Return on Luck, & More

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Here are 5 interesting ideas to spark your curiosity heading into the weekend.

Today at a Glance:

• Question: Your 100-day plan.
• Quote: Never lie to yourself.
• Idea: Return on Luck.
• Proverb: Crocodiles in calm water.
• Habit: 15-minute post-lunch walk.

Question to create your 100-day plan:

If you hired the best CEO in the world to be the CEO of your life, what actions would be on their 100-day plan?

I first came across this question from my friend James Clear and have been stuck on it ever since.

Two of the biggest impediments to life change:

• Emotion: We're all emotional creatures. We're so close to everything in our own lives that it's often hard to remove emotions from our decisions.
• Inaction: It's always easier to maintain the status quo. It's a constant fight with yourself to take action when inaction is far less risky and painful.

This question helps you address both.

The CEO is not emotional when it comes to your life—they don't know you. The CEO has a bias for action—it's how they became a great CEO.

So, what would your new CEO's 100-day plan look like?

What mindsets, behaviors, and people would they want you to cut?

What actions would they want you to take?

What routines would they want you to create?

What fears would they want you to confront?

Fortunately, you don't need to hire a world-changing CEO for your life—you just need to vividly imagine talking to one.

Use the answers to these questions to craft your own 100-day plan. Then, start moving on it.

Quote on the most damning lies in life:

"If you want to be successful, you must respect one rule: Never lie to yourself!" - Paulo Coelho

The most damning lie is the lie you tell yourself.

Always tell yourself the truth—the rest will take care of itself.

(Share this on Twitter!)

An idea to reframe the role of luck:

Return on Luck

Luck is a topic that I've written about a few times in the past (here and here, for example), but I always find myself coming back to it when I encounter a new perspective.

I recently read an interesting take on luck from author Jim Collins:

Return on Luck (or "ROL") is the idea that in business, luck may be evenly distributed, but certain companies and leaders find a way to benefit from it more than others.

In his research, Collins found that great companies do not get disproportionately more good luck than others, but they do disproportionately benefit from the good luck they get.

In simple terms, some generate a high ROL, while others do not.

While his research was focused on the business world, this idea got me thinking about how we can all set ourselves up to generate a high Return on Luck in our own lives.

A few traits that I believe will contribute to a high ROL life:

• Adaptability: The ability and willingness to pivot quickly and follow new information or evidence.
• Bias for Action: Creating more collisions and generating more data through motion.
• Grit & Resilience: The tendency to get back up after a seemingly crushing blow, to let the situation play out when most would fold.
• Ownership: The understanding that while some events are outside your control, it is within you to capitalize on them.

I don't know about you, but love this idea.

What other "High Return on Luck" traits would you add to the list?

Proverb I can't stop thinking about:

I recently came across a proverb of unknown origin that I absolutely love:

My general observation on life is that every single time I think I have it all figured out, I get punched in the face.

Maintaining a healthy level of paranoia can actually be helpful. It reminds you to remain nimble, agile, and adaptable.

It reminds you that success isn't an end state, but something that requires continuous, disciplined effort.

The water may look calm, but the crocodiles are always lurking...

Simple habit that has improved my life:

The 15-minute post-lunch walk

I used to get a terrible bout of drowsiness after lunch. I'd have great energy all morning, eat, and then immediately feel like I hadn't slept in a month.

I tried having a lighter lunch, but all that did was make me hungry...

I recently started taking a 15-minute walk immediately after eating and it has worked wonders for keeping my energy steady into the afternoon. It's significantly more effective than the large black cold brew I used to rely on for that purpose.

And as it turns out, there is real science behind it—a post-meal walk has been shown to reduce blood glucose by up to 35%.

Give it a shot if you suffer from the afternoon slump...

In Case You Missed It:

In Wednesday's issue, I shared my four-step system to fail better:

1. Set a failure timer: Give yourself a grace period to feel the pain of the failure. Create perspective around it.
2. Become a scientist: Review the situation with cold, emotionless information gathering and analysis.
3. Time travel to the future: Time travel to one year in the future. You're told that this failure was a positive turning point in your life. What actions made it so?
4. Take action: In the wake of failure, default to action. Information is nothing without action.

P.S. I'm going to be making the most exciting announcement of my life in a few weeks. Newsletter readers are going to be the first to hear about it. I can't wait to share it with all of you. Any guesses as to what it is?

Sahil's Recommendation Zone

Perfect your morning routine with my partner Athletic Greens:

I get asked about my morning routine all the time. It changes from time to time, but AG1 has been the one constant since 2011. I drink it with a big glass of water every single morning to start my day on a positive tone.

It replaced an entire cabinet of supplements for me in one daily scoop—seriously, its latest iteration covers a multivitamin, multi-mineral, prebiotics, probiotics, adaptogens, greens, and more. It keeps me feeling healthy and strong throughout the year, even when I'm traveling (thanks to the travel packs).

Athletic Greens is offering Curiosity Chronicle subscribers an exclusive deal: a free 1-year supply of liquid vitamin D plus 5 travel packs with your subscription purchase. Take advantage of it!

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