1. The Tendency to Plateau
1.1. Relying solely on hard work will almost always lead to a plateau — a place where you will no longer get any better.
1.2. Breaking the Tendency:
1.2.1. First, make sure you are working hard.
1.2.2. Rely on a lifetime of deliberate practice.
1.2.2.1. If you want to get better at something, break it down into its component parts.
1.2.2.2. Then focus on each part and how you can get better in that area.
1.2.2.3. Improvements in smaller parts lead to improvements in the whole.
2. The Tendency to Overvalue and Undervalue at the Same Time
2.1. “We have a tendency to overvalue ideas from outside of us, and to undervalue ideas from people close to us.”
2.2. It has taken hold of our entire lives, seemingly without us even knowing.
2.3. The invisible current stretches from generation to generation without having to intentionally be taught or spread.
2.4. Breaking the Tendency:
2.4.1. Break the tendency by seeing people as what they are, and not as part of any type of hierarchy.
2.4.2. Accept responsibility for seeing reality and responding to it.
2.4.3. Don’t use your authority or place in a hierarchy to make a judgment.
2.4.4. Treat people at the "bottom" of an oprganization with respect and honor their ideas.
2.4.5. Realize that often people judge ideas based on the person presenting the idea, even before considering the actual content of the idea.
2.4.6. Identify potential and skills wherever they are in an organization — whether inside or out.
3. The Tendency to Underestimate How Hard Things Are
3.1. Anything worth doing is going to be hard.
3.2. Anything that is hard is going to take real work to achieve. Hard work. For a long time.
3.3. Unrealistic expectations about how hard a task is massively decreases the chances that we will achieve the task.
3.4. Breaking the Tendency:
3.4.1. Develop realistic expectations about how hard something is going to be so that you do not quit before completion.
3.4.2. Don’t be afraid to still aim high — just don’t quit too soon.
3.4.3. Sometimes hard means long. Be prepared for battle.
3.4.4. Consistency is a real solution.
3.4.5. Set up a structure that will allow you to be consistent over a long period of time.
3.4.5.1. Your surrounding environment — who, what, and where — will determine how far you will go.