“Hell Yeah or No”, by Derek Sivers is a short book organizing some of the author’s blog posts. Since I enjoy his writing and especially his extensive book list, this was an instant purchase.
Below are my favorite quotes and links to the mini-chapters I found most interesting. (29 out of 67! 11 (in bold) that I liked in particular, since those are blog posts, they are freely available.)
This book also reminded me of my all-time favorite talk: “Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech“.
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- Imitate. We Are Imperfect Mirrors.
- Are You Present-Focused Or Future-Focused? (This book was quoted in that chapter)
Your time-focus is environmental. People who grow up in unstable places are more present-focused because imagining the future is hard. People who grow up in cold climates are more future-focused because they have to prepare for the winter.
Both mindsets are necessary. You need a present-focus to enjoy life. But too much present-focus can prevent the deeper happiness of achievement. (I call this “shallow happy” versus “deep happy”.)
I wish all of this was part of a common understanding, the way we understand when extroverts want to go out for excitement, and introverts want to stay home with a book. - If You’re Not Feeling “Hell Yeah!” Then Say No
Say no to almost everything. - Art Is Useless, And So Am I
For the past twenty years, I was obsessed with being useful. That one measure drove all of my daily decisions: “How can I be the most useful to the most people today?”
It’s no coincidence that I stopped making music twenty years ago. It didn’t qualify as the most useful thing I could be doing. - Tilting My Mirror (Motivation Is Delicate)
- How Will This Game End?
Imagine that I’m going to auction a $100 bill. The bidding
starts at $1. The regular rules of auctions apply with one change: if you
are the second-highest bidder, you don’t get the $100 bill
but you still have to pay what you bid. OK? Go.
- Solitary Socialite
- Getting Out Of A Bad State Of Mind
Raise standards. Say no to anything less than great.
When I’m down, I avoid anyone who doesn’t rejuvenate
me. They’re not allowed in my life right now, not even for
a minute. No big explanation needed. No compromise. No
favors. - There’s No Speed Limit
- Disconnect
- Unlikely Places And Untangled Goals
Some people think they need to go all the way to Thailand to meditate, or to India to learn yoga. But of course these are things they can do for free at home.
Some people think they need to pay a fortune to a university for a great education. But the top schools have all their courses online for free. - When You’re Extremely Unmotivated
- Think Like A Bronze Medalist, Not Silver
Comparing up versus comparing down: Your happiness depends on where you’re focusing.
The metaphor is easy to understand, but hard to remember in regular life. If you catch yourself burning with envy or resentment, think like the bronze medalist, not the silver. Change your focus. Instead of comparing up to the next-higher situation, compare down to the next-lower one. - Imagining Lots Of Tedious Steps? Or One Fun Step?People often ask me about starting my company. “It must have been so difficult! That’s a huge undertaking! How did you manage all of that?” But I just answer honestly, “There was really nothing to it. I just made this little website, and people liked it. That’s it.” I barely even remember the details. In my head it was just one fun step.
Now I have to pay attention to that, with each new project I start. How many steps am I picturing?
- There Are Always More Than Two Options
- Beware Of Advice
Imagine you’ve got a big question like, “Should I quit my job and start my own company?” You go ask the advice of some successful people you respect. Because they can’t know everything about you and your unique situation, they’ll give advice that’s really just a reflection of their own current situation. - Switch Strategies
- Don’t Be A Donkey
- Everything Is My Fault
- Happy, Smart, And Useful
- How To Do What You Love And Make Good Money
Most full-time artists I know only spend an hour or two a day actually doing their art. The rest is spent on the boring work that comes with trying to make it a full-time career. So skip the art career and just do the art. - Let Pedestrians Define The Walkways (Reminds me of this excellent Ted Talk)
So when should you make decisions? When you have the most information, when you’re at your smartest: as late as possible. - Don’t Start A Business Until People Are Asking You To
- Smart People Don’t Think Others Are Stupid
Being smart means thinking things through. It means trying to find the real answer, not the easiest answer.
Being stupid means avoiding thinking by jumping to conclusions. Jumping to a conclusion is like quitting a game. You lose by default.
That’s why saying “I don’t know” is usually smart — because it’s refusing to jump to a conclusion. - The Mirror: It’s About You, Not Them
When I buy a book that has a picture of the author on the cover, I rip off and trash the cover before I even leave the store. I don’t care who the author is. All that matters are the ideas inside the book and what I do with them. - Unlearning
Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
- Goals Shape The Present, Not The Future
A bad goal makes you say, “I want to do that some day.” A great goal makes you take action immediately.
A bad goal is foggy, vague, and distant. A great goal is so clear, specific, and close you can almost touch it. (This is crucial to keep you going.) - Possible Futures
- Whatever Scares You, Go Do It (See also one of my favorite Ted Talks from Tim Ferriss on that)
- How I Got Rich On The Other Hand (Bonus link not part of the book)
I had a day job in midtown Manhattan paying $20K per year — about minimum wage. On weekends I would earn $150 per day performing circus shows for kids, though I’d spend about $50 in bus fare to get to the gigs. I was sharing a three-bedroom apartment with two other roommates in Queens, so our rent was $333 per month each. I made peanut butter sandwiches for three meals a day, and at night maybe some eggs. I never ate out, and never took a taxi. My cost of living was about $1000/month, and I was earning $1800/month. I did this for two years, and saved up $12,000. I was 22 years old.Once I had $12,000 I could quit my job and become a full-time musician. I knew I could get a few gigs per month to pay my cost of living. So I was free. I quit my job a month later, and never had a job again.
Gordon Schücker 