Category: Turning Stories
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Difficulty is a positive early signal
“All things are difficult at the beginning,” goes a Chinese proverb (translating from, “万事开头难”). Each entry in the Consistency Journal is introduced by a quote. That’s the one on day six. After nearly a week of journaling, and using it to help build my business writing practice, it resonated with me immensely. Dejection is a…
Herbert Lui
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Talk to your competitors
One of my friends started a software development company. His clients were local, and so were his competitors. One day, an idea came to him: all his competitors knew him and each other, but they’d never been in touch before. Why not reach out? He sent out the invitations, and they all met at a…
Herbert Lui
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Nonsense
People say nonsensical things all the time. They don’t know better, they’re mindlessly expressing their second nature, or you caught them at a weird time. Sometimes, all of the above. You do it. I do it. Nobody’s perfect. Nonsense shows up as a decision that doesn’t make sense, vague instructions, or a belief that conflicts with…
Herbert Lui
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Second nature
A second nature is a behaviour or thought that’s very deeply ingrained in you. It could take you towards your goals, like calming down when you feel confused or hugging a loved one when they’re hurting. Or, it could take you away from them, like holding a grudge or beating yourself up. It happens almost…
Herbert Lui
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What’s obvious to you might not be to me
In school and work, you’re conditioned to believe, “Your contribution isn’t valuable if it’s obvious.” But more often than you’d think, you take for granted what you know, and assume that I know it too. What’s obvious to you might not be obvious to me; it might be the first time I’ve learned about it.…
Herbert Lui
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Add purpose to the payoff
Airline loyalty programs are difficult to navigate. They’ve made it this way intentionally, because it provides customers with a sense of challenge—the same way a video game would. The question is, what’s the payoff? Provided enough reward, the more of a challenge something is, the more you’ll strive to chase after it. Will it provide…
Herbert Lui
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Bias for continuity
After over 50 years of operation, the Ontario Science Centre shut down its main building a couple of years ago because the infrastructure was failing, and it was no longer safe. This type of decay happens naturally. The world can be chaotic, and its environment is always changing. Instead of repairing it, the government decided…
Herbert Lui
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Shaping a solution
People have different reasons for going to the gym. You might go to the gym to improve your physical health. I might go to the gym to let off steam from work. Somebody else might go to the gym to improve their self esteem. Still, another person might want to look more attractive, so they…
Herbert Lui
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In praise of the quiet celebration
There are times for loud, big, celebrations. There are many, many more occasions for quiet, small, celebrations as well. They’re lower risk, much lighter, and more memorable in some ways. I’ve been learning to celebrate more, and doing it this quiet way is useful for me. Big parties are expensive. They need you to plan…
Herbert Lui
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Recoverability is more useful than reversibility
A few weeks ago, I explored recoverable and irrecoverable decisions. It resonated with the Hacker News community, and the discussion was very thought provoking. Recoverable is more useful than reversible precisely because many events aren’t reversible. You only get one chance to make a good first impression; that irreversibility is what makes putting off showing…
Herbert Lui