In this week's episode, Sharn and Andy dive into the topic of persistence and share valuable insights on how to maintain energy for the long haul. Join them for an engaging and entertaining discussion as they explore their unique approaches to staying motivated and committed. Along the way, you'll discover practical tips and strategies that can enhance your own creative endeavors.
But first, the News
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It’s Friday the 2nd June 2023, and this is news with Sharn:
In Web3 and tech new this week:
In a statement released by the Center for AI Safety, the tech world has emphasized the need to prioritize the risk of extinction posed by artificial intelligence (AI) on a global scale, comparing it to the threats of pandemics and nuclear war. The San Francisco-based nonprofit managed to gather support from major industry players, who publicly expressed their concerns about AI's potential as an existential threat to humanity. The Center's executive director, Dan Hendrycks, highlighted the importance of informing the public about the risks and stated that serious discussions about the future of AI are necessary. Meanwhile, the Australian government has launched an eight-week consultation seeking to understand the regulation of "high-risk" AI tools, following similar measures taken by the United States, the European Union, and China. Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic released discussion papers on "Safe and Responsible AI in Australia" and generative AI, while also inviting feedback on supporting the responsible use of AI and determining whether certain AI applications should be banned due to their high risk. The papers also addressed concerns about bias in AI models, the misuse of AI, and the need to build public trust in AI technology.
The 26 May 2023 marked a significant development for digital finance in Australia as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) moved ahead with a pilot for a central bank digital currency (CBDC). In collaboration with the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFRC), the RBA hosted a CBDC pilot demo day in Sydney, showcasing the potential use cases and economic benefits of a CBDC. Participants at the event included major banks ANZ, NAB, and CBA, as well as companies like Mastercard, Google Cloud, and fintech Canvas, which conducted prominent demonstrations on forex trading using the Australian CBDC. This move highlighted the growing interest and exploration of CBDCs in the financial industry, paving the way for potential advancements in digital finance globally.
In a major development, the city of Nanjing in China's Jiangsu province has launched a government-backed metaverse platform. The China Metaverse Technology and Application Innovation Platform, led by Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, aims to consolidate resources from academic institutions and enterprises across China to advance research and development in the metaverse. With diverse stakeholders representing the metaverse industry, the platform will foster collaboration and strengthen efforts in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and virtual world experiences. This move highlights China's commitment to becoming a frontrunner in metaverse development, as cities like Nanjing and Shanghai compete to establish themselves as metaverse pioneers. While China maintains strict regulations on cryptocurrencies and nonfungible tokens, it recognizes the immense potential of Web3 technologies, including the metaverse, in driving its digital economy.
Moving now to the world of Publishing:
In a major announcement, Libro.fm, the popular North American digital audiobook platform, revealed its plans for expansion into international markets. Starting in July, the platform will be launching its services in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Libro.fm, known for its unique model of directing a portion of each audiobook sale to an independent bookstore of the customer's choice, will collaborate with renowned commercial publishers as well as independent publishers in these regions. The move comes in response to the growing demand for audiobooks globally and aims to provide a viable alternative to industry giant Audible. Additionally, Libro.fm will now accept payments in various currencies, making it more accessible to international users. This development follows closely on the heels of Bookshop.org's recent announcement of its own expansion into audiobooks and e-books in the UK, signaling an exciting shift in the audiobook market.
TikTok, the popular social media platform, is making its mark in the literary world by launching its very own book awards for the UK and Ireland. The TikTok Book Awards will recognize and celebrate outstanding books, authors, content creators, and indie bookshops in nine different categories. Users will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites through an in-app voting system, with longlists based on BookTok data and publisher contributions. The awards will kick off in July, and the winners will be revealed in August. This exciting initiative aims to showcase the passion for reading and the vibrant book community that thrives on TikTok.
And that my friends, was news with Sharn.
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And into the episode:
So Sharn. How do we maintain the Rage?
Sharn: By not being rage-y :P
Andy: Sometimes butterfly kisses and rainbows don't get the job done!
What do you mean by energy levels
Andy: So for me there are different types of energy you need for different things. For example the energy needed to go lift weights early in the morning is the type of energy filled by pre workout supplements, hatred and anger! But that is short, sharp and directed and only lasts for that hour or so. It won't last for the length of a marathon and you certainly can't continue those energy levels of weeks and months. That's where we get into more of what we are talking about today which is the endurance needed to write a book, become a good painter, start a business etc etc. that type of energy is the hard one to cultivate and maintain.
Sharn: Your personal energy levels and whether you feel good to go or are fatigued, are affected by so many things (diet, exercise, sleep, allergies, sickness, etc etc). Also, sometimes to maintain energy for something over a long period of time, you need to allow yourself different energy inputs.
If we are talking energy we need to discuss your health and fitness
Andy: We talked a little about this last week and i don't want to harp on about it as we are not a fitness or health or diet or whatever podcast but the foundation of your energy sources will come from your physical well being. So make sure you eat a healthy diet and exercise. You dont have to be an olympian or have six pack abs but you should feel physically competent and be healthy enough to have physical energy throughout the day otherwise you're screwed. No matter how strong your mental game, if the vessel that drives you around is broken you can only do so much.
To summarise years of being a personal trainer and all the information on line this is what you need to do:
eat clean most of the time (let's say 90%)
get your 10K steps in a day
Lift weights a couple of times a week
Do cardio a couple of times a week
Get outside
Motivation vs Determination vs Discipline and which one wins out
Andy:
Motivation is great but is a fleeting feeling that comes and goes rapidly and doesn't last. You can't be motivated all the time. I barely think you can be motivated about something for more than a couple of weeks. That's why people never stick to things like diets, gym memberships, online courses (it's like a 20% completion rate or something) etc etc. As motivation doesn't last. Being motivated is good. Motivation might help you set your goals but it will not help you deliver on them.
Determination for me is that next step up but still not the right answer. It is a step up from being motivated as it will take you past that initial feeling of inspiration but is still a desperate grind. It might help in certain areas to get you across the line but it is not to be relied on in the long run and will drain your energy, not give you more.
Discipline is the key to your success. Discipline is what creates and executes on habits and routines to get things done. Discipline doesn't drain energy, it gives energy. It takes the load off while allowing you to get things done. It also compounds. The more of it you use the more if you have. Unlike Motivation and determination which eventually run out discipline is the gift that keeps on giving. Discipline is what you use to get up and write at 4,5,or 6am. Discipline is what stops you doom scrolling when your meant to be working, discipline is what makes you edit with a keen eye and i could go on and on but I'll finish with my favourite quote from the Great Jocko Willink: Discipline equals freedom
Sharn: For me, none of them. It's more a combination of them (but not to the extreme). Also to maintain effort over an extended period of time, I think is more forming a habit that is the key. Turn working on your creative activity into a habit that just happens, rather than a dedicated activity. I’m still working on this.
Writer's block and how to unblock it:
Andy: I put this in here just because I wanted to highlight that I personally think getting stuck or writer's block is not because of the muse, but like we talked about last time is about not having the systems in place to gather inspiration.
Sharn: Short circuit the system, or shake things up. You need to ensure you are free to do other things. Turn your mind to other activities. Don’t let your creative task become all consuming, because that way failure lies.
Tired or just lazy
Sharn: I would say assess what is causing the issue. Usually you aren’t actually just lazy, there is a root cause of the resistance or the inability to do the task. Is it fear? Mine often is. Are you stressed and feeling pulled in different directions? If you are tired, be kind to yourself and ease up a bit on your schedule. Remember, progress is progress, so celebrate the tiny wins, and don’t be scared to adjust your plans/goals. To persist over a very long period of time with a task, you need to embrace having a deeper understanding of yourself and what affects your motivation/energy/etc.
Andy: Lack of discipline…. in listening to yourself.
You need to understand and know the difference. It’s ok to be tired and it's ok to be lazy. But if you are tired then go rest, if you are feeling lazy go do something that gives you energy or inspiration (see last podcast episode) BUT DO NOT just sit around feeling sorry for yourself in this horrible inbetween state. We have all done it and it's terrible. Just fess up and deal with the actual problem.
Final wrap up
Don't make me say it again: Consistency is King! And routine is his sexy latin mistress.
But seriously the best way to maintain energy in my opinion is to create systems/routines/habits that serve you and don't drain you. It's a marathon not a sprint so you need to look at it in the big picture not in the right now.
Final thoughts:
Take yourself and your creative venture seriously. It's amazing what it does for your mentality.
Embrace the task as a habit you just do automatically.
Don't get distracted by shiny things - finish something first.
Mix things up so it doesn't get stale.
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As always, we have a lot to do and a lot more to learn. Hope you all have fun following along as we improve our understanding and knowledge!
You can find this podcast episode (and all our other episodes) here: https://anchor.fm/invokecreations , or directly on your favourite streaming services.
NOTE: Everything discussed during the podcast is simply our own interpretation of information we come across as we research topics, or is commentary based on our own personal experiences. We highly encourage everyone to conduct their own research into topics of interest as information, especially in the technical space, changes regularly.
Music track featured this week was titled Tinkling and can be viewed/listened to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbOHWqeT3k
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As always, we’re off to put our bums on seats and do some work, so until next time stay dangerous!
Byeeeeeeeeee!
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