As we attempt to discover new algorithms to solve for the progressive dismantling of our economies and lives. Adapt to the eerie silence in the streets and the emptiness of closed business premises; We all know that our lives are going to be changed forever. I Hope we create a more elevated existence, a more sustainable relationship with our environment and a more respectful connection between people
We're prone to thinking that life is improved by addition.
A new house will make our life better. A new friend will add excitement. A new car will make me happier. A new idea will make us smarter.
Instead of addition, try subtraction.
Remove a negative relationship from your life.
Cancel one subscription.
Drop a mindset that is holding you back.
Stop adding things and start removing what's holding you back.
Thought-provoking...
“Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.”
— Dwight D. Eisenhower
The army version is:
Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. There is a great distinction because when you are planning for an emergency you must start with this one thing: the very definition of “emergency” is that it is unexpected, therefore it is not going to happen the way you are planning.
The details of a plan which was designed years in advance are often incorrect, but the planning process demands the thorough exploration of options and contingencies. The knowledge gained during this probing is crucial to the selection of appropriate actions as future events unfold.
Why the best laid plans often fail
The conjunctive events bias makes us underestimate the effort required to accomplish complex plans. Most plans don’t work out. Things almost always take longer than expected. There are always delays due to dependencies. As Max Bazerman and Don Moore explain in Judgment in Managerial Decision Making, “The overestimation of conjunctive events offers a powerful explanation for the problems that typically occur with projects that require multistage planning. Individuals, businesses, and governments frequently fall victim to the conjunctive events bias in terms of timing and budgets. Home remodelling, new product ventures, and public works projects seldom finish on time.”
Plans don’t work because completing a sequence of tasks requires a great deal of cooperation from multiple events. As a system becomes increasingly complex, the chance of failure increases. A plan can be thought of as a system. Thus, a change in one component will very likely have impacts on the functionality of other parts of the system. The more components you have, the more chances that something will go wrong in one of them, causing delays, setbacks, and fails in the rest of the system. Even if the chance of an individual component failing is slight, a large number of them will increase the probability of failure.
Imagine you’re building a house. Things start off well. The existing structure comes down on schedule. Construction continues and the framing goes up, and you are excited to see the progress. The contractor reassures you that all trades and materials are lined up and ready to go. What is more likely:
The building permits get delayed. Even though other elements are potentially scheduled, nothing can happen without the permit. Inevitably one by one the plan fall apart
So you don’t worry about the building permits and never imagine that their delay will impact the electrical. When the permits do get delayed you have to pay the electrician for the week he can’t work, and then have to wait for him to finish another job before he can resume yours.
Thus, the more steps involved in a plan, the greater the chance of failure, as we associate probabilities to events that aren’t at all related. That is especially true as more people get involved, bringing their individual biases and misconceptions of chance.
Wisdom/What I'm reading...
Over the past few weeks I have become increasingly captivated by Spoken word poetry. It is so much more explanatory than simple audiobooks/ podcasts.
Spoken Word Explained..
These days poetry is a lot more than Shakespeare sonnets and posh accents. Led by ambassadors like George the Poet and In Q (both featured here) The world of spoken word poetry is delivered in a variety of styles and often involves collaboration of other art forms like, music, rap and dance. It is used to tell the stories of the artist in a very provocative and exciting manner, which ensures a much deeper understanding and appreciation for the topic being explored. It is straight to the point and entertaining.
I have listed a few examples and artists to demonstrate the power of listening and learning through this art form.
In Q, a spoken word artist, is a National Poetry Slam champion, award-winning poet. He is the first spoken word artist to perform with Cirque Du Soleil. He’s inspired audiences around the world through his live performances and storytelling workshops. Many of his recent poetry videos have gone viral with over 70 million views combined.
Ultimately IN-Q writes to entertain, inspire, and challenge his audiences to look deeper into the human experience and ask questions about themselves, their environment, and the world at large.
His latest book is exceptional.
Inquire Within shines a light on our lives and brings peace and inspiration in these uncertain times. Rhythmic. Original. Authentic. Inspiring. A journey to the centre of the soul, Inquire Within is a provocative and entertaining debut from an award-winning poet. You'll never look at poetry the same way again.
Get your copy of Inquire Within here
Prefer podcasts? Click here
George The Poet
Is a London-born spoken word performer of Ugandan heritage. His innovative brand of musical poetry has won him critical acclaim both as a recording artist and a social commentator.
"I rejected MBE over 'pure evil' of British empire"
- George the Poet
The spoken word artist George the Poet has said he was offered an MBE, but turned it down because of the “pure evil” perpetrated by the British empire.
The poet, whose real name is George Mpanga, said he would not accept such an honour until the UK took meaningful steps to mitigate some of the consequences of its colonial history.
Speaking on his BBC podcast, Have You Heard George’s Podcast?, he said he declined the award in May 2019.
“Your forefathers grabbed my motherland, pinned her down and took turns. They did that every day for a couple hundred years and then left her to treat her own burns. Now all of her children are born with a set of unique concerns and gaps in the information that we really do need to learn and none of us know why, why we got absorbed by a ‘higher entity’, why I have
Have you heard George's Podcast - click here
Catch an eye here
Widget of the Week...
This weekend, get lost in the New Earth Time-lapse:
A global, zoomable time-lapse video that lets anyone explore the last 35 years of our changing planet’s surface—from the global scale to the local scale
Time-lapse provides a comprehensive picture of our changing Earth—including stunning phenomena like the sprouting of Dubai’s Palm Islands, the retreat of Alaska’s Columbia Glacier and the impressive urban expansion of Las Vegas, Nevada
Google Earth
Google Earth’s time lapse satellite maps capture the drastic changes the planet’s surface has undergone over the past 35 years. Each time-lapse comprises 35 cloud-free pictures.
Three different satellites acquired 15 million images over the past three decades. The majority of the images come from Landsat, a joint USGS/NASA Earth observation program.
Deforestation, urban growth, and natural resource extraction are just some of the human patterns and impacts that can be visualised.
I Invite you to spend a few precious moments getting lost in time… Discover a special destination, your birth place or a hidden treasure you want to visit. This is the best way to take a journey in time and space from the comfort and safety of your home.
My favorite:
Urban Growth: Cairo, Egypt
The present-day location of Cairo has been a city for more than 1,000 years, and its constrained urban footprint is now bursting at the seams thanks to Egypt’s population growth. A new city is being built in the nearby stretch of desert land (agricultural land is scarce) that will one day replace ancient Cairo as Egypt’s capital. If the government’s ambitious plans are realised, this desert boomtown could have a population of over 6 million people.
See you next week...