David Joyce Special on bending the world, humility, coaching and happiness

sent by Nick Grantham | 26th October 2021

"Whatever can be sought for can be caught, whatever is neglected slips away."

Sophocles, 429BC

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I read Oedipus Rex in high school, and this line has always stuck with me. It speaks to the power that a high level of intention has. The highest performers I know act to make a dent in the world and pursue their purpose with uncommon energy and dedication. Even if they don't achieve everything they set out to in the first place, it's evident that the world bends towards people who act with a sense of mission in the long run.

Source: Sophocles, 429BC


"The nature of science is that it is not settled - all our knowledge is tentative and provisional."

John Kay and Mervyn King

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The introduction to Radical Uncertainty by John Kay and Mervyn King is instructive. It reminds us to remain grounded with humility about what we 'know' at the moment and have empathy for mistakes in the past. In most cases, we are making decisions based on what information we have on hand right now. Some do this better than others, of course, but remaining humble that despite us acting in accordance with state-of-the-art science now, future generations will examine what we are doing in 2021 and think that we were in the dark ages.

Source: Radical Uncertainty by John Kay and Mervyn King


"Skateboarders don't improve because of instruction, they improve because of the ground."

Rett Larson

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Coaching is one of the world's most noble and valuable professions, and yet many times, a bruised knee (and ego) will teach more than a thousand coaches. The best coaches act as a “more knowledgeable other”, but this doesn't mean showing off this knowledge by delivering a speech. Often it is about curating a task such that the environment is the teacher. This is true mastery.

Source: High-Performance Training For Sports, 2nd Edition by David Joyce and Daniel Lewindon


"Happiness is the state you enter when you no longer want to change your state."

James Clear

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In my opinion, this is the best book going regarding habit formation because it examines the topic through the lens of identity and emotions. James discusses so many tools, and I like the angles he drives regarding using the power of emotions to drive behaviour change. For example, I've often thought about happiness, and I love this line because it conjures images of calmness, presence, and contentedness.

Source: Atomic Habits by James Clear


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