you aren't doing any real work

this one is gonna be controversial:

if you don’t produce a tangible output daily, you’re not doing anything.

maybe you think you’re an exception.

“some work takes a lot of time & effort behind-the-scenes to produce an output.”

that’s true.

but so is what i just said.

so please let me state my case.

-

what is work?

here’s what Google said:

technically, it’s correct.

but how do you define work operationally (i.e. by the actions that lead to it)?

testosterone Plato, aka Alex Hormozi, has a definition that i subscribe to:

i like this, because when you get specific about what exactly it means to ‘do work,’ it’s impossible to run away from one simple fact:

most of the work we do on a daily basis does not produce an output.

therefore,

most of the work we do on a daily basis is not actually work —

it’s just effort.

to be clear, effort without output is not necessarily a bad thing.

but it’s not work.

& if you’re somebody with big dreams that you’re trying to achieve, understanding the difference between work & effort is non-negotiable.

it’s worth mentioning that this is all fresh for me, & if i read this article a few weeks ago, i might’ve had a different perspective.

so what changed?

i started working.

this is day 11 of me doing daily uploads on YouTube.

i won’t even link the videos here because they’re honestly just bad.

but that’s kinda the whole point — i’ve given myself permission to show up & produce a tangible output (i.e. work) every single day.

the results have been incredible.

my channel isn’t growing, i’m not making more money, & i’m spending 1h+ each day that i could be using to work on my ‘real’ videos.

but here’s the thing:

when you show up & work every day — producing a real output — it adds concrete, indisputable proof for yourself that you are who you say you are.

there’s no going to bed at night & wondering, ‘could i have done more?’ or ‘how do i use my time better tomorrow?’

you either did the work or you didn’t.

so yes, there are obviously forms of work that cannot or should not be measured in terms of direct outputs.

but if you don’t have something that you can measure outputs from yet, i’d recommend finding one ASAP.

because here’s the thing that nobody told me:

the single greatest productivity hack is to just start producing something.

no amount of preparation or analysis can replace forward momentum.

that’s why i can confidently say borderline-ragebait shit like:

if you don’t produce a tangible output daily, you’re not doing anything.

it’s not because you aren’t trying.

it’s because you aren’t moving.

so move.

some things i learned

1. a simple way to determine what’s worth staying up late for

   

2. the richest graffiti artist ever
   in 2005, a graffiti artist was paid $60,000 to paint Facebook’s HQ. instead of receiving cash, he took his payment in stock. it’s now worth over $200,000,000.

3. 12th grade girls are now less likely than boys to say they want to get married
   that’s according to this study, at least. i don’t wanna jump to conclusions, but i’m pretty sure girls wanted to get married at all-time high rates when i was in grade 12 (; sorry ladies.

   

cool stuff i found

1. an actually good Black Friday deal on AI for students
   Google is offering 1 full year of their Gemini Pro subscription for students until December 9th. i graduated in April, but since my school login is still active, i was able to get it! this comes at a good time, since i think Gemini has finally overtaken ChatGPT as the best all-around LLM in the past few weeks. this deal makes it even more of a no-brainer for me.

2. a trap you might’ve fallen into

3. a table that Emma & i are loving
   after waiting a few months to find the perfect table within our budget, Emma & i finally decided to get IKEA’s Tonstad table. it can go from a comfortable table for 2 into a 4-6 seater (depending on how desperate you are lol). after about a week with it, i’d definitely recommend it for anyone living in a smaller space!
   

that’s all for this week!

the amount of readers has almost doubled in the past few months, & i couldn’t be more grateful.

i’m currently in the early stages of arguably the greatest lock-in i’ve ever done, & i have to say — i love it.

there’s no better feeling than waking up every day with a purpose & being on a mission to turn dreams into reality.

part of me is wondering if i’ll ever want this ‘chase’ to end.

idk.

i’ll cross that bridge when i get there lol.

go make yourself proud this week!

‘til next time.

~ liam (:

PS — in case you missed my free list of 10 books that changed my life, here’s the link! the feedback has been very very very positive so far & i’m so glad.