First principles thinking. Aristotle got it right if Musk and the likes of it swear by it and have results to show for it. What is it?

A first principle is a foundational proposition or assumption that stands alone. We cannot deduce first principles from any other proposition or assumption.

Aristotle, writing on first principles, said:

Later he connected the idea to knowledge, defining first principles as “the first basis from which a thing is known.”

Musk is a firm believer in what he calls "first principles thinking," or focusing solely on the basic truths and constraints of whatever field he's working in, and building up from there.

This may be second nature to Musk, but not easy for the rest of us. Our brains has bugs and flaws, like giving a shit about what others think or say or do. We get emotional, fear others' judgment, or simply screw up our mental math. But there likely is a way you could train for better outcomes? How? By being more aware of cognitive biases. Our dear friend Mr. Musk tweeted a list of 50. In the new year, if you do one thing(positive) for your mental health, take a look at this list.

Outcomes

Your outcomes are only as good as your actions. In the new year if you want to enhance your outcomes, think of weekend projects that you can do to enhance your outcomes. Find a problem and work on them over the weekend.

Get some inspiration.

Kat Norton is a Microsoft Excel influencer. She has over a million followers on TikTok and Instagram, where she goes by the name Miss Excel, and she’s leveraged that into a software training business that is now generating up to six figures of revenue a day. That’s six figures a day. And she’s only been doing this since June 2020.

Any thing is possible if you try hard enough. She's doing 6 figure days. Its all about trying, putting your self out there, if you have the conviction you can achieve it.

It all started on TikTok!!! I hope this inspires at least one person to put themselves out there too🙏❤️ — www.tiktok.com

"It all started on TikTok!!! I hope this inspires at least one person to put themselves out there too🙏❤️". Do It To It.

Its you choice to select the medium, the content, the skill. The moral of the story is, the internet provides non-conventional ways and means to monetize skills. Give it a shot, try some thing new, work weekends to hone your skills till you are ready for prime time. Then take a shot at it, your outcomes will not change if all you do is wish and plan, its time to execute and roll out.

One New Thing (That I Learnt today)

There is a daring Canary Islands folk sport known as the 'shepherd's leap', with enthusiasts pole-jumping down sharp cliffs and rocky terrain.

• Traditionally known as Salto del pastor, shepherd's leap has been practised for centuries in the Canaries 

• Participants use a lance, also known as a regaton, and different hand positions to traverse hills and cliffs 

This got me thinking, we all have our Shepard's leaps, whats yours? Whats the biggest risk you have taken or take daily, just because its not documented is it any less or more than this ancient tradition? Are your outcomes impacted for better or for worse based on your Shepard's leaps.

Boring stuff that Scales

If you work for money, then you're doing it wrong. Easier said than done but there is a method to the madness.

Work for a purpose:

- Work to learn

- Work to grow

- Work to scale

- Work to empower

- Work to build

Protect your purpose and your purpose will protect you. This protection scales. When you protect the cause, the cause protects you.

What scales in life is delayed gratification. To think like the rich, you have to operate like the rich.

Giving up some thing today for a better outcome later, scales well.

At the core it results in Self-control which can typically yield a higher-income by having improved savings and thus lead to increased fulfillment which in turn impacts positive emotional health. Have a purpose, stick to it.

What you should be reading & watching

On the afternoon of November 24, 1971, a nondescript man calling himself Dan Cooper approached the counter of Northwest Orient Airlines in Portland, Oregon. He used cash to buy a one-way ticket on Flight #305, bound for Seattle, Washington. Thus began one of the great unsolved mysteries in FBI history.

Cooper was a quiet man who appeared to be in his mid-40s, wearing a business suit with a black tie and white shirt. He ordered a drink—bourbon and soda—while the flight was waiting to take off. A short time after 3:00 p.m., he handed the stewardess a note indicating that he had a bomb in his briefcase and wanted her to sit with him.

The stunned stewardess did as she was told. Opening a cheap attaché case, Cooper showed her a glimpse of a mass of wires and red colored sticks and demanded that she write down what he told her. Soon, she was walking a new note to the captain of the plane that demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in twenty-dollar bills.

When the flight landed in Seattle, the hijacker exchanged the flight’s 36 passengers for the money and parachutes. Cooper kept several crew members, and the plane took off again, ordered to set a course for Mexico City.

Somewhere between Seattle and Reno, a little after 8:00 p.m., the hijacker did the incredible: He jumped out of the back of the plane with a parachute and the ransom money. The pilots landed safely, but Cooper had disappeared into the night and his ultimate fate remains a mystery to this day.

Monetize your time

By enabling status. WTF is that? Identifying opportunities that allow you to help people show off their wealth or status.

There is a simple service called Cleanmybins.com

CleanMyBins.com — www.facebook.com

Who doesn't love a good before and after?

What's even more amazing is how good they smell! After each cleaning we leave your bins with your choice of Lemon Lime or Spring Linen deodorizer.

You think they’re in the trash bin cleaning business but they really in the biz of helping rich people show off! If you are going to work on an idea that scales and spend your time in trying to monetize the outcomes, get into a vertical or build one that helps people "show status as a service"

Made in Pakistan

Unbeknownst to many, Pakistan is home to the world's second largest salt reserves, found in district Jhelum of the Punjab province.

The Khewra Salt Mines, as they are called, are located about 160 kilo meters south of Islamabad, at the foothills of the Salt Range to the north of the Jhelum city of Pind Dadan Khan.

The world over, pink salt is being imported from Pakistan & bottled and finished as a value add and being sold at astronomical rates. For us to get into the finished product mind set, we must first learn to appreciate and understand what we have. Heres a great pictorial review of the salt mines.

Like the Thai governments initiative to preserve and promote Thai food, it's time we controlled the sale of Pink Salt and setup a government body around it. It's a huge segment for startups to play in. May not be tech driven or sexy but it genuinely has the potential to be a multi 100m$ business.

One last thing

In a straightforward and accessible manner, The Dhandho Investor lays out the powerful framework of value investing. Written with the intelligent individual investor in mind, this comprehensive guide distills the Dhandho capital allocation framework of the business savvy Patels and presents how they can be applied successfully to the stock market. The Dhandho method expands on the groundbreaking principles of value investing expounded by Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett, and Charlie Munger. This is an interesting talk by the author incase you don't end up reading the book. From Uganda to USA with love a history of the model.