Todays edition marks 490 Days or 1.3 years of thinking about putting out an edition of this news letter. Consistency is the price of admission to most useful things in life. So we think?

The consistency bias, also known as the commitment bias, is believing one’s past and present attitudes are similar.

In other words, the consistency bias means we tend to think our attitudes and beliefs have changed less than they really have.

To get ahead of this, willfully work on changing your outcomes so you don't fall victim to this trap. This newsletter is an effort to change my own bias. To work on a better future than the past, and to shape better outcomes for those who lend this the time to consume it.

Examples of the commitment and consistency bias

What were your political views a decade ago?

Studies show we often assume things haven’t changed, when in fact they have. We continue to believe it's the same US, over decades, but it's not, to not fall in that trap, continually feed your mind soulful doses of content and information to be challenged.

New experiences don’t fall on a blank slate; we don’t merely record the things we see around us ‘as they are’ .

Everything we do, have done to us, think or experience, is affected by past thoughts and things that have already happened to us.

As a result we can’t help but put our own personal spin on our memories. Thus its useful to consistently add things to your current state of being by doing some thing new(er), consistently that adds to the bouquet of your memories and experiences.

The consistency bias is one of the most fascinating biases acting on our memories.

The finding is not that dissimilar to cognitive dissonance, that we will often reconstruct the past to make it more compatible with our current worldview. So instead of putting blinders on your views into a forming a world view between old biases and new ones, its productive to work on shaping your outcomes over time so that the truth is some where in the middle.

In simple terms give your self a fighting chance by consistently adding/doing things that challenge your biases but be consistent in feed your mind new data and information so that it has the ability to not just re-shape old memories but craft new and better experiences based on things you continue to do over time.

The simple example for me is that I now have a better understanding after a year of writing consistently(using a new medium) around the content people actually consume vs the content I think they would enjoy. Allowing me to actually know which newsletter will be more impactful and meaningful vs drawing on my standalone experiences alone (in the past)to think what it is people would actually want. It took me 23 news letters to be able to consistently draw up on the data of what works. Even though I had been writing a blog since 2015, it was not consistent viz a vi the output schedule and fell in to my own personal bias trap as I kept thinking it is quality long form content, so its ok if its irregular, I was consistent in that belief for years, till I wasn't; by writing this newsletter along side.

Outcomes (are what you make of them)

1. No one will do any thing for you.

2. You are your worst enemy if all you do is wish and don't act.

3. Your actions determine your luck.

4. Where you invest your time in your teens and twenties = Where you land up in your 30s and 40s

Golden Rules at least for me and I break them down as follows:

1. No one owes you any thing, so stop expecting people to contribute to your outcomes if you don't take the lead.

2. If you like and aspire to be like others, know this, besides a very few extremely lucky people every one else has to put in the hard work. Wishing is not = Hard work. Only hard work=hard work.

3. The harder you work the luckier you get, do not expect people who are doing well to apologize to you for their success just because given similar opportunities you squandered your time and energy.

4. This is my favorite and heres a story...(don't know if Ive shared this before)

In my teens, I had the opportunity to go to university in the US. As most international students, money was in short supply and graduating on/before time was a reality that was becoming true very quickly.The two options, go back to Pakistan or figure out a way to get work experience were really just one option. Stay back get some work and then see where it lands you. I distinctly remember, in my second semester attending the career fair on campus for internships and co-ops.

I stood in line over 2 days and met 30+ employers 4 said yes to a second interview/due to visa sponsorship issues. Out of the 4 One was GE. When I got in line, it was like 100 students ahead of me. GE was the Google of that era, most admired/biggest listed company in the world. So behind the line, I couldn't even see the front desk where the folks were doing screening. 2-3 hours later I get into visible distance of the desk, I see a sign that says "No foreign Nationals" I am now third in line and I stick in the line..

I go up to the screener, he reaches for my CV, I say to him"you cant help me" He's like why? I told him my sad story of being in line but being able to see the micro sign that says they don't sponsor foreign nationals. He goes "I'd still like to see it", I politely said "theres no point, Id rather save an additional copy, go apply somewhere where they can actually do some thing about it"

This guy without getting frustrated said, ok If I cant help you i'll return it. Turns out he's the global HR head of the business and he took it personally for being told by 19 year old that he's powerless to help. Any how he invites me a second interview the next day and says "let's see who can and can not help."

The next day I learnt the power of trying(even though I wasn't really trying to get a shot), but I learnt the most powerful lesson and realized the worse that can happen is some one can say no, but the best that can happen is a yes. The rest is history.

One New Thing (That I learnt recently)

Aeroflot Flight 593 was a regular passenger flight from Sheremetyevo International Airport, Moscow, Russia, to Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong. On 23 March 1994, the aircraft operating the route, an Airbus A310-304 flown by Aeroflot, crashed into the Kuznetsk Alatau mountain range in Kemerovo Oblast, killing all 63 passengers and 12 crew members on board. No evidence of a technical malfunction was found. But...some one changed the designated in-flight process...Heres what happened...

Cockpit voice and flight data recorders revealed the presence of the relief captain's 12-year-old daughter and 16-year-old son in the cockpit. While seated at the controls, the pilot's son had unknowingly partially disengaged the A310's autopilot control of the aircraft's ailerons. The autopilot then disengaged completely, causing the aircraft to roll into a steep bank and a near-vertical dive. Despite managing to level the aircraft, the first officer over-corrected when pulling up, causing the plane to stall and enter into a spin; the pilots managed to level the aircraft off once more, but the plane had descended beyond a safe altitude to initiate a recovery and subsequently crashed into the mountain range. All 75 occupants died on impact.

Boring Stuff that Scales

Getting an invincible mind set is something that scales all the time. Easier said than done. I read all kinds of content across the internet and offline. Recently I read a very simple/profound, fluff free piece on how to use the Navy Seal mindset in your own life.

Navy SEALs are the most elite warriors on earth.

How do they become that way?

By developing an unbreakable mindset.

What you should be watching

Chinese cyber-scam operations are stealing tens of billions of dollars from victims around the world.

But few realize that thousands of those perpetrating these frauds are victims too.

Young men and women are enslaved, tortured and forced to scam in countries like Cambodia.

In this documentary AJ investigates, Chinese cyber-slave syndicates operating in Cambodia and exposes the powerful and politically connected people protecting them. This is an eye opening story of how organized crime can destroy lives relying on technology.

Monetize your time

By reading a book (and learning long term marketing and its impact on growth,) not any ordinary book but one about a fast food chain. @ChickfilA will go down as one of the greatest companies of our lifetime. For you to be able to monetize your own time, some times its great to borrow the lessons that already exist out there.

The longtime chief marketing officer for Chick-fil-A tells the inside story of how the company turned prevailing theories of fast-food marketing upside down and built one of the most successful and beloved brands in America.

Key takeaways:

Wisdom begins with the question: why?

• A successful brand builds a foundation on relationships, relevance and reputation.

• The greatest influence on building a successful business and brand is its culture, which rises and falls on leadership.

• Build a brand around emotional value and not just transactional value.

• The most enduring brands are the brands that are endearing.

• @ChickfilA has an unwavering dedication to the individual customer experience.

• Rational generates transactions. Emotional creates “raving fans.”

So if you are going to invest your time in building some thing, lean on this vs other things.

Made in Pakistan (in the future)

Coffee is a multi billion dollar industry. With coffee, comes storage. You could put your coffee in a 2$ air tight box and forget about it, but there is a market for hand made artisanal storage boxes.

One such example from Turkey that retails on etsy at over a 140$ is this pretty number. To my mind take the lost art of the Paan Dan and morph it over to present times.

One last thing

Know you own worth. It's that simple. Stop bitching.