Barking Up the Wrong Tree
The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong
Ratings32
Average rating4.2
A little light on actual actionable advice, and I didn't like the first chapter, but otherwise it was interesting and worth the time to read.
Wonderful. Lots of good actionable insights. Only issue is occasionally odd stats, like “this will make you 6%.happier”. Highly recommended, regardless.
3.5/5 stars
Mostly enjoyable. Nothing really new here, but enjoyable. Probably the most important thing I learned and enjoyed was the section about self-confidence and how it should be more self-compassion than just delusional pride.
Main takeaways:
-Set goals
-Know yourself and what you want
- Connect with people and help each other out. Be friends.
- Volunteer two hours a week for more happiness
- Follow up and reach out to people
- Bad behavior works in the short term, but good behavior works in the long term.
- It's not a zero-sum game. All of us can succeed.
- Self-confidence should be self-compassion.
- WOOP: (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) Write down your wish, the outcome, any obstacles you may face, and how you'll overcome them
What is success? 1. Happiness 2. Achievement 3. Significance 4. Legacy
Quotes:
“Here's the problem: We love having choices. We hate making choices. Having choices means having possibilities. Making choices means losing possibilities. And having so many choices increases the chance of regret.”
“When you choose your pond wisely, you can best leverage your type, your signature strengths, and your context to create tremendous value. This is what makes for a great career, but such self-knowledge can create value wherever your choose.”
I did not succeed at loving the book, but the first half was interesting. After that it sort of fell off for me.
