If you’re doing a lot of activity, putting in a lot of hours, but you’re not feeling satisfied that you’re doing anything truly well, this episode is for you.

Today, we’re going to talk about quality.

Based on studying billionaires, craftsmen, obsessed writers, and the world’s most famous sushi chef, we’ll discuss the three steps to produce greater quality work that leaves us proud, successful, and fulfilled.

Timestamps

(00:03:23) Fulfillment and satisfaction in doing quality work

(00:12:13) Three steps to produce greater quality work

(00:13:03) Simplify

(00:25:44) Mind the details that matter

(00:32:50) How the world’s greatest jiu-jitsu coach achieves success

(00:38:07) Who’s in your value chain?

(00:47:36) Build something that can last forever

(00:50:05) Why the world’s greatest sushi restaurant lost its Michelin stars

(00:52:00) Quality over quantity

Links

 * Jiro Dreams of Sushi [https://www.amazon.com/Jiro-Dreams-Sushi-David-Gelb/dp/B008ODZEQ0]
 * Slow Productivity [https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Productivity-Accomplishment-Without-Burnout/dp/0593544854] by Cal Newport
 * Excellence Wins [https://www.amazon.com/Excellence-Wins-No-Nonsense-Becoming-Compromise/dp/0310352096/] by Horst Schulze
 * Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance [https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060839872/] by Robert Pirsig
 * The Future of the Responsible Company [https://www.amazon.com/Future-Responsible-Company-Learned-Patagonias/dp/1952338115/] by Vincent Stanley and Yvon Chouinard
 * Let My People Go Surfing [https://www.amazon.com/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman-Including-ebook/dp/B01A6EQFZ8/] by Yvon Chouinard
 * Raw Craft [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdg0QhLNc29XuXmmv5Vu__bfNUeZI76ve] video series
 * Nick and Zak’s Adventures in Capitalism [https://www.amazon.com/Nick-Zaks-Adventures-Capitalism-Partnership/dp/B09VWGKB3H/]
 * The Laws of Simplicity [https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Simplicity-Design-Technology-Business/dp/0262134721/] by John Maeda

Quality

Today you’ll learn how to achieve more with less effort using the power of focus.

We’ll discuss three categories of focus, each which builds on the next. We’ll review multiple models that help us decide what to focus on, including a 1,000-year-old concept from Japan.

From how a rock star became a PhD to Oprah Winfrey’s success to a rising value-investor who now manages hundreds of millions of dollars in assets, we’ll uncover powerful tools used by the world’s most successful people to better focus to produce incredible results.

As we’ll soon discuss, we have only around 4,000 weeks to live. We can’t create more time, but we can make the most of the time we do have.

Listen to this episode to learn how.

Timestamps

(00:01:52) Four Thousand Weeks

(00:04:48) Rock star to PhD

(00:05:33) Two paths a great life

(00:10:41) Three categories of focus

(00:13:10) Forced actions into automatic habits

(00:19:43) Ikigai

(00:22:55) Be OK with “chaos”

(00:28:32) Micro Focus

(00:31:47) Rebuilding your attention muscle

(00:32:07) “Success leaves clues”

(00:34:51) Do the most important thing first (“Granny’s Rule”)

(00:36:15) Prioritize prioritizing

(00:37:40) Limit technology usage

(00:41:10) Maker vs. manager

(00:47:39) Present Focus

(00:52:39) Building a 3X Inc 500 company with the power of focus

Links

 * Four Thousand Weeks [https://www.amazon.com/Four-Thousand-Weeks-Management-Mortals/dp/1250849357/]
 * Essentialism [https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137404/]
 * Free to Focus [https://www.amazon.com/Free-Focus-Productivity-System-Achieve/dp/0801093945/]
 * First Things First [https://www.amazon.com/First-Things-Stephen-R-Covey/dp/0684802031/]
 * Success Principles [https://www.amazon.com/Success-Principles-TM-Anniversary-Where/dp/0062364286/]
 * The One Thing [https://www.amazon.com/Surprisingly-Extraordinary-Results-bestselling-Paperback/dp/B08L589JK3/]
 * Focus by Daniel Goleman [https://www.amazon.com/Focus-Daniel-Goleman-audiobook/dp/B00EOX1L2A/]
 * Deep Work [https://www.amazon.com/NEW-Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/B09VQ2WZ4Y/]
 * Slow Productivity [https://www.amazon.com/Slow-Productivity-Accomplishment-Without-Burnout/dp/0593544854/]
 * Your Brain at Work [https://www.amazon.com/Your-Brain-Work-Revised-Updated/dp/0063076063/]
 * The Confident Mind [https://www.amazon.com/Confident-Mind-Battle-Tested-Unshakable-Performance/dp/006301484X/]
 * The Gap and the Gain [https://www.amazon.com/Gap-Gain-Achievers-Happiness-Confidence/dp/B09HN6GKNY/]
 * Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule [https://paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html]
 * Freedom app [https://freedom.to/]
 * Non-electronic headphones [https://www.amazon.com/3M-90565-4DC-PS-Pro-Grade-Earmuff/dp/B01MXYJ2QP/]
 * Silent Pocket phone sleeve [https://slnt.com/collections/faraday-phone-sleeves/products/faraday-cage-sleeves-for-phones]
 * iMac computer cover [https://www.amazon.com/Protect-Display-Computer-Screen-Protector/dp/B097XPGTWG/]

Focus

Serial entrepreneur Matt Clark dives deep into business and self-development topics to help you understand how to live a better, more successful, more fulfilling life, faster..

The Matt Clark Show