Issue #59: 04.20.25
Welcome to Life: Under Construction, a fortnightly newsletter focused on growth and creativity, wealth and wellness.
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What’s happening?
I’m late writing today’s issue.
I’ve been preoccupied this past week. A bit distracted. A bit disorganized.
Feeling a bit disappointed, too.
It’s hard to get the words out. Hard to get ideas flowing.
And whatever I create—a blog post, a video, this newsletter—it’s not as good as I envisioned it.
I know it can be better.
I should want it to be better, right?
What’s wrong with wanting to create great work? What’s wrong with pushing yourself to level up?
This got me thinking…
- About trying too hard
The harder you try, the harder it gets. And the harder it gets, the easier it is to avoid.
⇨ Less force. More flow. - About overthinking
The best ideas are built up on the backs of bad ideas. The best work comes from the cringe-worthy work.
⇨ Quality requires quantity—don’t care too much too early, don’t judge too often too soon. - About meeting expectations
Do great work. Meet the deadline. Get the results. They expect it from you, you expect it from yourself.
⇨ That’s a lot of pressure. Set your standards and own them. But don’t be owned by them.
You could say this is about acceptance, knowing you always end up last if you’re never satisfied with second.
You could say this is a reminder to be patient, to trust the process.
What it’s really about is purpose.
- Purpose keeps you coming back to the work
- Purpose keeps you moving forward
- Purpose fuels you
Whatever your purpose is, it must matter more than the reward.
There has to be pleasure in the pain of pursuit.
Here are 15 things you might find interesting.
Some words
Age Quod Agis (Latin): Do what you are doing—be present in the moment; be intentional about your attention; be absorbed in the task at hand.
Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
– Chinese proverb
“Everyone dreams big until they see the price tag.”
– Shane Parrish, Brain Food
Some wonder
- The art of finding what you didn’t know you were looking for
- The art of breaking through with a better mix
- The art of ‘unreasonable creativity’
Some wealth
- The analog productivity system: journaling for every season of life
- Look out for number one with your personal board of directors
- No such thing as free lunch: the hidden debts of life
Some wellness
- The comedown effect: understanding the emotional aftermath of achievement
- Beware of the ‘reverse causality’ in mental health
- 3 expert strategies for overcoming self-doubt
Some work
- The Davis Daily: Paying the price—opportunity costs and trade offs
- Spec work: Sample headlines for Gagnon Sports
- Dose of D: Procrastination in disguise
That’s a wrap. I hope you found something interesting.
Keep building.
~
Cory B. Davis
The Davis Daily 