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1-Page Summary of The Achievement Habit

Introduction

Design thought is a process that helps us solve problems. It’s not a fixed doctrine, but rather an approach to solving problems. There are five steps in this process:Empathize with the problem and see it from others’ perspectives; Define the problem, be honest about your true desires; Brainstorm solutions; Prototype those solutions into actionable plans; Test and get feedback on your ideas

Nothing Is What You Think it Is

Nothing has meaning. That may sound depressing, but it’s also a key insight from the book The Achievement Habit. This can be an extremely positive realization because we don’t have to accept everything that happens in our lives as absolute. We can change how we view things and make them mean something different than they did before.

Try this: Look around the room you’re in and say out loud that everything has no meaning. For example, “the chair has no meaning,” or “my laptop has no meaning.” This is liberating because you can apply it to people as well. Your partner may mean something to you, but they don’t have a predetermined purpose for existing. They are meaningful because we assigned them that role.

People tend to have a narrow perspective of the world. However, if you see things from different angles, you can change your view and therefore change yourself.

Reasons Are Bullshit

We all make excuses for our actions. We’re late to work because we didn’t set the alarm clock correctly, and miss family get-togethers because of work.

If you’re late to meetings, it’s not because of traffic. It’s because you didn’t prioritize the meeting enough. You know that rush hour is bad so why don’t you leave earlier or take a different route? Eventually, you’ll learn that traffic isn’t really the problem; it’s your priorities.

Excuses are a license for destructive and counterproductive behaviors. They make us content with far less than we’re capable of achieving. Excuses serve as little security blankets that make us feel good about ourselves despite the fact that we’re not doing what we know is right. “Well shucks, I sure would like to do x, y, or z but there are so many reasons why I can’t.”

Excuses prevent action. They make us think, rethink and rethink again; when we should be doing something instead.

Getting Unstuck

“Design thinking” emphasizes the importance of asking questions. You may get stuck because you ask the wrong questions, and you may even think that there are no answers to those particular questions.

John is having problems with his car, so he buys new tools and tries to fix it himself. He realizes that this isn’t going to work, so he goes out and buys a new car instead.

John was asking the wrong question. He asked how to fix his car, but he should have been thinking about a broader solution: How could he get to work? That would open up more solutions than fixing his car.

We often make the same mistakes in life. We find solutions to problems and then treat those solutions as if they were the problem itself. For example, John needs to be honest with himself about what his real problem is, rather than treating it like a puzzle that he can solve by finding one right answer. He should be open-minded about changing his question and avoid getting stuck on the first solution that comes to mind. How does he do this? By thinking like a designer and imagining what his problem is really all about, instead of just looking for quick fixes or sticking with outdated methods. He must also be honest about what he wants out of life and think creatively when proposing new ideas for solving problems.