How to Win (At ANYTHING)

Here is the summarized key learning from the presentation:

• The main goal is to win and impress the future version of yourself, not anyone else.

• Winning is redefined as impressing the future version of yourself, not based on external comparisons.

• The presentation proposes five topics to cover for how to win:

  1. What to Do: Identify actions that would lead to losing and invert them to find what to do to win (invert, always invert). For example, if being unprepared leads to failure, being always prepared will contribute to success.
  2. How to Do It: Break down tasks into the simplest steps possible. The presentation argues that the level of detail in instructions is key and that the right skills lead to proper execution.
  3. Why to Do It: Addresses both external conditions (like sticking with something despite hard times) and internal ones (like motivation stemming from deprivation and comparing yourself to who you want to be).
  4. Who You Need to Become: The speaker suggests that "being" is a product of "doing." We define people by their actions, and identities are just descriptions of consistent actions. So, to become someone, do what they do.
  5. When to Start: Begin when you're busiest as it ensures that any change in behavior will be sustainable even when you're busy in the future. Additionally, if you are waiting for a “perfect time,” you may never get started.

• Learning is about changing behavior when confronted with the same condition. Intelligence is the speed at which you adapt and learn in these situations.

• Confidence comes from repetition and success in the past; it is the probability that an action will lead to success.

• The process of motivation can be seen as addressing a gap between current state and desired state. We feel motivated to close that gap.

• To sustain motivation and achieve transformation, one should compare themselves to the person they want to be, not to others.

• Traits like charisma are actually a collection of smaller skills grouped together.

• The process of growth and winning is continuous and requires consistent action over time. It’s about outlasting challenges, not just "reaching" success.

• The "work works on you" principle: by doing the work, you inherently change and improve yourself.

• In essence, to win at anything, follow these steps:

  1. Focus on actions that lead to success.
  2. Turn these into positive and actionable steps.
  3. Implement them consistently.
  4. Start now and adjust behaviors to match those of the successful future version of you.