Thinking the article was too long, I was searching for mentions of "OSX", "Linux", "Windows" and not finding what I was looking for.

Then I noticed he wasn't talking about computer operating systems.

Sorry about that.

Next week I'll post a succinct article about switching to OpenBSD, and I'll title it, "Long interview about life and travel."

:-)

Hahaha.

Well I mean too long for me at the moment. I'll certainly give it a good read later when I have time.

Same. Thought it was going to be relevant to me because I'm considering trying OS X after 22 years in Windows. Article was a bunch of nonsense.

'But that feeling kind of scares me, because it’s like that thing when people get to a certain age and say “This is who I am. This is how I like my eggs. This is where I live.”'

This how I've been trying to live my life for the past seven or eight years, by tackling the fear head on.

Sometimes I've been successful and other times, not so much.

Never settle and never get comfortable. Thanks for the inspiring interview.

Slightly off topic, but one of my favorite episodes from that podcast actually aired right after Derek Siver's interview: http://foolishadventure.com/audio/write-compelling-copy-with...

It was definitely worth a listen and included a ton of practical tips on copywriting. The one that stuck with me the most was to "steal copy from your potential customers", for example, look up customers' Amazon reviews on your competitors to see how they're describing products.

She was also interviewed in an episode of TechZing http://techzinglive.com/page/857/153-tz-interview-joanna-wie... a year and a half ago.

I like the analogy (and, of course, the content which has been read and bookmarked!). I'm co-launching a business into this sphere next month, though with a niche focus on young women - not sure how the OS analogy will work but so many other tips are universally applicable.

> focus on young women

So you're co-launching a sect and become a sex-guru? ;)

No srsly, I've found that many people (not only young women) could need some help to get more self-esteem, curiosity (many are, but they think they're not allowed to be), orientation, focus, can-do mentality, so your business could be helpful.

Indirectly I do something similar. I give seminars (as a side business) on business apparel and experienced that the technical stuff (e.g., colour choice or sleeve length) is just a part, attitude is equally (or even more) important. And people (both men and women) often need someone (me in this case) who tells them that they're not that bad, that there are (mostly unwritten or not commonly known) rules out there that can be understood. That a lot of confusion can be reduced often with simple methods (i.e., complex things made simple and applicable).

My background in social simulation certainly helps to understand social dynamics and make those rules and how-to procedures minimal and explicit. E.g., parts of my approach are directly transfered from the theory of situated agents, where one is embedded within a (social) context, occupies a (social) position, has goals, which lead to the required actions. Shorter:

f(context, position, goals) -> actions.

In the case of my seminars, the actions are mostly clothing-related (e.g., dress like co-workers or dress like seniors?). But it's easily extendable.

Sorry, you didn't ask for this, I wrote it anyway. :)

I don't really get the whole self-help, personal-development thing, but maybe that's because when life starts to bore me or get stale I change it.

The conversation in the article reads like this guy is somewhat manic though.

Transcripts of interviews do tend to read a little over the top, however this chap does seem to have plenty of drive.

"If I say these two sentences. It would let them tell the relatives back in India that their daughter had a proper Muslim wedding. Means nothing to me, it means everything to them. So here we go."

Hope that one works out OK.

WOW. I'm not usually the type for self-help-guru-personal-development stuff at all --really-- but THIS interview knocked me outa my flip-flops. Must-read!

Great stuff @sivers, cheers from Phnom Penh :)

>"Reading lots of books. Lots of non-fiction books. Particularly a lot about psychology, behavioural economics, studies of happiness"

Mind sharing your top picks from that crop, sivers?

He goes into quite a bit of detail here: http://sivers.org/book

Yep ^ that's the link.

Those books are default sorted in order with my top recommendations at the top. A little blurb on each, then detailed notes inside.

If you haven't yet read Steven Pinker's book The Better Angels of our Nature, I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a long read, but the writing is crisp and often hilarious, and I challenge anyone to come away from it without a sizable dent in their worldview.

So, somewhere around 41:25:

(I know that this is Steven Pressfield's concept, but...) what's the difference between 'resistance' and procrastination?

Edit: I searched around and, from Pressfield himself: "Procrastination is the most common manifestation of resistance because it's the easiest to rationalize..." Looks like I have three more books to add to my reading list.

A similar mindhack on how to revert back to your "Last Known Working Configuration": http://zerotosuperhero.com/mindhack/find-your-lifes-last-kno...

Its good for uncovering unnoticed strengths and keystone habits.

Note: I'm firing up Zero to Superhero again, but excuse the blog as its still under construction.

Thanks! A good idea, simply expressed. I am way off from my last known working configuration, time to switch back.

Thanks for the kind words Graeme. Much more on the way.