Time to fun

For the next 5 minutes, let’s elevate your career.

In today’s email:

Will Wright, creator of the video game, The Sims, said, “Time to fun should be measured in seconds, not hours.”

Video game designers promote fun. Customers will spend close to USD 300 billion this year playing their games. People want play.

In our careers, we also value fun and playfulness.

It’s important to be serious about our work. But we don’t need to puff out our chests with self-importance when dealing with customers, suppliers, and colleagues.

People want connectedness and authenticity. We can choose to be friendly and playful. We can speed-up the time to fun.

In the age of AI, real human connection is even more valuable.

Analogue can beat digital. Smiles and warmth can beat chatbots.

If you consistently seek to connect with authentic warmth at work, you will out-compete most people. Your colleagues will value you. Clients will appreciate your chat.

Procasti-planning is when the act of planning becomes the reward.

Planning, and its associated sense of progress, can lead to the release of dopamine and serotonin.

These neurotransmitters can create a motivational boost. But they can also lead to feeling we've already succeeded, making us less likely to follow through with actual tasks.

The antidote to procasti-planning is to schedule actions to be performed the next day. Prioritize them. Have an accountability buddy if useful.

Winners execute.

Montaigne, the French philosopher, said, “A man is not hurt so much by what happens, as by his opinion of what happens.”

And our opinion of what happens is up to us.

Useful opinions are based on a growth mindset and emotional agility. Opinions that help us cope and move forward.

Naval Ravikant (1974 — ) is an Indian-American entrepreneur, investor, and philosopher. Born in New Delhi, he moved to the United States as a child and later graduated from Dartmouth College with degrees in computer science and economics. Ravikant is best known as the co-founder of AngelList, a platform that connected founders with early-stage capital. He has invested in more than 100 companies, including Twitter, Uber, and Yammer.

Ravikant is respected for his insights on wealth, happiness, and decision-making. His writings and podcast appearances provide practical wisdom. Naval’s popular essay, How to Get Rich (Without Getting Lucky), has inspired many entrepreneurs. His legacy continues to shape both startup businesses and how to live a meaningful life. Some of his career wisdom: