After my last notes on <a href="https://onye.io/post/notes-on-deep-work-1">Deep Work</a>, I was completely sold and decided to work on increasing my capacity for deep work. Here is a quick summary of my activities and noticed progress.
<h4>Activities</h4>
<ul>
<li>I quit all social media except LinkedIn (but my LinkedIn usage is very reduced).</li>
<li>I now measure my screen time and activities — I spend more time on Notes, Kindle, Bible, Apple Books, Spotify (Podcasts), and YouTube.</li>
<li>I’ve been meditating a lot (reading the Bible 3 or 4 times a day).</li>
<li>I time-blocked my calendar (not so easy to adhere to, though).</li>
<li>I schedule my shallow work activities mostly when I am tired and feel less productive.</li>
<li>My wife helped organize the environment to facilitate deep work.</li>
<li>Tiny micro-improvements: I now group my tabs and try to work within one context.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Improvements</h4>
<ul>
<li>I feel more in control of my life and mind, quite unperturbed by the activities of the world; turns out the world is so beautiful and can be quite serene.</li>
<li>Spending quality time with my wife and loved ones. ♥️</li>
<li>I have been reading and studying a lot recently. I am about to finish a 700-page book! 😁</li>
<li>I feel like I have more time on my plate.</li>
</ul>

45 Days After Reading Deep Work

In order to make a certain amount of wealth and build something great, something I'm beginning to learn is you need to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Buy-Future-Learning-Negotiate-Present/dp/1562291904">buy the future</a> (I'm borrowing that from Mensa Otabil). Business is all about dealing with the future. You have to conceptualize the future or have foresight and a vision about what the future is going to look like, and work in the present to get there.
To look at some examples, look at Amazon. Before Amazon.com, there was the internet boom. Jeff Bezos saw that the internet usage was growing at 2,300% per year and he began to think of the future. He was trying to conceptualize and visualize what such a world would need, and he picked his own industry in the e-commerce lane. eBay picked buying and selling or auctioning, but Amazon picked actually selling. It was about buying the future, being able to conceptualize something, not the present, and working with grit and patience towards the future.
It's not going to be an easy road. You're going to have to face uncertainties, competition, doubts, pressure, economic shocks. You would have to cultivate a growth mindset to learn. You're going to have to try multiple ideas. Some ideas are going to work and some are not going to work; some would need to be cultivated or evolve to something else, but it is essentially about the future, a dream, and a vision, and being able to work tirelessly towards that.

Business is about the Future

“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” — Thomas Edison
The above quote is from Thomas Edison after he invented the light bulb, which cost him over 1,000 experiments before he found success. Sometimes, I ponder why he didn’t give up after a few tries. What kept him going, and why did he respond to these events differently? Why wasn’t he discouraged? Why didn’t he just do something else?
The quote answers that: he didn’t see each trial as a failure, but as a success in learning what would not work. The way he viewed these failed trials made him persistent and tenacious. His mental fortitude emanated from his perspective. Edison didn’t refuse to give up just for the sake of giving up, but because of his perspective on each failed attempt. He never saw the events themselves as failures, so he never quit.
We act because we think, and our perspective—our philosophy—shapes our thoughts. Our perspective is the way we see things; it is our mental view of people and events. So much of our background, culture, experiences, and relationships influence our perspective, which in turn influences our actions and judgment. For example, a farmer may respond differently to the rain than an outdoor salesman, members of the same sport teams might react differently to a loss.
I believe our outcomes are largely determined by our actions, our actions are based on our thoughts, and our thoughts are shaped by our perspective. This got me thinking: given that our perspective has such a role in our outcomes, it then means to change our results, we must change our perspective. It is our responsibility to find a perspective that keeps us growing, encouraged, motivated, and inspired. As humans, I believe we are capable of changing our perspective; growth comes from within.
Find a perspective that makes you see yourself as someone capable of growing and becoming better regardless of circumstances. It’s more about what goes on inside than what’s happening outside. See problems as opportunities; see challenges as stepping stones; see not trying as the only true failure. See trying and failing as a path to success and training as a path to greatness. See the gym as a way to a healthy and beautiful body. See the hard and difficult path as the way to abundance, and the broad, easy way as the way to ruin.
Change your perspective about your mistakes, your past, your traumas, and your regrets. Change your perspective about pain and suffering and use them to be better. Find a perspective that forces you to come back, to rise again, to try one more time, and to be wiser, stronger, healthier, and excellent.

Change Your Perspective

Voraciously make the most of yourself. That is the way you help the world: by making the most of yourself.
Today, I had an apple, and this apple was so sweet and tasty. It got me thinking about the source of the apple, which is the apple tree. The apple tree developed itself so greatly that its fruit was that sweet. It protected and competed for resources, grew, flourished, nourished itself, protected itself, and kept developing. And I tasted one such magnificent and scrumptious fruit.
There is a lesson here. All of nature moves for excellence. They are selfish when it comes to their growth, as a human should be. The sun doesn’t stop shining because of the shared darkness in space; it shines more. Everything in nature develops itself, and we benefit from the fruits of such work.
What this means is that you have to voraciously and ferociously guard your growth and your life. Give of the fruits of your development, not the seed. Selflessness is nothing but foolishness.
This is what Wallace D. Wattles meant when he said extreme altruism is just as dangerous as extreme selfishness. The best way to help the world is to make the most of yourself.
When you develop yourself and grow, more people will benefit from your life just by your shared growth.
The tree focuses on its growth from its seedling stage. As a plant, because it grows, it becomes a house in the future for all manner of creatures, a restaurant, a relaxation spot, a protector, a guard. All because it has made the most of itself.
So do not sacrifice stupidly. Sacrifice for your future and become better. The best you can do for anyone is to become better for yourself.
Never ever diminish your greatness or yourself for anyone. And never allow anyone to either.
Think about it. Newton, pursuing his curiosity, gave the world such astounding understanding and value. The same goes for Steve Jobs, Sam Walton, Jeff Bezos, Julius Caesar, and Alexander the Great.
Now, I do not say these men were in any way perfect, but that is my point. They pursued their desires and endured the pain and hardship, and we still benefit, at the very least, from their tales.
Guard your development selfishly. Focus on yourself. Become great. Your fruits will benefit the world.
Become an inspiration, just like this apple tree has through its fruit.
Wow, such a profound lesson in nature.

Guard Your Growth Selfishly

Happen to life!
Life is better, 
Sweeter, 
More fulfilling, 
And more enjoyable 
When you are happening to it, 
When you are shaping it, 
When you are participating in it, 
When you are making it, 
When you are molding it.
It's better to be on the difficult path, 
To be on the climb, 
Than to stand still 
At the bottom of the mountain, 
Wondering how long it's going to take.
Happen to life!
The number one ethos of my life is activity— 
An active approach to life.
Not just waiting around 
For things to happen, 
But happening to things, 
Ensuring that things happen 
In every ramification of my life:
In my habits, 
My behavior, 
My mannerisms, 
My character, 
And my thoughts.
Happen to life!
Passivity is evil. 
Do not wait around. 
Do not overthink.
It is even better to make the wrong choice 
Than to make no choice.
At least you learn from the wrong choice; 
You learn nothing from making no choice.
To just stand and wait 
For things to happen 
Is completely weak and powerless.
Such a life is filled with complaints, 
Nagging, 
Resentment, 
And bitterness.
Enjoy the climb.
Don't sit down there 
And wait for someone 
Or something else 
To come and solve your problems.
Start solving your problems.
As your circle of influence increases, 
Solve the next one.
Happen to life!
Reality can be shaped.
Reality is a beautiful woman, 
Willing to converse with you, 
Willing to have conversations with you, 
And willing to negotiate with you.
Develop high agency.
Happen to life!
Don't complain. 
Don't worry about things 
Like the government, 
The economy, 
Or the pandemic.
Whatever is going on, 
If you don't have control over it, 
It is not a problem. 
It is no problem at all.
Waste no time nagging. 
Waste no time complaining.
Happen to life!

Happen to Life!

Last year, 2025, I was a top listener (top 2%) for the <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1gqvQ7h7BxNSVoQVTnwihr">How to Take Over the World podcast</a> according to my Spotify Wrapped. HTTOTW is a podcast by Ben Wilson covering biographies of the greats—people like Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, etc.
Aside from the general topic, which aligns with my interests, I particularly like the way the creator, Ben Wilson, narrates and presents each episode. He speaks excellently, makes no assumptions when communicating, and is very detailed yet relatable in his speech. He provides rich enough context regardless of the time in history, making it easier for me to properly understand the story. Each episode is filled with a balance of seriousness, enthusiasm, sadness, and humor. I also love the background sounds he occasionally adds to capture the seriousness or intensity of an event, which makes it compelling.
I also like that he cites his sources and succinctly separates his thoughts or “endnotes” as he calls them, from the main narrative. All of this makes his podcast pleasant to the ears; i just keep coming back for more and more.

I Love HTTOTW

If I built my identity around battle scars and glory, 
what happens to my identity when I meet someone with more scars than I have? 
Do I feel less? Do I compare?
If I built my identity on my beauty, 
what happens to my identity when I get a scar? 
Could that be why I dread adventure?
If I built my identity on the amount I had in the bank, 
what happens when money loses value? 
Could that be why I am scared to spend and enjoy it?
If I built my identity on my consumption and possessions, 
what happens when I have no money to consume as much? 
Could that be why I buy things I don't need to impress people and feel valued?
If I build my identity on the quality of my relationships, 
what happens to me when people change? 
Could that be why I am always agreeable to the people I love?
If I built my identity on my stubbornness, 
how do I feel when I am following? 
Could that be the reason for my disagreeableness?
If I built my identity on my intelligence, 
what happens when I meet people far more intelligent than I am? 
Do I view myself as inferior to them? 
Could that be why I am scared to ask questions, so I don't seem dumb?
If I built my identity on my career, 
what happens to my identity when my career is threatened? 
Is that why I am so defensive toward change and progress?
If I built my core identity on my ability to communicate well, 
what happens to my identity when I make a mistake, falter, or misunderstand? 
Could that be the reason for my shyness?
If I built my identity on my strength, 
what happens when a stronger person shows up? 
Do I view them as superior?
If I built my identity on my achievements and accomplishments, 
what happens when I fail at something? 
Could that be why I am not willing to take risks?
If I built my identity on human promises, 
what happens to me when they break them? 
Could that be why I don't trust?
My identity is built on what God said. 
He is love, everlasting and reliable; 
regardless of my failures and weaknesses, 
He calls me His own.

If I Built My Identity

<blockquote>
“If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you must keep moving forward” - Martin Luther King, jr
</blockquote>
Don’t underestimate the little steps or get frustrated or discouraged. We can achieve our dreams and be that person we’ve always wanted to be;it's possible. When the morale is low, when we are at our lowest, when we've messed up, when we miss that deadline, when we've failed, when we are down, when we feel rejected, when recession hits, we must keep advancing regardless. We must take the least possible steps in the direction we are going.
Stopping doesn't solve anything; regrets only escalate the sense of failure, guilt traps and retards us, blaming fuels the problem.
Keep moving. Even if it’s an inch, move! 
<ul>
<li>Do 10 pushups(if you can’t, do 1)</li>
<li>Eat that apple or salad.</li>
<li>Make that call.</li>
<li>Render that apology.</li>
<li>Write one paragraph.</li>
<li>Read one page.</li>
<li>Study for 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Apply for that job one more time.</li>
</ul>
Make a commitment to not be where you were yesterday.
<blockquote>
“We overestimate what we can do in a short amount of time, and underestimate what we can do in a long period of time” - Craig Groeschel
</blockquote>
See you at the top.

Keep Moving

<blockquote>
“What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning. Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.” 
— Ecclesiastes 10:16-17 NLT
</blockquote>
I believe the state of a nation, city, organization, family, or person is a direct reflection of the leadership culture of that society. This verse reaffirms such beliefs. Here are my notes:
Poverty’s Leadership Culture
<ul>
<li>Hedonistic Leaders: Driven by instant gratification.</li>
<li>Pleasure over Pain: They choose comfort over the struggle required for growth.</li>
<li>Consumption over Production: They take more than they make.</li>
<li>Lack of Vision: No plans or vision—because they "feast in the morning."</li>
<li>Food as the End: The goal is simply to satisfy the appetite.</li>
<li>Slaves to Desire: The leaders are controlled by their own impulses.</li>
<li>Selfishness: Personal gain rules the day.</li>
<li>Waste: Constant resource mismanagement.</li>
</ul>
Wealth’s Leadership Culture
<ul>
<li>Noble Leaders: Leaders who understand their responsibility.</li>
<li>Delayed Gratification: Willing to wait for the harvest.</li>
<li>Food as a Means: Eating is for strength for work, not just for pleasure.</li>
<li>Consume to Produce: Using resources to fuel output.</li>
<li>Efficiency-Driven: Eating at the appropriate time—just enough for strength.</li>
<li>Self-Control: Moderation and discipline in all things.</li>
<li>Value-Driven: Focused on what is truly important.</li>
<li>Exponential Growth: A system built on multiplication, not just addition.</li>
<li>A Giving Culture: Growth focused on contributing to others.</li>
</ul>
Lessons for Me
<ul>
<li>Moderation: Consume moderately.</li>
<li>Consume to Create: No matter how small, always aim to produce.</li>
<li>Build: Focus on creating valuable things.</li>
<li>Document: Take beautiful pictures on trips.</li>
<li>Teach: Share what I learn immediately.</li>
<li>Reciprocity: Give when I receive.</li>
<li>Value: Always aim to create something of worth.</li>
<li>Humility: Think less about myself.</li>
</ul>

Leadership of Wealth and Poverty

I am currently reading Philip Freeman’s biography of Julius Caesar and jotting down quite a lot to share soon. There are many lessons to be learned from Caesar’s life, specifically from his adventure in Britain.
Caesar invaded Britain primarily for his political career; at the time, it was an unknown land to the Romans, shrouded in myths and stories of being an inaccessible place. From his standpoint, if he could visit and conquer this mythical land, it would massively increase his reputation among the Romans. He sailed with his ships and, upon arrival, was welcomed with hostility. The native British armies had united to face the enemy at their shore. It was a crazy battle—even Caesar barely made it out alive.
The interesting thing is how he handled that initial setback. Caesar immediately revisited his failures and started making corrections from his last voyage, preparing for a new attack the following summer. Why did he do this? He believed that if he let the Britons "slide" with what they had done, it was only a matter of time before the Gallic tribes regained the confidence to start a rebellion. He wanted to quench any hope of that. I find it fascinating that even after achieving so much, he couldn't just accept a defeat. He rebuilt his ships and adapted them specifically for the hostile, stormy British shores.
By preparing for the next year, he also gained a massive information advantage. Previously, Caesar was in the dark; the only information he had about the Britons was 500 years old. But now, he had seen them. He understood the terrain and the tribes.
This brings me to the British side. When Caesar arrived the second year, Britain was apparently unprepared. I find it interesting because you really want to be aware of complacency. Just because they had a "victory" the previous year, they made no adjustments. They essentially did not grow. By the time Caesar returned, it was very easy for him to defeat them.
You see this repeated throughout history over and over again. You have to be very careful of success—success can be an enemy. Because of their unpreparedness, they were conquered. That is a major lesson: Treat success and failure the same. Even when you succeed, always refine and always improve. Practice continuous improvement and never settle.

Lessons from Caesar's Invasion of Britain

Think back to 100 years ago: a teacher wanted to find a way to preoccupy his highly competitive male students. He invented a game where they threw a ball into an open-ended bucket. This game became so competitive it evolved into the basketball industry—a $25 billion industry by revenue today.
Think of the Wright brothers tinkering with flight and doing the impossible; today, the aviation industry is over a trillion dollars in revenue globally.
Think of Alexander Graham Bell racing with Elisha Gray to patent the telephone; today, the mobile phone industry alone is over $620 billion in revenue.
Think of the podcasting industry, which only started in the last 20 years; it is already raking in between $7.3 billion and $39.6 billion globally.
Collectively, the world’s GDP is increasing, not reducing. The quality of life is also increasing, and I believe it will continue to increase. Money is not fixed; money is an abstraction for value. The more we create valuable things, the richer we get.
For Me:
<ul>
<li>
Think abundance, not scarcity.
</li>
<li>
Think contribution and production, not just consumption.
</li>
<li>
Tinker, create, build!
</li>
<li>
Keep refining and continuously improving.
</li>
<li>
Persist. When one industry or opportunity closes, move to the next; there are always opportunities.
</li>
</ul>

Money is Infinite

The world is brimming with possibilities, and it is foolish and lazy to stagnate in one place when its resources have been completely exhausted. Potential is everywhere, and nature itself commands us to adapt.
Consider the ant. It wakes each morning and immediately scouts the terrain, acting on the instinctual belief that sustenance is out there. It does not linger in a barren habitat expecting magic to happen. Occasionally, a meal might arrive by chance—a grain of sugar or a dead cockroach—but when it does not, the ant immediately sets out to find its fortune. Once it discovers a bounty, it leaves a chemical trail to guide the rest of the colony toward the new opportunity. Nature is filled with such wisdom: when a field closes, a new one opens.
Humanity faces a similar shift in its own environment today. People are questioning the future because of artificial intelligence. Traditional software development is transforming, leaving many watching anxiously to see what the future of work will look like. Yet, prospects will always exist on the horizon. As long as there are humans, there will be problems—and problems are simply opportunities in disguise. If you cannot find a path where you are currently standing, do not despair.
True movement begins with the choices you make every single day. Read a new book, try a new hobby, or master a new skill. Visit an unfamiliar community, experience something fresh, and meet new people to form lasting relationships. Move to a new city. Learn a new language. Try a different workout plan.
Whatever you do—just move.
<blockquote>
"A moving man will one day meet his luck. The road favours a traveller." - Anonymous
</blockquote>

Move! Move! Move!

For the past seven years, I was passively observing the machine learning and deep learning ecosystem. I then actively started investing my attention for two years in AI and LLMs, using them in my workflows; I am completely amazed and grateful to God that I am experiencing such a moment in history. What an amazing time to be alive, to experience humanity entering a new chapter of progress.
I have read about the car revolution, the aviation revolution, the tractor revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the dot-com boom, the computer revolution, the iPhone boom, space voyages, and more—but this time, it’s happening before my very eyes. It feels completely different and exciting.
Of course, there are concerns and uncertainty about the future. I have seen AI agents do in five minutes work that could probably take me hours or days to do. There’s also a sporadic change in the way we work and even interact with technology, from searching on the internet to writing code or notes. This begs the question: What will we do when AI does most automated work? I am also aware of the potential dangers that come with this technology.
However, a part of me is excited (probably because I am an optimistic person). I can’t help but get the feeling that a new adventure unfolds for our species, with the unveiling of multiple opportunities and a better quality of life. So, I approach the future with a clenched fist and no fear, but with complete and utter gratitude to even witness this moment in history. Congratulations to humanity.
<blockquote>
“There is no good reason why we should fear the future, but there is every reason why we should face it seriously, neither hiding from ourselves the gravity of the problems before us nor fearing to approach these problems with the unbending, unflinching purpose to solve them aright.” — Theodore Roosevelt
</blockquote>

My Thoughts on AI

<blockquote>
“I have ever had pleasure in obtaining any little 
anecdotes of my ancestors. You may remember the inquiries I made 
among the remains of my relations when you were with me in England, 
and the journey I undertook for that purpose. Imagining it may be 
equally agreeable to you to know the circumstances of my life, 
many of which you are yet unacquainted with, and expecting the enjoyment 
of a week's uninterrupted leisure in my present country retirement, 
I sit down to write them for you. To which I have besides some 
other inducements. Having emerged from the poverty and obscurity 
in which I was born and bred, to a state of affluence and some 
degree of reputation in the world, and having gone so far through 
life with a considerable share of felicity, the conducing means 
I made use of, which with the blessing of God so well succeeded, 
my posterity may like to know, as they may find some of them 
suitable to their own situations, and therefore fit to be imitated” — Benjamin Franklin
</blockquote>
Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography was one of the humorous Biographies i've ever read. Originally written for his grandson, Benjamin Franklin recounts his life and upbringing in an engaging, humorous way, filled with life principles and lessons. He also gives a glimpse into Life in America in the 1700s. Sadly, he didn't complete the book.
However, with the little part he did write, it is nothing short of fascinating. He stands among my top heroes and models for life and accomplishments. One could even argue he was the first living proof of the American Dream. How did a poor boy with no academic background become one of the Founding Fathers of the great Nation of America - a profound Scientist accredited by the Royal Society in London, an incredible Diplomat, a wealthy Business man, a prolific writer amongst many other things?
Here are my notes from reading this book—key values and traits that shaped into the man he became.
<ul>
<li>Seeking Virtue: His 13 lists of virtues and daily self-examination were nothing short of impressive, constantly trying to work on his weaknesses and striving to walk the path he believed right.</li>
<li>Personal Development: Though he never attended a school, he was a devoted and committed reader. As a child, he saved his small stipends to buy books to read. He honed his writing and communication skills, followed his curiosity about Electricity, and even took the initiative to learn different languages - such as French, Spanish, Italian and Greek.</li>
<li>Service: Always contributing to and solving problems for the people and the town at large—whether as an employee, councillor, or adviser. He made numerous efforts to improve the city, from strengthening it's defensive, introducing better and innovated street lights to paved roads, founding of the University of Philadephia, improving healthcare and much more.</li>
<li>Purposeful Branding: Intentionality with societal perception— cultivating the image industrious, diplomatic, curious and empathetic man.</li>
<li>Getting his ideas out there: Franklin published many of his ideas — from Philosophy to Electricity, Governance, Education — out there which expanded his "luck surface". This earned him reputation with both influential people and ordinary people, opened doors — election into the Royal Society — and made him wealthy through ventures like poor Richard's Almanac, among countless other benefits.</li>
<li>Diligence: "Franklin's work ethic is unmatched; i see him working late when i leave the club, and he's back at it before anyone else is awake" - a direct quote from the book</li>
<li>Frugality: "Only spend money, if it benefits others or yourself, in other words, don't waste money on yourself " - he saved diligently and wasn't extravagant, living a simple life with his family well within his means. It's interesting to note that many wealthy men in history — John Rockefeller, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffets and Sam Walton - were similarly shrewd and frugal.</li>
<li>Friends: Junto—a community of committed learners—provided a highly positive and nurturing environment for Franklin and also served as a valuable network.Many members of this community would later become captains of industry or occupy government positions. it helped him shape and refine his ideas, embodying the "Iron sharpens Iron" kind of environment.</li>
<li>Community Mindedness: He found a unique way of involving people without worrying about who received credits. By presenting projects and ideas as community initiatives rather than his personal ideas, he made people feel they were joining a common cause—a powerful incentive— rather than simply advancing Franklin's own ideas.</li>
</ul>

My Notes on Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

I have always wondered the reason behind the distributions of results, performance and excellence across people, Organisations and Nations. Why do people like Bach, Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Newton, Einstein, David Oyedepo, Wole Soyinka, Julius Caesar, Alexander Hamilton, Apostle Paul and the rest, produce value at a crazy rate? Why are they more Productive? Were they different humans or species? Do they have more than 24 hours per day? 
This curiosity of mine made me read this book, and Cal Newport struck a nerve concerning intense Productivity, i'll summarise most of my thoughts while reading the book.
Newport defines deep work as the ability to learn and concentrate on hard things that change rapidly, and to produce quality work at an elite level with speed. I like to call deep work, "the major work of the work". If i wanted to be the greatest basketball shooter, surpassing Steph Curry, I'd need to practice at least 1,000 shots every day— that's learning — and make 500 threes per season — that's quality production. Making 2,000 layups every day might be good, but it wouldn't make me the greatest shooter. This naturally leads to the other type of work — shallow work.
Shallow work, while not necessarily bad, is any kind of work that consumes time and energy but doesn't contribute as much to our overall productivity. it can support our visibility or maintain our workflow, but it's not the core of our craft. Using the same basketball example, handling press conferences is part of the job — it offers visibility — but if i spent more time with the press than i did on court, the chances of achieving greatness would be very slim.
While the difference between deep and shallow work is obvious in that example, it's far trickier to distinguish in everyday knowledge work. Shallow work often disguises itself as deep work. As office workers, It's easy to think activities — such as attending every meetings, responding to every message and mails instantly, coffee talks — are signs of productivity. But while these activities may have some value, they might not be the essence of what moves a business forward. The purpose of a business is to provide value to customers, and the purpose of an employee is to provide value to the business — not to look busy within it.
We also underestimate how much time and energy shallow work consumes. What seems like a quick distraction can easily derail an entire day. We've all checked social media "Just for a minute" and stumbled on something that completely shifted our mood, making it hard to return to focused work. Newport warns about the dangers of context switching — when we move from one task uncompleted to another, our brain doesn't immediately clear out the previous task. we carry attention residue into the next one, making our effort shallower and less effective. This fragmented attention not only weakens our concentration but also drains our mental energy.
Shallow work creates the illusion of busyness, but not real productivity. The more fragmented our attention becomes, the more our brain gets rewires itself to prefer distraction, gradually losing its capacity for focus and depth. Deep work is like a muscle that must be trained. The more we indulge in easy, shallow tasks, the weaker the muscle gets— and the harder it is for us to sustain focus on things that truly matter. Another interesting fact, i discovered while reading — Our Brain naturally wants to do the easy and shallow things. There's always an inertia to do consistently, the meaningful things that will impact our lives. It's hard to go to the gym everyday, it's hard to practice that craft, it's hard to write regularly. It's uncomfortable, and so we procrastinate. Yet, meaningful achievements requires us to do the hard things, to be disciplined and to push beyond that inertia.
But discipline alone is not enough. One of Newport's most fascinating insights is that willpower is finite. That discovery(I stopped here) helped me understand why so many New Year's resolutions fades after a few months — we eventually run out of willpower. if we rely on our willpower alone, we'll likely to give in to shallow and less impactful work. The key, therefore, is to design systems and environments that make deep work easier and automatic, so that discipline becomes a by product of structure rather than constant struggle.

My Notes on Deep Work by Cal Newport(part 1)

This is the continuation of my notes on Deep Work by Cal Newport. to read part 1, <a href="https://onye.io/post/notes-on-deep-work-1">click here</a>.
<hr>
Knowing that relying on willpower alone is unsustainable, because of it's finiteness, the question becomes: how then do we train our ability for depth? The quick answer is that we must develop systems to manage our willpower. Cal Newport offers plenty of advice in Deep Work—some of which, in my Opinion, are a bit too strict or impractical. Still, here's what i intend to adopt.
First, pay serious attention to your attention. What you give consistent attention to determines your level of output. Deep work, shallow work, and junky work are all constantly competing for your scare focus ,time and attention. Be ruthless with how you spend your time and attention—it's your most valuable currency. The ancient script says "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life"
Second, set clear goals and identify the few activities essential for achieving them. According to the Pareto Principle (the 80/20 rule), 20% of your activities generate 80% of your results. Find those 20% activities that truly matter and pour 80% of your attention and resources into them. For blogging, it's deliberate writing—not social media engagement. For training to dunk, it's doing more explosive squats, not more benchpresses.
Third, develop a deep work philosophy — a clear method for how you want to approach your work. Newport identifies four:
<ul>
<li>Monastic,, which involves living like a monk, fully secluded from distractions.</li>
<li>Bimodal, which alternates between deep, isolated work sessions and regular life(think retreats).</li>
<li>Rhythmic, which builds deep work into your daily routine</li>
<li>Journalistic, the hardest, where you can drop into depth at any moment, even amid chaos. 
Personally, i lean toward the Rhythmic philosophy- it's feels more of lifestyle and reasonably balanced.</li>
</ul>
Next, design your environment so that deep work becomes the default. Environments are very important. Set up your office, apartment, calendar, and devices in ways that promote focus and intentional collaboration. Newton lived a minimalist lifestyle, Steve jobs wore the same outfit everyday, and Maya Angelou rented hotel rooms for solitude. Your environment should make it easier to focus than to get distracted.
Fifth, set up daily lead measures to track progress towards your goals. These are not backward-looking metrics but forward-moving habits. For example, if my goal is to improve my writing, a lead measure could be write 100 words per day. If i want to read 30 books a year, i can aim to read 20 pages a day.
Then, carefully manage your internet and social media usage. Newport suggests quitting social media altogether, which i find a bit extreme—but understandable, given the cruciality of the topic. My approach is to be purposeful: schedule social media use, reflect on its value, and quit if it doesn't contribute to your goals or wellbeing.
Also, schedule your shallow work. Have a designated time for emails, messages, or admin tasks—and timebox them if needed. Don't let them bleed into your deep work sessions.
Lastly, accept boredom and schedule your relaxation. Deep work is mentally demanding. Rest is not laziness—it's fuel for the soul and body. Recharge your brain intentionally. Deep work burns energy.
And above all, never underestimate your brain's capacity for work and adventure. Keep learning, reading, creating, and producing. Don't just consume, Contribute! Your brain is far more capable than you think—it just needs the right systems to unleash its depth.

My Notes on Deep Work by Cal Newport(part 2)

I’ve been particularly curious about the concept of abundance and the concept of scarcity. Why do people act in a zero-sum manner? One possible reason is that they believe that opportunities are scarce. I hear the regular advice: think abundance, don’t think small. There are innumerable opportunities in the world, and I completely agree.
But when you take such an idea too far—that there are always ideas and there are always opportunities in the world—then it’s also easier to procrastinate, get lazy, or lack urgency. It’s a known fact that certain resources in life are scarce: our attention, our energy. Yet we sometimes waste life because we forget how short it is.
So I began to ask myself: how do I think abundantly and still act with urgency, drive, and hunger?
I found the answer in nature while watching David Attenborough’s documentary Planet Earth. He was talking about a leopard hunting an impala. It was interesting because the impalas move in herds. There’s an abundance of impalas, yet the leopard singles out a particular impala that it wants to hunt and pursues this impala with all it has.
The leopard just saw the herd. It just saw an abundance of impalas. But when the leopard hunts, it singles out one impala and hunts as if that is all it has. When it catches the impala, it eats. When it doesn’t, it recuperates, strategises, and heads out again to get an impala.
It’s the same thing with lions. When lions hunt zebras or buffaloes, they see an abundance, yet they single out one and focus all their attention on that one. The wild dogs in Africa employ the same strategy.
I found that quite interesting because there’s an abundance of food, there’s an abundance of opportunity, there’s an abundance of ideas, and there’s an abundance of resources. Yet they instinctively know they have to focus their attention on one and give it all they’ve got.
What’s also fascinating is how they treat failure. They rest, learn, recalibrate, strategise, and hunt until they succeed. They waste no time with regret, guilt, shame, or embarrassment.
I think we as humans should learn a whole lot from that. Yes, there’s an abundance of opportunity, but we have to pick one opportunity and drill down on it. Go all in like it’s all we’ve got, exhaust it, and see what comes out of it. If it works, congratulations. If it doesn’t, we learn and go again. We take advantage of every experience.
I believe there is an abundance of opportunity. There will always be ways to make life better, there will always be problems, and there will always be ideas. But the harvest belongs to the one who acts.
So start on those ideas of yours. Life is short, and our attention is scarce, and that’s a good thing.
It’s been a while.

On Abundance and Scarcity

Every idea is a seed that needs to be nurtured. As you can tell, everything grows or dies, and everything is interesting and has the capacity to become a forest, an entire ecosystem, an industry with a multitude of lives depending on it. This is why it is necessary to have a very long-term outlook on things, so you don’t quit.
Everything in this life has value and immense potential in it. It starts becoming, growing, flourishing, and then births something entirely new, which becomes a base, an infrastructure for a new thing as well. So you have to nurture things and give them the attention they deserve.
To list a few of these kinds of ideas that have become entire industries: computers, burgers, cars, planes and information theory.
This is why it’s important to drill down on one idea and stay long enough on it. You don’t need many ideas and blessings; you only need one, like Esau. Then you need to cultivate that one to exhaust all the possibilities it contains.
Dietrich Mateschitz exhausted just one sports drink, Red Bull. Nike exhausted running. Apple exhausted personal computing. Oracle exhausted databases. OpenAI exhausted the “Attention Is All You Need” paper. Anthropic exhausted developmental AI. Nvidia exhausted GPUs. Tesla is exhausting electric cars. Alexander the Great exhausted conquering Persia. Ray Kroc exhausted burgers. Jeff Bezos exhausted buying on the internet. AWS exhausted creation, the book. Sam Walton exhausted retailing. John Paul Getty exhausted oil. MrBeast is exhausting adventure + YouTube. David Attenborough exhausted nature’s fascination. You get the point by now. 
What this means is that there are immense possibilities in an idea. It is those who stay and cultivate it who have the capacity to exhaust it. This is why it is important to stay with one thing. Spend long enough to convert the seed into a forest.
Some ideas on achieving this:
<ul>
<li>First, you must have a long-term vision. Jeff Bezos was thinking of Amazon 20 years from when he started. That is crazy. When I listen to Steve Jobs, it is almost like this guy was ahead of his time. So a long outlook is very important to make you stay.</li>
<li>Avoid all distractions. When you have a long-term outlook, you realize lots of things are distractions, including good things. John Paul Getty wrote about the wildcatters. They were also in the business like him, but they went for just good and not great. Having a long outlook helps you ignore useless competition.</li>
<li>It would help if you developed an immense passion for this seed, because that is what will keep you going. As you know, the beginning of an idea is filled with motivation, but after a while, motivation wears out. That is where the work actually begins. If you love it, you will take the pain, do sleepless nights, study, and work 12–16 hours nonstop like Michelangelo, Steve Jobs, or Sam Walton. Fall in love with the problem so that you are in love with the work. Remember Napoleon. This guy just kept working. You have to find that thing that will make you take pain, all to produce excellence, and just do it.</li>
<li>The long-term view makes you develop patience. The man who treats the seed as a forest is patient. He is not bothered by today’s weather or the year’s climate. He has immense active patience with life. Such is the patience you must develop. Dietrich Mateschitz ran Red Bull for 15 years before it started paying dividends. MrBeast ran YouTube for eight years. Arnold Schwarzenegger was training for years and years before he even appeared. You see this also from Sam Walton or Jim Sinegal. It took Julius Caesar over 50 years before he became number one in Rome.</li>
</ul>

One Seed, A Thousand Possibilities

Our emotions, time, and attention are the finite resources of life, and we need them to achieve our goals and vision.
It’s interesting that despite having this understanding of how limited life is, we still spend a large chunk of these resources on things that do not matter to us.
We waste our emotions reacting or repressing. We waste attention on things and content that are of no value to us, and in some cases, even harm and hurt us. We waste time on valueless things.
Every resource spent on the wrong thing is a resource that could have been spent on the right thing.
Regret and guilt are a waste of your emotions. You cannot change the past. Worry and anxiety are also futile. They make you lose hold of the present for a future you do not know.
So live life intentionally. Use these resources wisely. They are the very resources that we use in building our future.
Regardless of where we are born, our country, the economy, the weather, and many more factors, we all have these precious resources of life. So do not waste them.
Do not waste your anger, your competitive drive, or your fears. Do not waste your attention. Do not waste time.
Use these resources wisely.
For me,
Olly

Our Resources Are Finite, but Potential Is Infinite

Refuse to be a victim. Refuse to complain. Refuse to blame others or any authority. Refuse to complain about the nation or the government, because if you are going to be a <a href="https://www.highagency.com/">high-agency person</a>, you cannot be a complainer. Complaining and blaming show a lack of power; they signal that you have no control over the situation and that you cannot do anything about it.
Consider this: if someone attacks you and tries to bully you, and you can actually beat them in a fight, you don’t complain—you put them in their place. It is only when you perceive that the other person is stronger than you that you begin to complain and blame. That is dangerous because you are making yourself weak. Complaining is an act of victimhood, and victims in this world, sadly, become prey. Predators always hunt the prey.
Refuse to be a victim. Did Life hit you? Smile, Cry or Laugh, that's ok. But refuse to complain. You are your own man, the captain of your ship. If Life hits you, view it as a challenge, it's time for an adventure. Rise to the occasion like a champion that you are. Refuse to let circumstances or anyone else take control over you. Watch your vocabulary. You've got this.

Refuse to be a Victim

I’ve been learning quite a few of life's paradoxes lately—some from the Bible, some from my own experiences, and others from biographies. Just to list a few:
<ul>
<li>To learn, you have to teach.</li>
<li>To get, give.</li>
<li>To gather, scatter.</li>
<li>To lead, serve.</li>
<li>To live an easy life, do hard things.</li>
<li>To live a hard life, do easy things.</li>
<li>To grow, die.</li>
<li>The narrow way leads to heaven.</li>
<li>The broad way leads to hell.</li>
<li>To enjoy rights, take responsibilities.</li>
<li>To maintain peace, be capable of war.</li>
</ul>

Some Paradoxes I Have Learnt in Life

I personally believe life is more work than harvest, and that’s a blessing. Labor is the key to getting and sustaining all the beautiful things of life for the soul, mind, heart, and body.
<ul>
<li>To have a quality relationship with God is work; you must seek and spend time with Him daily.</li>
<li>To have a good marriage is work; you must share, support, and honour your partner.</li>
<li>To be fit and healthy is work; you have to exercise, eat healthy, and sleep properly.</li>
<li>To get good reputation is work; you have to do/build/contribute something worthy of attention.</li>
<li>To reap, you must sow; You must water your plants consistently, fertilize, weed out unnecessary plants.</li>
<li>To acquire a new skill is work; you must practice consistently.</li>
<li>To be mentally sound is work; we must study, read, teach, and write.</li>
<li>Financial freedom is work; you must save, invest, take calculated risks , and discipline your consumption.</li>
</ul>
Aside from the rewards we get from work, there’s also the meaning we derive from our sweat—the qualities we discover about ourselves that we never knew were in us. The strength, endurance, faith, and capacity that labor digs out of us make labor beautiful.

The Blessing of Labor

The wilderness is such a beautiful place for life. 
On the outside, it looks scary, but it deceives the human eye. 
As a human, I naturally dread it, 
although my soul secretly yearns for it.
The wilderness is magnificence masked with a wicked look. 
Many run from it, yet it pursues them. 
Many try to deny it, yet it’s always in their face. 
Many ignore it, yet they are perishing.
The call to the wilderness is the call to adventure. 
How would I break new ground if I weren’t willing to go into the wilderness? 
How would I develop my strength if I didn’t train in the wilderness? 
How would I conquer my fears if I didn’t confront the wilderness? 
How do I grow my faith if I am scared of the wilderness?
Yet when I am in the wilderness, 
I realize my mind had fooled me all along. 
I am free from all the distractions of life; 
I see with clarity God in His glory, beauty, wisdom, and magnificence.
My patience is stretched, 
My endurance matured, 
My capacity to love expanded, 
My faith heightened, 
My strength enlarged, 
My wisdom lengthened.
So I answer the call. 
As a child runs toward their parents. 
Wilderness, here I come.

The Blessing of the Wilderness

<img src="/images/there-is-no-free-lunch-in-life.jpg" alt="Rimuru in slime form with dwarven artisans in a forge.">
Some lessons I learnt from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.
Rimuru heads out of the Goblins’ village towards Dwargon (the dwarves’ country) in search of skilled men who would return with him and teach the goblins valuable building and forging skills to rebuild Tempest (the new village).
And this is pretty exciting because, like Rimuru, we have things we expect from others. We have our desires. So it is worth studying how he gets what he wants.
He gets into the city and offers help in the form of a healing potion, first to the city guards (he offered something). The only reason he knew their problem was because he listened.
Then again, when he appeared before Kaijin, the skilled artisan, he stated his request (asking), but he also listened to Kaijin’s needs (he needed specific minerals and was short on time, with a tight deadline), which Rimuru addressed in exchange for his service.
And right there is a lesson for me on how to get what I want from life.
<ul>
<li>
It is okay to want something. Desire is okay. It is perfectly okay. It is okay to be ambitious.
</li>
<li>
There is no free lunch in life. Just because you have a desire does not mean you’ll get it for free. Never, ever expect anything free from life. When something is free, be very suspicious of it. You are most likely in a trap. Also, free things actually drain your agency. They make you dependent, and that is not good. You should work for what you want.
Wallace D. Wattles says you must give an equivalent in use value to the other man so you can get the value that you seek. There is no such thing as something for nothing.
Things that are given for free—check underneath. There is a transaction: a relationship, love, a favor done in the past, your data, a need for connection, or a need to be recognized.
</li>
<li>
Ask. Be bold in asking. State your request politely, but do not beg.
</li>
<li>
Listen. It is more effective because you get to know what you can offer in return in order to get what you want. Rimuru offered the precious stones and duplicated the swords, thereby solving Kaijin’s problem in return for his service.
You have to listen. You have to stop trying to impress people and listen to them. People are thinking more about themselves than they are about you or anything else. Some people want and need recognition. Some people need attention.
</li>
<li>
Evaluate to see if you can offer something in return. You have to know what you have. Sometimes, you have an answer to the problems people are facing. Think in depth. That’s your opportunity.
You have to know your strengths and weaknesses, but mostly your strengths and your resources. Joseph in the Bible was quite good at this. He was amazing at these steps. He listened, then provided value.
</li>
<li>
Do not underestimate your value. It is never about the price, but about the value to that person. So never underestimate what you offer to the world. Do not let your solutions seem so little in your eyes.
Value is super relative, so do not be little in your own eyes. A rich, thirsty man in need of water is willing to pay millions for that water, so don’t underestimate what you have.
It can solve a national crisis, as we learn from Joseph. He offered the same service (dream interpretation) to the prisoner and the king and got different rewards from each. Such is value.
Do not downgrade what you bring to the table. This was what Rockefeller told his son about.
</li>
<li>
State your terms. Do not give something for nothing. There is no free lunch in life. Offer your price and your solution, and do not feel shy about it. Demand it with respect. Let no one make you feel guilty.
Rimuru told Kaijin straight up to offer some skilled men in return for providing the swords and minerals.
And Kaijin accepted. A successful trade and a win-win on both sides.
</li>
</ul>
And that is it. There is always something you have to offer: your time, your attention, your energy, your talents, your skills.
There is always something.
You have to know what you want, but still listen, think, offer, and negotiate.

There Is No Free Lunch in Life

Stop putting men or great leaders in history on a pedestal, but don’t diminish their impact either. At the end of the day, they were just humans like you, and they made both massive impacts and massive mistakes.
Sometimes, the media paints these figures on two extremes—either putting them on a pedestal to make them gods or casting them into hell to make them demons. I choose to think of them as fascinating humans who reveal the boundless limits of what we can conceive and achieve.
You can match and surpass their achievements; they were men and women just like you. Their stories are testaments to human creativity, grit, talent, mindset, vision, and relentlessness—all of which you are capable of. Do not make them gods and diminish your own possibilities and potential. Don’t make them demons either, dreaming too small for fear of becoming like them.
You are unique. Draw inspiration from them, learn from their mistakes, and study their experiences. Build on their shoulders, for they built on the shoulders of the giants who came before them. You can outdo them. Learn the leadership skills, see and feel the sacrifices, and cultivate the attitude. You are capable of growth far beyond what they reached. You can cement your name in history as well.

They Were Humans Like You

Your weakness could be your strength. This week I was reading Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford, and there's something I found fascinating. Genghis Khan was an extraordinary leader and a military genius. He had all that it took to win a war; he possessed brilliant strategies and a sharp mind. However, he couldn't unify China—such a task was quite arduous and proved impossible for other Khans as well.
A few generations later, enter Kublai Khan, a great-grandson of Genghis Khan. This was the Kublai Khan portrayed in the popular series Marco Polo. He was viewed by the Mongols as a weak man because he did not grow up in the traditional nomadic tents; instead, he grew up in the palace, mostly among the Chinese, and he embodied more of Chinese culture than the typical Mongolian lifestyle. Not only that, but he was also quite fat, suffered from gout, and, from the Mongolian perspective, lived a soft life. Because he didn't really participate in the battles and military campaigns, his own people viewed him as weak.
However, fast-forwarding to after he became the Khan through subversion and some clever schemes, it is interesting that his mediocrity at war turned out to be a massive advantage. His genuine interest in Chinese culture and his deep understanding of human nature and psychology allowed him to accomplish what his ancestors could not: he was able to unify most of China.
This principle isn't unique to human empires; it is woven into the very history of life on Earth. The dinosaurs were the biggest and most ferocious predators on the planet, which was their ultimate advantage—until the asteroids struck. In that sudden shift, their size became their downfall, while tiny creatures like ants and rats found safety in the very smallness that had once made them vulnerable.
Evolution teaches us that the fittest is not necessarily the strongest, the fastest, or the smartest. The fittest are those who are in alignment with their environment and its changes. The one who is aware of this reality can take full advantage of it.
Move to where your weakness becomes your strength. I believe that there is a place for everyone in the world and that everyone can thrive. But you have to find the right environment where you can grow. You cannot plant a seed in just any soil; there is a specific soil for the right seed.
Of course, this does not take away from the importance of personal improvement, self-development, and harnessing our skills. However, we must examine and understand ourselves deeply enough to know if we are operating in the appropriate setting.

Thoughts along
the way.

The journal

2026

2025

Thoughts alongthe way.

The journal

2026

2025

Thoughts along
the way.