Wednesday, October 26, 2016

book: The Path to Purpose

William Damon Defines Purpose - YouTube
purpose: meaningful + valuable contribution to the world

The Path to Purpose by William Damon | PhilosophersNotes - OPTIMIZE with Brian Johnson  William Damon | Brian Johnson

William Damon - Wikipedia

The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life: William Damon: 9781416537243: Amazon.com: Books

William Damon | The Path to Purpose

The Path to Purpose by William Damon - YouTube
("purpose = sustained passion")


“The purposeful are those who have found something meaningful to dedicate themselves to, who have sustained this interest over a period of time, and who express a clear sense of what they are trying to accomplish in the world and why. They have found a cause or ultimate goal that inspires their efforts from day to day and helps them fashion a coherent future agenda. They know what they want to accomplish and why, and they have taken concerted steps to achieve their ambitions.”
"The alternative?
  • The disengaged drift. They’re not passionate about anything beyond themselves
    and 
    their own enjoyment.
  • The dreamers may aspire to create a life of meaning
    but they haven’t grounded those 
  • dreams into a practical, realistic plan to bring it to fruition.
  • The dabblers jump from thing to thing without sustained commitment
    an essential aspect 
  • of being on purpose."
Biggest obstacle: "short horizons" 


"Parenting for Purpose:

  • Listen closely for the spark, then fan the flames. 
  • Take advantage of regular opportunities to open a dialogue
  • Be open-minded and supportive of the sparks of interest expressed. 
  • Convey your own sense of purpose and the meaning you derive from your work. 
  • Impart wisdom about the practicalities in life. 
  • Introduce children to potential mentors
  • Encourage an entrepreneurial attitude. 
  • Nurture a positive outlook
  • Instill in children a feeling of agency, linked to responsibility."

"Entrepreneurial spirit:
  • clear goals and realistic plans to accomplish them 
  • optimistic, can-do attitude
  • persistence in the face of obstacles and difficulties 
  • tolerance for risk 
  • resilience in the face of failure 
  • determination to achieve measurable results. 
  • resourcefulness and inventiveness in devising the means to achieve those results"
Mantra: "You can do it!"




This is a great analysis, and would be great if there was a simple "formula" how to establish "purpose". Cal Newport has a solution for that in his book:
So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love - Cal Newport

The formula is simple: focus on doing well in what you are doing, not on what you would like to do.
By having good results, you start liking what you are doing, and have more options to chose how to improve. So that is aligned with "Entrepreneurial spirit", but more actionable.

Microsoft HW: Surface Studio, VR



No upgrade for Surface 4 (yet).

The eight biggest announcements from today’s Microsoft event | The Verge

 "Windows VR headsets: In addition to the HoloLens platform, Microsoft announced its first foray into virtual reality with VR headsets for Windows 10. The headsets will start at $299 and run the same Windows Holographic platform as the HoloLens. While no concrete release date has been announced yet, Microsoft did say that HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus, and Acer will all be making headsets."


Microsoft Surface Studio Release Date, Price and Specs - CNET
28" touchscreen, i7, $3000