Mental Filters
I was listening to some old podcasts a few months ago about being unapologetic with your time and to be a harsh grader. They were discussing how Buffett does this by keeping his calendar open and to never schedule anything. His only goal for the day is do what he wants.
I have not been able to put these ideas down since I have heard them. Take for example movies. I decided to be a harsh grader on films. Harsh grader is the term Pabrai used in his talk. Every time I want to see a movie, it’s got to be a movie I know I’ll love as I don’t want to even waste my time on a ‘good’ movie. I’ll watch previews etc to get an idea. I will not however, just watch any movie anymore even if it looks good. If I see the preview and I don’t think there is a chance I’ll love it, I take a pass on it.
Im about mid-way through my journey on this rock. Meaning, if I watch a movie a month, I get maybe 500 movies left to watch before I leave planet Earth. Do I want to fill that time with mediocre movies or more Shawshank Redemptions?
I am now trying to apply this principle to books. Reading about 1 per month I’ll probably get to read 500 more in my life. How does one determine what they read will be an excellent book? Besides the cover flaps, should I skim the book to get a general idea? Use people’s reviews on subjects? Apply this to news sites as well, social media feeds, etc. How much time do you want to spend viewing mediocre content?
As I become a harsh grader on everything I consume, one thing is clear. Most things in life are not worth the time spent. Be a harsh grader on your time and life becomes a lot more rich.