65 surprising truths from the world’s most consistent blogger

Hey everyone,

I love Seth Godin. He's the GOAT, right? Before I even *had* a podcast he said yes to being on my podcast and let me fly down to Hastings-On-Hudson to ​pester him for a couple hours​. (​Apple​/​Spotify​/​YT​).

​His blog​? Legendary. My friend Agostino introduced it to me in around 2007. And he hasn't missed posting a blog post since and is now up to over ​10,000​ (!?) straight. (​You can sign up right here.​) My friend ​Tim Urban​ said "Seth Godin, to me, is like—if I have a 'wise man on a hill' in my life? Seth Godin is that guy ... anything that happens in the world I wanna hear what Seth thinks about it, what he says about it." Seth's a mensch. A helper.

Recently Seth turned 65 and on that day he dropped 65 bits of wisdom on his blog under a very humble Seth-like title of "Notes to myself." I reached out to Seth and he said I could share the whole thing with you.

(PS. On the topic of birthdays—mine is in two weeks! I am working on some birthday advice now as I've done the ​past​ ​few ​​years.​)

Hope you enjoy,

Neil

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Notes to myself

Written by Seth Godin

1. The system can be changed and normal is not permanent

2. Find the smallest viable audience

3. Pick your customers, pick your future

4. Outdated maps might be worth less than no map at all

5. Reliability is a superpower

6. There are no side effects, merely effects

7. There’s usually an opportunity to be of service

8. Silence is an option, and so is leadership

9. There is no perfect moment to begin

10. Shame is a dream killer

11. Everyone who disagrees with you believes they are correct

12. Ship the ​work​

13. Treat different people differently

14. I am not stuck in traffic, I am traffic

15. Invest in slow growth

16. The problem with the race to the bottom is you might win

17. Uncomfortable facts are often the most helpful ones

18. A good deal is better than a big deal

19. When in doubt look for the fear

20. Avoid arguments, embrace conversations

21. Easy to measure doesn’t make it important

22. Find clarity about who the customer is (and isn’t)

23. Genre is a platform, not a fence

24. Lowering expectations can increase satisfaction

25. Improve project hygiene

26. Ask what the system is for

27. We might not need more time, we simply need to decide

28. Consider the cost of keeping a promise before making it

29. Earn enrollment

30. Helping someone get what they want is easier than changing what they want

31. Not all criticism is equally valid

32. Write down the things you’re sure you’ll never forget

33. Focus on the hard part

34. Quitting one thing is the only way to find the focus to do the next thing

35. Perfectionism is not related to quality

36. Your competitors are actually your allies

37. Surfing is better than golf

38. Criticize ideas, not people

39. Cannibals rarely get a good night’s sleep

40. Status roles are the unseen force in almost every system

41. Embrace necessary discomfort

42. Gratitude is a more useful fuel than anger

43. Create tension and relieve stress

44. Imposter syndrome is real, and it arrives whenever we’re doing important work

45. Solve interesting problems

46. Offer dignity

47. Ignore sunk costs

48. Don’t try to fill an unfillable hole

49. This might not work

50. Consistency is more useful than authenticity

51. People like us do things like this

52. Simple hacks rarely fix long-term problems

53. Trade short-term wins for long-term impact

54. Today’s world is unpredictable, and this is as stable as it will ever be again

55. Generous doesn’t mean free

56. Make assertions

57. Invest in skills that compound with effort

58. Culture conceals systems, and systems construct our future

59. Peeves make lousy pets

60. Reassurance is futile

61. Take responsibility, demand freedom, don’t seek authority

62. Ideas that spread, win

63. Earn trust through action

64. Become the person your future thanks you for and forgive the past for the mistakes it made

65. Attitudes are skills