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Thematic Vocabulary

ideal

adj.B20:09

/aɪˈdiːəl/

Perfect or best possible, especially as a long-term lifestyle goal.

One of the most powerful ideas I've been thinking about recently is bringing your ideal, your future into the now.

sustain

v.B20:42

/səˈsteɪn/

To maintain something over time without burning out or failing.

But what I did in the past is I am going to start writing for 5 minutes a day, 15 minutes a day, 30 minutes a day, one hour a day, and slowly increasing over the years until I can sustain the two hour a day writing lifestyle.

taper

v.C11:07

/ˈteɪpər/

To gradually increase or decrease something in small steps (here: time/effort).

And already you're already going to have to start small and taper up.

execute

v.B21:52

/ˈeksɪkjuːt/

To carry out a plan or task effectively (not just plan it).

You have to try things and start to execute on fundamental tasks in order to understand what it is that you want.

fundamental

adj.B21:54

/ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/

Basic and essential; forming the foundation of progress.

You have to try things and start to execute on fundamental tasks in order to understand what it is that you want.

compass

n.B22:46

/ˈkʌmpəs/

A guiding tool; here, a metaphor for feedback that helps you choose direction.

That way you can figure out what you don't want and allow that to act as a self corrective compass into figuring out what you actually do want.

harness

v.C13:11

/ˈhɑːrnɪs/

To control and use something (like creativity or energy) for a purpose.

It helps me harness my creative ability.

obligated

adj.B23:52

/ˈɒblɪɡeɪtɪd/

Feeling you must do something because you’ve invested in it or committed to it.

And so the more you do it, the more you feel obligated to do it.

cultivate

v.C14:07

/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/

To develop something gradually through consistent effort (e.g., passion, skill).

And then you cultivate passion along the way because you discover things that you wouldn't have discovered without that direct experience.

phenomenon

n.C14:44

/fəˈnɒmɪnən/

An observable fact or pattern that can be explained or analyzed.

Conceptual survival is the human phenomenon where our survival instincts have transcended the physical realm and are included in the mental.

alignment

n.C15:01

/əˈlaɪnmənt/

A match between your actions and your goal/identity; behaving consistently with what you value.

And start acting in alignment with it and investing mental energy into that goal or your future identity, you start to slowly build that identity, right?

holistic

adj.C16:37

/həʊˈlɪstɪk/

Considering the whole system, not just one part (mind, habits, schedule).

And so next we're going to talk about the holistic daily routine.

intrinsic

adj.C19:18

/ɪnˈtrɪnzɪk/

Coming from within; driven by internal satisfaction rather than external rewards.

This will lead to intrinsic motivation.

necessity

n.B210:42

/nəˈsesɪti/

Something essential, not optional.

In a world of notifications, ample options and overwhelm deep work is frankly no longer an option. It is a necessity.

drastically

adv.B211:28

/ˈdræstɪkli/

In a very great or sudden way.

And with this, with the priority ladder, you can drastically change your life in six months with one hour a day of focused work.

outsource

v.C114:18

/ˌaʊtˈsɔːrs/

To pay someone else to do work instead of doing it yourself.

It's creative work. It's something that I do not want to outsource.

entropy

n.C116:21

/ˈentrəpi/

A tendency toward disorder; here, the idea that distractions fragment your mind into chaos.

And then that alone is going to split your focus and then that opens up room for entropy, where your mind starts going to all these different thoughts without you knowing it.

Verbal Phrases

bring (your future) into the now

0:09

To start living parts of your ideal lifestyle today in a smaller, manageable way.

💡 More purposeful than “start now” because it emphasizes identity and lifestyle, not just tasks.

One of the most powerful ideas I've been thinking about recently is bringing your ideal, your future into the now.

taper up

1:07

To gradually increase effort or time in small steps.

💡 Often used with training, routines, and habits; implies sustainability and pacing.

And already you're already going to have to start small and taper up.

stumble on (something)

2:28

To discover something unexpectedly while doing other things.

💡 More natural than “discover” for accidental findings; common in storytelling about career paths.

And I would have never stumbled on that unless I had already been working towards my ideal future.

invest mental energy (in a goal)

3:30

To consistently focus attention and effort on a goal until it gains momentum.

💡 A metaphor: treats focus like currency. Works well in motivational or reflective contexts.

You begin to invest mental energy in a goal through focus on that goal.

block out time

10:44

To reserve a fixed time period for a specific activity, protected from interruptions.

💡 Stronger than “make time” because it implies scheduling and boundaries.

You have to block out time to work on your future or to work on your business.

stick it out

13:51

To continue despite discomfort, difficulty, or slow progress.

💡 Common in spoken advice; implies endurance during the early “messy” stage.

You have to stick it out and refine your system with time.

push back (tasks/notifications)

16:35

To delay something intentionally to protect your focus.

💡 Useful for describing boundaries: “push back email” sounds more deliberate than “do it later.”

So you push back all of the conversational and maintenance tasks to the fourth priority.

Colloquial Expressions

a badge of honor

10:28

Something you proudly display to signal status—even if it’s not truly valuable.

📍 Usage Context：Critiquing hustle culture; describing performative behavior at work.

Productivity is not about seeing who can work the longest and then where that as a badge of honor that they can show their friends, coworkers and peers.

a status game

10:33

Competing for social approval rather than real results.

📍 Usage Context：Discussing social comparison, workplace culture, and motivation traps.

That's just a status game.

monkey in a cubicle

8:08

A humorous metaphor suggesting humans aren’t mentally designed for unnatural office routines.

📍 Usage Context：Explaining why modern work environments can feel psychologically wrong.

Think of it like a monkey in a cubicle.

trapped in the matrix

8:56

Stuck in an unconscious, repetitive lifestyle controlled by routine or systems (metaphorical).

📍 Usage Context：Motivation talk; describing feeling stuck in default life patterns.

If this modern life becomes normal to you, you are by definition trapped in the matrix.

in a nutshell

17:02

In a very brief summary.

📍 Usage Context：Summarizing advice or closing an explanation clearly.

But in a nutshell, that's really it.

one rogue thought

16:07

A single unexpected idea that disrupts concentration.

📍 Usage Context：Explaining distraction spirals and why phones/notifications fragment focus.

That one rogue thought that you get from it that you think isn't of importance when you first see it.

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