Good summary of Eben Pagan’s thinking and mindset regarding opportunity, the future and where he believes the world is heading. Not a how-to guide if that is what you are after but contains more mental models for making the most of this amazing time we are living in.

I believe that we are underestimating the impact that the internet is and will have on the world and this book only supports that view – never mind blockchain.

It contains plenty of filler and stories, as is Eben’s style. Nothing particularly innovative or original here but a good collection of thoughts and ideas.

Opportunity is increasing and there is a way to increase the quality and quantity of opportunities in your life.

Opportunity is a powerful motivator.

The world is making it quicker and easier to create and manifest.

We have the power to create opportunity. It is a virtuous cycle.

If you aren’t creating your environment someone else is for you.

In life, if the way you think is better matched to what actually happens and the way the world works, it allows you to better imagine what could happen or what will happen.

Opportunity: potential value, a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

“potential has a shelf life” – Margaret Atwood

In the future we’ll have more smaller opportunities and fewer larger ones.

Opportunity is what you bring to reality, not what reality brings you. You are responsible for the amount of opportunity in your life.

Risk of opportunity shock i.e. paradox of choice.

Emotions

Emotions have a physical aspect and control our body and mind more than the other way around.

It is powerful to notice the internal physical sensation of emotions because it allows you to process them much better. Once you start learning to feel how your emotions manifesting your body, you can breathe in to help them move through you without getting stuck. Most people do not allow themselves to have complete emotional cycles.

When you experience envy – bless what you want.

Fear

Fear of: loss, rejection, the unknown, ambiguity, missing out, death.

When experiencing fear try this NLP technique; imagine that you are standing behind yourself, looking out over your shoulder at the situation.

When experiencing fear. Never make important decisions or think about the future.

Agency and Communion

Different types of people:

Agency – assert or express yourself. Master your environment. Achieve. See individual as basic unit of life.

Communion – synchronise and serve others. See the group as the basic unit of life.

Would my current behaviour contribute to having happy and triumphant death?

Mental Models

When learning something new. Focus on the mental model from the domain. Not the skill or output.

What is Value?

80:20 Pareto

Focus on future proof skills.

Knowledge + experience = understanding

Key to incorporate feedback into learning.

Learn to a level of competence. Then integrate. Then combine with other skills. This often beats mastery in one field.

Eliminate things you are tolerating in life.

Automate things you have to restock.

Level up in all areas of life before maximising. Health, wealth, love and happiness.

Level up in business

1. Employed
2. Self employed
3. Business Owner
4. Investor

Work on expanding your time horizons and planning.

Even though opportunity is abundant you must be pro active and go out and look for it.

See yourself as lucky and optimistic

Mastermind

• Group of people
• high achievers
• meet regularly
• share and support
• work purposefully
• collaboration

Practice estimating things and if you get within 20% you got it right.

Return on Experience

We can’t afford to have experiences that we don’t learn from. So either do something else or change the thing you are doing so that you learn from it.

What you learn from an experience is as important as the experience itself.

Evaluate

Don’t think decide or even choose. Think curate.

Check in with multiple levels:

• instinctive
• integrity
• higher self
• financial
• happiness

Negotiate

1. How flexible are you on price
2. What’s your best price right now
3. Would you take £x in cash (holding the money in front of them)

“Possible in the world and possible for me is a matter of how”

Design and testing

Serif for body. Headers in sans serif

Simple metrics: visitors, opt-ins, sales

Scaling

Work with a stars only.

Vertical innovation. Integrate – transcends and includes best of what exists.

Start with:

1. Coaching
2. Online course

The other digital products:

• mastermind
• membership
• webinar
• group coaching
• ebook
• podcast
• etc

Start a passion project:

• 30 day research
• 90 proof of concept

Take a personal vision quest. 2 day offsite. Day one deep rejuvenate (hike, massage, nature). Total disconnection.

What do I want my life to mean.

Day two strategic planning. What do I want. What’s next. Who to add and remove. New habits and practices.