Today, we will take a look at the book The Principles of People Who Get Things Done. At first glance, it seems like a self-help book, filled with the usual content found in such literature. However, while there are similar themes, this book presents a unique perspective. 

Typically, when we talk about achieving something, we emphasize willpower. We set various habits or routines and are encouraged to execute them with determination. This book, however, approaches the topic from a different angle. It suggests that by understanding the secrets of our body and brain, and by having faith in that knowledge, we can achieve our goals. This perspective felt quite refreshing.

내용을 살펴보면, 이 책을 읽으려면 처음부터 읽기보다는 끝에 있는 15장을 먼저 읽는 것이 좋습니다. 저자들이 주장하는 내용을 보다 구체적으로 이해하기 위해서는 이 저자들의 사례 경험을 먼저 읽는 것이 도움이 될 것 같습니다. 그리고 그 사례와 경험이 매우 재미있습니다. 그래서 그 부분을 먼저 읽고 나서 책의 앞부분을 읽게 되면, 이 책의 내용을 내 삶에 적용하는 데 훨씬 도움이 되지 않을까 생각해봅니다.

결국 해내려면 어떤 과정을 거쳐야 하는가? 첫 번째는 목표를 설정하는 것입니다. 내가 이루고 싶은 것을 내 RAS에 각인시켜야 한다는 것이죠. RAS는 우리 뇌에 존재하는 일종의 그물망, 즉 망상 신경계입니다. 예전에 '정리하는 뇌'라는 책에서 주위 필터라는 개념을 살펴본 적이 있습니다.

It seems to be a similar concept. Our brain processes about 400 million bits of information per second. Our brain discards a lot of data and only processes what it needs, passing on just 2,000 bits to our consciousness. This acts as a sort of filter, discarding unnecessary information—about 99.99999%—and only delivering those 2,000 bits from the 400 million to our awareness. This function is performed by the RAS, or Reticular Activating System. 

For example, when we drive while on a phone call, we can become completely absorbed in that conversation. When we arrive at our destination, we might wonder how we managed to drive there, as if we were on autopilot. The RAS processes everything, only passing on critical information, such as when another vehicle suddenly appears. Even when we travel through the same busy area, our brain filters the information and focuses on what is most relevant.

When you see an office sign that matches your profession, that's what catches your eye. For others, it’s the same; they only notice signs related to their own fields. I, on the other hand, don’t notice those things at all because my RAS, my areas of interest, are already imprinted. These examples illustrate how it works. If we specifically input and engrave what we want to achieve into our RAS, it will automatically seek out information related to what we desire. It will contemplate and work to solve problems related to that. The author refers to the RAS as a wish fulfillment mechanism in our bodies and brains. Therefore, what’s important for us is not willpower, but rather effectively imprinting our RAS. There are various methods to do this, but one of the most effective ways is to write down what I want to achieve in my own handwriting.

Of course, typing on a keyboard is nice, but when you write by hand, it involves over 100 million movements of our body. This is said to help engrave things better in our memory. Anyway, when it comes to the mechanism of achieving our wishes in life, we tend to focus on one significant dream to engrave in our Reticular Activating System (RAS). However, looking at the examples from the authors, they emphasize the importance of smaller wishes. They always update their lists of minor wishes, such as learning to play the piano or taking dance lessons. There are many things we enjoy or want to get better at in our daily lives. By managing a long list like this, they work towards achieving those goals. The second point is likely to be the most important message. When we think about achieving something, we often habitually wonder, How can I do that? We focus on the how. For instance, I want to be rich, and we think, Oh, how can I do that?

But I don't have anything, so what can I do? It's always like this. However, what the authors argue is that instead of focusing on how to achieve what you want, you should concentrate on what you want to achieve. The how is taken care of by the RAS. Think about it: we are amazing beings that process about 400 billion bits of information every second, but only 2,000 bits are passed to our consciousness. So, if we try to do everything with just those 2,000 bits, it becomes difficult. Instead of thinking about how to achieve something, it's more helpful to focus on what you want. The third point is to break down your goals into smaller parts and set deadlines. So, it's not just about impressing the RAS and then sitting back and doing nothing. We need to support our RAS to work effectively.

해야 되잖아요. RAS를 작동시키려면, 자, 이르고 싶은 곳으로 나아가는데 있어서 목표를 잘게 나누고, 그러면 중간중간 성취감을 계속 느껴 나갈 수 있잖아요. 그리고 그 잘게 나눈 일을 언제까지 할 것인가, 데드라인을 정하라는 거죠. 이래야 RAS가 더 잘 작동하고 더 강화된다고 합니다. 네 번째는 시각화 기법과 확언의 힘인데, 제가 무엇을 성취하고 싶은가 손글씨로 써보자고 말씀드렸잖아요. 이 손글씨 쓰는 것은 사실 너무나 많은 책에서 나와 있는데, 그 설득력은 이 책에서의 내용이 가장 컸던 것 같아요. 그래서 또 잊지 않고 적용을 해봐야겠다는 생각을 갖게 됐는데, 자, 손글씨만큼 중요한 게 바로 이미지화시키는 것, 시각화시키는 겁니다. 우리 스포츠에서 이미지 트레이닝을 많이 이용하고 있고, 또 여러 책에서 많이 살펴봤네요. 그런데 이러한...

What can visualization help with? The standard is that it would simply be helpful. Right now, it's about strengthening my RAS. I think we can understand it this way. And the power of the academy—what's important for us is to strengthen our RAS, and for that to happen, we need to prevent negative neural circuits from becoming stronger. There are many things in our brain that send negative signals through a web-like structure. We need to defend against all of those, so that our RAS can function properly. In that sense, engaging with the academy is said to be helpful. 

And the fifth point is to ignore your surroundings. In the past, we discussed a book from Harvard, perhaps The Secret of 0.1, which advised us to block negative signals. It was a great insight. We often become discouraged by even the smallest negative signals we receive from our surroundings.

When capabilities decline or such reactions become prominent, it means we need to block negative signals. I mentioned that ignoring the surroundings seems to be the same story. If I have a wish, desire, or goal, or if I want to achieve a dream, what happens? The crab mentality effect comes into play. A few days ago, I looked at the concept of habitus, and when a dog tries to escape from a basket, the dog underneath pulls it back down. It's a let's fail together mentality. Most people around you have given up on their dreams, so those who have given up on their dreams tend to want to drag others down with them. Therefore, it is advised to simply ignore your surroundings. This is emphasized very strongly in the book. Lastly, the sixth point is about probability games. When we attempt something, the results depend on the probability of that attempt.

It means that you can gain something. To put it simply, for example, if you're walking down the street and you decide to approach someone of the opposite sex, you might try talking to them. If you approach someone five times and succeed once, what does that mean? It means you have a 20% success rate for each attempt. This concept helps to overcome the fear of rejection, which is discussed in the book. It encourages you to erase that fear and treat everything as a probability game. According to this probability, you can achieve some results with every attempt. For those of us involved in telemarketing, when I receive a call, I sometimes hang up because I'm busy, and that rejection can be quite disheartening. Yet, how do they manage to keep going without giving up on telemarketing? They must be very well-trained in the aspect of treating it as a probability game.

I ended up thinking about such things. Anyway, rather than hesitating and staying still, taking action and challenging oneself can yield results due to the probability game. I believe this will provide good insights. I will conclude today's video here. Please subscribe and like, as it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[결국 해내는 사람들의 원칙] 자기계발 책 추천 / 뻔하지 않은 자기계발서 / 어떻게 이룰 것인가를 고민하지 말고 무엇을 이룰 것인가를 고민하라

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