Think Remarkable - Guy Kawasaki - E-Book

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Guy Kawasaki

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Beschreibung

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER AND GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER

The Non-Obvious Book Awards 2024 Longlist Selection

Make the leap from average to exceptional and start living the remarkable life you were meant to lead

Ever wonder what sets people like Steve Wozniak, Stacey Abrams, Mark Rober, and Jane Goodall apart? Why do some people seem to eat, sleep, and breathe “awesome?”

In Think Remarkable, tech titan Guy Kawasaki teams up with Madisun Nuismer, producer of the Remarkable People podcast, to share invaluable knowledge from more than 40 years of working with game-changing organizations such as Apple, Canva, Google, Mercedes Benz, and Wikipedia, and delivers insights from a collection of amazing interviews that'll kick you into high gear and get you ready to start showing the world your best, most amazing self. Together the authors show you how to lead a fulfilling life by drawing on insights from working closely with some of the world's most remarkable people. You'll learn:

  • How to find your own inner ass-kicker and unlock potential you never knew you were capable of
  • Cultivate the resilience, grit, and fearlessness needed to overcome obstacles and setbacks
  • Apply the lessons from the world's most innovative companies to your personal growth journey


Make the leap from average to exceptional. Think Remarkable is more than a book—it's a way of life. It is the gotta-read-right-now book you can't afford to miss. So, grab a copy today and start making yourself—and the world—a whole lot more remarkable.

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Seitenzahl: 261

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

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Table of Contents

Cover

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Foreword

Introduction

Think Different

The Big Picture

Sources

Structure

Let's Do This!

STAGE 1: Growth—Build a Foundation

1 Adopt the Growth Mindset

Embrace the Growth Mindset

Find Support

Embrace Change

Go Farther

Change Horses

Take Baby Steps

Embrace Envy

Find a Hero

Bloom, Baby, Bloom

Additional Resources

2 Embrace Vulnerability

Flip Over Growth

“Go on, Be Brave”

Brace for Impact

Give Yourself a Break

Learn from Failure

Use the Doubters

Face It Until You Make It

Additional Resources

3 Plant Many Seeds

Get Stoked About Oaks

Trust the Dots

Get an Education

Pursue “Interests,” Not “Passions”

Build Random Connections

Don't Be Picky

Fight Framing

Start in Sales

Make Yourself Indispensable

Weed the Seeds

Ask, “What's Missing?”

Additional Resources

STAGE 2: Grit—Activate Your Aspirations

4 Do Good Shit

Embrace the Grit Mindset

Create What You Want to Use

Alleviate Pain

Work Backwards

Resolve Your Indignation

Jump to the Next Curve

Ride the Tide

Go See, Go Be, and Go Do

Do the Right Thing

Transform Yourself

Ask Simple Questions

Establish a Subcategory

Get Unique and Valuable

Additional Resources

5 Get Beyond Eureka

Formalize Your Goals

Prove Your Concept

Get Mentors

Find Complements

Identify Your Inner “Nigel”

Develop a Routine

Break Bad Habits

Forget Balance, Think

Ikigai

Savor Your Shit Sandwich

Don't Argue, Just Adopt

Make Decisions Right

Additional Resources

6 Sell Your Dream

Get Your Foot in the Door

Get Your Early Adopters

Grok the Gospel of Bob

Find Something in Common

Tell Good Stories

Open Your Architecture

Don't Hear “No”

“Let a Hundred Flowers Blossom”

Optimize the Day

Show up in Person

Become a Mission‐Driven Asshole

Focus on What's Important

Additional Resources

STAGE 3: Grace—Uplift and Inspire

7 Lead by Example

Embrace Grace

Get Over Imposter Syndrome

Craft a “Good Situation”

Hire Better Than Yourself

Negotiate Like a Champ

Put Skills First

Send the Right Signals

Draw Boundaries

Manage by Zooming Around (MBZA)

Shut the F* Up

Reduce Risk

Say “I Don't Know”

Additional Resources

8 Take the High Road

Value All People

Count Your Blessings

Fulfill Your Success

Oblige

Help Others Succeed

Make Wise Interventions

Over‐Deliver

Change How You Keep Score

Punch Up, Not Down

Ask “How?”

Learn How to Apologize

Ignore the Small Stuff

Listen to My Parents

Additional Resources

9 Turn and Burn

Leave No Regrets Behind

Heed Stacey's Creed

Turn and Burn

Additional Resource

Afterword

List of Profiles

List of Podcast Guests

Mahalo

People

Places

About the Authors

Index

End User License Agreement

List of Illustrations

Introduction

Figure I.1 Poster from Apple's Think Different campaign which featured photo...

Chapter 1

Figure 1.1 Mark Rober with a NERF gun ten times the size of a normal one, 20...

Figure 1.2 Jane Goodall with Figan, the alpha male, at Gombe National Park i...

Figure 1.3 Julia Child in her Cambridge, Massachusetts, kitchen, 1974.

Figure 1.4 You've got to love Woz. Here he is playing Segway polo in Cologne...

Figure 1.5 Raquel Willis at New York Fashion Week, 2019.

Chapter 2

Figure 2.1 Kristi Yamaguchi waves to the crowd after winning the gold medal ...

Figure 2.2 Andrea Lytle Peet finishing her fiftieth marathon after she was d...

Figure 2.3 Apple's Lisa computer was released in 1983. It was a commercial f...

Figure 2.4 Garrett McNamara at Nazaré, Portugal, surfing the mythical 100‐fo...

Chapter 3

Figure 3.1 One of my six‐month‐old oak seedlings, September 2023. I will nev...

Figure 3.2 Steve Jobs giving commencement address at Stanford University on ...

Figure 3.3 On stage at TEDx Palo Alto with Jane Goodall—one of the high poin...

Figure 3.4 Brandi Chastain celebrates after kicking the game‐winning goal in...

Figure 3.5 Derek Sivers in a prior role to his tech and entrepreneurship car...

Figure 3.6 Kerri Walsh Jennings (right) and Misty May‐Treanor at the medal c...

Figure 3.7 Andrew Zimmern using some “lucky chopsticks” at the South Beach W...

Figure 3.8 A scene from the “invisible gorilla” experiment. Fifty percent of...

Chapter 4

Figure 4.1 Gretchen Carlson shaking hands with President Joe Biden while Vic...

Figure 4.2 Nancy Thompson with her MAGA sign at the start of the Mothers Aga...

Figure 4.3 Steve Sasson and the first digital camera ever made. He worked fo...

Figure 4.4 Martin Lindstrom discussing the lessons of breathing through stra...

Figure 4.5  Bill Clinton and Elizabeth Holmes on stage at the 2015 plenary s...

Figure 4.6 Martha Niño and her mother, Tomasa Coloa, at the Niles Flea Marke...

Figure 4.7 Reebok got “unique and valuable” in 1982 with the introduction of...

Chapter 5

Figure 5.1 Chris Bertish arriving in Antigua in March 2017. His 4,600‐mile j...

Figure 5.2 Jamia Wilson with her mentor, Gloria Steinem, at a Harvard Book S...

Figure 5.3 Leana Wen with her mentor, Congressman Elijah Cummings, in Baltim...

Figure 5.4 Ronnie Lott and his mentor, Jim Brown, celebrating Jim's eightiet...

Figure 5.5 Roy Yamaguchi with his mentor Joseph Amendola

Figure 5.6 Dave Ebert with the skeleton of a fourteen‐foot great white shark...

Figure 5.7 My daily breakfast: peanut butter and bananas on toast with coffe...

Figure 5.8 Kelly Gibson working with students at Rogue River Junior/Senior H...

Chapter 6

Figure 6.1 Temple Grandin's design for a tipping vat system. This is an exam...

Figure 6.2 Examples of Madisun and my daughter virtually trying on Warby Par...

Figure 6.3 The “dancing guy” progresses from one nutcase to a crowd....

Figure 6.4 Six of the typical rejections that Melanie Perkins received after...

Figure 6.5 Macintosh 128K, introduced on January 24, 1984, in Cupertino, Cal...

Figure 6.6 Olivia Julianna accepting the Marie C. Wilson Emerging Leader Awa...

Figure 6.7 Jon M. Chu and Lin‐Manuel Miranda about to enjoy some ice cream o...

Figure 6.8 Michelle Obama at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Chapter 7

Figure 7.1 Macintosh Division in 1984. I'm in the upper left corner to the l...

Figure 7.2 Reunion of the Macintosh Division in 2019 at the home of Alain Ro...

Figure 7.3 A scene from the “Exit Event” episode of Silicon Valley. 2019....

Figure 7.4 Stanley McChrystal inspects the troops during his retirement cere...

Chapter 8

Figure 8.1 Guy, Carol Dweck, and Nate Kawasaki at the memorial services of C...

Figure 8.2 Jacob Martinez at Digital NEST in Watsonville, California, 2023. ...

Figure 8.3 Ranch Milk service station and restaurant in Watsonville, Califor...

Figure 8.4 New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski. He suffers from a diseas...

Figure 8.5 Donald Trump mimicking Kovaleski in 2015.

Figure 8.6 Grace Sherman spreading her wings and graduating from New College...

Figure 8.7 The bougainvillea hedge where my yard care career began and ended...

Chapter 9

Figure 9.1 Stacey Abrams and I throwing shakas at my house after our June 20...

Guide

Cover Page

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Foreword

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

Afterword

List of Profiles

List of Podcast Guests

Mahalo

About the Authors

Index

Wiley End User License Agreement

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Think Remarkable

9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference

GUY KAWASAKI

with MADISUN NUISMER

Foreword by

JANE GOODALL

Copyright © 2024 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per‐copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750‐8400, fax (978) 750‐4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748‐6011, fax (201) 748‐6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permission.

Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762‐2974, outside the United States at (317) 572‐3993 or fax (317) 572‐4002.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data:

Names: Kawasaki, Guy, 1954‐ author. | Nuismer, Madisun, author.

Title: Think remarkable : 9 paths to transform your life and make a difference / Guy Kawasaki and Madisun Nuismer.

Description: First edition. | Hoboken, New Jersey : Wiley, [2024] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2023053754 (print) | LCCN 2023053755 (ebook) | ISBN 9781394245222 (cloth) | ISBN 9781394245246 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781394245239 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Self‐perception. | Belief and doubt. | Motivation (Psychology) | Success—Psychological aspects. | Self‐actualization (Psychology) | Courtesy.

Classification: LCC BF697.5.S43 K39 2024 (print) | LCC BF697.5.S43 (ebook) | DDC 158.1—dc23/eng/20231218

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023053754

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023053755

Cover Design: Chris Wallace

Author Photos by Liz DePuydt

To Gen Z. Your time has come.

Foreword

When Guy asked me to write this foreword, my list of “to write” items was at twenty‐one. I had just returned from Tanzania and Uganda. Before that, I was in Japan and South Korea. The next week I would be in Canada, the United States, and Brazil. And then I was due to be off to Spain and Switzerland, and finally back to LA.

So I really didn't have time. But Guy is a friend, and because this book provides guidance that will help people find a way of living their lives in a world of increasing uncertainty and complexity, I said yes.

In fact, in the time since I agreed to his request, the state of things has grown even worse and more people are becoming depressed because of changing weather patterns, loss of species, and the horror of war.

In Think Remarkable, Guy discusses three qualities—growth, grit, and grace—that can help us adapt and survive in these tumultuous times. And he explores ways we can move toward a world changed for the better.

Clearly Growth, in the sense of adapting to rapid change and coping with new, difficult, and often unforeseen challenges, is important. On a planet with finite natural resources (already running out in some places) and growing populations of humans and livestock, we must change the way we conduct business, the way we grow our food, and so on.

Think Remarkable argues that we must develop a new mindset: to survive in this rapidly changing world, we must push ourselves to grow mentally, to find new ways of living our day‐to‐day lives, and to develop technology that will help us live in greater harmony with nature. We must grow emotionally and ethically so that we can cope with problems such as poverty, racism, and discrimination.

And for us to develop this new mindset we must have Grit: we must be able to endure. As climate and weather patterns change, animals and plants that cannot adapt or move to more suitable environments will gradually become extinct. With our highly developed intellect, we can find ways of adapting, but only if we have grit, the courage to tackle what at first seems overwhelming.

We must have the courage of our convictions to stand up to corporations and governments that put short‐term profit above protecting the environment for future generations. One of my own reasons for hope is the resilience of nature. And this book clearly explains the principles that can help us to cultivate resilience, empowering us to stand steadfast, stay true to our values even when we are up against overwhelming odds.

We must take lessons from the resilience of Mother Nature. As I travel around the world, I have seen so many places that were once almost entirely destroyed as a result of human activity, but where—when given time and perhaps some help—nature has returned and plants and animals have been given another chance.

We too must learn to “withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” And we must take courage from the amazing men and women who have accomplished what seems impossible and never given up despite being reviled or even imprisoned for their beliefs or their actions.

Finally, we come to the third quality that will help us survive: Grace. Think Remarkable lays out a framework for cultivating grace. In the world today there is so much divisiveness, discrimination, and conflict. Thus, the importance of graciousness—of understanding, empathy, and communal solidarity—cannot be overstated.

Nature's ecosystems thrive on symbiotic relationships and so must we. Human societies and businesses must cultivate collaborative relationships and work together to solve the multitudes of problems that seem to always be getting worse. So, argues Guy, we must foster relationships that are not only transactional but transformational.

Think Remarkable is not just a typical self‐help narrative: it challenges us not only to improve our own individual lives but also to create a positive impact on the world around us. It makes a compelling case that each of us, equipped with growth, grit, and grace, can become catalysts for change.

The ideas presented within these pages are not merely aspirational; they suggest actionable steps that we can take to move us toward a more equitable and harmonious world.

As we confront the myriad challenges of our era—from social inequality to climate change, from loss of biodiversity to conflict and war—the suggestions laid out in Think Remarkable remind us of our shared responsibility to think, act, and live with purpose.

In these troubling, uncertain—and for some of us, desperate—times, it is imperative that we strive to work together. In other words, we must all live remarkably to make this a better, fairer, and happier world. And this book is a call for immediate action: the future of life on earth, including our own, depends on how we act now.

Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE

Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace

Introduction

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t happened yet.

—Anne Frank

Think Different

In 1997 I was Apple's chief evangelist, and I was in the room when Lee Clow of Apple's advertising agency, Chiat\Day, presented the Think Different campaign to Steve Jobs.

There were perhaps ten marketing people in the meeting, and Lee's presentation took our breath away because it so perfectly captured the spirit of Macintosh and Apple.

Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes … the ones who see things differently—they’re not fond of rules … . You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things … they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.

—Ad copy of  Think Different

Figure I.1Poster from Apple's Think Different campaign which featured photos of Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein, Martha Graham, Nelson Mandela, Amelia Earhart, and other remarkable people, 1997.

(Source: Nate Kawasaki)

Back then, Apple wasn't doing well. In fact, most of the pundits predicted that Apple would soon go bankrupt. Michael Dell (yes, that “Dell”) even suggested that Apple return its cash to shareholders and close up shop. Sticking with Apple in those days was an act of faith and thinking differently.

To massively state the obvious, Michael Dell and the pundits were wrong. The Think Different campaign and the iMac line of Macintoshes rekindled the flame and saved Apple. The turnaround that Steve engineered was remarkable, and Apple became the most valuable company in history.

It's been a few decades since that meeting. The world has come a long way, but many problems still exist, new challenges have arisen, and much work remains to be done. However, there are also great opportunities. Now it's necessary to go beyond “think different” and go all the way to “think remarkable” to transform your life and the world.

The Big Picture

Suppose someone who is twice your age and holds a powerful political office tries to humiliate you. His reason was that you took offense to his insight on who needs abortions. Let’s start with the words Congressman Matt Gaetz spoke in July 2022 at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit:

Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions? Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb.

He offended many people with his statement. Among them was Olivia Julianna. She is a “queer, plus size, Latina activist” in her twenties, and she fired off a tweet in response:

It's come to my attention that Matt Gaetz—alleged pedophile—has said that it's always the “odious … 5'2 350 pound” women that “nobody wants to impregnate” who rally for abortion. I'm actually 5'11. 6'4 in heels. I wear them so the small men like you are reminded of your place.

Gaetz returned fire with of photo of Julianna with a tweet that said, “Dander raised.” Olivia then turned the controversy into a fundraising effort for abortion rights that raised $2.5 million.

She is a beacon to Gen Z and is leading the transition of power to the next generation alongside others such as Malala Yousafzai, David Hogg, Greta Thunberg, and Maxwell Frost.

The goal of this book is to help you make a difference, just like Julianna. First, let's define what being remarkable means. It does not mean amassing wealth, power, or fame. There are people who have done this and are not remarkable. And there are people who haven't and are.

In my book, being remarkable means you are making a difference and making the world a better place. However, you are not competing with Olivia, Jane Goodall, or Steve Jobs—although I won't dissuade you if that's your goal. Just know that it's enough to improve one life (even your own), one organization, one habitat, or one classroom.

Being remarkable also means you are a good person—people use words such as empathetic, honest, and compassionate to describe you. If offered the chance, they would love to join your ohana, the Hawaiian word for the community of people who support and care for you.

I can provide the roadmap, along with some inspirational examples, but only you can do the work. Being remarkable is neither innate nor conferred—if it were, you wouldn't need this book.

Sources

I used two sources of information and inspiration to write this book. The first source is several hundred remarkable people. Although they were not necessarily wealthy, powerful, or famous, they all made the world a better place. They personify empathy, resilience, creativity, and grace.

They were guests on my podcast, Remarkable People, and include people such as Olivia, Jane Goodall, Stacey Abrams, Mark Rober, Carol Dweck, Ken Robinson, Steve Wozniak, Margaret Atwood, Julia Cameron, Temple Grandin, and Bob Cialdini, to name a few.

The second source is my firsthand experiences. I've been the chief evangelist of Apple and Canva, worked for Google and Mercedes‐Benz, and started three companies. All told, I've been a son, father, husband, “uncle,” brother, evangelist, entrepreneur, investor, author, speaker, podcaster, mentor, ATM, and Wikipedia trustee.

Structure

Twenty‐volume folios will never make a revolution. It’s the little pocket pamphlets that are to be feared.

—Voltaire

Nonfiction books tend to be a vast morass of 300‐page tomes that extol one idea. I should know—I've written several of them. In this book, however, less is more, so it is as succinct as possible. There are three parts:

• Growth

Build Your Foundation

• Grit

Implement Your Aspirations

• Grace

Uplift and Inspire

Growth, grit, and grace are necessary to make a difference. I present them in approximate sequential order, but becoming remarkable isn't necessarily linear. Feel free to jump around the book as your needs dictate.

Each part of this book consists of three chapters. Each chapter, in turn, contains sections that explain methods for achieving the chapter's objective. Each section begins with an assessment of who can use the section's ideas.

I mention dozens of individuals in this book. It's unlikely that you will recognize everyone. To help you identify them, there is a “List of Profiles” at the end of this book.

In summary, utilizing a few real‐world examples, circa 2023, Think Remarkable is:

The Elements of Style,

not

The Chicago Manual of Style

Tinder, not eHarmony

TikTok, not TED

Let's Do This!

Making a difference and being remarkable are not easy, but you won't regret trying. When you make a difference and are remarkable, you live a life that matters, reflects your best self, and inspires others to be remarkable as well.

One last subtle but critical point. The remarkable people I interviewed did not decide one day to be remarkable and then dedicate their life to this goal. Their motivation was outward focused and tactical: save a species, rise from poverty, invent a cool device, save democracy, and the like.

In pursuing these kinds of goals, they became remarkable, but “becoming remarkable” wasn't their objective. This book isn't about how to “repackage,” “rebrand,” or “reposition” yourself.

My message is simple: If you do remarkable things and make a difference, people will call you remarkable. In fact, you couldn't stop them if you tried. So let's get started.

Guy Kawasaki

Santa Cruz, California 2023

There's one more story inside the story of Lee Clow showing us the Think Different campaign. At the end of the meeting, he said to Steve, “I have two copies of these ads. I'll give one to you and one to Guy.”

Steve, as only Steve would, responded, “Don't give Guy a copy. Just give me a copy.”

For me, this was a man‐or‐mouse moment that you don't want to look back on and think, “Why did I wimp out?”

So I didn't. Right then and there, in front of everyone, I came back with, “Don't you trust me, Steve?”

And he came back with, “I don't.”

And I came back with, “That's okay, Steve, because I don't trust you either.”

That probably cost me a few million dollars in stock options, but it was worth it.

STAGE 1Growth—Build a Foundation

1Adopt the Growth Mindset

Replace “Why is this happening to me?” with “What is this trying to teach me?”

—Nate Kawasaki

Embrace the Growth Mindset

∠ You want to overcome being told you can't accomplish something.

∠ You want to stop telling

yourself

 you can't accomplish something.

∠ You're tired of worrying about jeopardizing your reputation and self‐image.

I am not a remarkable hockey player or surfer. I took up these sports at the ages of forty‐four and sixty, respectively. This means that I started thirty‐four and fifty years too late, respectively.

My sons wanted to play hockey after we attended a San Jose Sharks game, so I started playing hockey even though I was old and from Hawaii. The closest thing to pond hockey where I grew up is shave ice. (Several people have pointed out that the correct term is “shaved ice.” I grew up in Hawaii and have eaten more shave ice than all of them put together. The correct term is “shave ice,” brah.)

In 2015, I started surfing because of my daughter. She was fourteen, and I was sixty. Despite growing up in Hawaii, I didn't have enough of a growth mindset to try something outside of studying and organized team sports, so surfing was new to me.

I embraced these new sports because Brenda Ueland and Carol Dweck profoundly impacted my mindset. Ueland was a teacher of writing at the University of Minnesota and authored a book called If You Want to Write.

My wife gave me Ueland's book in 1989 because I thought I wanted to write a book. However, my mindset at the time was that I was not a “writer” because I didn't have a degree in English, nor any formal training for the task. Ueland's book made me realize that maybe I could write a book because it contained these lessons:

Don't worry about special training or anyone's permission and blessing to write. Just write.

Write from the heart about what you know and love—not about what you think people expect from “writers.” Just write.

Shove aside judgments and criticisms of your writing—from both you and from others. Just write.

In short, I wrote my first book, The Macintosh Way, because of Ueland's book. Now fast‐forward to 2006. Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University, releases her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Her insights were like Ueland's but on steroids.

Her book convinced me that growth can happen along any path that you let it. At the time, I was fat, dumb, and happy concentrating on what worked for me in the past. I certainly wasn't taking up any new sports.

Dweck didn't just dent my universe; she expanded it. I had written a few books, but I was afraid of failure and embarrassment in other fields. Here is how Carol explains the fixed and growth mindsets:

The fixed mindset is the belief that your qualities are carved in stone. But your qualities can be cultivated through effort, good strategies, and lots of help, support, and mentorship from others.

People with a fixed mindset make statements such as “I'm too old to learn a new skill,” or “I'm good at programming, but I could never learn marketing.” People with a growth mindset, by contrast, are willing, if not eager, to explore and experiment.

Undoubtedly, the growth mindset is necessary to be remarkable, and you hold the power to change and elevate yourself. Full stop. Not negotiable. Let this sink in: if you want to be remarkable, you have to grow.

Learning hockey and surfing were difficult at my advanced age, but embracing these sports provided some of the most satisfying moments of my life. My moderate success in both sports showed me the benefits of a growth mindset and, more importantly, set my expectations to be able to learn new skills in general.

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