The Universal Truths

I'm still in the preparatory writing phase. That is to say, I'm not sitting down to write chapters, I'm writing about writing.

As I close-read and marked up the shit out of my own book last summer, I started pulling out what I called Universal Truths. These are the core little grains of wisdom that underpin the entire thing… The kinds of things that could become a mantra, a t-shirt, or even the subtitle of a book. Sometimes they were just a throwaway line. Sometimes I never fully expressed them. Such is the nature of first versions.

They emerged naturally when I wrote the book — which I did at a furious pace — but in v2, I'm going to sprinkle them throughout with intention.

I've gathered them all together, now, though, and here they are.

NB: This list is a work in progress. It's messy. It's not in order. It's incomplete. It's too long. It's repetitive sometimes.

And all that is right on target! Every Version Better. I will let them simmer and then I'll Cut Without Remorse.

Universal Truths

• As long as there’s been stuff to do, humans have procrastinated.
• If it's stuck on your hard drive, it doesn’t exist.
• JFS is a muscle, not a talent or a personality trait.
• Winners pay attention to their own pain points.
• The “natural” way to work is often wrong.
• Context is king.
• Resistance is for a reason.
• Right tool, right process, right result.
• Guilt won’t get it done.
• Goodies won’t get it done.
• "Don't should on yourself"
• Carrots, sticks, and tricks don't stack bricks.
• Learn to trust yourself, and the rest is easy.
• Satisfaction is the best motivator in the moment.
• Love is the best motivator long term.
• Tiny wins drive big wins.
• “Pressure” is a warning light, not fuel.
• If you can plan a dinner party, you can ship your project.
• You don’t need perfect, you need progress.
• Everything is iterable. Nothing is done.
• A great project both starts and ends with people.
• Nothing is for everyone.
• Use is value. ^
• Deadlines are a tool to help you get what you want.
• Limits create clarity.
• Focus is a container, deadlines are a frame.
• Infinite choice is not your friend.
• Make it crispy. Make it clear.
• A clear picture makes an easy target.
• As you move forward, keep thinking about going backwards.
• Working in stages makes big projects possible and small projects easy.
• Nobody likes a mystery casserole. Get crispy.
• Know when you’re done, and you’re halfway there.
• Over-ambition is a form of self-sabotage.
• Start small. You can always go bigger.
• Divide your exposure to risk. Multiply your chance of success.
• Finishing things gives you more energy to finish things.
• Atoms are the smallest fundamental unit of work.
• You’ve got enough to do already.
• You Ain’t Gonna Need It.
• “Little details” are their own projects.
• The riskiest time is before you ship.
• More projects have died on the vine than ever shipped and failed.
• No one will know what you you know (about your omissions, etc).
• Great projects grow over time.
• A mistake isn’t a failure, it’s a lesson.
• “Failure” isn’t a permanent state, it’s an opinion.
• Don’t judge your first draft by someone else’s finished result.
• You can’t chew with someone else’s teeth. Chew your own food.
• Learn from recipes.
• Borrow, don’t steal.
• You choose your difficulty setting.
• The fewer moving parts, the better.
• Take on risk intentionally, or not at all.
• The less you have to pause and think, the more you can do.
• Procrastination is a sign to clarify and simplify.
• Something will always go wrong.
• Half a project, not a half-assed project. (who said this?)
• No plan survives contact with reality.
• You will have to cut something.
• Make your hard decisions in advance.
• Drop it like it’s hot, and move on.
• Feelings are a decent feedback mechanism, and a really shitty driver.
• If it’s gonna rain anyway, might as well use it to water your garden.
• Feedback is a gift.
• Prepare for the worst.
• When your roast is ruined, order a pizza.
• You can’t build a reputation and never risk it.
• The longer you wait for more, the less you’ll ever get.
• Your next launch.
• Practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent. — Kathy Sierra
• It’s tough to be creative while you’re struggling.
• To become a JFSer, you’ve got to get comfortable with being at 80% done, forever.
• Reap the rewards of progress along the way.
• “I forgive myself, now I can study.”

Did any of them particularly resonate with you?

Do you remember taking away a truth when you read JFS v1?