Become Unstoppable with 7 Minute Drills
I like to improve at various things quickly. J. Cole, one of my favourite rappers, shares how he uses 7-minute drills to expedite his creative process.
I like to improve at various things quickly. Those who know me personally also know that I am a big fan of hip-hop. J. Cole, one of my favourite rappers, shares how he uses 7-minute drills to enhance his creative process.
J. Cole starts with a simple beat and forces himself to write a full track in 7 minutes.
If you are trying to learn something new, try breaking that skill into an atomic action that can be done in under 7 minutes. Here’s how it will help you:
Having a Short Time Limit Brings Out the Genuine You
When I write without a time limit, I am flooded with thoughts like, "Oh, I’ve already said this," "Oh, people already know this," or "Maybe I should research more before I write about this." When all you have is 7 minutes, your thought process becomes razor-sharp, bringing your thoughts out in a natural flow that isn't present in a synthetically crafted post.You’re Not Batman
Unlike Batman, giving yourself ample prep time won’t necessarily yield better results (unless you are planning to battle Lex Luthor). We overestimate the results we'd achieve by spending 2 hours and forget how 80% of the work is done in the initial minutes of tightening your belt and getting down to business.You Can Iterate and Improve a Lot Faster
If all it takes is 7 minutes to complete an action, you can do it a lot more times. When I identify a clear way to improve my current work, because the turnaround time for the next action is just 7 minutes, I am incentivized to make that change in the next piece instead of spending more time on what’s already done and out there. This keeps the ball rolling and sets me up for success.Volume Can Trump Quality
You need to replicate before you can innovate. Consistency brings out the best in you. You may not see the changes in a day or two, but you can definitely look back months later and see how the thousands of little learnings added up over time. Those who think quantity can’t win over quality aren’t doing enough volume in the first place.
This 7-minute drill practice is something I use every day while creating content, solving LeetCode problems, or exploring anything new.
📹 Videos Published This Week
Steal this Dynamic Programming Trick! @cache decorator in Python 🐍
I want you all to steal this dynamic programming problem-solving trick of mine. It is so cool that I almost feel bad giving it away for free. And I think very few people know about this Python trick which makes doing dynamic programming problems so much easier.
Engineers React to GPT-4o Demos
After basically staying up all night trying to catch every bit of detail about the GPT-4o announcement, Sangeeth and I were amazed at the crazy good demos OpenAI had to show. So we decided to record our reaction and share it with all of you!
🌐 My Top Posts of the Week
Perspective Decides Everything
How you feel in a particular moment is a lot about perspective. For example, most of my college friends hated moving to Bengaluru for work.
Here's what most college and school students don't anticipate about moving to a new city for work - they often have a very rosy picture in their mind.
Why Most People Aren’t as Good as You
Checkout the tweet here
📖 What I am Learning This Week
Unlock Typography Course By Rajeev Mehta
Some fonts are so beautiful that they can be elements of design by themselves.
Rajeev Mehta like me loves typography. His eyes light up when talking about it. I recommend checking out his course! Typography is an art form. When done well - it can invoke emotions.
Based on my learnings, I composed a Twitter thread about the only 5 types of fonts and where to use them. You can check out that thread here.
📕 Book Recommendation of the Week
What if I gave you the last book you’ll ever need to read about finance?
If I could only read one book to set myself regarding money FOR LIFE - I’d probably read this one - Coffee Can Investing.
Check the book out here.
On a side note, if you’d like to know my 2 cents on how to grow money in your 20s and 30s, check out this post.
❤️ Bonus Content
Dynamic Programming Cheatsheet
I compiled a dynamic programming cheatsheet as a companion to the video I made about the @cache decorator in Python.
This cheat sheet contains specially curated Leetcode problems to practise dynamic programming - along with sample solutions.
Get the sheet here.
Free Resume Reviews
I'm excited to offer you an exclusive opportunity for a FREE resume review. I invite you to send your resumes to mailvaibhavchopra@gmail.com for a thorough evaluation.
Whether you're just starting or looking to make a career change, I'll provide personalized feedback to help you stand out in today's competitive job market. Don't miss this chance to polish your resume and boost your career prospects—send yours over today!
That’s a wrap for this week! See y’all next week with more valuable content.
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