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Navigating Freedom and Fulfillment
This chapter explores the transition from structured corporate roles to the allure and challenges of self-employment. The speakers discuss their emotional journeys, highlighting the internal struggles of balancing spontaneity with productivity, and the psychological effects of seeking fulfillment beyond financial gain. They emphasize the importance of aligning personal values with work and the gradual accumulation of feelings that signal the need for change in oneβs career.
David speaks with Michael Ashcroft, a writer and Alexander Technique teacher who previously spent 10 years consulting on clean energy innovation.
A lot of Michael's work centres around helping people expand their awareness. He's written several essays and posts I've loved, particularly about the concept of grinding, and how paying attention to our awareness can help us maximise our creativity, productivity, posture and physical engagement.
We talked about:
π Corporate to Self-Employment β Freedom, ambition & avoiding burnout
π€ Mindset & Decisions β Priorities, big choices & challenges
π§ Awareness & Focus β Attention, non-fixation & efficiency
π¨ Productivity & Structure β Creativity, discipline & idea management
π Writing & Self-Discovery β Process, organising & personal growth
π₯·π½ Missionary vs. Mercenary β Mindset & long-term fulfilment
https://theknowledge.io/michaelashcroft-4/
Alexander Technique | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Technique
KPMG | https://kpmg.com/xx/en/home.html
Escape from Freedom | https://amzn.to/3PtObCp
Erich Fromm | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Fromm
NaNoWriMo | https://nanowrimo.org/
Jonny Miller | https://www.theknowledge.io/jonnymiller/
Luca Dellanna | https://www.theknowledge.io/lucadellanna/
Ergodicity | https://amzn.to/47TWBd8
Christine Carrillo | https://www.theknowledge.io/carrillo/
The Carbon Trust | https://www.carbontrust.com/
Perceptual control theory | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptual_control_theory
Frederick Matthias Alexander | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Matthias_Alexander
Richard Wiseman | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wiseman
The Luck Factor | https://amzn.to/3PpX1Qe
Six degrees of separation | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation
Dzogchen | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen
Hooked | https://amzn.to/3PtSU5w
Nir Eyal | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nir_Eyal
Sam Harris | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Harris
Psycho-physical Unity | https://mouritz.org/companion/article/psycho-physical-unity
Hunter S. Thompson | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_S._Thompson
David Kadavy | https://www.theknowledge.io/kadavy/
Duolingo | https://www.duolingo.com/
Notion | https://www.notion.so/
James Altucher | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Altucher
Andrew Huberman | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_D._Huberman
Paul Millerd | https://www.theknowledge.io/paulmillerd/
Pathless Path | https://amzn.to/3i4LF7J
Khe Hy | https://www.theknowledge.io/khehy-1/
Rules Aren't Real | https://www.theknowledge.io/issue68/
Swimming and thrashing | https://www.theknowledge.io/swimming-vs-thrashing/
Tim Ferriss | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Ferriss
X/Twitter: @m_ashcroft | https://x.com/m_ashcroft
Course: Alexander Technique | https://expandingawareness.org/courses/
Website: Expanding Awareness | https://expandingawareness.org/
π¨πΎβπ» About David Elikwu:
David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter.
π£ Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge
π Website: https://www.davidelikwu.com
π½οΈ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/davidelikwu
πΈ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delikwu/
πΊ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@delikwu
ποΈ Podcast: http://plnk.to/theknowledge
π Free Book: https://pro.theknowledge.io/frames
My Online Course
π₯οΈ Decision Hacker: http://www.decisionhacker.io/
Decision Hacker will help you hack your default patterns and become an intentional architect of your life. Youβll learn everything you need to transform your decisions, your habits, and your outcomes.
The Knowledge
π© Newsletter: https://theknowledge.io
The Knowledge is a weekly newsletter for people who want to get more out of life. It's full of insights from psychology, philosophy, productivity, and business, all designed to make you more productive, creative, and decisive.
My Favorite Tools
ποΈ Descript: https://bit.ly/descript-de
π¨ Convertkit: https://bit.ly/convertkit-de
π° NordVPN: https://bit.ly/nordvpn-de
πΉ Nutmeg: http://bit.ly/nutmegde
π§ Audible: https://bit.ly/audiblede
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