Jagroop's Mental Models
A single space for the mental models and frameworks that I consistently use.
5/8/20243 min read
Mental Models List:
My Models:
1 Step Makes 10 Moves
Leverage Model
Asymmetric Bets
1 Step to Make 10 Moves
Every move I make plays an incremental role in multiple strategies. I try not to do things for a singular reason.
I learnt this principle in grad school. I knew at the start of the year what I wanted my thesis to focus on. So, with every assignment and project, I selected topics that would aid in completing that thesis. An essay focused on personality differences in one class was leveraged in another course and leveraged again for my thesis.
It's like in chess. You move the knight to a spot where it's attacking the enemy in one way. Protecting another one of your pieces. And setting up another opening in a longer-term strategy. Multiple plays from a single move.
This principle can be applied to all of life. The moves we make compound into one another. They can be a stepping stone in multiple paths. All it takes is a strategic approach to life.
God Will Always Test You Before The Finish Line
I am an ambitious man. I set goals and I work hard to acheive them. So, I've learnt that anything I set my mind to, I will make happen. But that does not mean it always goes smoothly or according to plan.
In 2019, I was studying for my final exams. It was the end of the 2nd semester. The night before my test I got a phone call from my brother, back in Canada. On that call, I learnt my mom had cancer. My immediate response was to book the next flight back and make up the tests.
Yet, I took a moment to ground myself. To breathe deeply and think about what made the most sense. Firstly, Mom was ok. It was early-stage detection, and she wasn't in immediate danger. Secondly, if I postponed now, then I would have to do all the hard work of studying to recall the authors and research I had memorized. Don't compromise the mission for short-term relief. Thirdly, I could fly back tomorrow, but I wouldn't be able to do anything impactful for Mom. Yes, I could comfort her. But I lacked the ability or knowledge to cure her cancer.
The final verdict? Stay and write my exams. Thus, the epiphany hit me. Whenever you get close to achieving a major milestone or goal, god will always test you. An unexpected problem will arise. Something you didn't plan for. Something out of left field. Usually, it's not something that completely destroys you. Though sometimes it does. But usually, it's a test of your resolve. A test of your conviction and commitment. One final challenge before you win the gold.
Now, when I'm close to achieving a goal, I wait for shit to hit the fan. Honestly, I get excited when it does. Because I know that I'm right there at the finish line. And if I overcome this one last obstacle, the prize will be mine.
So, here is the mental model. "God will always test you before the finish line." When you get close to finishing the race, expect something unexpected to pop up and challenge you. But don't let it break you. Breathe deeply and strengthen your resolve. Because once you solve the problem and overcome the challenge, victory will be yours.
Will & Domain
If you don't know what you want, then you will never accomplish it. I don't bet on being a lucky fool. I don't believe that I will stumble into success or fall into the path I am meant for. Yet, many people do. They do not consciously plot and plan their life. They "Go with the flow". But to me, that is a risky paradigm. A foolish venture.
I don't go with the flow; I make it. I set my sights on the summit and then I climb. I bend reality to my will.
When I first launched my marketing business I had no clue what I was doing. I was making it up as I went along. All I had in mind was the end goal. I wanted a marketing business. A firm that helps businesses get more customers. That's it. I didn't have the skills to market. I didn't know what needed to be done.
But I slowly, figured it out. I slowly connected the dots. I learned to make websites. Personal branding. Business branding. Social media advertising. Pay-per-click advertising. Brand Naming. Content Creation. The whole sha-bang.
In the early days, I wrote the values of the business. I wrote the "Notorious Manifesto". 9 principles that guided my approach to business, marketing, and branding. And, the seventh principle in that manifesto was "Bend reality to your will."
Will takes you far. The conviction to see things through. The commitment to a cause. The resolve to move in ambiguity.