

Discover more from More productive with Notion by Philipp Stelzel
Annual Review 2022 - Feeling like a failure in the Creator Economy
Bonus: People getting offended by a book list
Dear readers,
I wish you a happy and prosperous new year 2023. Let’s make this year the most successful year of our lives.
As you probably notice I have moved this newsletter from Getrevue to Substack. To be honest, I liked my old platform. Unfortunately, they announced some weeks ago to shut down, forcing me to look for alternatives.
So…
Goodby Getrevue. Hello Substack.
In fact, I created this account more than one year ago, but I never used it regularly. Changing that is a good way to start the new year!
Year in Review 2022
Today, I just finished writing my year in review. 2022 was a huge success. Still, I felt like a failure from time to time. Learn more about the reasons in my post: Year in Review 2022
Getting offended by a book list
Podcaster Lex Fridman started 2023 by sharing a book list.


Surprisingly, this list caused quite a stir. People criticized Lex for not including certain books or authors and for being a midwit by choosing these particular books.
Most of this critique is intellectual snobbery.

By criticizing the list, people try to show off their intellect.
Look how many superior books I know compared to that guy with 1 Mio+ followers
Imagine somebody going to the gym for the first time and getting insulted by some gym bro because the newbie is doing only basic exercises.
Normally, this doesn’t happen in any gym. Gym culture is inclusive for beginners.
But it happens in the intellectual sphere. Even if Lex would not have read all the books beforehand, the very fact that he is starting to read them is a welcome move.
It also doesn’t matter what he will get out of those books. In the end, Lex might inspire somebody to start reading one of those classics.
As a newbie, you should start with them
Feel which classical authors are resonating with you most and explore them deeper.
This is how you get serendipity.
Getting the most random but truly influential books in front of your eyes.
A well-read person is never only reading the canon. As Nassim Taleb would say:
He or she would have “idiosyncratic preferences”.
But these preferences can only develop with time. You have to start somewhere, and a book list of the classic is a great way to make someone fall in love with reading.
Start the new year by becoming addiction-free.
I have created a new Notion template for the start of this year. It is the Addiction Compass
Addiction Compass is an advanced system built in Notion to help you break free from your addictions and regain control over your life.
Use the template to set goals and track progress with a streak counter and get daily feedback to stay motivated and on top of your game.
The new year is a great way to let go of negative habits and start developing positive ones.
Therefore, I am giving away this template for 25% off:
Get the Addiction Compass -25%
This is all for today. See you next time,
Philipp