True success is not achieved through sheer effort or "trying hard," but rather through a combination of consistent action, thoughtful experimentation, and reflective learning.
Mind Map
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คลิกเพื่อสำรวจ Mind Map แบบอินเตอร์แอคทีฟฉบับเต็ม
channel and I posted our first video one year
year
ago at the end of
April. Uh that video was a hiking and
foraging video. And now here we are one year
year
later with uh over half a million
viewers. Today I wanted to talk about
success and how success is not about
trying hard. And that's a really hard
lesson uh that I learned and I continue to
to
learn. And
um I I don't mean by success this idea of
of
um oh get rich, have a house, have three
uh you know, typical American dream and
be able to go to Bali or or Maldes or
some far away expensive place uh twice a
year. I'm not talking about not talking about
about
success as
in what our consumer culture and American
American
culture. Well, sorry for people who
don't live in America. I'm talking about
the American dream. I'm not talking
about that. I think uh George
Carlin uh the comedian I forget how the
quote goes exactly but
um he says that in order to be in order
to believe in the American dream like
the only way you can believe in the
asleep. I I think that that's that's
pretty true. uh especially now I mean
maybe in the 1960s
uh 1950s
uh the American dream was
attainable not now so I'm not talking
about that I'm talking about success
in in in a goal like try achieving your
goal achieving something that you are
um trying to do um it could be a task
It could be as simple as doing the
dishes. Uh it could be as complicated as
playing the guitar. Well, uh
uh
or it could be as simple or complicated,
depends on how you look at it,
as making a YouTube channel.
Um, it could be as complicated as
becoming a neurosurgeon doing spine
surgery or um learning how to play a video
video
game really well, like a multiplayer
game where you compete against other humans.
Um, oh, here's another one. Uh um it could
could
be learning to take a multiplechoice
exam very well. I'll talk about that
because I know a lot of people are in
school still and um need to take
multiple choice tests. So, so stick
around for that because it's going to be
worth your while definitely because I
will give you the tips that I I use to
ace those uh multiple choice
exams and that that opens a lot of
doing? It's pretty early in the morning
and they they're like banging on
furniture or something.
Okay. Um, let's see here. F focus. Okay.
Success. Yeah. So, success, what what
I'm talking about is setting a goal,
trying to achieve a task and to do it in
the way that you want to do it.
Um, that is what I'm talking about for
success. And I think that there is
actually a way to do it. Uh that I that
I've at least it works. It seems to kind
of work for
me. And I think that I don't think that
I'm like super special. I'm not special.
I'm just one one human being out of like
8.2 billion people walking on this
planet right now. Um, and so I think
what I learned is pro is I think
applicable to everybody. Now some I've
been told in my life that oh what works
for what works for gooby doesn't work
for other people. So don't don't listen
to him. Literally, I had somebody say
that in front of other people when
um uh when I when I I aced the
neurosurgery written boards and the
written boards is like the um it's like
the final exam for neurosurgeons when
you're in residency. There's two.
There's a written one and then there's
an oral one you take after you finish.
But I aced the written ones. And um I
was trying to tell my my um I was trying
to tell my fellow residents, my
classmates uh um colleagues um how I did
it and how it was actually attainable
and you could you could do it. But as I
was explaining it, one of my colleagues
who was a year above me said, "Uh well,
what applies to Gooby?" They said my
name my name um at that time. What
applies to Gooby doesn't apply to you
all because Gooby is on his own
thing. That hurt me because I was legit
trying to share
uh I was legit trying to share something
that I thought was very valuable and
that could that a lot of people could
take it to heart and use. Um, and then
one of my colleagues just kind of
discredited me like in front of
everybody saying that what I was going
to say doesn't apply. But that's not
going to stop me from sharing this in
this video because I think it does apply
to everybody. All right? So, it's not
about trying hard. In fact, the harder I
try, I think the worse the outcome is.
if I'm trying hard, I think that it's
I'm actually I'm actually doing it
wrong. And
um there's this this kind of like myth
that if you try really hard, if you put
a lot of effort in, then you're going to
get results, but that's actually not
true. And it's taken me many, many
because I guess common sense wise it
seems like it would it seems like if you
put a lot of effort into it then you're
going to reap a lot of rewards out of
it. Um but that's not actually I don't
think that's how it
works. Um what does work is
consistency in a
way balanced with some randomness,
randomness,
deliberateness and intuition and
listening and thinking about it like
reflecting. That's that's
okay. A deliberate consistency mixed
with some randomness, intuition and
reflection. Ah yeah okay that is that is
the secret sauce
sauce deliberate
deliberate
consistency mixed with some randomness
intuition and
reflection that is the key to
success that I am that I I've learned
that's how I make sense of it now I'm
going to explain what I mean by that and
give several example
examples. Okay, so let's see here.
here.
Um, okay. To get really good at
something, you have to do it because the
way our brains work is um it's literally
our anatomy. How the brain works is that
um the neural circuits, they have
plasticity. that that means that our
brain changes the connections change as
you do as you live as you do something
our brain changes so that you can do it
better the next time um when you do
um
uh I'm trying to throw a dart I'm trying
to throw the dart and trying to hit the
hit the the dart board which is circle
circle with targets on it. Um, and I
throw it and I don't even hit the board.
Well, a a brain signal in our
cerebellum, which is back here, goes
zap. Wow, Gooby, you really messed up.
You didn't even hit you didn't even hit
the target. You hit the the wall. You
wall. Our brain sends a signal. It's
actually in the
cerebellum. these cells called perkingi
cells. They're pretty cool. And they go
with electricity and then they tell your
brain, "Wow, we really did not get the
outcome we
wanted. So, we got to do something
different next
time." And then take the I take the dart
out of the the wall. There's a hole
there now. And then I throw
it. I hit
bullseye. Then the brain is like whoa.
It's there's a whole different system
called the reward system. It's deep in
the middle bottom
um that releases dopamine. People talk
about dopamine, but this is this is how
it actually works. The dopamine gets
released and then it tells the brain,
"Wow, whatever we just did, we got to
keep doing that because that worked."
Uh so there there's there's like two
systems in the brain. Uh there's one
that's like, "Hey, whatever we did, we
got to keep doing that." And then the
other one is like, "Wow, you really
messed up. Don't ever do that again
because that that just doesn't work." So
there's these two systems that help
you help us
um get better at things. And then some
eventually things become automatic. Like
when I'm first learning how to throw a
dart, I'm really thinking, okay, I got
to hold the dart this way and I got to
stand this way and then I got to move my
muscles this way to let it go and I got
to let it go at a certain point. But if
I keep doing that over and over and over
again, it becomes muscle memory. And
it's not actually muscle memory. It's
it's a memory in the brain that has been
refined over many dart throws. um uh a
neural pathway. Um and then then you
then then you don't even really have to
be consciously thinking about a lot of
stuff. You just say, "Okay, I'm going to
pick up the dart and I'm going to hit
the target." And then you hit the bullseye.
bullseye.
Um but that
takes doing it many
times. Not trying hard, just doing it
many times. You you you can do
something. You can do something and not
try very hard. Just do it many times.
Um, you could also do something and try
really hard and put a lot of effort into
it and sweat on it and make sure other
people see that you're sweating and
trying really hard. That's exhausting.
No, is this is this is not that. It's
just just doing
it. If you do it many times, your brain
will figure
out well it will probably figure out how
to do it well. So So number one, you got
to be consistent and and keep showing up
and keep trying and try many
times but not try hard. Just try like
just pick up a dart and just just throw it.
it.
Ah, that was pretty close. And pick up
another dart. Th throw it. I'm not like
picking up the dirt like, "Oh my god, I
got to hit the bullseye. If I don't hit
the bullseye, I'm going to feel so bad.
I feel so bad." Ah, no. That's trying
hard. I'm not saying trying hard. I'm
saying just try. Just pick up the dart.
Throw it. Oh, I hit the wall. Darn it.
Made another hole in the wall. Pick up
another dart. Throw it. Ah, that worked
better. I wonder what what was a little
different that time. Pick up another
dart. Throw it. Oh, I hit the bullseye.
Wow, what the heck did I just do? Maybe
I maybe I can do that again. That is not
trying hard, but trying many
times. Um, okay. So, that's the first
part. You got to show up and you got to
keep trying.
Um, but that's
not the only thing
because if you keep
trying but you don't change it up a
little bit, if you do the same thing
over and over and over again, well, most
likely you're going to keep sucking.
Like like let's say I pick up the dart
and I do the exact same movement every
time and I hit the wall. Like I don't
even hit the target. I pick up another
dart and I do the exact same movement
and I hit the exact same spot on the
wall. I made another hole. Well, right
next to it. I pick up another dart and I
throw it and I hit the wall again
beneath the target. Well, I could keep
doing that for years and keep sucking,
you know, like keep not hitting the target.
target.
Uh, so it's not just about being
consistent showing up because you could
be consistently bad at whatever you're
trying to do. Um, uh, so it it there is
the other parts.
Um so
deliberate consistency mixed with some
reflection. So um some
randomness well just being alive every
moment we live is slightly different. No
moment in life is the exact same as any
any moment in the past. Like the now the
present is unique. It's always unique.
Um, and so even if you think you're
doing something the exact same way as
last time, it is a little bit different.
Um, you're different, the setting's
different, the time's different, the
even if you're trying to do the exact
same task is actually slightly different
because you're different, the world's
different um, when you're trying to do
it. But you could also consciously
change things up like hold the dart
slightly different way. Maybe put one
foot in front of the other. Maybe uh
lean forward a little bit or lean back
or stand
straight. You can you can consciously
try to do things a little differently or
there can be just the natural randomness
of the changing times and the changing person.
person.
Um, and
so that is partially built in, but you
can also consciously add in more
variability if you want to try things a
different way. I'm going to hold this
dart a slightly different way. Um, and
see what happens. I'm going to hold
my my arm close to my chest and just use
my my elbow so that there's less
movement instead of using my shoulder,
too. Just try that out.
But that that only that um
randomness variability added in only helps
if
you reflect on it. Now, oh intuition
intuition can help you help guide you into
into
like adjusting the variability and
trying something slightly different.
different.
Um and
Sometimes it needs to be a big difference.
Uh but not all big differences are are
helpful. Like if I go and I'm
right-handed. If I go and I say I'm
going to do it with my left hand, I pick
up the dart and I throw it, I'm I'm
probably not going to hit the target
because my left hand's not as good as my
right hand. Um
uh so you so not all big differences are
good. Um, I could also pick it up and be
like, I'm not even going to look at the
target. I'm going to throw it behind me.
You know, that that's that's a big
change. It's a lot of variability, but
it's definitely not going to going to
help. So, there is a
um there is a
intuition to help guide
the the experimentation essentially. Um,
you have to feel, trust yourself, trust
your instincts. Sometimes your instincts
will lead you the wrong way, but then
you can learn from that and then adapt
and reflect, reflect on it. So, using
your intuition, trust yourself. If you
have a hunch, huh? I feel like if I
stand this way and hold my elbow close
to my chest and then throw the
dart very precisely, I can get really
good at it if I do it a lot. That's a
hunch. That's intuition. Um, I'm not a
dart thrower, so but I I think that's
how I would get good at it. Um, stand in
the same way.
use the fewest number of joints to to
throw it so that I can get just really
good at at throwing it.
Um, now it would be my intuition to try
some variability, some random randomness.
randomness.
Um, and then I can reflect on it. I can
see what happens and then I can I can
try again. Not try hard, but try again.
Um there's a very there's a big
difference. So let let's so that that's that's
that's the
the
theoretical concept I think of how to be
successful. You got to show up. You got
to be
consistent and you can and use intuition
your in trust your instincts to
experiment and try try some new things.
to see if it gets better or if it gets
worse and reflect on it and and adapt
accordingly. And you don't have to try
hard. You just got to try many times. Um
so I'm going to give some real world
examples of how this has worked in my
life. Now now for you students because I
know some some people are like, "Oh my
god, I got to take the MCAT or I got to
take the SAT and uh I got this multiple
choice exam for my licensing. I I've
been waiting. I've been waiting 20
minutes for Kooby to talk about this.
Okay, so I'm gonna talk about it now.
Um, multiple choice
exams, they're a lot easier than um like
an essay because or or something where
you have to write write the answer
in. They're a lot easier because the
answer is there. It's one of the
choices. One of the choices is correct.
So, you don't actually have to know the
subject matter of the question
to figure out which answer is correct
because it's it's there. It's one of
them. And um with doing enough
questions, enough multiple choice
questions, you can eventually figure out
how these questions are are written. And
then you can figure out, oh, well,
um, let's say there's five choices.
Well, there's there's an obvious one
that is wrong. So, you knock out one of
them. And then you can you can say,
okay, well, there's four now. And this
one probably is one that the test maker
is trying to trick me. Like, it seems
like the easy one that would would would
make sense, but it's probably not. So,
you get that one out, and then you're
like, okay, there's three left.
And then you can look at how they're
worded and you can figure out, okay,
well, these two are similar or this this
one's different or something like that.
And then you can say, well, then this
one's probably the correct answer. Or or
maybe you're just stuck with three and
then you're like, I don't know between
those three, but you've narrowed it down
from five. So now you have a 33% chance
of being correct instead of
um 20%.
Yeah. Now you just increased your odds
quite quite a bit.
Um and if you can narrow it down to two,
then you got a 50% chance of being
correct, which is a lot better than 20%.
Um, the way that you figure out how to
kind of mind readad what the qu the question
question
writer how the question writer forms
this question and the answers is by
doing the questions over and over and
over again and looking at the answer
immediately after you do the question.
That's the key. This is the key. This is
what I was trying to tell my
neurosurgery colleagues, residents, when
they were trying to study for the
boards. And then my my guy above me shot
me down for everybody. It was quite
rude, honestly. I was trying to share
some valuable information, but I'm
sharing it now. If you have a multiple
choice exam, just get your hands on a
whole bunch of questions and answers.
And what you do is you look at the
question, you look at the
answers, you give it your best
shot, I think is choice
B. And then you go to the answers and
you like you look at the answers and
you're like, okay, this question, the
correct answer was actually C. Then you
go back to the question and you be like,
huh, it was C. So C is the correct one.
Why did I choose
B? Oh, I got tricked there. Or maybe I
just didn't Maybe I just didn't know.
Maybe it was between B and C and it was
like 50% chance. I'm like, okay, well
now I know that for this question C is
the correct answer. Just file that away.
Then I go to the next question. So by
doing that I am engaging the
perkingi neurons in the cerebellum and
the the reward the dopamine neurons in
the reward center uh of the brain. Uh
and I I'm I'm either telling my brain,
whoa, I messed up there. We got to do
something different next time. Uh or I'm
saying ah I got it
right. Now if I get it right I just move
question. Um, and then then I move on.
And then I go through the whole set of
questions for that test. And then what I
do is I I would go back and I would do
only the ones that I got wrong, the ones I
I
circled. And it's funny because uh by
the time you've done the whole test and
then you go back and then you do the
ones that you did wrong um many times
I've forgotten what the correct answer
was uh because it's been a while. Uh,
and so sometimes I still get it wrong.
And if I get it wrong again, I leave it
circled and I go to the next circled
question. And then if I get it right,
then I erase the circle. And then I go
all the way through the the the set of
questions. And then I go back to
whatever was still circled until I keep
doing that until I get everything right.
Um, now that's that is the key. If you
do that many times, it doesn't matter
what multiple choice test. It could be
the SAT, it could be a nurse surgery
written boards, it could be um some like
licensing for some mechanic job. Uh I
don't know, it could be a a welding uh
written test.
uh doesn't matter if you can if you can
do many questions many times in that way
you will you will get a a very good score
score
um well that's not a guarantee but that
is I think how you get a very good score
um it's not a guarantee that you'll get
it but that is a very high likelihood
that you'll get a pretty pretty darn
good score if not like an excellent score.
score.
Um, if you do that now, the temp what
most people do is they go through every single
single
question and then they tally up they
write all their answers down and then at
the end of doing all the tests and they
go back and then they look at all all
the answers in a row and then they they
mark which ones they got wrong. That is
a very inefficient way of using what our
brain does. So it's much better to do
one question and look at the
answer and then use your brain to figure
out, oh, I did something wrong or I did
something right and then go to the next
question and then look at the answer and
then the next question and then look at
the answer. Now, it does require
flipping if you got a book, flipping the
pages back and forth each time or um if
you're on the computer going to the
answer. Well, it's probably easier on
the computer.
Um but yeah, that that is for you
students. That's how
you that's how you ace the SAT or
whatever kind of multiple choice exam.
Um you just do that many times and
oh and and um it is necessary to kind of
know the subject matter but for multiple
choice exams you can learn what you need
to learn from the questions. Um, a lot
of people like including myself have in
the past have have um said, "Well,
actually, I'm going to read all these
books and then I'm going to start doing
the the test questions because um I need
to know the stuff." Uh
uh so I'm going to spend like twothirds
of my time reading and then learning all
the material and then maybe a third of
the time or less doing the questions. Uh
if your goal is to do well on the on the
test, that's actually the wrong way to
do it. You want to spend maybe like a
quarter of your time actually reading
the material and like going through it
and then learning it as best you can and
then spend three quarters of your time
doing test questions
because that's actually how you're going
to do well on the
exam. Uh that's counterintuitive. Uh,
it's also a lesson
of trying hard because if if I if I
think, oh, I'm going to read every
single page of every textbook. I'm going
to try so hard and it's going to pay
off. Well, it doesn't work that way.
Trying hard doesn't pay off. Trying well
in a very deliberate way pays off. Um,
and many time trying many times. Uh, so,
okay, that's the student one. Let's see
here. Um, video games. Video games are
fun. Um, uh, I've talked about being,
uh, using video games as a crutch to run
away from emotional issues and and, uh,
situations in life that I I I was not
very happy about. Um, that's not good. I
I don't recommend using video games to
run away from things.
Uh uh but video games can be entertain
entertaining. They can stimulate your
mind and they can be a complicated
problem that's fun to do and uh keeps
your mind active. And for me um video
games um is a way to socialize. I I have
a group of friends online that I've
played with for over a decade and
um um I I've gone back to playing some
with my friends um regularly um but for
just like a set number of hours like two
or three hours um most days and it's
kind of like my social time where I hang
out with my friends that I've hung out
with for many years and we chat and talk
and laugh and have a good time playing
this game that this video game. It's
called PUBG or Player Unknown Battleground.
Battleground.
Um, and we're all pretty decent at it.
Um, we're not like esports champions or
anything. Um, but we have fun and we
enjoy each other's company and it's an entertaining
