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The Observe and Rapport Newsletter
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A weekly guide of my favorite books, articles, products, and lifestyle habits.
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October 11th, 2024 | by Kyle Brennan
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Thought of the Week
Most People Quit Early—Here's Why You Shouldn't
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92% of people give up on learning a new skill after just 10 hours.
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That means if you've clocked in more than 20 hours, you’re already in the top 8%.
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The competition thins out fast because most people quit before they even get started.
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The road to mastery isn't crowded—it’s actually pretty empty if you stick with it.
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But here's the thing: It's never been about competing with others. It's always been a game of you vs. you.
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Every time you show up, you inch further ahead. And if you stay on the road long enough, you'll realize that you're one of the few who even made it this far.
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The key is consistency. It always has been. Keep going when others don’t, and you’ll find yourself in rare company.
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What I'm Reading
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[Terminal List Series Book #7]
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To be honest, when Jack Carr announced the 7th book of the James Reece Terminal List series, I wasn't super eager to read it. After the success of his first three books, I found the last few to be formulaic but passable enough as entertaining thrillers.
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Nonetheless, I picked up Red Sky Mourning after hearing some positive reviews from my family and instantly changed my mind after reading the first 80 pages in one night. This one is gripping from start to finish.
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In this novel, James Reece is on a race to save the country from a Chinese plot to bring America to its knees, a Silicon Valley tech mogul with unlimited AI computing power and bad motives, and a politician controlled by a foreign power.
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I don't know how much longer Jack Carr will continue the series, but I hope he considers shelving it for a few years. I think taking some time off and revisiting the character will have fans like me hungry for the next adventure.
Rating: 4.1 / 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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There's also an Amazon Prime show based on the first novel, called The Terminal List, starring Chris Pratt. Fair warning - it is dark, gruesome, and violent.
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My Latest Article
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Earlier this week, I earned my blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After ten months of getting choked, pinned, and wondering why I signed up for this, the promotion felt like more than just a step up from white belt — it was a badge of hard-earned lessons.
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Jiu-Jitsu hasn’t just taught me how to defend myself (though that part is pretty cool); it’s profoundly reshaped how I approach every corner of my life.
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I’ve picked up some invaluable wisdom, both on and off the mats. So, here are a few things I’ve learned from getting tossed around for 10 months — and how they’ve sneakily worked their way into my everyday life
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Best Books of the Century (so far)
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It looks like this list is Fiction only, so it doesn't necessarily skew toward my non-fiction bias, but a few books I've read from this list:
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- The Road (McCarthy)
- Freedom (Franzen)
- The Underground Railroad (Whitehead)
- Persepolis (Satrapi)
Reddit is one of the most valuable resources on the internet. While Google is helpful for general questions, Reddit features genuine answers from people worldwide who are personally invested in whatever subreddit you may be skimming. I use it for product reviews, personal finance advice, golf and jiu-jitsu questions, and finding interesting books.
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I find it much better than reading reviews on Amazon, which may be subsidized or created by affiliate marketers who are getting paid to leave positive reviews. Reddit users will give you the good, the bad, and the ugly.
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Some of my favorite subreddits
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If you find the Reddit UI too overwhelming, one of the most useful tools is The GigaBrain, which is an AI tool that instantaneously aggregates the most upvoted answers for any question you want to ask it. I recently used this tool to find a pain-relieving cream for my shoulder. The most popular answer was Tiger Balm Muscle Rub, which I've found to be super effective.
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What I'm Listening To
Drapht is an Australian rapper named Paul Reid. In this song, he imagines how different his life would be if he had a cooler name than Paul - a name like Jimmy Recard...
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This is such a hilarious concept for a song but it also gets me so hype.
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Quote I'm Pondering
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“I don’t have talent, so I just get up earlier.”
— Henry Rollins
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Keith and Kyle sit down to discuss the work ethic of Gen Z, fatherhood and parenting, tools for recognizing agency in your peers, and in response to high demand, Keith performs some more classic comedy scenes from memory.
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Books discussed in this episode:
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Check Out My Amazon Favorites Bookstore
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Browse my favorite book selections hand-curated by me. I also earn commissions so if you buy anything, those earnings get reinvested right back into this fancy newsletter ;)
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Affiliate Links!
I've had the fortunate opportunity to partner with some great brands that I love. Use the links below to find great hats, sweatshirts, and sunglasses
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- Huega House - 15% off first order with promo code: KYLEBRENNAN. My everyday hat is the Athletic Association in Green & white
- Find the Good Brand - 10% off first order with promo code: OBSERVE. I've been loving my 3 Simple Words Embroidered Hoodie in cream.
- WMP Eyewear - Excellent array of eyeglasses and stylish sunglasses. My favorite are the Sawyer Polarized for $45
- Amazon Storefront - Check out my collection of favorite books, workout gear, and tech tools for work-from-home!
- LMNT - I start every morning with LMNT's electrolyte drink, filled with salt, magnesium and potassium. It tastes delicious and contains zero sugar or any other junk. Try LMNT Risk-Free with a free sample pack (US only).
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33 Life Lessons on My 33rd Birthday
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Thirty-three was a big one. Mostly because I became a dad. Our daughter was born on New Year’s Eve — a fitting arrival for a kid destined to reset everything. It’s been a beautiful, if slightly sleep-deprived blur ever since. I’ve only been “Dad” for less than ten months, but if I’m being honest, I’ve been preparing for the role for over …
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Depth Over Downloads: Why Spending Time with Books Still Matters
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Everyone wants faster information. But no one asks if faster information leads to better understanding — or a better life. In the age of AI and tweet-sized wisdom, we’ve confused information with transformation. But there’s a massive difference between knowing what a book says and being changed by it. The Delusion of Instant Learning In a recent interview, political journalist Ezra Klein admitted he once believed …
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The Jack Reacher Approach to Never Being Caught Off Guard
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There’s no difference between a pessimist who says, ‘Oh, it’s hopeless, so don’t bother doing anything,’ and an optimist who says, ‘Don’t bother doing anything, it’s going to turn out fine anyway.’ Either way, nothing happens.” —Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia I don’t read much fiction, but I’ve always been hooked on Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. He’s not your typical …
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