Category: Archives

The full collection of explorations.

Anything Forced Will Fail

Published on April 12, 2025

I had a long talk with a student today about a plateau she was experiencing in her health and fitness journey.

The short of it was that she couldn’t figure out what to do next to continue making progress. Every idea she would mention, she would talk herself out of in the same breath. The things she had done in the past, didn’t feel like they would work again. And the things that she was leaning towards to try, felt clunky and out of place in her lifestyle…

And she was exactly right to feel confused because everything she was trying to do felt—both to her and me—forced.

…Like some alien habit idea that would be transplanted into her lifestyle that she’d awkwardly have to remember and reinforce until it somehow became second nature and unconscious.

…This isn’t how habit change works.

What we discussed was aligning with something that’s already integrated into her lifestyle and building slightly on that. For example, instead of trying to add a random 15-minute weight lifting session somewhere into her day… maybe she starts a new habit of staying after her normal martial arts classes that she already takes 2x per week (and has been for 2+ years), and does a little extra strengthening, stretching, or conditioning work?

Or instead of trying to not eat sweets at all anymore (yeah, right)… figuring out what the healthiest dessert-like thing for her was… and preemptively eating that at the end of a day—knowing the cravings are coming and attacking them head on…

The bottom line is: anything forced will fail.

Align with current habits… align with momentum… align with yourself.

Better By Design

Published on April 12, 2025

Tilt your car’s rear view mirror up a bit higher than what’s comfortable… it’ll force you to straighten your posture whenever you go to look into it.

Put a sticky note in the center of one of your commonly used home mirrors that says a message you want to internalize… e.g. “You look great.” or “Be here.” or “Life is too short.”

Buy a chair that doesn’t have a back, where the seat is angled down slightly and there’s a pad for your knees… whenever you sit to work, slouching and hunching will no longer be options.

Add labels to the timers on your phone to remind you of the “real” reason behind it going off. e.g. Instead of a 6:00am alarm, add a label that says, “The Only ‘You’ Time Of The Day” or a 5:00pm alarm that says, “Family Time Starts Now.”

Get a dog. You will never have a better accountability system to go for walks. And walks make just about everything better almost every time you take them.

The best way to make long term changes is with enough short term feedback. Set yourself up for success by making your environment better by design.

The Road To Heaven Feels Like Hell…

Published on April 11, 2025

I stumbled across this image today:

And this is one of those quotes that has been stripped down too far and needs more context.

The big missing component in this quote is the duration of time spent feeling the heaven and the hell.

Because here’s the thing: A little time spent exercising might feel like “hell,” but can leave you in a heavenly state for a lot of time thereafter. A little time spent in gluttony might feel like “heaven,” but can leave you in a hell-like state for a lot of time thereafter.

But, that’s just the problem I have with this quote if you adopt this concept at all.

Because here’s my other thing: The road to heaven should feel heavenly and the road to hell will feel hell-like.

Who says exercise needs to feel hell-like? Who says enjoying a meal or dessert will lead you down a road towards hell?

Sure, Crossfit feels like hell to me—I’ll admit that. But basketball? Martial Arts? I very much look forward to these means of exercise. They’re heavenly for me.

And there should be no hell-like guilt felt for enjoying a nice meal or dessert. Everything in moderation.

…My final thing is this: Doing good feels good and doing bad feels bad. When we abide by the guidance of our inner compass and listen to our deepest desires for growth and contribution… that’s the heavenly road that leads towards heaven. And when we disregard this guidance… or maybe don’t take the time to understand it… or allow modern day devices to brainwash and distract us… that’s the hell-like road that leads toward hell.

Don’t Waste Time Alone

Published on April 9, 2025

Don’t waste time alone.

Society might have you brainwashed into believing being alone is a bad thing. Like, “Why are you still single?” or “Did you go there alone?” or, you know, the looks and tones.

And social media might have you trained into believing that turning it on and scrolling is socially connecting you—so as to distract you from the alone.

And the feelings of boredom might make you cringe and restlessly pace in circles over doing anything still and meditative when your calendar appears blank and your battery charge goes.

But… being alone is not a bad thing.

Don’t… waste time alone.

Time alone is time that can be spent turned inward… exploring the inner landscapes… uncovering the hidden gems of insight buried within the depths of your mind.

Time alone is time that can be spent healing… unpacking and reflecting on pains of the past… bringing clarity to thoughts tangled by writing them down… absorbing information from the most brilliant minds to have ever arranged words into practical, life-changing ideas.

Time alone is time that can be spent present… slowing down from the rush of the modern day wave… soaking in the information that’s touching your senses in the here and now—that may never again touch again in the same way… being grateful for the experience of life—despite all of its ups and downs…

Being alone is not a bad thing.

In fact, it may very well be precisely the thing that more of us need.

Don’t… waste time alone.

P.s. If you enjoy these 1-min messages, would you reply with a 1-line testimony that I can add to this landing page? :)

You + Me = A Better You & A Better Me

Published on April 8, 2025

Being with the right person makes you a better person.

Not a more socially liked person…

Not a more financially stable/rich person…

Not a more envied / talked about person…

…Although it could include each of those things.

…But, a better person.

…A more compassionate and empathetic person.

…A more generous and value-adding-member-of-society type of person.

…A more down to earth and loving person.

What makes being with the right person so great is that you become a better version of yourself when you’re with them.

A version that’s free of masks and facades… free of acting and fronting… free of hiding and manipulating.

…Free of anything that cages you behind any kind of bars and in fact, makes you feel more free than ever before to be your true and authentic self.

If you’re not sure if the person you’re with—or thinking about being with—is right… ask yourself this: Am I a better me when I’m with them? Or am I becoming a version of myself that is moving away from my highest version when I’m with them?

Act accordingly from there.

Importance Is Measured In Effort

Published on April 8, 2025

It’s easy to make things work out when it’s easy to make things work out.

…When it’s hard to make things work out, however?

…Well, this is where an opportunity to prove importance arises.

It’s important to remember that we should put as much effort into making things work out as the importance of those things are to us.

When it’s hard to see the person who’s important to you… you match that challenge with a proportional amount of effort and make it happen anyway.

When it’s hard to attend an event that’s important to a person who’s important to you… you match that challenge with a proportional amount of effort to attend that event anyway.

When it’s hard to live a lifestyle that’ll inspire the people who are most important to you… you meet that challenge with a proportional amount of effort so you can live that lifestyle anyway.

…Because if you don’t?

Then you have to ask yourself how important those people/things are to you after all…

Because if it isn’t measured in effort… what is it measured in?

Slow… The Heck… Down

Published on April 6, 2025

Slowing down is the key to presence. Rushing through moments or experiences makes you miss life.

Slowing down is the key to confidence. Rushing through movement or words is a sign of nerves or inexperience.

Slowing down is the key to connection. Rushing through conversation or time together leaves relationships at the superficial.

Slowing down is the key to introspection. Rushing to your nearest screen in times of boredom leaves your inner landscape unexplored and self-understanding at bay.

Slowing down is the key to creativity and expression. Rushing to fill your calendar and schedule leaves you with no time to settle… to play… to explore… to remix… to build or create…

If you’re looking for a simple strategy that can greatly improve your daily experience… I can’t think of a better strategy than this: slow… the heck… down.

P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.