Resist the temptation to believe you’ll be around for a while.
For buried beneath that idea are the invaluable treasures of your life that you’ll always have thought you’d have more time to excavate.
…You’ll never have enough time to excavate them all. Better not waste any time and unearth all that you can.
…While you’re still here and know that you still can.
P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.
Never let a day go by without having taken at least one step towards self-actualization and your greater goals.
One step forward, every day, should be the strategy; the mantra; the resolution.
It’s that one deliberate action taken today, done with that greater future in mind that proves you’re serious about the realization of those goals.
And it’s the consistency of choosing to do it every day that proves you’re ready to take on the full scope of what those goals will demand.
Because visions of a greater future minus seriousness only leaves a person unable (unready) to handle the demands of what that greater future will require.
…Which isn’t to say your greater future will be demanding and burdensome… it’s merely to say your greater future will demand the greatest from you / of you.
…Demanding and burdensome is what happens when you step into that vision before you’re ready and able and you’re left scrambling trying to be someone you’re not (yet) and attempting to solve problems you’re not evolved / qualified enough (yet) to solve.
But, when you are at your greatest, your life’s greatest challenges become the usual; the norm; the expectation; the task that’s equal to your ability; the challenge that’s equal to your strength.
…And what better place to be than actively solving the greatest (most exciting) problems your current self only has the ability to visualize?
P.s. Don’t have a clear picture of where you want to go in life? My guide can help. 30% off for a limited time.
You woke up.
You’re breathing.
You’re connected to the world’s brain.
You’re coherent and comprehending what you’re reading.
And you have the ability to act.
…Don’t look at this as anything less than an absolute miracle.
Do something today that makes you proud.
P.s. January 17th was Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day… I hope this wasn’t you, but if it was… I published a new article designed to be your New Year Resolution First Aid Kit. Read it and get back on track STAT.
On this day, four years ago, I wrote a Facebook post that had one quote, a few paragraphs of personal insight and a label at the end that simply said “(1/365).”
It was an idea I had from the day before, on that New Year’s Eve, that it was time to start sharing with people what I thought—enough sharing only the words of other people via quotes.
So I took a quote that resonated with me, did exactly that, and posted it publicly for accountability with that little countdown tag at the end.
I didn’t really know what I was doing at first. I didn’t have a crystal clear long term vision… I didn’t have a specific action plan… I just had an idea, kept it simple, and ran with it.
…And here I am, STILL running with it four years later.
Since then, my writing process has evolved, my delivery process has upgraded, and my systems have been refined.
…As is to be expected with anything you start and work on day-in and day-out.
And so this post is a reminder that, while it’s tempting to want to get everything perfectly prepared and ready, none of it will get you more prepared and ready than simply starting.
Yes, I’m looking at you my perfectionist friends. It’s go time.
Happy New Year, all 🙂
Having the freedom to do something “anytime” is the same as having something to do that has zero deadline.
And I don’t know about you, but when I’m assigned a project that has zero deadline… I back-burner that sucker until further notice.
…Until I have more time to do non-urgent things.
And I don’t know about you, but “more time to do non-urgent things” rarely, if ever, just pops into my schedule.
…And I don’t know about you, but I’m rarely in the mood to catch up on additional work when it does. It’s during those times that I’m usually most sick of work and want to unplug and do anything BUT more work.
So, I don’t know about you, but with 2024 approaching and new year resolutions on mind… I’d say we take away “anytime” from our goal timelines.
As I reflect back on 2023… I think it’s precisely this freedom to do things how and when I want to do them—without needing to report to anyone else or hit any specific deadlines—that has held me back.
And it’s funny because it’s not like this is news to me, nor do I think it’s news to you. Of course deadlines help with goal achievement. The trick, however, is in learning how to set deadlines for yourself, by yourself, when the only consequence is the freedom to change it again.
P.s. Now is the perfect time to reflect on your life’s direction. Going fast is the modern day default… going fast in the wrong direction, however, can end up being one of your life’s biggest regrets. Get your direction right with my guide, on sale now ➜
I have never taken a web design class.
Nor have I ever taken a coding or branding class.
Yet, here I was, spending 6+ hours this weekend doing all of the above for MoveMe Quotes.
I revamped the whole website and feel like I did a pretty damn good job of it.
It all started with a curiosity back in 2010: “I wonder if I could build a website that could house all of my favorite quotes?” Which eventually became: “I wonder how I can make this website cooler?” Which quickly turned into: “I wonder how I can speed this site up?” Which then made me think about: “I wonder how I can improve its SEO?” Which today is essentially a compilation of all those thoughts rolled up into one.
And I can’t even begin to list all of the skills exploring this one initial curiosity has helped me develop.
All almost completely unbeknownst to me as any kind of formal educational endeavor.
All just interesting little problems I get to solve while building something I think is cool and useful.
Learning works so much better this way. Don’t use “I haven’t taken a class / course on that yet” as an excuse to not explore a curiosity. Everything you need is readily available and but a few finger taps away.
You just need to do it.
Hey Sonya,
It’s so great to hear from a fellow quote enthusiast. Love love love hearing that you have mountains of notebooks filled with quotes.
The act of reading quotes is definitely not the same as the act of writing quotes. The former brings the words in through the eyes which are quickly deposited into the brain, but the latter… the latter allows you to bring the words in through your body… through your fingers, up your arms, into your torso, and up your spinal cord and into your brain.
It’s the literal embodiment of the words.
So, while you may feel like there’s no sense or order to them all… just know that the process is not for nothing. You have embodied 10x more insight from this simple practice than your counterpart who merely read those same quotes and does nothing with them.
Cheers to quote collecting and embodying the insight that’ll guide us forward on our paths!
~ Matt
The reason I share this reply is twofold:
1) To remind you that reading insights is not the same as doing things with the insights. Whether that’s applying the ideas to your life (opting in to the expressed gratitude challenge); typing, tagging, ordering, and making them digestible and accessible (like I do at MoveMe Quotes); or simply writing them into notebooks (like Sonya)—it’s the application of insight that leads to better living—not the looking at it. And…
2) To challenge you to start doing things with insights, too!
…You’re not really just going to nod along and do nothing with these insights after reading them are you?!
Enough looking; time to start embodying.
…Your better life depends on it.