Category: Investing In Yourself

On weekday afternoons, as I’m sipping my coffee, I’ll read some insightful content from books and blogs.

Three of the books I’ll check out are page-a-days that feature one focused idea for each day of the year and there are maybe 5-10 blogs I’ll digest in the same way—a short insight sent out either daily or weekly.

What I’ve been feeling lately, however, is that it’s too much jumping around.

…I’ll read maybe 5-10 pages of content in total, but it’s like each page is authored by another person… and I’m noticing that I’m not retaining the ideas as well because I have to context switch so frequently.

What I want to shift to is 5-10 pages from a single content source/person and then rotate who I read from daily. This allows me to keep the context straight and read more seamlessly one idea to the next.

I feel similarly with social media.

I’ll watch video shorts for an hour and feel like some of the stuff is really great—but can’t remember any of it when I’m done. When I watch long-form videos, however, I usually leave with at least a few take-aways.

This is a shift that more of us need to make in our lives.

…Away from shorter, shorter, shorter… and find ways to move towards the opposite. Because one minute of math, one minute of social studies, and one minute of science taught in rotation for 60 rotations is NOT the same as 60 minutes of math, 60 minutes of social studies, and 60 minutes of science taught straight up.

…When do you feel like you retain what you consume the best?

Exercising with your child present is not the same as exercising alone—even if it’s the same workout.

Going for a walk with an acquaintance is not the same as going for a walk alone—even if it’s the same distance.

Working at home is not the same as working in an office—even if the same amount of work gets done.

An argument can be made in either direction for any of the above mentioned sides.

What’s worth considering, however, is which side makes the most sense for you and your life… and then arguing for it.

Which sounds obvious, but I assure you, is something most of us don’t do.

…Because if exercising with your child present is consuming any of your alone time and making you emotionally exhausted… you should argue for the opposite.

And if walking with somebody who chronically complains is messing up your outdoor recharge time… you should argue for the opposite.

And if working at home is messing with your ability to compartmentalize work vs life balance… then you should argue for the opposite.

…And the same is true for the inverse of each of the above.

The point isn’t to say any one side is better than the other… it’s to remind you that if you don’t argue for what’s best in your life… who will?

Today marks 2,000 days of daily writing.

And in each of those days… with only few exceptions… the daily writing was one of the—if not the—most important parts of my day. It’s ranked right up there with exercise, reading, building, and serving…

And nothing, not any of the above mentioned items or anything otherwise, has helped me grow as a person more than these daily reflective pieces. Especially when I think in terms of mental clarity, self awareness, emotional intelligence, general council, and public speaking…

The fact that these pieces have maybe helped others along the way is a bonus.

2,000 days ago, I decided simply to share my thoughts on a quote. And I did so again the next day. And the day after that. And each day, I renewed this simple decision with the intent of doing inward exploration and packaging it in a way that might serve others. And slowly, it evolved into what it is today.

My offering for you today, on this landmark day for me, is a simple one: invest in yourself daily. Simple is better than complex. Direction is more important than speed. And inner work should be prioritize over outward consumption. Package it in a way that serves others only as a bonus and as a secondary intent. And fight like hell to keep the streak alive.

…Because what you’re really fighting to keep alive: is the prospect of realizing the greatest version of yourself. Which only is and only ever has been realized one day forward at a time.

Does the goldfish outgrow the fishbowl? Or does a bigger fishbowl lead to growth in the goldfish?

I can argue this either way.

But, if getting a bigger fishbowl is out of your control… maybe you should focus on making the one you’re in look laughably small.