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Category: Living Well

Not In A Hurry

Published on January 5, 2022

Not in a hurry is an excellent sign of being committed to the process.

Being in a rush is an excellent sign of being committed to the destination.

Being committed to the destination without being committed to the process is an oxymoron of sorts. Because arriving to a destination isn’t possible without undergoing the process.

Which is precisely why so many people fail to arrive at their destinations.

They’re in a rush. They’re forcing things along. They’re definitely in a hurry.

The general goal seems to be to arrive without having to go through the work of traveling.

Which, of course, isn’t how arriving works.

What if, instead of trying to rush, force, hack, hurry, or expedite your way to a far and away destination—you found ways to make the goal more about enjoying the process?

Because the thing about rushing is that it implies you don’t want to be where you are or doing what you’re doing. It implies you’d rather be somewhere else (in a future fantasy scenario).

And the reality is, we’re going to spend the sweeping majority of our time traveling and only but a micro-fraction of it arriving. And to spend anything more than a moment in a state of misery, contempt, or hate is wasteful—let alone a few years (or *gulp* decades).

And so the question you should ask yourself is: am I enjoying the pace of my process or am I actually just rushing to arrive?

Because being in a rush might counterintuitively prove to be far more wasteful than not being in a hurry after all.

And So A Seed Sprouts…

Published on January 2, 2022

Remember as you PLOW into the first week of 2022: The beginning of all things is weak and tender.

Treat your tasks (and self) with care.

Too aggressive and you’ll kill your baby plants (habits). I learned this through experience.

Too passive and they’ll wilt and die from neglect.

You have to goldilocks the shit out of your tasks (and self) for the next few weeks.

Carry a tender awareness with a loving heart and you’ll do just fine.

…You little plant grower you.

What Now?

Published on January 1, 2022

Always have something planned that you can look forward to.

It’ll act as a magnet that will pull you excitedly forward through your days.

Without it, the days will feel like all push.

The Make-It Or Break-It Point For Goal Achievement

Published on December 30, 2021

Most people plan their goals with their best self in mind—the self that is well rested, in a good state, on-time, and excited.

This is a mistake.

Goals should be planned with our worst self in mind—the self that is tired, in a bad state of mind, late, and unmotivated.

Because it is in these moments—when we are feeling our worst—that we decide the fate of our goals.

If this “worst self” version catches you off guard, and you weren’t prepared for life’s curveballs—failure is almost inevitable.

Because if there are no other guarantees in life, I know this one to be true for sure: life will never unfold perfectly. There will be curveballs galore, obstacles like mad, and times when—for no apparent reason—you’re just not feeling like doing what you know you need to do.

Be ready for those days.

Have backup plans, a flexible mindset, and reliable systems in place.

But, above all, make sure you are doing what you are doing for the right reasons—strong, intrinsically motivated, deeply felt reasons.

Because the stronger the why—the easier it will be for you to continue forward despite the frustrations that are thrown your way. And the weaker the why—the harder it will be.

Don’t fool yourself—frustrations will be thrown at you.

The only question is… will you be ready?

Inspired by Jessica via Twitter. Thank you.

Exercise Shouldn’t Be Torture

Published on December 28, 2021

“Exercise should be a celebration of what your body can do. Not a punishment for what you ate.”

Dylan Thacker, Twitter

Most people try to “punish” themselves into being fit.

They “kill” themselves at the gym. Sign up for military-like bootcamps. Pay personal trainers to scream at them when they’re fatigued. There’s a whole lot of self-induced torture going on in the exercise world today.

And then those same people are surprised when they’re miserable and hate the idea of exercise. And it’s no wonder!

I’m here to tell you this doesn’t have to be your reality.

You don’t have to torture yourself into good health. In fact, this shouldn’t be your path towards good health—it’s an ugly path. As Dylan says above, it should be a celebration.

So, how do we celebrate exercise? By aligning ourselves with forms of movement that we enjoy doing (at least more so than others).

Because let’s not make exercise into something it’s not—it’s always going to involve work. It just doesn’t have to involve torturous work. Some ideas:

  • Sports—Focus on the ones you enjoy more than others. Many of my friends play in recreational sports leagues—you could, too.
  • Movement based activities—Martial Arts has acted as a rock in my exercise life since I was 11. Dance and yoga are good ideas, too.
  • Play—got kids? Play with them and a good workout is virtually guaranteed. Don’t have kids? Play an exercise video and follow along from home with someone who makes movement enjoyable.

There’s a million ways to move. Experiment and find what works for you.

Don’t be like most people—celebrate your way to being fit instead.