Matt Hogan's Blog

On Keeping Your Grass Green

Published on June 21, 2024

The grass is greener on the other side—particularly when you’re comparing your grass to others’. Someone’s grass will always be greener than yours by comparison. But, if you stop comparing your grass to others, you might be able to reallocate that time to caring for your own… thus making it greener than it ever could have been before.

The grass is greener where you water it—especially when water comes in finite quantities. If you spray your water on other people’s lawns all day… don’t be surprised when your lawn is dying and yellow. Water your grass first, invest a little extra where it’s struggling, and gift the rest to others—in that order. And don’t be stingy with your water when you’re done taking care of yours… the beautiful thing about tomorrow is you’ll always get a full refill to use once again.

Finally, one more… but first, context: I uploaded a quote today to MMQ that said: “Maybe you don’t need to move abroad, dump the boyfriend or quit the job. Maybe you just need to learn to appreciate what you have. The grass is greener where you water it.” To which I’d encourage you to consider another equally important variable: The grass is greener where it’s less toxic—sometimes you do, indeed, just need to either move or get some new grass altogether… And not because you’re not thankful… but because you’re smart and know that environmental health is just as important as any other variable.

Inner Work Prompt: What would you say is the state of your “lawn.” How healthy/unhealthy is it? Why? What do you need to do (really) to make it greener?

Mistakes Aren’t Mistakes

Published on June 20, 2024

In martial arts, mistakes aren’t deviations from the training—they’re a fundamental component of it.

In other words, learning how to recover from mistakes is just as important as learning how to properly punch and kick in the first place.

The reason is because in self-defense—one of the fundamental focuses of any martial art—there are no do-overs. You don’t get to ask your attacker to stop and re-attack you because you made a mistake doing your self-defense or you weren’t ready.

The self-defense must go on. Your thinking must carry on. Your movement must flow on.

And if that’s the end goal, then that has to be the way in which we practice—because the way we practice IS the way we’re going to perform.

And so it is in life.

Mistakes aren’t deviations from the path—they’re a necessary part of the path.

They’re opportunities for us to learn how to think quickly on our feet… to look for openings in unexpected circumstances…to practice being calm and collected even when we’re flustered or confused.

We learn to roll with the punches, both in martial arts and in life, because fighting is never perfect. It’s messy, ugly, and surprising… and preparing for THAT—practicing when it IS that—is preparing for life.

Preparing for perfect is planning for fantasy. And planning for fantasy is the REAL mistake.

Success The World Actually Needs

Published on June 19, 2024

The world is saturated with people who want to be successful.

But what the world needs isn’t more people who are successful via traditional metrics (e.g. money, fame, power).

What the world needs is more people who are successful via novel and highly personal metrics.

The world doesn’t need more people maximizing their bottom lines at the expense of the environment. What we need are more people who can minimize their carbon footprint, reduce their use of plastics, and align their purchasing behavior with a life mission that’s also aligned with our most important home.

The world doesn’t need more people obsessing over likes and numbers of views on social media. What we need are more people who are obsessed with liking themselves and minimizing the number of people they compare themselves to—both on and offline.

The world doesn’t need more generally educated, non-specific college grads. What we need are more people who have come alive and are ignited with a curiosity that makes them want to learn, grow, and improve each day in spite of mistakes, failures, and hardships along the way.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with traditional metrics of success per se.

…It’s just that there’s something way more right with personally defined, soul-aligned metrics instead.

Inner Work Prompt: What’s your personally defined, soul-aligned definition of success?

The Magic Of Slow

Published on June 18, 2024

One trick that’s been helping me get things done more smoothly… is doing them more slowly.

…Which might sound counter culture (busy and fast is the modern day way) and might feel like it goes against your inclinations—and that’s because it probably does… and it is.

Hear me out…

When it’s time to get up out of bed… rather than try to jump up and quickly get on to the first task of the day… I rise calmly.

When it’s time to get my workout sets in… rather than try and finish each rep as quickly as possible… I try to bring in the fire more slowly.

When I have to get three things done all at once… rather than try and get all three done at the same time… I’ll focus more carefully on the most important one of the three only.

I’ve been surprised at how effective this mindset shift has been for me and I think you might be, too.

It works because it gets you started. It works because it prevents you from making rash mistakes (and having to fix or redo). It works because it keeps you more focused… more joyful and in an overall better state to perform… more absorbed in the now.

…Which is where all the magic for getting things done ever resided anyway.

P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

Handlebars [Poem]

Published on June 18, 2024

You let go of your handlebars
As if to relinquish control
back to the universe

You stretched your arms
Straightened your spine
Softened your shoulders
And let your body free

Your arms waved in rhythm
Your head rocked side to side
Your face relaxed completely
And nothing else mattered

Not the pain of peddling
Not the hundreds of eyes
Not the torturous sight of inclines
…None of what filled my mind

And you—in but a snapshot moment
Took on a higher form
Embodied a radiance via surrender
That the grind in me couldn’t understand

Until I tried it—until I surrendered
And remembered what it was like—
Yes, remembered once again
How to actually live in the here.

P.s. You can read my other poems here.

On Luxury

Published on June 16, 2024

I think about the debt I’ve avoided…

I think about the tens of thousands of dollars I’ve saved…

I think about the people I’ve repelled and the ones I’ve attracted…

I think about the time I’ve saved, the space I’ve created, and the contentment I’ve cultivated…

And I think about how one of the best decisions I ever made was that I didn’t need luxury in order to live my best life.

P.s. I also published: A Motivational Excerpt From Tom Brady’s Hall Of Fame Speech—”You Don’t Have To Be Special…”

Inner Work Based On Weather

Published on June 15, 2024

Landscaping today, I got to thinking about how certain tasks are easier after it has been dry for a few days (e.g. mowing the lawn) and how others are easier after it has been wet (e.g. digging).

It would be counterproductive to try and mow on wet days and dig on dry ones.

It would be much better to align the tasks you’re trying to do with the weather you’re in.

…As it is with inner work.

When things are happy… when you’re immersed in an adventure… when you’re enjoying quality time with friends or family… maybe that isn’t the best time to dig. Maybe that’s the time to let the branches of your happiness stretch as high as your presence will allow.

When things are sad… when you’re heavy in your feels… when you’re grieving the loss of a loved one… maybe that isn’t the best time to try and stretch your happiness (by suppressing those heavier emotions)… maybe that’s the time to let the roots of your sadness dig as deep into your feels as your presence will allow.

Digging when you’re happy and stretching your branches when you’re sad are possible… just like mowing the lawn when it’s wet and digging when it’s dry is possible… but, aligning with the weather and season you’re in might make for a much more productive use of time.

Inner work prompt: What season are you in? How can you align your present efforts to maximize that current experience?

Matt Hogan's Blog Posts