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Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Delay The Urge To Stop

Published on June 20, 2022

Whenever possible, rather than stopping your forward momentum altogether, try slowing down instead.

One of the worst strategies for finishing a marathon is to sprint-stop-sprint-stop-sprint-stop the whole way.

When you feel yourself getting winded—adjust your pace; shorten your stride; give yourself more time to breathe.

And at all costs: delay the urge to stop.

While rest might seem like the most energy efficient decision in the moment, as physics demonstrates, keeping your body in motion is actually the most energy efficient option long-term.

So that we’re clear, I’m not advocating you never stop working.

I am advocating that you commit to a working pace that you can sustain rather than one that you have to constantly start-stop.

For example: rather than read 100 pages sporadically every month or two—commit to 10 pages per day. And if 10 pages becomes too much, don’t stop altogether. Drop it to 5 pages per day. And if that’s still too much, drop it to one page. And if that’s too much—you’re playing yourself.

Keeping the momentum alive in your daily tasks is key to efficient and effective forward movement in your life.

Starting a stopped body is much harder than keeping a body in motion.

Keep your body in motion even when (especially when) your mind wants to stop.

Seed Planter [Poem]

Published on June 19, 2022 
I am forever
A seed planter
Burying potential
in the endless mud
Of our collective mind

Some will grow
Many will die
What comes to be
Isn’t for me
to judge or define

I am not sun
I am not nutrients
I am not water
I am forever
a seed planter

What’s planted
In the mud
Of your mind
Is for the elements
Of your life

To nurture or decline

Just For Today

Published on June 18, 2022

…What a beautiful mindset for getting things done long-term.

Committing to something for months/years/life can be intimidating.

But committing to today?

No problem.

Just for today: read, write, draw, exercise, meditate, etc.

And simply repeat this mindset again when you wake—tomorrow.

Act Your Age [Poem]

Published on June 17, 2022 
The spirit has no age
And yet is shackled
To the age we tell it to act

From the people who tell it to us
From the people who told it to them
From the people who made it up

The spirit has no age
Let it roam free
To be as it may—

Age-free and un-trapped.

Too Cool For School

Published on June 16, 2022

Today, I had the privilege of presenting a martial arts driven character development class to nine groups of Kindergarden through 8th graders.

It was highly rewarding and the message I was able to share felt well received.

When the 8th graders (13-15 years old) arrived for their session, however, the apprehension and self-consciousness was thick in the air.

Just about all of the kids were more concerned with what each of the other kids thought and wouldn’t so much as stand up without a strong enough prompt.

They had other things on their mind—boys, girls, being funny, being liked, being noticed, looking cool, looking rebellious, looking like a part of the group, etc.

And so I offered them a simple invitation: I’m here to show you how martial arts can add value to your lives. If you want to learn how, step forward. If you’d rather not, step back.

And I wish I could say they all stepped forward—but, they didn’t.

Only a group of about 6 (out of 30ish) did.

And so I focused all of my attention on those six. I even huddled them tight after the session and gave them more than I planned on giving—as a thank you.

It’s so easy to feel like we’re up against the majority in our lives—and often we are. And it can be tempting to just slide back and blend into mix of the group—certainly nobody would blame you.

But, to step forward in confidence? In spite of the group decision? At risk of social consequence?

This… my friends… is where leadership is born and how any noteworthy change—is made.

The Direction Of Doubt

Published on June 15, 2022

Doubt comes with the territory of doing something new.

Don’t ignore the doubt.

Don’t vilify the doubt.

Don’t run from the doubt.

Welcome it. Lean into it. Inspect it.

What you might find is that doubt is actually a signal that you’re heading in the right direction.

Follow The Pain

Published on June 14, 2022

Confidence comes from the pain.

  • The pain of trial
  • The pain of error
  • The pain of persistence

Until eventually, the pain results in a success.

This success shouldn’t mark an end (to pain), but rather a new beginning.

For hiding from pain is the path towards atrophy—the antithesis of success.

Confronting the pain is the path towards hypertrophy—the best friend of success.

And as it is with exercise, working your muscles to hypertrophy once (one success) will have little long-term benefit.

It’s the repeated exposure to the pain (of exercise) that leads to the noteworthy gains in muscular size and ability.

And if you want to increase the “size” and “ability” of your life, you have to treat your confidence “muscles” the same.

…And follow the pain.