Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Here’s my biggest lesson from 2021.

#1: Shorter doesn’t mean less than

In 2020, I started writing daily.

Being the first time I was experimenting with the identity of “writer,” I felt an overbearing need to prove myself.

So, I tried to make up for a lack of experience with a length in writing—and my pieces were loooooong. Much longer than they needed to be and much longer than any audience would want to read daily.

In 2021, with my transition to Twitter, I learned how to be concise.

I learned how to take out fluff, be more direct, be more authentic, be more confident, and how to pack a punch with words.

I learned how shorter reduced the barriers for readers and actually opened more doors rather than closed them.

And it’s through this lesson that this very blog was birthed. With a cap of 280 words, punchy has become my focus.

#2: Inner Travel > Outer Travel

Without even realizing it, most people use outer travel as a means to force inner travel.

But, when you learn how to conduct inner travel on a regular basis, you are no longer limited to expensive flights, convenient timing, and dog-sitter availability.

Traveling, suddenly, becomes free, accessible, and easily timed.

Because ultimately, what we’re after isn’t big mountains, but an experience of awe; not deep oceans, but an experience of vastness; not sunny and seventy beaches, but relaxation; not exotic destinations, but rich experiences.

It’s feelings that we’re after—not places.

And with access to the internet, books, communities, and distraction-free spaces—we can learn how to bring forth those feelings on our own—no forcing required.

Control your information feeds to control your future.

What goes in is what will, eventually, come back out. And what comes out is what will determine how your future plays out.

Because we can’t control what happens to us, but we can absolutely control what comes out of us when things do happen. And if we want things to come out that are going to keep us moving forward, then we need to take the time required now to fill our minds with the best forward-moving information we can collect.

Not only does this mean less passive entertainment, news, and mind-numbing tasks (and more books, podcasts, and art)—it means curating your media feeds and training social media sites to only show you high-quality information.

One of the most important actions I took in 2021 that helped me significantly improve my future (my today) was shifting focus from Instagram to Twitter.

Instagram became a toxic place for me that was filled with images and videos of people in picture-perfect shape, living unbelievable lifestyles, and flaunting things that my ego craved.

It became a platform on which I would compare myself to everybody else—which is the root of all unhappiness. Twitter was like a breath of fresh air.

With its mind-first focus, it was like I was able to connect directly with people’s thoughts and our brains were able to vibe before we ever caught a glimpse of each other’s highlight reels.

My bottom line biggest takeaway is this: remove any and all comparison triggers; control your information feeds; immerse your mind in an ocean of insight—and watch as your future becomes yours.

Here are two (more) lessons from 2021.