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Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Never Done

Published on May 2, 2023

There’s always something that can be improved.

Which means there’s never going to be a time when the work will be “done.”

Understand this and remember to do just what you can today. And when you’ve done what you can within the confines of your allotted time for work that day—and this is the important part—leave the rest for tomorrow.

Go home, rest, invest time with friends and family, decompress, explore hobbies, and create art… go and do what you need to do so you can return to work the next day recharged and ready.

Better that than trying to fix it all immediately and having nothing left give the next day—especially when there are countless days of work yet ahead.

From Eyes To Soul

Published on May 1, 2023

What’s further: the length from Earth to Moon or the length from eyes to soul?

Something inside me says that the length from eyes to soul is infinitely further.

It feels to me to be boundless, filled with a lifetime of experiences known and yet to be discovered that is only continuing to expand outward with each passing moment we’re alive.

And yet, in a world packed with and overly focused on commodities, the eyes of another can be mistaken as such—just another object blended into the world of things that lie outside of ourselves that has no depth beyond what’s immediately seen.

But, the same depth that’s inherently known to be buried behind our own eyes exists in the hidden space behind the eyes of every other, too.

Realizing this, we might begin to explore that space a little differently. Rather than quick glances and convenient redundant conversations—we might look into the eyes of another as an opportunity for other-worldly exploration.

…Because that’s exactly what it is when we commit fully to exploring that great beyond.

We are far more deep than we portray each other to be.

Get Some Rest

Published on April 30, 2023

It’s amazing how seamless doom scrolling is for me when I’m tired.

I’m sitting here trying to catch up on work after a long weekend and it’s like… I can’t help but scratch every damn itch for distraction that peeps into my mind. It’s as if the self-discipline and focus has been drained right out of me. And auto-play videos? Forget it. It isn’t until the stupid things end that I realize they had my full and undivided attention the whole time they played. I was shook how long it took me to get out of that hole and finish the work I had at hand.

Don’t get it twisted: Being well rested is top tier productivity advice.

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

More Important Than Winning

Published on April 29, 2023

What’s more important than winning?

  • Honor (cheating to win isn’t a win).
  • Learning (winning and not learning isn’t a win).
  • Respect (rubbing a win in somebody’s face isn’t a win).
  • Grace (If a win doesn’t make you more grateful, more humble, more giving, more kind, more elegant etc.—it isn’t a win).
  • Connection (none of us wins alone—every win is a team effort in some way. Winning without a deepened connection to those who helped us win, isn’t a win).

I have seen many competitors get 1st place who definitely did not win.

And I have seen many competitors get last place who, in every respect, most certainly won.

Be careful how you define winning and success in life—it’ll end up defining your identity and journey in life.

Sacrifices In Work

Published on April 28, 2023

I had the privilege of seeing Isabel Wilkerson (the first woman of African-American heritage to win the Pulitzer prize in journalism and Pulitzer prize winning author of The Warmth of Other Suns) speak at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo, NY this past week.

At the end of her rousing speech, there was a live Q & A.

One answer she gave struck me in particular…

She was asked (paraphrased), “What sacrifices did you have to make in order to get this incredible body of work completed?”

Now, before I tell you her answer—some context:

  • It took her 15 years to write The Warmth of Other Suns (she joked that if her book was a child it would be in high school and dating by the time she finished).
  • She interviewed 1200+ people herself for the book (not a typo).
  • She somehow managed to boil down those 1200+ interviews into four stories that were featured in the narrative fiction that is The Warmth of Other Suns.

Okay, now that we’re on the same page, this was her answer (paraphrased):

“I feel like I didn’t make any sacrifices. I’m doing the work I was called here to do and that makes all of the time invested worth it.“

I suppose when you look at the creation of your work as analogous to birthing and raising a child (that makes it all the way to high school)—you really don’t see what you’re doing as a sacrifice. Your work takes on a life of its own that you bear the responsibility for raising.

…And maybe that’s an analogy we can start using in reference to our work as well.

Connection Initiative

Published on April 27, 2023

“I love being by myself, but then, I get lonely and don’t have anybody to listen to me.”

…Was sent to me as a reply on Twitter.

To which I spent some time thinking about… and replied back with this:

“A question that has helped me with this: ‘Where do people like me, who like doing the same kinds of things I like to do, hang out?’ And then I go there and let common ground take care of the rest.”

I have found this to be the best strategy for combating loneliness—deliberate, heart-guided, initiative.

Friends aren’t just going to come knocking at your door while you binge Netflix series or doom scroll. And work friends can sometimes come with layered complications.

But people who are doing the things you also love to do—just for the hell of it? …Opens up a door WIDE for connection.

…You just have to show up and walk through.

Inner work prompt: How might you respond to that reply? Send me a… reply :)

Little Big Things

Published on April 27, 2023

I see you…

  • Person who smiles when you could’ve chosen to frown.
  • Person who lets people in the lane when you could’ve chosen to cut them off.
  • Person who pays a compliment to a random stranger when you could’ve carried on and pretended like they didn’t exist.

You might not think you’re seen… but you are. Maybe nothing is said, no acknowledgment is paid, and maybe some things are done when none of us are looking… but have no mistake—goodness gets seen.

And while I (we) couldn’t say thanks in the moment for doing your part to improve our world—for whatever reason…

I’d (we’d) like to do so now.

Because it’s the people like you, doing the little things like that, who make big differences in the little lives of those living on this big planet.

Thank you.

P.s. If someone came to mind for you when you read this, forward it to or share it with them. There is no greater feeling than that of feeling seen.