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Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Why I Force Myself To Write Daily

Published on May 12, 2024

I’m struggling to come up with a topic to write about today.

And part of me wonders… wouldn’t it be better to write and publish only if I have something potent and juicy enough to share?

…Like, why force myself to write something every… single… day?

And then the other part of me remembers… there isn’t a day I write that I don’t struggle.

It’s rare that I ever sit down to write and know exactly what I want to say or exactly what story I want to share.

And even on those days… I don’t think I would recognize the insights or stories as they unfolded in my day if I didn’t have an obligation to myself to write… if I didn’t have my daily time block and space… if I didn’t force myself to look inward and be patient as my mind settles…

And what never ceases to amaze me is where that little bit of forced inner work leads me… like how I arrived here… with this one minute daily piece typed out… a staple in the legacy of my writing… a gift that just might be well received… something made from nothing…

And something that definitely never would’ve been… if I left it up to “when I feel like it” or “when I have something potent and juicy enough to share.”

So, You Want Peace of Mind?

Published on May 10, 2024

…Start by giving your mind some peace.

Turn off the screens. Mute the notifications. Go to where it isn’t so… people-y.

Peace of mind starts with awareness of mind. With looking at what’s happening up there. With sorting and sifting and allowing and settling.

If you’re serious about wanting peace of mind… You have to prove it.

…And be present with your mind—distraction free—for dedicated blocks of time every day. Starting with a block that’s manageable according to your current lifestyle that grows over time.

Otherwise, don’t be surprised if your mind continues to be a reflection of the (non-peaceful) environment you continue to expose it to.

What Do You Think?

Published on May 9, 2024

To be thoughtful, you have to give yourself space to think.

…And not just think your way through a hectic day.

I mean, space to actually think… space to let your mind filter and sift… space to let your subconscious mind chime in… space where you can finally stop the barrage of incoming stimuli and can take a look at what’s already within.

Without a space like this, it’s incredibly hard to be thoughtful… to think more than one step ahead… to zoom out from the microscope of the day and look at your life trajectories in a more strategic way… to process all of the bite sized information and form authentic opinions.

And to be thoughtful in a world filled with people who are “too busy” to think… or maybe “too busy” to figure out how to make space to think… or maybe too brainwashed or addicted to even recognize they don’t have time to genuinely think…

…Is precisely what I think, we need.

Rheotaxis

Published on May 8, 2024

Modern day culture is pushing all of us—especially those swallowed deep within its massive current—towards dopamine, dopamine, dopamine with increasing intensity with each passing day.

Soak up the diagram below which illustrates these modern day currents:

Image Credit: Ted Gioia | Full image resolution here.

The danger with surrendering to this current is that it pushes us further and further into a never ending cycle of short-term pleasure seeking where we do a dopamine releasing task, which causes the neurochemical dopamine to be released, which makes us feel good, which makes us want to repeat the stimulus, which makes us do the domaine releasing task again, and so forth until it’s repeated so much it turns into a habit and eventually—an addiction.

This addiction, like all addictions, becomes increasingly hard to satisfy which leads us further and further downstream towards increasingly intense dopamine releasing sources (e.g. doom-scrolling, gambling, nsfw content, etc). And this, of course, leads to derailed lives.

Rheotaxis is the general tendency of an organism—like a fish—to orient themselves and swim against the flow, rather than with it. And the more I look at the above diagram, the more I think they’re onto something. There are many theories on why fish do this, but the one I like to believe is that they know—be it instinctually or experientially—that upstream is where better living is found.

Maybe because it leads to the development of strength; maybe because it increases their mental acuity/awareness; maybe because it’s where the more fulfilling rewards are found…

…And maybe it’s the same for us humans and we should consider reorienting, too.

When Fast Slows Down

Published on May 7, 2024

What could you do, right now, that would make someone want to send you a hand written thank you letter? …Or, maybe a modern day best, a thoughtful text or email reply?

…Answer this question and you’ll have some pretty great pitstop ideas you could take from the long and oftentimes tiresome travels of your day—your life.

Because while it’s crucial to begin with the end in mind—to keep in focus where it is we’re trying to go—it’s also crucial to find ways to pitstop, to wander, to enjoy the scenery and people along the way.

And the things we might do that would elicit a quick “thanks” or wave (or serve no purpose and elicit zero response) maybe aren’t the best places to pitstop. Maybe we could take that time, strategically add a little intention that’s harnessed from the question above, and emerge with a scenic detour that becomes an absolute highlight of the travels of our day—our life.

See, getting to our destination fast isn’t greater than getting to our destination full. And full happens when fast slows down and adds a little intention, awareness, and generosity along the way.

P.s. For a deep dive into this topic, check out my guide: The Art of Forward: Direction > Speed.

How Strange [Poem]

Published on May 6, 2024

How strange
To feel no hesitation at all
When getting skin carved
Ideas entrenched permanently
Even my 80 year old self
Won’t be able to unsee

It makes me think
That the time spent waiting
Brainstorming
And contemplating
—34 years after all
Was worth it
Like I timed it out perfectly
Like the mixed from the feelings
Like the fads, naivety, and temporary desires
Were filtered thoroughly
And left but only a more clear identity

How strange
To find love here
As I stare at healing flesh
As I trace these peeling lines
As I pat these itching scars
Something—you—become something
I start to recognize
This time spent waiting
The brainstorming; contemplating
The filtering and not settling
…As an outlining

A careful realization
A conversation with my 80 year old self
A constant clearing
Of more and more blind desire and hesitation
Resulting ultimately with you—a without a doubt vision
Of who my permanent person will be

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

Goals Minus Time Commitment

Published on May 5, 2024

If your weeks and months don’t contain pockets of time dedicated to your year and decade goals… you’re not serious about reaching them.

Think about what you want your health and fitness to be like in a year or a decade… and ask yourself, do the pockets of time inside your weeks and months match that kind of outcome?

Do the same for what you want your relationships, side hustles or finances, intellect or skill sets to be like in a year or a decade… and then take some time to reorganize this week’s or this month’s time.

…Nothing contains regret more than goals minus any kind of regular time commitment.

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