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Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Roadside Assistance

Published on January 15, 2024

My car wouldn’t start this morning.

At first I thought it might’ve been because of low gas.

My next door neighbor gave me about an 1/8 of a tank’s worth.

That didn’t work.

So my next thought was battery.

My other neighbor had a portable jumper kit and jumper cables—neither worked.

So I called roadside assistance.

After several hours of waiting, I needed to call a stand-in to be there for when the roadside assistance arrived so I could go to work.

My mom stepped in.

I also needed a ride to work.

My dad stepped in.

I also needed a ride home from work.

My mom stepped in again and said if it did get towed, I could also borrow her car while the mechanic figured out what was wrong and got it fixed.

How freaking fortunate am I to have such an incredible support network just a call away?

While it sucks that my car broke down, I’m super thankful.

As I say all of the time, life happens. And when it does, not only do we have a chance to learn, but we have a chance to reach out and ask for help.

I learned I needed to be more prepared so I ordered a portable jumper kit of my own. And I’m reminded not to let my gas tank get as low as it did.

And while asking for help can sometimes feel awkward or like we’re placing a burden on others, it really just gives others a chance to give… a chance to do good… a chance to connect.

…Which is a wonderful gift when it’s met with true gratitude and a reciprocating heart. :)

The Quarter Freezer Trick

Published on January 14, 2024

Take a plastic cup of water and let it freeze in your freezer.

Then, put a quarter on top of the frozen water.

If you ever lose power, this little trick will show you whether the food in your freezer is still good or not.

…If the quarter is still on top or has only partially sunk—your food is likely still okay.

…If the quarter has sunk to the bottom, it means your food likely thawed to room or close to room temperature and should likely be tossed.

This was a fun little tip that I learned today that I thought would be fun to pass along to you.

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

Scariest 5 Seconds

Published on January 13, 2024

Yesterday, a friend told me a story of the scariest five seconds of his life.

When approaching an intersection on a two lane highway, there was a car that suddenly swerved across all lanes of traffic directly in front of him.

He jerked the steering wheel to avoid collision and ended up peeling over the grassy median and out onto the other side of the two lane highway into oncoming traffic.

Imagine the sheer horror of being behind the wheel of that swerving car, moving at highway speeds, heading towards cars that were also heading at highway speeds—right towards you.

It was a miracle that in that split few seconds of time, he was able to quickly swerve back over the median and onto the right side of the road before being hit.

I share this story to remind you to 1) always drive like your life depends on it and 2) bring back to the forefront of your mind that life is delicate. It was through no fault of his own that this person swerved in front of him. And it was damn fortunate that he was able to navigate his way back to safety.

Had he been driving less cautiously, it could have proven to be fatal—for more than just him.

I’m sure you, too, have had a scariest five seconds of your life that could’ve ended it all for you—but didn’t. Don’t let this gratitude for life leave you. Because it’s nothing short of a miracle that we’re here living, breathing, and being… isn’t it?

P.s. I also published: 23 Greg McKeown Quotes from Essentialism and How To Live Better Via Less

Playoff Workouts

Published on January 12, 2024

This Sunday, there’s a playoff football game that cuts into my usual workout time.

So today, I’m planning my alternative.

If I wait until Sunday, I’ll probably get swept up in the hype and skip it altogether.

But, if I know what’s coming, I can arrange my day in such a way where “workout” gets put into the best possible slot given the unique forecast of events.

“Winging it” on busy and exciting days isn’t a good strategy.

We have to make time for the things we know are going to make us.

…Even on—especially on—days we consider to be “special” or “out of the ordinary.”

Because as soon as we consider that to be a viable excuse…

We might suddenly see more and more “special” and “out of the ordinary” days creeping into our schedules.

Not because we’re lazy, per se, but because that’s what excuses do. Like weeds, they only ceaselessly grow once planted. So you can either choose to not plant the damn thing in the first place or you can deal with the thing as it grows and regrows and relentlessly grows time and time again despite your best efforts to kill it off.

…I know which option I’m choosing.

P.s. I’m looking to submit longer-form pieces of my writing to like-minded, like-themed blogs, magazines, and publications… Any suggestions on where might be a good fit?

Unread Emails

Published on January 11, 2024

I don’t know about you, but I have a ton of unread emails.

Mostly from blogs and people I subscribe to who send valuable, but non-urgent messages.

My current system is to read and reply to the urgent first, then start making my way down the non-urgent from newest to oldest.

This process has left me hovering between 800-1,000 non-urgent unread messages for what feels like years.

This week, however, I started a new process.

Instead of reading emails from the top of my inbox down… I’ve been sorting my inbox based on person or blog and reading all of the emails sent by them first… before going to the next person or blog and so on.

For example, this past week I read through all of my unread Daily Stoic emails and now I’m making my way down all of my unread Seth Godin emails.

This has been significantly more efficient because I don’t have to keep voice/tone/context changing as I read various messages from various people who are all writing in various different ways.

I can keep the same voice/tone/and context in mind and blast through a whole series of emails with much better retention and much less mental fatigue.

It’s like reading 20 pages of one book versus reading one page of 20 different books. The difference is remarkable.

Would recommend.

P.s. Know someone who might enjoy getting these emails? This is me kindly asking if you’d forward an email you liked to a person who you think would like it, too. Thanks :)

On Talking To Stranger-ish People

Published on January 10, 2024

Want to learn how to have better conversations? Ask better questions.

Want to learn how to become more interesting? Become more interested.

Want to learn how to more smoothly break the ice? Subtract as much hesitation as you can and simply shoot your first question.

Curiosity is the key to great conversation.

And if you’re worried about awkward silences, here’s a pro-tip I learned from a friend: lean into the silence and let it linger. Think carefully about what’s been said and construct your next question without haste. You might be surprised how often people will reflexively fill that void first and offer additional thoughts for your curiosity to chew on.

Finally, when engaging in casual conversation, a bit short is always better than a bit long.

…Because a bit short implies there were some curiosities that weren’t fully explored—which is an excellent opener for your next interaction.

P.s. How To Have Great Conversations in 7 Steps ➜

Trust What Keeps Bubbling Up

Published on January 9, 2024

I try to write ideas down as they occur to me so I don’t forget them.

When I have a bunch of ideas oriented around the same topic, I’ll purposefully back-burner them all and let them simmer.

…Which is exactly what I did when I was trying to pick my focused goals for 2024.

A good signal that an idea might be worth pursuing—above the others competing for your time and attention—is you can’t seem to get it out of your head.

…It keeps resurfacing on walks, during commutes, in the shower, inside conversation, and even while you dream—in an unprompted fashion.

This is a sign that shouldn’t be ignored.

Not even if your conscious mind has more rational ideas about how you should act on your ideas. Because what it means is that your unconscious mind has picked.

And there’s a depth of understanding and insight that the unconscious mind references that the conscious mind only gets to touch—it’s the drop in the ocean vs the ocean itself.

And it would be wise to trust—and at the very least consider—what that deep wisdom is saying.

P.s. Dreams are NOT arbitrary. Dreams are a primary means of communication. Not convinced? Read this.