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Category: Thinking Clearly

Today Marks 2 Years

Published on January 1, 2022

That means I’ve been writing daily for around 730 days.

Damn.

Here’s the thing: 730 days ago my daily writing streak was zero.

And there were plenty of people who had streaks much larger than 730.

Had I compared my 0 to their 1,095 or 1,825 or 3,650—I probably wouldn’t have started.

And what a damn shame that would’ve been.

I’m proud of 730 and feel like daily writing has been one of the best habits I have ever built into my life.

And I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

What’s the trick?

Don’t compare your 0 to my or anybody else’s number.

Just write today.

Then, just write again today—when tomorrow comes.

And learn how to enjoy the act of daily writing (or whatever else it is you might be committing to).

Because if you don’t enjoy doing it—I can almost guarantee you won’t make it 730. Or any other big number.

This doesn’t mean it has to be fun, per se.

Because writing is damn hard.

And draining.

And frustrating.

And nerve-wracking.

And frustrating.

And draining.

And hard.

…But, it’s meaningful. And that’s where the real enjoyment comes from.

If you only ever do what’s fun or pleasurable, it’s very likely that you’ll miss out on meaning.

Because meaning comes from doing what’s hard. And when you do what’s hard (and meaningful to you) every day…?!

The long-term result is an ever-growing mountain of meaning.

My advice?

Don’t do it for any other reason that to make your future self proud.

And start today.

Two (More) Lessons From 2021

Published on December 23, 2021

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.

My Biggest Lesson From 2021

Published on December 22, 2021

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.

Breaking Ceilings

Published on December 20, 2021

Feel like you’ve reached a ceiling?

Rather than trying to push upwards, try digging downwards.

For the height of your ceiling is directly dependent on the depth of your foundation.

Fired Up

Published on December 19, 2021 
Sometimes,
experiencing the emotions
that come from messing up

lights a fire

that accelerates improvement
faster than contentment
ever could.

Hard Stops vs. Soft Stops

Published on December 16, 2021

Time management trick: define whether each task of your day should have a “hard stop” or “soft stop.”

  • Hard stop: Non-negotiable end to a task. e.g. 11pm is a hard-stop because sleep is a top priority. I don’t allow myself to work at even 11:01pm.
  • Soft stop: Flexible end to a task. e.g. Usually, I write between 2pm – 3pm. But, if the writing is flowing smooth and I’m in the zone, I allow myself to ride that momentum until it ends.

The problem with getting these confused is that it mostly hurts your top priorities.

Top priority tasks should be treated as “soft stops,” but are often treated as “hard stops.” Things like sleep, family time, exercise, writing, reading, connecting with friends, etc.—you should be able to spend whatever amount of time feels right. But, either you force yourself to cut it short or you don’t have enough time to allot.

Which leads to the second confusion: treating tasks that should be “hard stops” as “soft stops.” Things like TV, video games, social media time, etc—you can easily end up spending entire days doing these types of things if you don’t take control. And when you don’t, that excessive time gets taken from—that’s right—your top priorities.

And it turns into a vicious cycle.

Not enough time to do what’s most important because you spent too much time doing what’s not. And because you have less time, you’re constantly playing catch up.

So, what’s the solution? Give what’s less important tighter “hard stops” and then you’ll finally get to enjoy “soft stops” while doing what’s more.