With less than one month remaining until the start of a new decade I’ve found that this quote by the Greek philosopher Epictetus is resonating with me now more than ever. As I delve into my annual planning process in the coming weeks one thought is sure to be top of mind; Stoicism.
Developing a vision for your life can be daunting. In my experience, however, I’ve found that the most successful people I encounter do two things very well:
They dedicate time to “lean out” into the future and establish a vision for their life.
They relentlessly refine and execute a plan to fulfill it.
I was exposed to a version of the Fisherman’s parable in 2016 via Tim Ferriss’ book The 4-Hour Workweek and, more recently, via Jayson Gaignard’s Community Made podcast.
Pain. Embarrassment. Stress. In moderation, these seemingly unfortunate feelings often represent an opportunity for growth.
For no matter what we achieve, if we don't spend the vast majority of our time with people we love and respect, we cannot possibly have a great life. But if we spend the vast majority of our time with people we love and respect – people we really enjoy being on the bus with and who will never disappoint us – then we will almost certainly have a great life, no matter where the bus goes.
For the last 4 years, I have developed a daily habit of education through reading and/or audiobooks. While attribution is difficult, I am confident that the knowledge I absorbed has made a significant positive impact in every facet of my life.
In this day and age social media often serves as a highlight reel where success (buying a new house, taking a once in a lifetime vacation, etc.) is broadcast publicly and struggles are intentionally suppressed.
While it may not be applicable 100% of the time, I have found this notion to be extremely valuable when I am overwhelmed and experiencing high levels of stress. Busy is a decision, and saying yes to less has proved to be a way out of the chaos.
This “filter” should be common sense, but I find myself cringing all too often when I encounter those who are not yet privy to this concept.
It took 28 years for me to realize the tremendous power and incredible value that can be derived from books.
Exercise. Eat right. Get enough sleep. As Jim Rohn famously said:
Take care of your body, it's the only place you have to live.
Music has power, and we can use it to our advantage.
18 summers. That’s the most one can ever hope to spend with their children. When we’re in the heat of the moment time moves slowly. It may not be until many years later that we realize how quickly those precious summers passed. Singer-songwriter Kenny Chesney may have said it best; Don’t blink.
Today marks the 183rd day of 2019. If you break the calendar year down into quarters, as they do in a basketball game, you would be emerging from half time and making your way back onto the court. If you’re like me and you’ve taken the time to review your progress and devise goals for the back half of the year you’re probably feeling pretty good about your prospects.
The Golden Rule is such a simple concept. But as with many things in life it seems it is easier said, than done.
In a world saturated with smart phones and social media many of us have conceded control of our attention to giant corporations and the motivations of their shareholders. Your attention is the key to their profitability, and they will go to great lengths to capture it. Praying on the natural human inclination to focus on threats and bad news is commonplace, while even the most significant positive events are frequently suppressed below the fold.
World renowned productivity consultant David Allen suggests that the first step towards Getting Things Done is to “Capture” what has your attention. While this methodology has served me well in terms of enhancing productivity, it was the reduction in anxiety that proved to be the catalyst for my raving fanaticism.
Life is not a journey. The end, your final destination, is not the point of the effort.
I can only imagine where I would be today had I experienced my shift to the growth mindset just a few years earlier, but I am eternally grateful to have made the shift at all. Adopt a growth mindset and you’ll see how bright the future can be.
“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.” — Greg Reid