Hey friends,
I might say I skipped last Friday’s newsletter due to the holidays and busy family/travel plans. But I think the truth is more personal than that.
I’ve been struggling with my authority (or lack thereof) in writing this newsletter. Perhaps it’s an ounce of imposter syndrome. I think it has something to do with the following statement, which I know to be true:
There are no gurus.
We should never take anyone’s word or perspective as the single point of authority - on any subject. That includes me and anything I write. Further, I am blown away by the number of charlatans out there. There are snake-oil salesmen and overconfident amateurs in every pocket of the internet these days, on every imaginable subject.
The truth is, taking on too much advice leaves people in a bad spot. When all is said and done, you cannot lean on someone else’s understanding of reality to improve your own. However, we certainly can learn to filter good ideas into our own personal actions.
“Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is specifically your own” -Bruce Lee
So now that this disclaimer is out of the way and you know I am not a guru, let me at least attempt to build some credibility on the things I write about:
I’ve meditated for roughly 10,000 minutes over the last 5 years. I learned from Headspace (2017-2019) and Waking Up (2019-202), which are my favorite meditation apps. I average 10 minutes per day.
I’ve been working out consistently for 18 years. Besides the times I have been legitimately injured, I always do something and usually it’s a fairly disciplined and intentional plan that involves strength training, cardio, and mobility.
I am as healthy, fast, and strong at 33 as I’ve ever been. I intend to push these boundaries further in 2023 and see what I’m really capable of with intelligent and disciplined training.
I have had injuries and numerous physical setbacks.. The next one will come, that’s for sure. I’m now confident that the human body is capable of completely transforming itself - including recovery from injury and ill-health previously thought impossible.
I have consistently improved my finances for the past 12 years. It’s nothing extraordinary, just a simple commitment to ‘paying myself first’ for long-term financial well-being by saving/investing each month.
New Year’s Resolutions
Enough about me. Shifting gears to a topic I have mixed feelings about. 2023 New Year’s Resolutions.
New Year’s Resolutions can be a great way to set goals and make positive changes. They can also be a ticket to quickly burning out and coming up short of lofty, vague goals.
If you aren’t the type of person who sets (and sticks to) goals throughout the year, it’s difficult to trust you will be the type of person who suddenly changes come January 1st. Ultimately, I don’t hate on new year’s resolutions like many do. I actually think every single attempt at positive change is worthwhile, even if you “fail”.
I would just add that it’s better to be the type of person who sets goals year round instead of each January. Recently, I began thinking of my years as 4 quarters. This allows me to reset every couple months and take action on new goals & habits.
There is one tool I would consider more valuable than new year’s resolutions. Think back to goals and commitments you made during 2022. Create your own personal journal entry and call it…
2022 Year in Review
“Year in Reviews” are a way to look back on your year’s happenings, which may be more effective than thinking about all the changes you will make in 2023. Here are some example prompts, but it can really be a freeform journal entry.
What were your 3 biggest wins from the year?
What went well? Where did you see success?
What changed from the year before?
Are there any quantifiable measures of your results from the year?
How do you feel about the year? Good, bad, ugly?
What was the hardest lesson you learned?
Where did you go / travel to that made an impact?
Etc… you can design any questions really, the idea is to just write about your year.
If you are setting new goals, there is a theme that continues to make itself known to me:
Simplicity + Ease = Highest Chance of Success
The best odds we have to stick to new habits is to make them simple and easy. I cannot stress this enough. The more simply you can explain a goal and the more easy you can make it on yourself, the better.
You can also use the inverse of this rule to make undesirable habits more difficult. Here are some examples of making desirable habits easy and avoidable habits harder:
EASY: Goal is to run each morning. Put your clothes/sneakers next to your bed so they are right there when you wake up.
HARD: Goal is to spend less time on social media. Delete/hide all of your social media apps so it takes more time to open them up.
EASY/HARD: Goal is to eat healthier. Stock kitchen with healthy meat, fruit, vegetables, and snacks. Don’t have any ultra-processed foods in the house at any time.
Does this help? What might you remove or add?
I am so grateful for 2022 and excited for what lies ahead in 2023. I am doubling down on the things that matter most to me (relationships and professional work). I am investing in hobbies that have high pay-offs for me (cooking and Jiu-Jitsu). And I plan to spend significant time learning about these new advancements in Artificial Intelligence, like Chat GPT. As always…
until next time, keep growing!
-Chris