The Paradox of Progress

The best decision is often the hardest decision.
It’s a little counterintuitive when you think about it but it’s absolutely the right thing to do.

True discipline is a necessity on the path to success or greatness in any realm or field you choose and will often be derived from the ability to do things that you don’t like to do, but doing those things like you love it.  Thank Mike Tyson for this one.  

The process of progress is long and arduous, don’t get bogged down on results during this time.  Do your best (easier said than done) to judge yourself by your adherence to the process, not the results of the progress.  It’s often invisible before it can’t be missed.

Whenever you’re deep in thought, don’t do yourself the disservice of making those thoughts surface level only.  Dig deeper.  Ask those questions you actually don’t want to answer, then ask why those answers are the answers.  You’d be surprised where your brain takes you.

If you have to speak outwardly about how confident you are, you probably need more reps.  I do understand speaking outwardly about it though.  The tongue is very powerful.  You can often delude yourself into confidence.  It’s a fine line though, because without the reps it most certainly will be short-lived.

You know the saying “act like you’ve been there before?”  I get it now.  It’s not so much to dim your light as I once used to take it.  It’s not so much to act stuck up like new events and accomplishments don’t amaze you.  I’m starting to think it has more to do with how we view ourselves.  If you view yourself as successful, achieving success shouldn’t feel so foreign all the time.  Also, don’t act like you’ve been there before so much that you take your wins for granted, but also act like you’ve been there because you expected to win.

Writing stuff in your notes app is cool, but if you can, as much as you can, practice actually putting pen to paper.  Something about that cognitive connection of putting pen on paper makes some things resonate even deeper in your psyche.  Also in the digital age, what your write on paper can't be hacked.  Not to our common knowledge at least.

Once in a while, drive in silence.  Not for long, but I’d say about 30 mins on a highway, in the middle lane at midnight.  You’d be surprised how much clarity that can provide.  Going for a 30 min walk would probably be better but driving is a decent alternative. You’d in all likelihood arrive at the same destination. Mentally that is.

How you deal with letting yourself down will be one of the most important systems you will ever create in your life.  The anxiety and guilt it creates are almost unbearable at times.  That’s of course determined by how much you value progress.  However, the system you create to deal with those moments will be the foundation you use to deal with success (when you live up to your expectations of yourself).  They’re the same tools, just on the other end of the spectrum.

Love is overrated. Love is necessary.  Love is love. Lover’s love.  Love heals.  Love kills.  All of those statements are true.

Never get anything you don’t want simply because it costs less.  If you want it and can’t afford it, that just means you need to work harder to get it.  This isn’t all about money either.

Time is your best friend and greatest ally if you respect it.  If you don’t it will be your greatest nemesis.  Always try to not put off until tomorrow that which can be “reasonably” done today.

Whatever the problem is, always try to boil it down to the simplest form.  Yes there are nuances, but oftentimes the simplest form of a problem, gives the best perspective for the solution.

Experience is the best teacher.
Try new things then talk to people that have tried it as well.