Have been reading Robert Greene’s ‘Mastery’. It’s a very interesting and insightful book. Uses a system to categorise the steps involved in becoming a master of anything.
Definitely goes onto the ‘highly recommended’ list.
I’ve noticed in the last few days my brain is racing between a huge range of thoughts.
I haven’t done much differently in terms of daily routines. Not drinking more coffee than normal, and drinking less alcohol than I have in recent times.
The ability to focus on achieving one task without three others popping into my head has escaped me.
I’m taking note of the things that pop up in a notebook. It’s all mundane, normal stuff. Nothing groundbreaking.
Maybe it’s a sign that I have a lot of things to do in life in general (this is a long list), or maybe my brain has started to fire in different ways.
It could be the start of some new pathways, too. There could be a shiny thought among the mundane ones somewhere on this journey.
Keeping myself in listening mode right now is important. There will be a house move in the near future, and some travel towards the end of the year. A change in seasons is upon us as the sun comes out and the temparature rises.
Time to tune in and listen to what’s going on in my brain.
There has been a lot of upheaval in the last few weeks. This could be my brain’s way of resetting.
Choose to focus on what you can control.
This helps me to move on in life, to achieve things in spite of whatever is going on around me.
Being sucked into the drama of others does nothing to help us.
Distraction and anger. The pain of injustice. All the bad things that take us off our own path.
Put the focus on your own energy. How you spend your time. What you eat. What you do in your quiet time.
Tune out of the unnecessary stuff, tune into yourself.
It’s easy to whinge and moan about not having enough.
Money, time, friends, skills. These things don’t turn up by accident.
A plan will get you on the path to making good things happen.
They are never set in stone. They can change as life takes you in different directions. Reviewing plans is a part of the process of staying on the right track.
But you’ve gotta have one. Avoid it and the weeds will overtake the flowers in your metaphorical garden.
Your direction and purpose will be unclear.
Spend a few minutes working out what you’re going to do today and write it down. This is where it starts.
You know what you should be doing. But knowing and doing are two different things. Good routines bridge that gap.
Look around. You already have tools for success.
Maybe it’s books on your shelf. A notebook in your drawer. Exercise gear in storage.
Stop waiting for perfect conditions.
Pick three things that matter most to you. Make them as automatic as brushing your teeth. No thinking required. No mood checks. Just do them.
Set up spaces that make success easy.
A reading corner. A writing desk. A workout area.
When the space is ready, you’re more likely to show up.
Make it non-negotiable. Stop negotiating with yourself every day. Decide once, then follow through.
Treat your important routines like appointments you can’t break.
Now take action – pick one routine. Set up the space. Do it tomorrow morning. No excuses.
Small steps create big changes.
I’ve had a change in my circumstances in the last couple of weeks. Reading and writing have helped me work my way through it in my mind.
They create a path to answers when you do both with a sense of purpose.
Both skills are worth the time and effort that it takes to see an improvement. They serve each other. Reading primes the writing pump.
Take a 30 to 60 minute reading block. Non-fiction works for me. Then step away for an hour. Make some food or get a workout done.
Then sit down and recall what you read and write about it. See what comes up.
It’s a handy double-act.
“So the thing to do when working on a motorcycle, as is in any other task, is to cultivate the peace of mind which does not separate one’s self from one’s surroundings. When that is done successfully, then everything else follows naturally. Peace of mind produces right values, right values produce right thoughts. Right thoughts produce right actions and right actions produce work which will be a material reflection for others to see of the serenity at the centre of it all.”
Robert M. Pirsig
Excellent show I got to see last weekend. The work of Klee is especially striking. Enjoy.
Self talk runs constantly in our heads. That endless internal chatter. The harsh commentary that weighs heavy on our conscience.
Understanding our values helps us feel good instead of wretched. We must own who we are and attach positive feelings to it.
This sounds simple but proves difficult in practice. Fear creeps in… Am I getting too big for my boots? Is it ok to be kind to myself?
This fear blinds us to what matters most.
Being kind to ourselves is where character development begins. It’s not optional, it’s essential.
From there, we must believe it and live it.
I was kindly offered the chance to write this article and it’s been published this week.
It gives a solid summary of my own experiences, good and bad.
If you’re in the market for a new career and cyber has caught your eye, read on.
And if you’re not a coder, even better.
There is so much to think about.
Sadness at the stage of life I’m now at. The future I’m now facing.
Contrast that with a view of opportunity, clarity. A blank page.
Words to be written.
Answers that I don’t have to questions I haven’t even considered yet.
Come down to earth, away from the torment in my head. Take each day one at a time.
Stand up and face the new reality.
Don’t shy away, curl into a ball.
Stand up. Feel the strength inside me.
Those who are against me will fuel me to be better.
Stay curious. Seek out the new.
The past has gone, however sad that feels sometimes.
Move forwards.
It helps to know the things you’re not so good at. The things you should work on. The things you know you should deal with.
They have a tendency to get ‘lost in the fog.’ Piles of paper cover those lists of once important and urgent tasks you wanted to get done but never got around to.
It may not feel comfortable to write these things down. Seeing your weaknesses, your blind-spots, on the page can be challenging.
It’s in this type of awareness that opportunities for growth live.
They could be learning opportunities. Skills you could brush-up on, or new ways to pass the time.
But they be complete attitude shifts, or changes to ways of working. The recognition that you talk too much at certain times could, for example, open up a new line of thinking and action.
The benefits on a daily basis may not be immediately visible or measurable. Be consistent and they soon will be.
Find one thing to do today that might improve your life, and then go do it.
I’ve been mulling over a lot of stuff. The lists are overwhelming.
What one thing could I do today to make my life better? This is the question that I need to ask.
And it’s then all about the action. The motion, mentally or physically, of doing something about the answer.
Small is ok. We have to start somewhere.
Then do it everyday.
The journey to a better life starts on a road of consistent improvement.
Here’s a list I made and stuck on my wall when I was in my 20’s, a long time ago. I think it came from a book but I couldn’t tell you which one:
They still stand the test of time.
Some of these statements wash over us easily as hogwash when we’re in the eye of the storm, fighting daily fires, and getting mad at social media posts.
When we sit back, take a few deep breaths, and see the wood for the trees, the sense in these words hits hard.
From Lee Crutchley’s book. On about the 25th re-read.
What are you going to create this year?
Whatever it is, put your heart into it.
If not, it really isn’t worth the effort.
Showing up at a well-put-together conference and participating with a plan can be one of the best investments you can make in yourself.
You meet the right kind of people.
You learn something new.
You could make friends with like-minded people, who share the same interests as you.
I went to one this week with a plan to push the boundaries of introversion a little.
I thought about how I was going to approach the day and it worked out well.
I started a few conversations I would have ordinarily shied away from.
I stayed upbeat, enthusiastic, and open to anyone who wanted a chat.
I slowed down. Rather than tearing through the expo, I wandered around.
I saw more. I took it all in.
I’ve never been a conference fan. This experience, plus my attitude towards it, may have changed that.
No idea who said this but it always hits hard.
In peaceful times, we must get ready for hard times ahead.
Just like you pack an umbrella before it rains, it always pays to be prepared.
Make friends, work hard to keep them, save some money, and be a good person.
Don’t ever wait for trouble to show up. Get ready while things feel good.
A quote from Kevin Garnett, ex-Celtics basketball leader, stood out in the Netflix show ‘Starting 5’:
“Stay humble, stay confident, stay on your craft.”
The humility keeps us grounded. We always move faster with our feet on the floor.
Confidence is the fuel our ambition needs to keep pushing forwards, no matter what we face.
I think the work on your craft, whatever that craft is, with the other two sprinkled into the mix, can be the difference between average and overachievement.
Ran past a guy this morning who wanted to race. It only lasted a couple of hundred metres, but that was plenty. It got my heart racing. He wouldn’t let me pass without coming back at me, and credit to him for that. I’d be the same.
The pedal was pushed to the floor but I searched for another gear. After a few seconds of worry – that’s gonna hurt, have you got it in you? – I hit the red button as he tried to overtake again. It was all or nothing with about 600 metres left to the finish.
I looked around after 10-15 seconds to see if he was hanging on. All I could see were his eyes fixated on the ground. His posture was broken. His cadence wasn’t as steady or rapid as it had been. I knew he was done.
The hard stuff you don’t want to do is the stuff you have to do.
I don’t know if there’s science to back this up. It tends to always be the case that when you break the back of the hard thing, other things topple over like dominos.
The comfort zone lures us in. The fear of failing that hard thing, being shown up for not achieving, leads to avoidance.
Or we just get lazy.
The benefits come when you take the task on.
You’ll grow. You’ll surprise yourself. Inner strength you didn’t know you have will turn up and say ‘Hi!’.
It can be simple stuff like starting conversations with strangers or hitting the gym.
Signing up for a college course can freak us out, and they are hard to fit into a busy life, but why not give yourself a chance to find some of that growth you’ve heard about?
Break the big task down, set some milestones, and put a red circle on your calendar on the end date – party time!
Ian Mountford 