I am sitting here, at a desk in Connecticut, trying to assess my progress so far towards my 2020 goals, particularly in the context of the coronavirus quarantine. I have my goalsheet laid out in front of me and a few things stick out:
- I already accomplished my writing goal of posting twelve pieces to my website. I’ll need to set a more challenging goal for the remainder of the year – something public focused, like getting a work published
- My volunteering goal has been thrown out the window, but I’m trying to make it up with donations where possible
- I am still on track for my two major athletic goals for the year, the 50M and 100M races. Training has gone well for the 50M but I will need to increase my commitment as the mileage increases for the longer run in the fall
- This is probably not a good time to purchase another investment property
On a macro level, I have felt very good about 2020 so far. Something is giving me a lot of energy and mental room, and I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is. It seems like a combination of Anne being an amazing partner; focusing a lot of time on reading and thinking about what I find fulfilling; and having the time to explore hobbies and interests that I enjoy. All three of those have combined to create a calm clarity. I am not worried about the future, and am taking new developments in stride (like my sudden energy to write).
One tremendous source of energy for me has come from reading my own writing. I benefit a lot from reflecting on my work, from those moments when I read a turn of phrase that I particularly enjoy and think “this is pretty good.” Who cares if it actually is good – at the very least I sometimes think it is. Reflecting on my work feels similar to scanning through my mile times or feeling my calf muscle and thinking about the progress I have made as a runner. Self-reflection has been a critical motivator for me in both pursuits.
I read So Good They Can’t Ignore You, by Cal Newport, at the beginning of this year, but I didn’t know exactly how to apply the book’s message until now. The whole book is about the slow climb towards expertise and passion, in any domain, and after just a month of regular writing I can see inklings of the sort of progress that he writes about. It is no longer hard to imagine myself as a writer in my forties. How could I not get there, with fifteen years of experience and practice?
At some point in the last year, year and a half, as a result of consuming messages like the one above, I have gone from a scarcity to an abundance mindset in regard to time. I no longer feel as though time is against me, but instead feel that I have time on my side as I work to make slow, steady progress towards my goals. It is less exciting than daydreaming about becoming an instant millionaire, sure, but the peace of mind that has come with shifting my mindset is worth so much more than any amount of money.
I can’t acknowledge this progress without mentioning the role of all the people who have acted like mentors to me over the past year or so – the podcast hosts and their guests whose hours of free wisdom have helped me crystallize my goals and decide what is important in my life. I cannot stress enough how much value this canon of information has provided to me. Call it what you want – self help, motivational – but to me it feels like the black edge that Steve Cohen used to make so much money as a hedge fund manager. Insider information that puts me a head above my competition. Even if that competition is for a life well lived, and comes with no monetary component, it still feels immensely valuable.
Below is a list of the podcasts I have particularly enjoyed on this journey:
Personal Performance:
Gary Keller – Tim Ferriss #401 – Self-made real estate mogul on how he stays focused on what’s important to him
David Goggins – Joe Rogan Experience #1212 – Navy SEAL and ultra-runner on determination and building “mental callouses”
Matthew Walker – Peter Atia Podcast #47, #48, #49 – Why do humans need sleep?
Cal Newport – Bigger Pockets Podcast #330 – How to improve focus and build career capital
Careers / Exploration:
Work As Identity, Burnout As Lifestyle – The Ezra Klein Show – Why are we so hyper-focused on work, and what is it doing to us?
Valentine Thomas – Joe Rogan Experience #1162 – How a successful lawyer becomes a professional deep-sea diver
Julie Rice – Tim Ferriss #372 – Insight from a SoulCycle co-founder
David Epstein – Peter Atia Podcast #96 – The dangers of being hyper-specialized
Derek Sivers – Tim Ferriss #125 – So much wisdom from an expert musician, tech entrepreneur and career circus performer
Emotional Exploration
Ryan Holiday – Peter Atia Podcast #90 – Great primer on practical applications of a stoic mindset
Jerry Colonna – Tim Ferriss #373 – Extremely raw conversation between two people who have both suffered on and off with depression
Amanda Palmer – Tim Ferriss #368 – Beautiful conversation about coping with loss and staying optimistic
Tony Robbins – Tim Ferriss #178 – Tony Robbins on a wide range of topics. Full of inspirational moments
Relationships
Jay & Wendy Papasan – Bigger Pockets Podcast #362 – Why a “quarterly offsite” makes sense for couples, and how to share your goals with your partner
Esther Perel – Tim Ferriss #418 – How to maintain relationships in quarantine; general principles for adjusting to new environments
Personal Finance
Ramit Sethi – Tim Ferriss #371 – How to determine your own financial goals, and how to talk about money in a relationship
David Green – Bigger Pockets Podcast #327 – The “Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance & Repeat” (BRRRR) method of real estate investing, but a great primer on some general RE concepts
Peter Singer – The Ezra Klein Show – How much of our income should we donate?
The Debt Free Guys – Bigger Pockets Money Podcast #76 – How to talk to your partner about money