There are 100 days left in 2022.
What’s one thing you can accomplish between now and the end of the year that will make your year?
Maybe it’s something you’ve wanted to do for a long time, but somehow you never found the time? Or something new that you’re excited to start? Maybe this is the time to do something that will change everything…
You already know the answer. Now’s the time to commit and make it happen.
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David Deida wrote, “Every moment of your life is either a test or a celebration.”
Even if you don’t accept that as literally true, it’s still a useful frame.
Ask yourself:
Right now, is this moment in your life a test or a celebration?
If it’s a test, who is testing you? What do you have to do to pass? And how will you celebrate once you’ve passed?
In The Way of the Superior Man, David Deida writes:
Each purpose, each mission, is meant to be fully lived to the point where it becomes empty, boring, and useless. Then it should be discarded. This is a sign of growth, but you may mistake it for a sign of failure.
Ask yourself:
What mission can you graduate from and discard now?
You failed.
It happens to all of us. Or at least, it should happen.
Failing is an important part of learning and growing. Children fall down over and over again as they learn to walk, but eventually they get the hang of it.
As adults, we’re afraid to fail, especially in a world where it seems like every moment is captured on camera and streamed live on social media.
Our ego kicks in, “What will everyone think? It’s safer not to try…”
There is a difference between failing and failure. Failing is trying something that you learn doesn’t work. Failure is throwing in the towel and giving up.
— Jay Samit, Disrupt You!
When was the last time you failed? What did you learn?
Last week we encouraged you to take one step in pursuit of your dream.
Often what holds us back from pursuing and achieving our highest goals is not a lack of opportunity or ability, but a lack of time and focus.
We waste our precious time, energy, and focus doing things that don’t bring us joy or move us closer to our goals.
What do you need to stop doing?
Is there something that sucks up your valuable time and energy that you can cut out? Maybe something like scrolling through TikTok or the news…
Perhaps there’s something that feels productive but isn’t serving your highest purpose? Maybe something like checking your email or Slack every five minutes, instead of focusing on more important, deep work?
Maybe it’s something that is important, but that you could delegate?
Take a few minutes now to make yourself a “Not To Do List” so you can free up time for what truly matters.
What’s one thing that you would like to do before you die?
Something that would make your life more meaningful, fulfilling, or just fun.
Perhaps it’s something that you have always wanted to do, but never made it a priority. Maybe you were afraid to even admit that you wanted to do it, so you never wrote it down before.
Or maybe you already have a long list of such things…
For now, just choose one.
We spend too much of our precious time and energy comparing ourselves against everyone else (and their expectations). This is foolish.
Instead, we should focus on bettering ourselves. That’s how we grow — by aiming a little bit higher than we did on the previous attempt. By being or doing a little bit more than we did yesterday.
This week’s Quality Question: How can I surpass myself today?
Pick one area and push past your previous limit.
🏋️♀️ That could be lifting slightly heavier weights at the gym (or doing an extra rep, or one more set, or holding that plank for 30 more seconds)
🧘♂️ Or it could be meditating for one minute longer than you usually do (or adding an afternoon session)
✅ Or it could be finally getting started on that project that you have been procrastinating (taking even just one tiny step still counts, since it’s more than you did before).
Pick one thing to surpass yourself each day this week.
What are you holding on to that’s no longer serving you?
Maybe it’s an unfinished project that’s draining your creative energy. Or a previous commitment that just doesn’t make sense anymore in your current reality.
Or perhaps there’s an old story you’re still telling yourself about who you are, or how the world works…
Ask yourself: What do you need to let go of order to free up space in your calendar, your mind, or your heart?
This week’s Quality Question includes an exercise from Mo Gawdat’s wonderful book, Solve for Happy:
Why not take a moment right now, pull out a pencil and a piece of paper, and jot down some of the things that make you happy. As assignments go, this one’s not too tough. The list can be nothing more than a string of short, declarative sentences that get right to the point and complete the phrase:
“I feel happy when ______________.”
Add to your “happy list” by also asking yourself:
What were the things that brought you joy as a little kid?
Once you finish, look over your list and find a way to add some more happiness and joy to your life this week.
Learning is the process of integrating new information with what we already know. That sounds super obvious, but sometimes we forget to update our mental models with the new information that we gather through experience.
Here are two Quality Questions from James Clear and Greg McKeown to help you do just that:
Think of something you struggled with in the last year. What is one lesson you have learned from the experience?
Now, the opposite: Can you think of an example of a time you were expecting something to be difficult but it turned out to be easy?