Obsessed with ways to live happier, wealthier, more enjoyably. Offering unsolicited advice today!
- “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results”
- “It’s you vs you dog, you’re running your own race”
Russ, Stockholm Syndrome
- “Celebrate the small victories”
Seth from Jiu Jitsu
- “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems”
James Clear
- “Your relationships will rarely be healthier than your self-esteem”
James Clear
- “I’m not confident because I’m successful, I’m successful because I’m confident”
- “If you’re not willing to do a wholesale, 24/7, 100 percent swap with who that person is, then there is no point in being jealous”
Naval Ravikant, On Envy
- “You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results”
17 years into a D1 gymnastics career, fed up with the bullshit and lack of progress I was days away from hanging up the towel and leaving the sport when I stumbled across this quote. It made me reflect. I’d been so frustrated, so angry. I wanted more and felt like I wasn’t able to get it.
We can’t change where we are in life in this exact moment. Shit takes time. They didn’t build Rome overnight and we can’t control where we are… just where we’re going. Habits help with that.
Graduating college, I didn’t finish the sport how I wanted to. I wish I could write some big success story. I wasn’t and I won’t. But I’m beyond glad that I stayed with the sport until the end and fires of hell that I went through to finish the journey.
- “It’s you vs you dog, you’re running your own race”
Russ, Stockholm Syndrome
I stumbled across this March 2022 and it completely shifted my thinking, it was the 1-2 sucker punch after Quote #1 days earlier. Life isn’t about being better than anyone else. It’s about being 1 day better than we were yesterday. Life is a long ass race and it’s against nobody other than ourselves. When we’re dead nobody cares anyways. Might as well start focusing on the race that matters.
From one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists.
- “Celebrate the small victories”
My roommate, Jiu Jitsu
6 months after graduating college in Colorado, I moved to Southern Mississippi (yikes, I know right) with some incredible people. There was absolutely nothing to do out there so my buddies and I picked up Jiu Jitsu – A humbling sport.
I’m goal driven and would beat myself up way worse than anyone could. I was relentless and ashamed. I hated making mistakes and was borderline ashamed to make them despite needing them for progress. Some point my buddy commented offhandedly “You have to celebrate the small victories”.
Nobody else is going to celebrate for you, you had better learn to love yourself, or how do you expect anyone else to? In the words of J. Cole – “Love yourself girl, or nobody will”
- “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems”
James Clear
This one hit hard. We go and go and go but are we really just spinning our wheels? We might be doing a lot, but are we actually getting anything done?
Dreams are intoxicating and motivational, but they aren’t sustainable. We need a vision to go somewhere but habits to get somewhere. Sometimes I notice I get high on my own supply – tricking myself. But then I look at the amount of work I’m putting in every day.
This quote by good ‘ole James forces me to be self-analytical and figure out if I’m actually working towards my goals or just telling myself I am.
- “Your relationships will rarely be healthier than your self-esteem”
James Clear
Woah. What the hell. That is some good shit.
If we don’t have any self esteem or confidence, we let people walk over us. We don’t think we deserve better. It took me a long time to figure out my relationship with myself, to actually treat myself like I’m not a piece of shit. Damn near emotionally abusive relationship with myself. But if you don’t treat yourself any good, why would anyone else?
Our self talk often comes from words or notions we hear from other people in our lives. We’ve got to realize many of those ideas were not our own… it’s how other people treated us.
I’ve found a little self-patience and some kindness to be incredibly helpful. This is also an excuse to have a little self-confidence. Other people will be affected if you don’t.
- “I’m not confident because I’m successful, I’m successful because I’m confident”
Reading this transformed my friggin brain. You don’t wait for success to gain the belief. It’s not chicken and the egg. You start with the belief and then make that shit happen. You build it all from the ground up. Making over $15M/year as an independent artist, Russ’s words of wisdom hit hard.
Nobody’s coming to save you. You believe in yourself and then take some damn actions and make it happen.
- “If you’re not willing to do a wholesale, 24/7, 100 percent swap with who that person is, then there is no point in being jealous”
- Naval Ravikant, On Envy
I used to be suuppeerrr envious of others, specifically athletes who were naturally more talented. I worked my ass off in college, pouring heart and soul into the sport of gymnastics but was still just behind the curve. It pissed me off. I wanted to be better. I just worked twice as hard just to almost get there.
I was perpetually frustrated and borderline embarrassed of my performance. I never took the time to appreciate what I am good at, though… so I just disliked who I was. I realize I have an incredible gift of understanding people and ironically communicating. I’ve always been a thinker, but I’ve never appreciated that quality of myself.
I was so focused on what I couldn’t do that I never thought about what I could. Focusing on my strengths and using them to my advantage has made me a way happier person.
Naval’s Full Quote:
“One day, I realized with all these people I was jealous of, I couldn’t just choose little aspects of their life. I couldn’t say I want his body, I want her money, I want his personality. You have to be that person. Do you want to actually be that person with all of their reactions, their desires, their family, their happiness level, their outlook on life, their self-image? If you’re not willing to do a wholesale, 24/7, 100 percent swap with who that person is, then there is no point in being jealous”
Outro
These have made all the difference in my life in the past 3 years. Hopefully they make the same difference for you. I’m pretty dumb, so I’m just trying to learn from people who aren’t and sharing that.
If you found any of these useful, I also have a blog to peruse at your leisure.
I spend a lotta time reading about random stuff too – (book list rec).
I don’t like being angry, but I do like being happy.
I also like money, and being healthy.
Happier, healthier, wealthier baby (Insert sunglasses emoji)
If this is something you’re also curious about, and want to ramble ideas off each other, let’s talk!