I’m in impatient imbecile. Let me rephrase that.
I’m an impatient imbecile with the patience-span of a deranged monkey flinging shit all over the scientists that work on him.
And I dislike complex systems that are hard to maintain.
I don’t like doing things that require a lot of structure and rigidity. However, I’ve noticed is that many of the self-development and “optimization-bro” content online do love the hard, complex systems.
Productivity gurus have their “12-step-2-hour-perfect-morning-to-annihilate-your-day” or Huberman-fanatics have their LMNT, AG1, morning sunlight walk, binaural beats, 12.53-minute meditation, satanic-prayer-ritual, binaural beats, brain-dump-journal, and THEN start getting their work done.
It takes 2 hours for them to get 30 minutes of work done.
Uhhh wtf??
Complex, rigid structures aren’t conducive to life’s whims. Because life is bat-shit crazy. It’s the ex that calls you incessantly, breaks into your home, calls up your parents, stalks you through their friend’s social media, and attempts to light your house on fire.
Shit happens. Things get in the way.
So if you’re an impatient imbecile who does a lot of different types of work in many different environments, quick, small habits are far better.
That’s what we’ll be going into today.
💡 Core Concept:
Run your life like a startup company, optimizing for speed and flexibility that can course correct quickly rather than the slow-moving corporation that never makes mistakes.
Focusing on preventing all problems that may occur requires lots of time and effort. Instead, being flexible to correct and solve problems that life throws you is more efficient for long-term progress.
Apply this thinking to your habits. Simple, easy-to-maintain, anti-intensive(anti-resource-intensive) habits that can be done anywhere and everywhere are better than complex systems that require lots of inputs and rigidity to function.
A two-minute mindfulness routine that can be done on an Airplane, in the Himalayas, and in random hotel rooms is far more efficient than a two-hour-12-step productivity routine.
Metaphor.
Don’t fight the current.
Flow with life. That’s how great progress is made over time.
I know it’s trite, but here’s that Bruce Lee quote.
Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
Water adjusts to its environment. A solid in the Arctic, a liquid in Florida, and a gas in a boiling pot of water.
Look at the Grand Canyon.
-Tim Hart, Unsplash
That was shaped by erosion by the Colorado River over thousands of years.
WHAT THE FUCK.
If you are adaptable and flexible, you can chip away at great mounds of rock. If you are adaptable and flexible, you can achieve anything in life.
Personal Example
Music
As a college student, I have to occupy varying focus states in varying environments.
Whether i’m in class or the gym or a club meeting or a bar or the library, I’ve got to occupy different states of thought, consciousness, energy, and whatever.
The way I talk to my professor is different than how I talk to the cute girl at the coffeeshop. If you mix the two bad things will probably happen.
(don’t ask)
My favorite way to inhabit different ways of thinking, speaking, and energy is through music.
I listen to Rap in the gym.
I listen to Alpha Waves Binaural Beats when reading and studying.
I listen to Herbie Hancock before writing comedy.
I listen to classical music late at night before sleep.
I listen to melancholic Jazz when writing sad stories at 2am.
I listen to Anderson Paak before walking up to a cute girl.
I listen to Marvin Gaye before said cute girl comes over later that night for a glass or two of wine.
I listen to John Mayer after that cute girl cancels and I’m wallowing in my bed.
You get it.
I’m very intentional with my listening. I don’t mix my genres with different environments.
Thus, whenever I need to tap into a certain energy state, or a quick motivation boost, or to get excited, I listen to the corresponding genre of music.
Within a few minutes I can turn creative-grooviness-in-a-coffee-shop into bouncy, focused, feeling-like-a-fucking-god in the gym.
I can get lovey-dovey-sexy-schmoozy from Marvin Gaye and then when the girl cancels on me I can write sad melancholic stories with John Mayer in the background.
I know this sounds stupid and weird and try-hard, but it’s fucking awesome. Music modulates my state of consciousness, and wherever I am whoever I’m with, I’ve always got my Airpods and phone. I can always take 2 minutes to listen to a song, match my energy to the environment, and start banging out some awesome work.
2-minute meditation
Right before I workout, I do a 2-3 minute meditation in the locker room.
Connect with my muscles. Slow down my breath. Expand my diaphragm. Feel the preworkout coursing through my veins. And sit.
It makes me present.
20 minutes later, I’m bumping my head, grunting through bicep curls, and slamming iron on the ground. It’s incredible.
The intense focus I get during my workout sessions stems from the 2-minute meditation. It’s like I’m Goku, gathering up allllllll my energy into a huge fucking Kame-hame-ha in that locker room, just to burst and go full energy for an hour as I’m in the weight room.
It’s short, non-intense, and can be done in any environment.
w.
In High-Performers
Tony Robbins's “Change Your State” exercise.
I’ve not completely taken the Tony Robbins pill, but I like the dude. I love the “Change Your State” exercise he does.
Do jumping jacks, run a lap, get physically excited, and then you’ll be psychologically excited.
Before I dive into a creative writing session, I do 50 jumping jacks, listen to my “itching the brain” Spotify playlist, get my heart rate up, and then dive into writing.
It initiates mental focus quickly, allowing me to dip into flow state without much issue. And it’s gotten stronger over time. The more I do this routine, the more I condition my brain to enter flow via this 2-minute exercise. Incredible.
My Friends
Alex Kovsky - Non-stimulating breathwork.
Alex Kovsky is one of my closest friends. We work out a lot, read a lot, meditate, do social media stuff, and geek out over grass-fed beef like two weirdos. Love him.
I respect his ideas and opinions a lot. He’s also got some damn good habits for getting him back on track. Called him up a few days ago and here’s a summary of the conversation.
When he feels stressed, anxious, or unsure, he goes into his room, turns off the lights, and just does some simple breathwork for 10 minutes. He sits, allows himself to feel his body, gives his mind a break, and ultimately centers himself. He said it “reconnects body and mind”.
Simple, short routine that gets you back on track. No reason to overcomplicate things.
He did mention one caveat.
He’s practiced mindfulness meditation for half a year. Probably longer. So he can feel himself getting pissed off or annoyed or such before he makes a stupid decision caused by the negative emotional state. So he’s built that awareness.
It’ll take a while to build that mindfulness of your body, but it’s for sure possible.
Conclusion
Whew. We’re done.
Let’s go over shit.
Don’t attempt to prevent all the problems that could happen. Problems always occur. Shit happens. Just focus on being able to get back on track and cope with the negative feelings when they do occur.
Run your life like a startup company, optimizing for speed and efficiency, having tiny habits or routines that center you rather than complex systems that are hard to maintain over time.
Short meditations before stressful events. Jump around and look like a deranged monkey before writing. And listen to Seductive Saxophone Jazz before your date comes over and then wallow in Billie Eilish when they cancel plans.
At the end of the day, we’re all just little sailboats on the sea.
Don’t force your way to the destination.
Adjust the sails as necessary and keep gliding across the water.
Take care. See ya soon. Love ya :)
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