Quick update: I’m going to be leaving social media soon and will be using the bottom section of my posts on here to share my new work, photo dumps, and other things I would normally share on social media… So if you’re not in the mood to read through my post you can just scroll to the bottom and see what I’ve been up to!
Also, you can actually reply to these posts (if you get them via email) and it will go right into my inbox so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts or just say hello! I reply to everyone <3
“Wow life went by so slowly” said no one ever…
For me, the brevity of life becomes more apparent by the day. It’s all flying by and ultimately coming to an end.
It kind of feels like being alone in the woods and spotting a hungry bear far off in the distance and noticing that it’s looking right at you... It’s far enough away that you’ll be ok for now but.. it’s on its way.
I’m contemplating all of this on the tail end of an interview I did with the artist Adam Turley. One of our first conversations through instagram DM was him explaining to me how he tries to make time to do what he loves and sets his schedule with the intention of building his life to be both productive AND enjoyable.
This stuck with me.
This is opposed to what many people (including me) currently do which is grind and hustle through most of their life so they can enjoy everything at some imagined point down the road.
This isn’t the way.
It seems to me that this problem has two components..
How you spend your time
How you think
Let’s start with first bullet and ask a big question. What do you want to get out of the time you’re alive?
I would venture to argue that this is the same for most people and at the end of the day it boils down to…
✨ good feelings ✨
Whether it’s basic hedonistic pleasure or something more deep like fulfillment, belonging, peace, etc.. at the end of the day we’re all just after a satisfying neurochemical cocktail.
This cocktail can be found all over the place and experienced over a multitude of different time horizons.. The challenge though, is being able to actually notice and enjoy it.
If I’m honest, when I look at my own behavior I see a person that is just sprinting towards good feelings that are far off in the distance while, often times, passing by good feelings that are right next to me.
Recently I’ve been trying to force myself to just let go and do the things I enjoy more often. It’s comically simple that a huge part of the equation of enjoying the time you have is to just do the things you enjoy.
However, hidden within this equation is the necessity to actually be present. If you’re doing something you enjoy but you’re lost in thought about how you should really be doing x or how y is coming up and you gotta prepare etc.. did you really enjoy what you were doing?
Luckily being able to be present is like a muscle and you can train it with a simple meditation practice. I use the waking up app by Sam Harris.
Here is a 30-day free trial (no payment info required).
Note: Being present can also be looked at through another lens, and thought of as just avoiding distractions.
Keeping all of that in mind, I’ll attempt to ground all of this in a real world situation. Let’s look at what’s up the road for me.
At this point in time I have a three month trip to Southeast Asia on the horizon and have found myself worried that I won’t be able to fully enjoy it because I’ll be too busy working and/or dialed in on music and writing etc..
When I step back though, it seems crazy to have a worry like this..
It’s either..
“Oh no what if I don’t enjoy my time in Thailand cause I was so busy and focused on doing MY FAVORITE THING TO DO?!”
-or-
“Oh no what if I don’t focus on work and music enough because I was too busy EXPLORING AND ENJOYING A FOREIGN COUNTRY?!”
The solution to all of this really just comes back around to mindfulness and clarity.
What are you doing with your free time and what is the character of your mind like when you are doing it?
Clear out all the meaningless BS and just enjoy the journey. It’s easier said than done but I, for one, am committed to developing this muscle and seeing how far I can take it.
As far as actionability goes I’m thinking I need to do the following things:
Stop consuming social media, podcasts, news, and other media that wastes my time (indefinitely)
Read, write, exercise and meditate every day
Make time for music more often than not.
Work on self development (virtue)
If you’ve been here for a while you’ll know I’m always searching for a formula, routine or framework to guide my daily life and steer me in the direction I want to go. It ends up being a lot of trial and error and getting back on the horse.
The fact that some things do actually work better than others and that I have made progress means, to me, that this is a worthwhile project.
Just to list a few of the things from his blog that I’ve actually implemented and that have had an effect on my life..
Simplifying my wardrobe into basically 2 outfits that I have multiple copies of (game changer)
The strike tracker (also helps with being present)
My YouTube Strategy
Moving out of LA and going nomad mode (Traveling)
Other small misc concepts that don’t come to mind right now
There are many other things I tried that didn’t work or that I stopped doing or that failed for whatever reason… Some worked for a time and that was just what I needed at the time etc.. but I’m excited to build and find more insights as I go and share them with all of you.
This isn’t the last you’ll be hearing about this! Feel free to train with me and share how you approach this problem if you’re in a similar boat.
You can read my previous posts that grapple with similar themes below
Focus Pocus | Rumination Optimization | What do you notice?
As always, I’m happy to receive feedback, advice or to just have a conversation about any of the topics on this blog! Don’t hesitate to comment or, if you’re receiving this as an email, just hit reply and let’s chat!
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New From Me
okay!
This one is a cover of a friend’s song! I liked it so much I decided to do my own version! Enjoy! (Hoping it gives you a lift) Listen on all other streaming platforms here
Belonging
A new sky story about rejection and self acceptance <3 Also on Spotify
What I’m Reading
This Tommy Dixon post that seems to hit a bullseye in terms of what life feels like nowadays. Big recommend.
What I’m Watching
This random youtuber (Woan Ni) explaining why she thinks politeness is oppression.
What I’m Listening to
‘Little Fortune’ An absolute vibe and half! I love it. 10/10
Strike Tracker
Moments:
Watching a baby bee hover in front of me with incredible stability and wondering why adult bees can’t do that.
The nostalgic feeling caused by sound of waves gently passing under the dock while laying out in the sun at lake CDA in Idaho
Concepts:
Tumblr girls seem to have evolved and are now taking to Substack and spilling their guts amongst poems and trendy ‘no face influencer’ styled photo sets.