Monthly Mindset, March 2021: Exploration
After a year hiatus from New York, I’m back in the mix. However, things are quite different for yours truly. It’s a new place with unfamiliar surroundings and spread-out homies. This is definitely not the New York I left behind, but the city continues to be vibrant through unbelievable turbulence. I won’t get my NY grit card because I bounced the second COVID heated up, and I was probably three or four when 911 happened, so for now, I’m just another white dude in Brooklyn with a podcast. Tough to be edgy and hardened when I have a diffuser beside me spewing out lavender essential oils. My boujee nature aside, Brooklyn is completely new to me and many of my OGs have fled the city with no plans to return. That’s why this month I’m dedicating my approach & mindset to exploration.
On one level – and specifically for me – I’ll use exploration to discover things in a physical sense.
Where’s the nearest hoop? Where can I get a gluten-free beer? Which homeless person can I befriend to up my street cred? How tf do I use the subway into Manhattan?
These are only the bare minimum of questions I have swirling in my head. If you find yourself in a new environment like me, go out and see what your neighborhood or city has to offer. The world is nearly back to being openly accessible, so there’s no time like now to prep for what might just be the most heinous summer of our young existences. You lay that groundwork this month, and you’ll be reaping the rewards for the rest of the year. Time to get out of the fuckin house, folks. There’s a blank canvas out there waiting for your first strokes.
Outside of getting outside, I’m using this month’s mindset to explore my mind, body, and brand. I just spent about an eternity grinding on logistics to get back to the northeast, so the creative juice tank felt a little low. Now that I’m settled, I’m ready to delve deeper on some of the goals I’d established in January (FOCUS) and February (COMMITMENT). Some of it will be through reflection, but the vast majority will be on some Ponce de León shit – going out there to conquer. I’ve viewed the last two months as a way to sharpen my blades before going to battle. The cavalry is stationed on the horizon and given our collective training from the beginning of this year, we’re ready to embark on our own personal journeys.
Transparency lies at the core of our brand, so I’ve included some self-reflection below to show you how I’m applying exploration to my own life.
The Mind: I’m an anxious person, and some of my anxiety derives from overanalyzing situations and focusing on the future vs. the moment. I’ll use March to explore that self-perceived issue through reflection and putting myself in uncomfortable situations. For instance, I’m back to making new friends out of necessity because frankly, I’m trying to vibe! It’s on me to go out there and explore new places with new people to see if some relationships will stick. I won’t know unless I try, and inversely, that quest will force me to stay in the moment.
The Body: They say the body is a temple, but when you’re moving and ripping Uber Eats for every meal, it’s more like a motel. Plus, if you’re still back home with the rents, chances are you got some serious home-cooked meals like I did. Those meals are gas and UberEats delivers a Chipotle bowl directly to my mouth, but now that I’m back living independently, I can explore the various food groups & supplements that might work for me to help achieve my fitness & health goals. Additionally, I dig a brazy night out more than the average man, but I want to find a better balance so that when I wake up, I’m not scared of my own existence.
The Brand: TTS is my baby. I don’t know what I’ll do for my career in the long run (hence the name Tough To Say…), but I will always pour every ounce of myself into this project. One thing we’re lacking is video content given our recent switch to SquadCast to accommodate Barry and I’s distance. Now that I’m locked into a crib with functional WiFi, a makeshift studio, and new software, I want to explore the various ways we can produce content for the brand. Will it be chopped up episodes on YouTube? More social content? Aside from video, will Barry and I hop on Clubhouse to spice things up? Well, time to dive in and find out.
Explore in your own way and, as always, let me know your progress. I’m also here to field any questions you may have. Let’s explore this life together, fam.