ARTICLES

In an effort to properly disseminate my time amongst categories that deserve proper attention, I had to distill my actions, desires, and responsibilities into line items. Like, what do I ACTUALLY need to do on a Tuesday in July? If I wake up earlier and get a workout out of the way, could I free up my immediate evening after work to write an article like this one or prep notes for the next episode? Maybe prospect new opportunities? Work aside, could I leverage that golden hour to see a friend or shawty? My hope is that gone are the days of leaning so hard into spontaneity that I have no plan for the next 8 hours. Like Jnaj mentioned in EP100, time is the ultimate currency.

Hand up - ya boy has been overwhelmed the last month. I was operating at full-capacity in an attempt to survive & advance every hour. Not day. Not week. Not month. I was in a state of pure reaction with merely a dash or proactivity. I’ve owed you a monthly mindset but for my own well-being, I had to hedge and instead provide an end-of-year note from yours truly.

All throughout October, I believed this month would be all about acceleration. If you recall, we were all gas no brakes, deeply entrenched in the New York of old with bourbon often in hand. Barry and I agree that when you’re “winning” or experiencing a stretch of positivity; you have to ride the wave. You act with instinct and never over-calculate. One false step would thrust you out of that current and nobody wants to abandon the runner’s high.

I’ve been saying “moving & grooving” quite a bit. It’s typically in response to someone asking me if I’m able to keep up with the pace of a thousand speedwalkers (just imagine the friction). I went from a calm, stagnant WFH lifestyle to the 2019 LSU Tiger no-huddle offense. Things are great, just carving out my spot in the points-driven system.

Truth be told, I’ve been stagnate, but not for the reasons you may think. Ordinarily, it’s the dog days of summer as we gear up for the turning of leaves. In my case, personal and professional blockages have cast me into limbo as if the Merovingian himself confused me for Neo. Down in Mobil Avenue Station I wander seeking answers while poking and prodding to accelerate the process (to no avail, of course). It was a product of my work from home situation, former role, pursuit of a love interest, unpreparedness to branch out socially, and lack of mobility.

Our early 20s are unstable, and I sit here on the last leg of the “early” portion (yes, I am 25 which I suppose makes me a “mid 20s” guy, but let’s gloss over the details for the sake of the piece). Without the abundance of time we had in our youth and college, we’re faced with critical decisions each day on how we spend our time.

One of my biggest fears is missing out on an opportunity due to indecision. Could be a new role, person, situation; the list goes on. At the same time, that fear is matched with the thought of that opportunity not materializing whatsoever. It’s a dangerous game I play trying to remain balanced. How do I stay in the middle?

Over the course of past editions of the My Monthly Mindset series, I’ve done my best to showcase my difficulties in hopes to help readers apply lessons to their own lives. While I may rest under the guise of a hyper-confident individual, moving back to New York and completely changing my life again for the 4th time in a year has taken a toll.

This month, I’m working on presence. I want to give my undivided attention to the things I set out to do. I want my presence known at my place of work, as well as the podcasting world. I want to cherish the moments I spend with friends and family, understanding that the time spent is not only special, but also finite. I want to reengineer my thinking so I have the presence of mind to differentiate decisions that affect now vs. later. All in all, I just wanna live life frame-by-frame and not worry so much about the entire plotline.

We spend a considerable amount of time pondering ways to break ourselves from routine. Spontaneity is often seen as the root of happiness, as if the world is aligning and purely random acts of kindness, care, or excitement mean that we are truly riding the wave. Could we be more intentional about these things instead of leaving them up to chance? What if instead of the dreaded “routine”, we set positive reinforcers in place to perpetuate good habits and productivity?