Saturday, March 31, 2018

Swimming Lessons (on productivity, excellence, and achieving your best)

Robin Schulz (feat. James Blunt)- Ok

GREETINGS after all this time! Happy New Year (sort of)! Happy Winter/Spring! Happy Passover/Easter!

Let me preface this post by saying the lessons below are all from the Harvard Business Review (mainly from Tony Schwartz). I will try to link all the articles that each quote comes from (but there are a lot so this might take time). They are actually more quotes, mottos, credos rather than lessons.

I have missed my maritime adventures! I wish I had been able to write as frequently as a used to, but this blog is far from dead. I have been constantly reinventing myself and I have realized that my life is going to require my ability to reinvent myself over and over again. Thus, I hope to post all of that here and then some with the hopes that the little things I read and experience can help others or at least amuse my readers.

Also, since it has been some time since I have written, I just wanted to note that for most of my entries I have been posting a link to a song at the top. Most of the time it has been thematic, sometimes it was just random. The idea behind this originated from me writing my entries to the song and hoping that my readers can experience what I am experiencing while they read my posts. (Obviously, this is optional.)

Here goes:

  1. Absorbed focus lies at the heart of great performance.
  2. The simple act of making decisions progressively depletes our ability to make them well.
  3. Whatever you feel compelled to do: Don't.
  4. If you respond out of compulsion, you have not made an intentional choice.
  5. Live, operate, function with intent.
  6. Do what makes you feel good about yourself, not what makes you feel good right now.
  7. Be consistent with the person you want to be. 
  8. The challenge in life is upping our game.
  9. Compulsions rarely lead to positive outcomes.
  10. Never stop trying to get better. 
  11. Resilience is trying really hard, stopping, recovering, and trying again.
  12. Find a way to discover equilibrium quickly.
  13. Catch yourself when you default to whatever makes you feel good in the moment.
  14. Ask yourself "How would I behave here at my best?" 
  15. Push yourself beyond your current limits day-in, day-out despite the discomfort it creates.
  16. The willingness to endure discomfort and sacrifice instant gratification is the only way to get better at anything and to achieve true excellence.
  17. Welcome Discomfort. 
  18. Live in discomfort. 
  19. Temptation will always defeat you if you expose yourself to it too long. 
  20. Do specific behaviors at precise times.
  21. Pride yourself on relentless perseverance in the face of obstacles. (also here)
  22. You cannot consistently improve your ability to make decisions (or your intuition) without considerable practice, reflection, and analysis.
  23. Have grit and grace. 
I have actually handwritten all of these while I was reading the articles (some of them are my own lessons). Enjoy! 

Also, just for fun, I have taken an interest in Goldendoodles and Angora Rabbits. Hopefully, I can own one someday (but that would require me collecting their dander, taking it to my allergist, creating an allergy shot to tolerate the creature). Until then, I just look at the pictures because they make me happy (this is from insta). Happy New Year! 2018 will be great. 


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