Personal Excellence

Why we do what we do

We do what we do to feel what we feel. Dean karnazes, Ultra Marathon Man

Dean runs ultra marathons, which are 200 mile races, by himself. He’ll order pizzas and cheesecakes delivered roadside and eat them while continuing to run.

Why? Because he loves how it makes him feel.

Why do we do what we do?

Why do we work out or not? Why do we eat healthy or not? Why do some people smoke?

It’s because of the way those things make us feel.

Take a look at your habits and decide which ones you want to keep and which you want to discard.

It’s okay to keep some of your vices as long as you own that you are doing them because of how they make you feel. And when you are ready to change, own that too.

College, Personal Excellence

How to get into the best colleges, stress-free

Colleges want to recruit the best and brightest, so be that. Structure your time, focus and energy so that the best schools try to recruit you, and you have your pick of them.

Put this into practice with your career after school. Be the best. Develop skills such that multiple companies make you offers and you get to pick where you work and demand a high salary.

Challenge yourself, but don’t stress over school or work. Remind yourself that you are building skills, that you are strong, that you can learn anything you put your mind to. Demand excellence from yourself.

There is so much fear in this world about just surviving. Money is a concern for so many people. Start now to make sure money is not a concern for you. How can you do that? Build skills.

I know that sometimes as a teenager, you might feel like your life isn’t totally in your control, and that is partially true. You might be too young to drive, you might be old enough to drive but don’t have a car. But you are in control of how you spend your time. And the library has free internet and books for everyone to use.

Use the resources you have. Only excuses are holding you back now.

Personal Excellence

Yes, please. I’ll take both.

Live with one foot firmly planted in order and one firmly planted in chaos. Jordan B. Peterson, 12 rules for life

If you’re tired of starting over, stop giving up. Anonymous

I sometimes push myself until I burn out. Then I clear my plate of everything and recover. Inevitably, I get bored and start looking for the next challenge. I don’t like this pattern. Push, burn out fast, say no to everything, repeat. It’s not sustainable, and it doesn’t offer the growth I crave.

How do we cultivate steady growth instead of staggered, stunted growth? The trick is to have one foot in and one foot out. Be fully engaged with challenge and comfort, hustle, and rest.

Work your ass off, and then Netflix and chill.

I want to kick ass and then disengage and play/rest. I want to live in safety and challenge. I don’t want all of one and none of the other. I want both.