Month: October 2015

The Virtuous Cycle

The Virtuous Cycle

There’s something to be said about knowing something intellectually and knowing it intuitively. Intellectually, for example, I know that I should regularly complete the positive habits that make me feel successful: meditation, exercise, and sleeping enough.

Those things happen in waves. That may or may not be the nature of them, but I suspect it’s something different.

When I know something intuitively, there’s no difference between my knowledge and my actions. I don’t have to rationalize whether I’m going to put on clothes to go to work. I’m just going to do it.

On the path to independence, I’m going to have to change my perception about some of those key habits. My frame of mind and overall well-being will matter now more than ever.

I want to hold on to something solid

I want to hold on to something solid

These days I’ve been fluctuating between complete certainty that I’m going in the right direction and complete anxiety that I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m comforted by my experiences with some of the “masters of the universe;” they don’t know what’s going on either.

At the very least, I’ve dedicated myself to taking small steps every day. Writing in this blog that no one reads is part of that. I walk around the world and think about what I’m going to write. One day I will publicize the existence of this blog and people will be able to see the early days when I had nothing but an idea.

Although I don’t know what it will look like in maturity, the idea of impacting millions of lives is solid. I just need to take care of that seed until it grows into a huge ass social impact redwood.

When do I open Pandora’s Box?

When do I open Pandora’s Box?

Who do I tell about my next moves? I’ve told some close friends and family, all of which have been supportive. Even the random people that I’ve talked to about this have been positive and helpful.

The tricky audience will be my parents and my colleagues. These are people that want to see me be successful, mostly by staying on the path that I’m on. What happens when I want to take things in a different direction?

I’ll have to tell them eventually, but I don’t know when that’ll be. Yikes!

I need to make some money

I need to make some money

I had a key conversation with my wife last night while we were on the train to visit her parents. 

I need to make some money. 

Sure, I can save some using my current salary. But the reality is that the more money I have in the bank, the longer my runway is once I finally take off. 

At the time of me writing this, I don’t have a sense of how I’m going to make that money. I have to figure it out sooner rather than later, though. 

Ideally I can find something that takes 10% of my time and pays enough for me to work on this other project 90% of the time.

(Photo courtesy zmescience)

Let’s have a drink

Let’s have a drink

I had a drink last night at Peter McManus Cafe, an Irish pub near work that is close enough to be convenient and unpretentious enough to invite a wide swath of folks out for drinks.

I met with a young woman who represents a leadership program I’m thinking about applying for called New Leaders Council. This is the fourth or fifth time that I’ve made the pitch for what I’m interested in doing.

Let’s look at some quick feedback she gave me: Continue reading “Let’s have a drink” →