#459 When to question yourself (and when to stop)
Question yourself hard before you commit to something new.
Once you’ve committed, stop questioning yourself.
The decision has already been made. Now is not the time to negotiate.
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#229 What are you striving for?
ByLukasAm I running to get in better shape or to get distracting thoughts out of my head?
Am I going out to enjoy being with friends or to forget my worries?
Am I writing to grow an audience or to process my own emotions?
What am I striving for?
Your answers may vary from day to day. There are no right or wrong answers anyway.
But that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful to understand why you behave the way you do.
Maybe it even makes you curious about why others behave the way they do, too.
#188 Predictable pathways
ByLukasEating junk food for dinner. Because that’s what you always did.
Having home-grown vegetables for lunch. Because that’s what you always did.
Scrolling through social media apps for 20 minutes. Because that’s what you always did.
Meditating for 20 minutes every morning. Because that’s what you always did.
Working 15-hour days. Because that’s what you always did.
Taking the time to relax, let the mind wander, and be with family. Because that’s what you always did.
Our lives are full of predictable pathways, paved and reinforced by our past and present actions.
But not all pathways are desirable.
Luckily the past doesn’t equal the future.
You can change your present actions to change the course of your pathway, away from a predictable future towards a desirable future.
#59 Entity Mindset vs Incremental Mindset
ByLukasDo you believe you’re good at something solely because of talent, invalidating all the work you’re putting in?
Or do you believe you can change the course of your life, and let your daily actions shape who you are?
The American psychologist and author of the book “Mindset” Carol Dweck describes how the way you think about your abilities can make or break your success in life:
- Entity (fixed) mindset: “I’m good at languages, I’m bad at math”
- Incremental (growth) mindset: “I worked hard on this, I’m learning, I’m discovering how to do this”
An entity mindset makes you run into a wall
When things get tough, people with an entity mindset often give up, because they don’t truly believe they can get much better.
After all,I if you believe it’s all about innate ability, then why make any effort to develop strengths or weaknesses?
An entity mindset also leads to fear of failure and perfectionism. If you’re believed to have an innate, fixed talent that’s set in stone, you’ll constantly need to live up to an unreasonably high standard for that particular talent.
An incremental mindset makes you thrive
People with an incremental mindset, on the other hand, thrive in tough situations: they know that through perseverance and a focus on daily practice and perseverance they can develop their skills and talents.
Even if predisposition plays an important role, switching to an incremental mindset will always make you feel better about yourself and your daily actions.
And while education and childhood experiences have a large impact on your mindset – you can always change your mind – by changing your actions.
#272 Creation vs Stagnation
ByLukasBelieving that it’s possible your wildest dreams can become reality is just as irrational as believing that it’s impossible.
Irrational, but not equal, because one leads to creation, the other to stagnation.
Choose wisely.
#477 Maybe it’s already enough
ByLukasYou could always do more of something.
But maybe you don’t have to.
Maybe what you’re doing is already enough.
Maybe you’re already enough.
And everything else is extra.
#104 This is not a poker game
ByLukasAll in on getting fluent in a foreign language?
That’s a 6-12 month game, at the minimum.All in on learning an instrument?
Count on a multi-year (or multi-decade) game.All-in on getting in shape?
That’s a life-long game.This is not a poker game. You’re not trying to impress anyone. There are no opponents to deter. Not everything hinges on one big moment where you can win or lose it all.
You’re not only all in the moment you decide you’re all-in. You’re all in for the entire journey. That means: making your efforts, resources, and motivation last.
All in means preparing for the long game.
Choosing small daily habits over grand gestures.
Choosing consistency over completion.
Accepting that whatever you go all in on will inevitably change your identity.
Now you’re all in on life, and who you aspire to be.