What do you do when you’re stuck?
I hear people tell me they’re stuck all the time.
Getting stuck is normal. But, continuing to get stuck at the same weight or issue or airport is not.
Make a change.
New plan. New approach. New airport or airline or route.
Just change it up.
Sure, you might get stuck again. But at least it’s in a different spot.
Art is never original. It’s an adaptation.
So, on this blog, I try to put my original voice on unoriginal thoughts, writings, etc.
They’re adaptations.
But this one is not worth adapting. It’s best read as an original, in its entirety.
It’s called the Moral Bucket List, although I prefer the title, “The Stumbler.”
Highlights:
And this:
The stumbler doesn’t build her life by being better than others, but by being better than she used to be.
So true.
Check it out in the David Brooks article, Moral Bucket List in full here.
When you buy a stock, be sure you’re good with the management.
When you buy a condo, be sure you’re good with the management.
When you pick a baseball team, be sure you’re good with the management.
You can have the best product or location or player.
But if the management isn’t great…
What happens when things suddenly change?
New responsibilities. New expectations. New projects. New challenges. New titles. New status. New circles. New events. New risks. New challenges. New lists of stuff that needs to get done.
Well, nothing’s really changed.
That’s just the future.
So why not enjoy the moment?
The desk needs to be dusted. Floor vacuumed. Fingernails clipped. Furniture assembled. Closet organized. Calls made. Mail checked.
Sounds pretty unappealing to most.
But for a procrastinator with a home office, these things are most tempting.
Sure, they need to get done.
But at the end of the year, they probably won’t be in the discussion about your results.
Right?
Now, get to work. You can do all that fun stuff later when you don’t need your energized brain.
We know behavior is contagious.
Uggs, healthy eating, and using the phrase “at the end of the day.” Martial status, parenting style, spending habits.
Pretty much everything.
You do what people around you do.
But it’s not just for social stuff.
Creative quality and style, especially writing is contagious, too.
If you all you consume is Tweets, hip hop music, and Instagram quotables, it doesn’t matter if you were once a profound writer.
You’re bound to catch the “shitty writing” bug.
Moral of the story?
Shitty writing is like Ebola.
Stay the fuck away.
Write for yourself. Draw for yourself. Photograph for yourself. Make jokes for yourself. Play music for yourself.
You might not get any readers, viewers, listeners, etc.
But if you do they’re yours forever.
And then, you’re actually creating for the world.
My Badgers lost last night. It was in the National Championship game.
It was a bummer. So many people said “sorry” to me.
It hurt more than any other moment as a fan. Crushing.
But this is far from a tragedy. It’s almost entirely the opposite.
Why?
The NCAA Tournament is not the Super Bowl. Or the Stanley Cup. Or even the World Series.
The NCAA Tourney is different.
Getting there is a win. Advancing to the Sweet 16 is a big win. Being part of the Final Four is simply massive.
And in the NCAA Tourney, the kids aren’t paid. Winning is the only thing they’re playing for.
Glory.
This entire season, my Badgers were glorious.
They were Big Ten champs. They were a #1 seed in the NCAA Tourney. And they did the impossible: They beat the previously unbeaten Kentucky; in a Final Four game, no less.
And throughout the whole ride, they were themselves. The harder they worked, the more fun they had.
We were all a part of it.
Sure, they didn’t win the final game.
But the season for them and all of Badger Nation victorious. It was, in the words of Sam Dekker, “All love.”
Some thoughts that come to mind when it might be tough to remember:
For the things that are easy to remember, when have you ever thought those thoughts?
Never.
If you actively think you’ll remember, you won’t.
Find a different spot. Write it down. Do it now.
In preparing for a presentation, you have two choices:
The former takes a lot of time and is far less effective than the latter.
Your call.