Day 93 – The Three Pillars of Mood: Food, Sleep, and Exercise
In today’s fast-paced world, our mood can often feel like a roller coaster—up one day, down the next. But through a 365-day personal experiment tracking everything from food to sleep to exercise, I discovered something profound: our mood is not random. It is directly influenced by three key areas that play a crucial role in […]
Day 91 – The Myth of the High-Performance Flow State
We live in an age where peak performance has become the holy grail of human achievement. From elite athletes to professional musicians, high performance is often tied to the elusive “flow state.” This state of mind, where focus is total, time seems to disappear, and work feels effortless, is glorified in countless self-help books, articles, […]
Day 69 – Rest is Not Weakness
There was a time, in my younger days, when I believed rest was a sign of weakness. I thought taking a break—letting someone see me idle—would make me appear less capable, less determined. I wanted to be seen as the person who was always there, always working, always pushing forward. Rest, to me, was the […]
Day 40 – Things You Must Do
There are some things in life that simply must be done—no excuses, no negotiations, no alternatives. These aren’t the “would-be-nice” or “when-I-get-to-it” tasks, but the absolute non-negotiables. Developing a mindset where these essential actions are treated as mandatory is critical if you’re serious about living a meaningful, productive life. The Mentality of “Must-Do” We all […]
Day 39 – Prevent Tailspins
Today I was thinking about something we all encounter but rarely dissect: the tailspin—a moment when a small trigger spirals into a full-blown emotional storm. Recognizing and managing these moments can be the difference between a bad day and a productive one. Spotting the Triggers Early in my marriage, I learned about the power of […]
Day 37 – Thinking is Work
Today, I’ve been reflecting on something that’s been ingrained in me for years: the idea that thinking isn’t “real” work. Somehow, I’ve been conditioned to believe that productivity only counts when it’s visible—when there’s a finished product, a checked box, or something tangible to show for my effort. But the truth is, thinking is work. […]
Day 36 – Label and Tag the Thought
Have you ever found yourself wrestling with that one negative thought? You know the one. The thought that lingers just under the surface, subtly influencing your day, distorting your reality until it feels like every bump in the road leads back to that idea. This is the kind of negativity that becomes a mental fog—just […]
Day 242 – Wanderin’ Around
I think I have perfected the art of wandering around. There are times when the structure of life, the repetitive nature of tasks, and the constant pressure of performance start to wear me down. The best way I know to overcome that is to go backpacking in the wild with no internet access. Sleeping on […]
Day 214 – When the Blue Jay Procrastinates
When the Blue Jay Procrastinates: Understanding Displacement Activities Have you ever found yourself inexplicably pulling weeds when a daunting task awaits? You’re not alone; welcome to the world of displacement activities. The Unavoidable Garage Clean-up Today is the day I’m finally supposed to buckle down and clean the garage. For months, it’s loomed over me, […]
Day 184 – The Impact of Daily Writing – Part 1
This is the 2,286th article I have written in a row since I started on January 7th, 2018. I make a note of this because I had to deal with an archiving issue last night that was an annoying disruption to my process. This caused me to have to go back and re-index several articles […]