bad habits holding you back

Saying Yes to Everything

I've always had a tough time saying no. I'd take on too much and then grind my way through (or under-deliver).

The ability to say no is a superpower of successful people.

Be deliberate about what you spend your time on—and who you spend it with.

Glorifying the Wrong Things

What I used to glorify:

• No sleep

• 100-hour workweeks

• Busy schedules

What I now glorify:

• Sleeping 8 hours

• Regular physical activity

• Unstructured schedules

• Working in short sprints

Control of your time is the true status symbol.

Taking Everyone's Advice

You're going to get a lot of advice from a lot of people.

Most of it is well-intentioned...and also utter crap.

It's dangerous to use someone else's map to navigate your world.

Learn to filter and selectively implement—take the signal, skip the noise.

Defaulting to a Jog

There are four speeds in life:

• Rest

• Walk

• Jog

• Sprint

Most people default to a jog—a staple of 9-5 work culture.

But you'll go much faster and further by defaulting to either rest/walk or sprint.

Rest, walk, sprint, repeat. There is no jog.

Inactivity

Your body was made to move.

Consistent daily activity is essential to your health, brain function, and happiness.

You don't need to have an complex regimen.

Each day minimum:

• Walk for 30 min

• Raise your HR for 30 min

• Mobility work for 5 min

Keep it simple.

Inaction

Overthinking and paralysis is often just a result of inaction.

The first movement is always the hardest—so just start moving.

A body in motion tends to stay in motion.

Maintaining a bias for action allows you to capitalize on opportunities that compound effectively.

Multitasking

Multitasking is fake productivity.

You think you're crushing it but you're just running around churning out a bunch of C+ work.

Instead, build your day around focused sprints.

60 minutes works well.

Compartmentalize and focus on the one key task at hand.

Beating Around the Bush

Hard conversations are...hard.

Being direct is the way.

A mentor gave me some great advice:

The other person should know what you're there to talk about within 30 seconds. Beating around the bush doesn't soften the blow, it just makes it more shocking.