The Big Two-Six

I recently turned 26, and I want to live this year more intentionally than ever before. 25 was packed with challenging moments that gave rise to several oppoprtunities for personal growth. Here is what I want to work on.

Lower my Cortisol

Having Shingles was a wake-up call that I’m too stressed out. Getting Shingles three days before IM Switzerland quite literally showed me how stress gets in between me and my goals.

1. Less worrying about the future. I fear uncertainty and risk without recognizing that, if carefully managed, can lead to far greater rewards over the long term.
2. Less worrying about my point-in-time performance, instead focus on the slope. Dial in the process of improving and get good at doing the work instead of just thinking about it.
3. Get better at regulating emotions and learn to convert unpleasant emotions into positive outcomes. E.g., jealousy can be reframed as admiration. Be humble and learn from others.
4. Don’t take failure too seriously. It’s usually not that deep bruh.

Resist the Slop

Thinking is now abundant and cheap, and life’s incentives will always push you to delegate as much of it away as possible. Resist the urge to protect your humanity.

1. Force myself to practice original thinking. Resist slop, never outsource critical thinking.
2. Less scrolling, more focus dediciated towards real life.
3. Related: prevent fear and anxiety distracting me from flow state. Enter flow state more frequently, i.e. at least once a day.

Find Courage

Fortune favors the courageous, and sometimes you just have to go for it. Concretely:

1. Pursue work that actually excites me.
2. Be willing to work hard towards your goals, even if the rewards are uncertain.
3. Never be afraid to take the first step. You can learn as you go.
4. Build in public. Doesn’t matter if it is unfinished or imperfect. Visible progress is often just as powerful as the finished result.