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- 22 Things I Learned (or Re-Learned) in 2022
The title says it all...dig in and let me know what you think by sending an email to [email protected] or DM me on LinkedIn.
There is no status quo. You are moving forward or backward. Growing or shrinking. Thriving or surviving. Once you understand this, you can frame all of your choices as doing one or the other.
Begin With The End In Mind. One of the 7 habits that Stephen Covey outlined, it’s an excellent approach to starting with “why” you are doing something. It also helps you shape the process and systems you need to achieve the end.
Put Points On The Board Every Damn Day. Showing up everyday in some form is so important to learning, growing, and achieving results. Some days you put up 30 like Jordan with the Bulls. Other days you put up 2 like Jordan with the Wizards (Jordan was never held scoreless). Just put points on the board.
Find Your Tribe. It’s why I started Argent Alpha. I wanted (needed) to surround myself with other Men Over 50 all striving to optimize their lives. Iron sharpens iron.
Write Down Your Wins and Losses. Each evening I take a “Victory Lap” and write down my wins for the day and what could have gone better. It takes 5 minutes. But it feels so damn good and if it doesn’t feel good, it motivates me to do #3 above so I do feel good during the next victory lap.
Ask For Help. I’ve been stuck so many times in 2022 and whenever I reach out (usually to my tribe) I get advice, feedback and alternative points of view. Invaluable.
Be Generous. This means something different to each of us but when I’m generous with my time and resources, it helps others and I feel awesome. It’s a win/win.
You Are Closer Than You Think. So many times we work so hard and don’t see the fruits of our labor. Keep going.
Reinvention > Retirement. Here’s the problem with the word Retirement - it has so many negative associations around it. Scarcity, winding down, stepping down, doing less, lowering risks, the list goes on. What if we reframed it as Reinvention? Abundance, calculated risk taking, growth, experimentation, learning, improving, freedom.
Growth Only Comes From Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone. Think of one major success in your life and then ask yourself if you achieved this success while being “comfortable.” Impossible. All successes are rooted in doing something outside your comfort zone.
Rest and Recovery Is Critical. You can still put points on the board every day and recover. The key is recognizing an excuse from a deserved rest. Intentionally taking Sunday “off” from your normal routine so you can reflect and recharge is still putting points on the board.
Doing Unsustainable Things Helps You Do Sustainable Things. Doing something unsustainable will open your mind to alternatives that are sustainable. Carnivore or Vegan might not be sustainable for most people, but trying them will likely lead you to an alternative that is sustainable.
Upgrade The Stories I Tell Myself. What worked for me was creating a mantra that I tell myself when my thoughts get off course. Mantras are powerful.
Experiment. Cold showers, new workout, fasting, skydiving, side gigs. Experimenting exposes you to new thinking, new people, and new experiences..
High Quality Sleep Improves Everything In Your Life. Your body is like a battery and sleep charges it. The better your sleep, the more energy in your battery.
Measure What You Want To Improve. If we don’t measure, we always give ourselves the benefit of the doubt. And we are usually wrong. By measuring the activities that influence the results we are seeking, we can do analysis and make changes. Setting targets, creating processes, executing and measuring will get you closer to whatever goal you are pursuing.
Getting Better At Things Makes You Better Everywhere. This could be your first pull-up in 30 years, starting a blog, writing a book, dropping 25 lbs, getting off your meds. The act itself helps you but it is also symbolic of your capacity to grow, learn and improve and that translates to all areas of your life. How you do anything is how you do everything.
The 3 Most Important Places To Increase Your Quality Of Life: The gym (break down muscle), the kitchen (feed muscle) and the bedroom (repair and growth of muscle). Focusing on these three things will change your life.
Read Fewer Books AND Apply What You Learn. Write in the margins, underline, take notes, consume the book and APPLY what you learn. Knowing and not doing is not knowing. Action Required!
Set Standards In Key Areas Of Your Life. Identify areas you want (need) to improve in. Set a standard for that area that is just a bit more challenging than your current standard. Your standard is probably “no standard” so the act of bringing some discipline will help you. Examples: I go to bed at the same time every night. I stop eating 3 hours before bed. I drink 1 gallon of water every day.
Review Your Days, Weeks, Months and Quarters. Schedule time to review a time period. Record your wins, what could have been better, and outline where you want to improve. The reflection process helps you grow and increases accountability.
Make An Investment In YOU. Identify an area you want (need) to improve in. Research options. Pick something that requires a financial investment so you have skin in the game. Project what your Return on that investment could be. Then execute whatever you invested in and GET that return. You are in control of the return you achieve. This is the only investment in the world where you (and not the market) determines the ROI.
Ready to join other Men Over 50 who are becoming Harder To Kill everyday?
We are accepting applications for our next cohort of Men Over 50. If you want to make 2023 your best year in decades, complete this form by 12:00 CT on December 31, 2022.
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