Do You Know What's ACTUALLY Important to You?

Hey Decision Maker,

This morning I broke something very important to me…

Yep, that’s a ‘glass-ified’ reminder of my university graduation.

It was the end of 2015 and it was given to me by my grandparents as a gift.

No one in my immediate family had graduated from university at the time. So I was the first.

Now that probably meant more to them than it did to me. I just followed the path and opportunities I was handed.

It wasn’t particularly difficult for me to graduate but it was difficult to get into the professional workplace and feel comfortable and productive.

Either way, my graduation was eight years ago…

That’s a long time to hardly even notice this glass memorial was even there on my desk.

So how did it break you ask? I was cleaning my desk in a rush this morning as I’d woken up slightly late on this Saturday morning (when I write the newsletter each week) and I hate being behind schedule.

In the rush, I pushed my keyboard further up my desk than I usually do and heard a loud shatter

“Wtf was that??”

I saw it broken off all over the floor… now I had to clean the glass up. Not only was I FURTHER behind schedule, but I was now in a shit mood.

You get the idea. On the bright side, this simple event provides creative fuel for this newsletter edition.

Let’s get into it.

FITNESS: Are you PRESENT while working out?

Nice pun hey. Now my thought here is all about being focussed on the current task.

If I’d been mindfully ‘present’ while cleaning I would have been less stressed, enjoyed the necessary task more and ultimately not have broken the glass and wasted more of my precious time.

How does this link to fitness? You’ve probably heard of the ‘mind-muscle’ connection espoused by old-school bodybuilders.

You can’t just go through the motions. You have to be intentional and focused to drive real results.

(Don’t get me wrong, showing up is better than not working out at all, but you get the idea)

My BEST workouts have all come from having a clear mind.

Seriously, it’s that simple.

If I check my emails and have other tasks or worries to think about in the morning I always have a shit workout.

Working out helps you forget about the issues but it doesn’t eliminate them.

Maybe you need to meditate before your gym session, I honestly think that’s a better pre-workout routine than just jacking yourself up with a ‘pre-workout’ drink and annihilating your adrenaline system.

Here’s me staring at a wall for 60 minutes as meditation. I’ll be posting the full video soon:

Actionable step:

Put your phone on aeroplane mode and only use it during a workout for two things: music & tracking your effort. That’s it. Build your presence discipline in your next workout this week. Even better, put on a playlist and do NOT change the song once throughout the workout. Hard mode? Don’t listen to any music at all.

MINDSET: Don’t let little things dominate the BIG THING

So many small issues pop up daily for EVERYONE. You’re not unique.

We all have nonsense to deal with, some are just better at ignoring, delegating or prioritising better than others.

I read a productivity tip from a guy I follow on X a few days ago. His number one suggestion from a full list was:

Shit happens, the best response is to deal with it immediately and move on.

So many people (including me) let little tasks and the minutae of the day snowball into a gigantic headache that seeps into their productive brainpower and well-being.

You can apply this in your personal life and at work.

Procrastinating on the big tasks is fair enough. It’s scary to confront it and it’s a bigger problem to solve.

BUT you can start by building tiny habits to deal with small (but still important) tasks as soon as they arise.

Actionable step: 

I BET you have a bunch of tiny tasks you’ve been putting off in the back of your head. The first thing that pops up - go do it right now. Clean the sink, cut your nails, whatever it is, just pick one thing and fkn go do it!

Want to start your own Newsletter? Start here:

MONEY: Memories and experiences are PRICELESS

This isn’t a new idea, but it’s a good opportunity to remind you of its truth.

My broken glass memorial? No one else would give a shit. You can go to USYD rn and buy another one. It’s 100% replaceable.

But the memory isn’t it. It’s been 8 years and I still remember my grandparents giving it to me and what it probably meant to them.

They almost certainly won’t be here in 20 years, but the remnants of the glass gift will be.

I don’t think I need to break this down further, I’m sure you can think of something in your life that holds priceless memories.

Keep it in mind every time you go to spend money on new clothes, or fleeting entertainment.

If it does, great. If not, maybe I just saved you some money that you can use to compound something meaningful in your life.

Actionable step:

Find an object given to you by someone else. Write a few sentences about it, and how you’d feel if it broke. Is it something you just take for granted? You can reply to this email with your object and thoughts, I’ll read it and it helps imprint the lesson. Even better, send it to the person who gave it to you and tell them how much it means to you (more than money).

RELATIONSHIPS: Improve your family bond

Family is always a tough one. You don’t choose them, your mother, your father. They’re effectively assigned to you at birth…