Screenshot #2. Stop Pretending You're Busy

 I kinda like this exercise of examining the screenshots I've taken, it helps me learn what I'm interested in over time. What I've realized is that many of them are quite similar, and have been surrounding the idea of time and how we spend it. Today's is right along that matter, taking a look at busyness and how the idea of being busy = success is just stupid. The screenshot today is once again from a random Twitter account, Orangebook. Who is Orange Book? No clue, but some people I follow seem to follow it, which is how this Tweet made its way into my timeline. As of today though, I now follow the Orange Book, and indeed enjoy many of their thoughts and ideas. Here's #2:

I love it. Rereading this took me immediately back to an essay I found in Tim Ferris's Tools of Titans, called "Lazy, A Manifesto" By Tim Kreider. I highly recommend listening to the short essay on Youtube, found here. And if you've heard it before, it may just be a great day to re-listen to it, I know I enjoyed hearing it again while writing this.

I wrote a little bit surrounding this topic last December, but not on the blog, just on a short social medias post. So I was excited to see this screenshot and review this topic again, as it's something I'm real into right now. Being busy, or preferably, not.

In the Lazy Manifesto he drops the line, "Busy is a boast designed as a complaint." We love to say we're busy. Like, really love it. Now that you've read this you'll start noticing how much we all say it. You'll even notice yourself saying it a ton. It seems like at times we just say it to feel important. If you're busy, it must mean you're needed, and if you're needed, that must mean you're important, right?

Before we go on about busyness and doing things all day, we need to think about why. Why do most people feel that they have to be busy all day? Is it outside pressure from work and others? Is it what we've been taught our whole life? Or is it because they can't sit still with themselves, and listen to their own thoughts? The Lazy Manifesto goes briefly into this, saying "One of my correspondents suggests that what we’re all so afraid of is being left alone with ourselves." I'd say this is 100% spot on. So many of us are afraid to be left alone with our thoughts. So instead of being alone and trying to work through the big picture questions that are running through our minds, we just get busy. And we seem to get really excited about it too and cheer on others to do the same. 

We even congratulate others on their busyness, like it's some ultimate form of success. When someone tells us they're busy, the response is almost always some sort of, "Great to hear!" Like it's awesome to never have time to sit and breathe. I've had it happen so many damn times where someone asks about how my business is going and ends the sentence with the question, "Staying busy?" And if I say yes, there's always a, "Good for you man!" 

Is it good? Does it mean I'm awesome if I "did things" all day non stop? What if I just did dumb ass busy work and didn't really accomplish anything, are you still pumped for me because I was "busy?" Would that person be just as pumped if I did nothing all day besides played pickleball and watched ski movies, yet the business continued to perform due to setting it up properly in the beginning?

Here's the thing, I'm not against hours of action and getting things done. What I don't like is how we've put motion on a pedestal, even if it's just tedious work. Times of focused action and getting things done are completely necessary, but not always all day every day. Like the pointless 40 hour work week. Where you have a set amount of time to be at your office or sit in front of your computer, regardless of if you're doing any meaningful work or not. And on top of that, of course we've made it "cool" to work past your 40 hours in a week, because that means you're "hustling" which makes you super cool. 

Naval Ravikant, who I've written about previously here, talks about this subject quite eloquently. In his podcast "How to Get Rich: Every Episode," he says:

"People who say they work 80-hour weeks, or even 120-hour weeks, often are just status signaling. It’s showing off. Nobody really works 80 to 120 hours a week at high output, with mental clarity. Your brain breaks down. You won’t have good ideas.

The way people tend to work most effectively, especially in knowledge work, is to sprint as hard as they can while they feel inspired to work, and then rest. They take long breaks."

Crush it while you're inspired, and then rest. Take long breaks. Go outside during the middle of the day on a Tuesday. Do something you like away from work without feeling guilty. It's always fascinating to me that even people with open schedules tend to feel like they can relax more on a Saturday than on a Monday simply because the title of the day. It's so engrained in us that these 5 day are work days, and if you aren't dedicating them to working, you suck. I've been there, I am there, and it takes practice to feel alright about going rollerblading for an hour on a Wednesday afternoon. But once you get over the anxious feeling that you need to be creating a pointless spreadsheet or refreshing your email, it's incredibly freeing when you come out the other side. 

I really liked this idea (in the screenshot above) and it really struck home for me. "What you do on the day to day basis is the real thing." How do you want to spend the "real thing," aka your life? Is your real thing spent 40+ hours a week drumming away, acting like you're busy, when only a few of those hours are real value producing hours? Could you do more of what you love during those hours while still being just as productive at work? 

Aside from examining your day and cutting out the pointless shit you do, the key to freedom and being free of continued busyness is leverage.  It's worth examining in depth, so we'll have to continue this in another post to go into leverage, the different types, and ways to take advantage of leverage in today's world. Again, Naval examines and explains this perfectly in the podcast episode. I keep coming back to that episode, but it's worth it. If I could teach one class, likely to college students and adults, it would be a class where all we do is examine, discuss, and put into practice that 3.5hr podcast from Naval. To be clear, I'd only teach a class like that so I can continue to learn it more in depth myself, I'm far from an expert on these subjects, just an interested guy. But if anyone wants to help me create that class, please let me know. Thanks.

In the end, I do feel more and more optimistic about the conversation around being "busy." It seems over the last few years there's been more and more talk about working less and doing more of what you love (f*ckin millennials). To start, before making radical changes in your life, just simply notice how busy you think you are, or better yet, how busy you're pretending to be. Once you're aware of it you can go to work on improving it.

Or just be busy all the time, maybe that's your jam, who am I to tell you what to do??

Be Awesome.

-Tom Spaniol

"You want wealth because it buys you freedom—so you don’t have to wear a tie like a collar around your neck; so you don’t have to wake up at 7:00 a.m. to rush to work and sit in commute traffic; so you don’t have to waste your life grinding productive hours away into a soulless job that doesn’t fulfill you. The purpose of wealth is freedom; it’s nothing more than that." -Naval Ravikant

Screenshot #1: Time and Age

 What's up beautiful people of the internet. I'm back with the blog after a short summer haitus where we took a break to instead, jump off shit and call it a summer trend. While I'm likely not done flipping off things as much as possible, I'll take a break from filming it and putting it on the internet. This will serve as my next mini series, and will be called, "Screenshots from my phone." 

Maybe other people do this too, but over the past few years when I'm scrolling through social medias, when I see something I really like I tend to take a screen shot of it. But what do I then do with that screenshot? Nothing. They just sit in my phone. So one day I got the bright idea to actually do something with them, and the idea for this mini series was born. Very simply, I'll take screenshots from my phone, examine them, expand on the ideas, and share them with the world.

Now that we have the basic concept down, here's the first one:

This of course came from Twitter one morning when I was scrolling, likely pretty aimlessly. I have no idea what this Wallstplayboys account is, I don't follow it, but I seem to follow that George Mack fella, who I also don't really know who he is. But he appears to be some sort of tech/deep thinker guy, and he brought me to this great tweet.

This tweet gets to something I've been thinking a lot about lately; Time. And mainly, how we spend our time. Ever since I was in college and graduation was starting to become a reality, the idea of getting a job and working for the next 40 years just seemed insane to me. That we all spend that much time of our lives just working. I really didn't want to do that, and I assumed that meant I was lazy or not driven, because I didn't love the idea of being "a career man," whatever the hell that actually means. 

Luckily, as I got out into the real world, I started to read and follow some people who thought differently. People who seemed to grasp the idea of time and age, that you shouldn't let your 20s, 30s, and 40s pass you by just working all the time. Like Tim Ferris with the 4 Hour Workweek. One of the things he talks about in there is "Mini Retirements." High level explanation would be simply just that, you go for smaller periods in your younger years without working, and "retire," and just live. It can be a time to follow passions, learn a new skill, or just travel around. 

It seems to me people don't really do this much, even if they want to, because we get so caught up in the fear of, "But my job has great benefits I can't leave it, how will I know I'll get hired again when I'm done," etc. We just completely make shit up to justify not going and living the life we want to live (if you're even into an idea like this, don't get me wrong, not everyone is and that's cool.) But the thing is, when you really look at it and choose to plan for it, you see how accessible it is to take a mini retirement, or find ways to live more/work less, in your younger ages.

I think the screenshot from the tweet above should really say "The amount of things you can do and enjoy at 30-39 is not the same as 60-69." We all know things look quite different when you're 90 years old, but what do they look like when you're in your 60s? I know plenty of people who are crushing it in their 60s, some of them are crushing balls at me on the pickleball courts. But I also know many who aren't physically able to do many of the things they could in their 30s. And these people likely saved up for these golden years of retirement, where they'd finally get out and travel and see some things they've always wanted to see, only to realize they're now not able to enjoy it like they hoped they would. I always think I'll just be one of those guys who stays young forever, but will I realistically be flipping off my shed when I'm in my 60s? Likely not. 

 Now is when I want to enjoy life and enjoy this earth. While I'm "young," in my 30s and 40s is when I want to spend a winter in the mountains, doing nothing more than skiing 60 days in a row, rather than heading out for a rushed trip. And then take the next few months and explore some jungles and beaches. 

More of this, all the time, while my body likes it.

And I really don't think this is an "either/or" situation, where if you enjoy life a little now and take a few "mini retirements" here and there you'll suffer later and not be able to "retire," and you'll end up greeting at Walmart when you're 70. You just need to plan for it. Look at things differently. Save some money, live below your means, don't be so highly leveraged. Look for ways to make money while you're not there (there are so many different ways to do this.) You could go on your "mini retirement" and come back better off financially than when you left if you set it up right and traveled to the right place. You really just have to open your mind to the possibilities, and realize, for all we know, this is likely your one opportunity on earth to live as you. So go freakin live it, and enjoy the heck out it while you can.

I really feel like I could go on and on about this topic, it's definitely one I'm pretty into right now. Remember when I wrote that blog around the quote, "What gets loud when you get quiet?" This. This gets loud to me every day when I get quiet. How can I be living more now. It's a fun idea to think about and plan for, go ahead and give it a try for yourself. And come visit me when we're posting up in Costa Rica.

Be Awesome.

-Tom Spaniol

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." 

-Mark Twain

Thoughts for the Youngsters (But Really, Everyone)

Recently Alissa and I were in Costa Rica for 10 days. Obviously, it was freakin awesome. Tough to have a bad time being in Costa Rica, especially when you mix a little bit of time at the beach with a little bit of time in the jungle. I mean, come on.

Thinkin' about you, the people of the internet.

On the flight home, between watching John Wick use horses to deface his enemies, I was reflecting on the experience. Part of my nature is always wanting to share the things I love with others. Every place we go and cool experience we have I always find myself thinking, "Man xyz would love this," Or "We need to bring so and so here." This time I was really thinking about what advice I had for the kids, so they could have experiences like that as much as possible. Mainly around college age or just recently graduated. Something had just been pulling at me to craft some thoughts for the youngin's. I say the young folks just because it's easier for them while they're starting from scratch to implement these things in their lives, but really, this advice is for everyone.

Most of this advice comes from Naval Ravikant and his 3.5 hour podcast episode called "How to Get Rich: Every Episode." Naval is a tech startup guru and early investor in Twitter, Uber, and many more, who's recently started talking a lot more about philosophy. He put out a "Tweet Storm," on Twitter called "How to Get Rich Without Getting Lucky," and it blew up in popularity, so he recorded a podcast surrounding the ideas in those tweets. I recommend listening to it yourself, but I highlight a few of the things he mentions in there as I think they're pure gold for everyone, but especially if you're just "coming into the real world."
 

1. Be aware of what you're boxing yourself into.

This one is not from Naval. This is one of my core philosophies. Trying to recognize how different decisions you make now will play out and what they'll turn into down the road. Specifically, asking yourself, "What is ___ boxing me into?"

Here's an example of how my mind thinks and how far I go into different decisions. I've really started to enjoy mountain biking up in Cuyuna the past few summers. So, naturally, all of our friends who are bikers ask me if I'm buying a mountain bike. I reply, "No." Because for me, and my current life and desires, purchasing a bike would lead to things I don't want. If I bought a mountain bike, the one I get to rent for $50/day, I'd spend about $3,500 on it. But then I'd need to store it, so I'd have to start renting a garage at my apartment for $75/month. I would then fill that garage space with other stuff, because humans have an incredible ability to fill spaces in their homes. I would also have to spend time & money cleaning it, repairing it, and so on. I would also need some sort of bike rack to carry my bike on our vehicles. You understand the point, it snowballs into a whole heap of extra time and money. So instead, I rent a bike the few times I go up there, and take that extra money I'm saving and go on kick-ass vacations. I end up getting more enjoyment, for me, out of the same amount of money spent.

Remember, there is no right, there is only right for you. If you want a mountain bike and all that comes with it, that's awesome. I just bought new skis, because when it comes to skiing, for me, that's something I'm not messing around with.

You have to think about what your true desires are, and if decisions you're making for short term gains are going to bring you closer, or farther away, from your true desires. I simply strive to be a free range human. To me, that means not having to be in a specific place, at a specific time, doing things I don't want to do on a consistent basis. Like I used to have to be 5 days a week when I was a teacher, and I had to eat and use the restroom during specific times of the day. It's just not for me. So, if your goal is to be free, pay attention to what you're adding into your life and how it effects that goal.

This just seemed like a "Free Range Human" picture to me.

I think two big items that box people in to make sure you're paying attention to is your job and your shelter. Everyone needs somewhere to live, and your choice here can go a long way in determining how free you're able to be. It's very common to, "Once you can afford it," get a house. Cool, nothing wrong with that. Of course with it comes all the bills and things associated with a house. Great, not too big of a deal, you can afford it. But then, you really want to just start your own underwater basket weaving company because it's your true passion, and you realize you can't because you need to keep up with the house payments. So you stay in the job you don't love, get a promotion where you don't really love the new work you'll be doing, because you have to. And that's really the key, trying to avoid doing things because you have to, and instead being able to make decisions simply because you really want to.


Of course then there's the conversation of how you're making the money. Is it hourly? Salary? Commissions? Dividends? Royalties? How you're making it can also play a big role into getting boxed in vs being free, but that's for a whole other conversation. One step at a time, folks.

More sunsets on the beach, and less of stuff you don't like.

2. Live below your means for freedom.

In the podcast, Naval drops the line, "People who are living far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyle's just can't fathom."

I think what he's referencing is very underrated, misunderstood, and not talked about enough. It's easy to see the words "Living far below their means," and assume that means you can only eat rice and beans and live on your friends couch. This is far from true. One of the best ways to accomplish this while living a life you love, full of the things you love, is to become aware of what you're spending in all areas of your life. Ramit Sethi, on a podcast with Tim Ferris, summed up the perfect advice for this saying, "Spend extravagantly on what you love, and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don't."

I thought that was just fantastic. Around here that looks like:
Spend lavishly on: Travel & Food (Food meaning groceries for Alissa's cheffing, and local restaurants when traveling)
Cut back mercilessly on: Shopping for clothes, going out to eat here, going out on the weekends, cars, TV + subscriptions, house, buying dumb shit.

Part of that whole spending money on travel and food deal.

If you do this, live below your means, aka spend far less than you make, it relieves an immense amount of stress around money.  You're able to live free. And you don't need to have a ton of money to do this and feel this way, you just have to change your bills. And then as your income increases, try to keep your bills the same, providing more and more freedom. Life will undoubtedly happen, you'll have kids, medical issues will come up, but that's why I think it's so important for the youngin's to start this now. Again, it doesn't mean don't have awesome experiences, I'm all about living life for now as we don't know what the future holds, but then just cut back on other stuff.

As Gary V says, "Stop buying dumb shit to impress people you don't even like."



3. Become the type of person that luck finds.

In the podcast, Naval goes into the 4 kinds of luck.
-Blind luck
-Luck from hustling
-Luck from preparation
-Luck from your unique character

The one I'll focus on is the 4th kind of luck, luck from your unique character. This is where you build a unique brand for yourself, where people bring opportunities to you because of who you are and your unique skills.

His example, he admits a bit funny and extreme, is say you're the best deep sea diver in the world. Someone finds treasure but they can't get to it. They have to come to you to get it, because you're the only one who can help them. So, by doing so, you get to split the treasure with them.

You created your luck, luck found you, because you have a unique skill set that people know they need to accomplish their task.

What can you create, or who can you become, that is unique? What can you be the best in the world at? Why would people choose to come to you to help them achieve their goals/tasks? What unique set of skills, mindset, and brand, do you bring to the table? You don't need to know right away, but be thinking about this and try to build towards it in everything you do.

He didn't talk about this in the podcast, but I think part of having "Luck from your unique character," is also being someone people want to work with. There's a lot of highly talented people out there, so when the choice is being made in someone's mind of who they want to bring an opportunity to, they're naturally going to pick the person who not only has the talents and skills, but who they also want to work with. That plays a bigger part in people's minds than you may first think.

Simply: Be awesome. And stuff will flow your way.


4. Find 3 hobbies: One that makes you money, one that makes you fit, and one that makes you smarter.

This one is pretty self explanatory, but important to bring up nonetheless. Your hobby that makes you money can be your job, if you love your job. If you don't but need your job (until you stop spending money on dumb shit so you can have more freedom), find a hobby that makes you money. Maybe you love cooking, teach people or make items for $$. Maybe you're great at tennis and love it, teach private lessons for $$.

For me, my hobby that makes me money is creating and building companies. I really enjoy the process, and I know I'll always do it. I like the ideation, collaboration, and creativity that comes with it.

My hobbies that makes me fit are yoga and pickleball. If I lived out west I'd add skiing to the list, because nothing shreds the legs like shredding down a mountain.

And my hobby that makes me smarter is reading (books, online articles) and listening to podcasts.

Find your hobbies. Everyone can find things they love that will help them in each of those areas.


5. A calm mind, a fit body, and a house full of love.

Naval said he put out one tweet that wasn't the most insightful, wasn't the most helpful, wasn't the one people talked about the most, but was his favorite. And it was, "A calm mind, a fit body, and a house full of love. These things cannot be bought - they must be earned."

Jeff Bezos still has to work out, he still has to work on his relationships, and still has to control his internal mental state. These are things you still have to work on yourself. No amount of money can fix them.

Just workin' on the calm mind, fit body, and house full of love, all at once.

We covered a lot there, folks, and yet I feel like it hardly scratches the surface.There's so much more in Naval's podcast that I know I'm not done writing about things he covered, this is just all we had time for today. These are all loaded topics, but I think it's a pretty good summary of the basics. If you want deeper conversation on any of these, or something surrounding this, feel free to message me. Always open for conversations around these topics.

In the end, don't buy dumb shit, keep yourself as free as possible, become someone totally unique and be so awesome that luck finds you, and just be a good, nice human being.


Be Awesome

-Tom Spaniol

"The ultimate purpose of money is so you do not have to be in a specific place, at a specific time, doing anything you don't want to do."
-Naval Ravikant