Do you ever have days when you sit down to write and you realize you don’t know what to write about? I know this is part of the process of developing my writing skills, but still, it can be a bit frustrating. I would like to think that I have a lot to talk about. At least in my own head, there’s tons of topics I would like to discuss but what I find is that I have a hard time putting them down on paper. I’m curious if its because I don’t fully understand the topic or if its a matter of this unfamiliar medium of transferring thoughts to paper that holds me back from expressing myself. I think verbally I would be able to talk through my ideas, so maybe that is what I need to start doing, record my notes and then transcribe them and edit before I post.

There is a mini experiment I have been thinking about playing around with which I’ll call “flow writing.” I don’t really have a have a set topic in mind, I just sit down and brain dump and aim to write out 1-2 pages. Not sure how that will work out, but I’ve heard of other people doing it as a way to clear their minds. I think just the act of continuous writing and not worrying so much about the actual content could be a beneficial daily practice.

I will say that now after just going with the flow, I feel less stress of trying to think of something good to write about and feel that this is me being more authentic. I am not a writer, I am not a blogger, I am not a philosopher, I am someone who is merely trying to push myself outside my comfort zone to grow as an individual. The quicker I can pull off the bandaid and take action the better. I will say that the more I play around with these mini experiments, the more confident I become in my own abilities. I’m sure I will fail and make mistakes, but I will learn and grow. I wonder how many other people could benefit from doing these mini experiments on a day to day basis? How much impact could that have in a person’s life? I can’t answer that question, it’s something that must come from each individual’s desire to become the best versions of themselves.

Jim Rohn has a rule called the “5 friends rule,” which essentially states the law of averages: you are the average of the 5 friends you surround yourself with. I believe that so much of our perception of reality and our success is based on who we surround ourselves with. Our outlook and beliefs, our mental resilience, our physical appearance, the way we speak, even to how much money we make all stems from those we hang around on a daily basis. A mentor of mine used to tell me all the time, “ If a bird hangs with bats, it will eventually hang upside down.”

I think this is why it’s so important to take stock in those around you and ask yourself the hard questions to find out if this is the circle you want to be involved with.

One of my favorite and most gifted books is Mastery, by Robert Greene. I read this book during a pivotal time in my life when I was searching for a deeper meaning in what I was doing. I remember being engulfed in the book, never wanting to put it down, underlining and writing in the margins trying to retain as much of the information as possible. I think everyone interprets what they read or learn differently, which is why I don’t lend my books to anyone. I don’t want my notes and interpretation to change the perspective of whoever reads it. This is a general overview of how I see myself navigating my way down the path of mastery.

I believe that there are some basics that one needs to know about their craft in order to have a solid foundation. In doing so, you must be able to break things apart and put them back together to fully grasp what it is you are dealing with. Once you have the basics, you begin to learn by doing – discovering new applications, experimenting and failing with different ideas that are derived from those basic building blocks. By cycling through breaking things apart, putting them back together, and experimenting, you then are able to apply this new knowledge and gain a different perspective and insight. I think this is what Mastery is about. Discovering new ways to view the world and apply your knowledge in ways never thought of.

Learn the basics – understanding the fundamental building blocks. Learn by doing – experiment, fail, discover. Gain perspective – apply your knowledge in ways that have never been done before. Sometimes all you need is to see the world just a little bit differently, just by 2 degrees.

To quote Albert Szent-Gyorgi, “Discovery is seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what nobody else has thought.”

My birthday as arrived and with that comes more time for reflection and goal setting as I move forward into this next year/chapter in my life. I have come to realize that my life operates in cycles. I think of these cycles in terms of macro (10 years) and micro (2-3 years) cyclic events. As I look back on my life, every 10 years a major event happens that ends up having a profound change in my life followed by smaller changes every 2-3 years in between.

When I was 10, my family decided to pick up and move to another state which kicked off a chain reaction of moving every 2-3 years thereafter. When I was 20, I decided that I wasn’t happy with my life and made the decision to travel abroad to Thailand to train and compete in Muay Thai Kickboxing. While I was there, I rediscovered my passion for learning and physical and mental training which ultimately led me to return to the state and pursue a career in athletic performance. This new job had me picking up and moving every 2-3 years to climb the ranks in the coaching world. At 30, I was let go from my NFL coaching job and made the decision to invest in myself and become an entrepreneur.

With all the change that happens around us, I think it is important to take note of your own personal cycles and observe how those have shaped your life. I think it is also important to realize that there are “seasons” within each year. Jim Rohn talks about how there are 4 seasons to life and business. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Winter is a time for preparation. You can take stock, evaluate, increase your knowledge and prepare for the following seasons.

Spring is a time to create and take advantage of opportunities. Be creative and experiment, cultivate ideas and act on them in small cycles of experiments to see what works and what doesn’t.

Summer is a time to pay close attention to your projects you’ve been working and more importantly to those projects that show the most promise. Reinforce relationships and build value in what it is you want to accomplish by casting your vision and making it known.

Fall is a time to harvest or see the results from your time spent in Spring and Summer. You have experimented with different ideas and honed in on what will bring you the most return on your investment. You’ve taken some risks, but have learned a lot in the process. It’s a time to acknowledge your accomplishments and take note of what worked and what didn’t so that the next winter you can go back to the drawing board and continue to make improvements.

I encourage you to take some time to acknowledge your own cycles you experience in your life. Are there any patterns you see? Do you find that Jim Rohn’s explanation of seasons relates to you? The ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus noted that “the only constant is change.” At the end of the day, it’s about bringing more awareness to yourself and your life so you can fully take ownership of it.

I have made it back to the states and was greeted by friends and family… damn, sure feels good be home. I’ve been asked how the trip went, was it what I thought it would be, was it worthwhile, all the typical stuff people ask after a trip. My answers so far have been general in a sense because I haven’t had the time to really sit and debrief to really break down the good, the bad, and lessons learned. In thinking about this some more, I realize how important that process is to growth and success. I wonder about my own disconnect I have had between experiences and potential lessons I may have missed because I did not take the time to work through this process. I wanted to share the outline I’m using to help debrief projects I’ve been working on. A majority of the outline is from my Best Self Journal, which I do daily, but I have added a few twists.
What was the main goal/objective?

Was it accomplished?

-If Yes, could it have been done any better?
-If No, why is that?
-What were the smaller tasks/objectives that needed to happen to achieve those goals?

Were these accomplished?
-If Yes, could it have been done any better?
-If No, why is that?

What lessons were learned?

-Professional
-Personal
What were 1-2 things you feel good about or proud of?

Did this experience bring you closer to your overall goals (professional or personal)?

-If Yes, why?
-If No, could you take what you learned from this and pivot?