• I saw someone describe the internet as an all-you-can-eat buffet. If you choose to eat the right amounts of the right stuff, it can amplify your life. But if you eat too much, especially the wrong stuff, which is the most prevalent and most tempting, it can destroy your life. The parallels between social media and an all-you-can-eat buffet are so spot on. If you consume good content on the internet, it can energize you, educate you, empower you. Further, you become less tempted to indulge in the junk. However, if you let the internet junk lure you in, that negativity can engulf your entire life. Similarly, if you consume good nutrition (i.e. meat if you were wondering :) you are enlivened and energized to live. The pizza and donuts lose their appeal. But eat at the wrong end of the buffet and run the risk of losing the ability to leave that section and the subsequent negative spiral of health deterioration.
  • Actionable Tip: Unfollow or mute anyone on social media that doesn't lift you up. Follow people who are doing what you want to do, living how you want to live. 

• I love the last couple weeks of the year. I do my annual review and crystalize plans and goals for the year ahead. While I have developed my own system of evaluation and planning, I came across this "ultimate annual review" which is a beautifully templated guide. Highly recommend setting aside a couple hours with this. It's a couple hours invested in yourself which can change the trajectory of your life.

• In the "ultimate annual review" there is a section where you get clear on your intentions for 2021. While I think this is a great starting point, as the saying goes, "the path to hell is paved with good intentions." Once you have your intentions clarified, I would recommend taking it one step further, and asking "what system can I put in place that will deliver on these goals?" For example, if your goal is to take your body and health to the next level, and perhaps you clarify that putting on 10 lbs of muscle is the way to achieve it, then the system might be: Workout with a trainer Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon at the gym next to work. The best systems are simple and precise (what, when, where).

👣 How to step up to the challenge:

• If setting up a system is the power to create results, reinforcing that system with accountability is superpower. When I announce my annual challenge, I'm committing myself to tens-of-thousands of people. I simply can't back out. Motivation wanes, the going gets tough, but a real commitment to yourself and others is the difference maker. It ends self-negotiations. It ends willpower. It defaults to "I'm doing this." Thank you for (knowingly or unknowingly) holding me accountable!
  • Actionable Tip:
    • Commit to a small system in 2021 and tell someone. If you need someone to hold you accountable, text me: (314) 207-3216
• Here's a quick recap of what you've helped me achieve in the last few years: 
  • 2018 Challenge: 365 days of only eating meat
    • Mid-2017 I started eating just meat (and writing about why), then decided to try it for a whole calendar year (and it didn't stop there...)
  • 2019 Challenge: learn to draw, by practicing 5 minutes/day

• Perhaps no year in recent history has had as many major talking points as 2020. And while some of these will definitely carry over into the coming year, I think bitcoin might be the talk of 2021.