A few things inspiring me + a Facebook update

I’ve heard a few good nuggets lately that have stuck with me and been rolling around in my head. Figured I’d share!

+ Laura’s blog post titled “If others can, you can.”

She talks about how it can be helpful to remember, whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed or incapable of something, that usually many other people have done the same thing, and there is nothing “special” about them.

Many many other people have…traveled internationally…filed the paperwork to start a business…bought and sold property…run for a local office…applied to graduate school…gotten a professional license…given speeches…opened investment accounts, etc. These people do not all have some secret ability that the rest of us do not. They had someone explain the process to them or they researched it and figured it out. Those are avenues of discovery open to all of us!

–Laura Vanderkam

I am VERY guilty of immediately jumping to thoughts of “I can’t do that” or “I don’t know how” whenever something is new or foreign to me. And I also have a deep-seeded belief that somehow, everyone else is just a genius born with secret knowledge of how the entire world works. Truly, I always have this weird assumption that everyone else “knows” things that I don’t. This post is a good reminder that they don’t, and also to stop holding myself back unnecessarily!

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+ In a similar vein, I heard a podcast episode talking about how every extremely successful person you see is really just a HUMAN BEING who was once a baby drinking a bottle and was once a beginner.

*I cannot for the life of me remember which podcast this was now, so I apologize!* But similar to Laura’s post, the visual really stuck out.

It was talking about how there is nothing innately “special” about these people- they all had to start somewhere and build from there. I mean, yes, some people have better genetics or a super sharp math mind or are maybe better connected to the right people, etc., but the reality is that no one came out of the womb being crowned as CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

I think, but don’t quote me, that the podcast was also more so talking about careers like say, being an author, or online influencer, or content creator. From a distance, someone may look at someone who has built a very successful career and think, ‘Wow, how did they do that? That seems so impossible. I could never do that’. But in reality, there was a time that that person wrote their very first article or chapter or recorded their very first episode or whatever. They were once a beginner starting mostly from scratch, too. If others can, you can. 🙂

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+ From Peter Attia and James Clear’s conversation (Episode #183) about habits on The Drive podcast, I heard the advice to “never miss twice”.

I’ve heard this advice before, but it’s just so good. Also, this is an older episode (and it’s LONG) but I think it may be one of the best episodes I’ve ever heard about habits! I really enjoyed it. (I also actually love long podcast episodes! Well, if they’re good, anyway.)

I think sometimes people, myself included, fall into the trap of thinking that if we “mess up” once, it’s over. But life is inherently messy, and we are imperfect humans, so….. it’s bound to happen.

But the idea of having a personal mantra of “never miss twice” seems like a great way to balance reality + forward progress. If life gets in the way and you can’t fit your workout in, oh well- don’t stress about it…. but don’t miss again tomorrow!

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+ Also from The Drive episode, they quoted Gretchen Rubin’s idea of dividing the day into 4 quarters and containing any “mistakes” to just one quarter.

The idea is that instead of treating each day as a whole, think of it in 4 parts. If you “fall off the wagon” on your goals at any point, let that go- but then reset immediately for the next quarter of the day.

For example, if you’re aiming to eat mostly whole, nutritious foods, and at 2 p.m. you “slip up” and accidentally mow down a bag of Cheetos, ok, fine. Don’t beat yourself up. But don’t say, “Oh well, now today is shot… I guess I’ll have 2 Big Macs for dinner and restart my healthy eating tomorrow.” Instead, look ahead to the next quarter of the day and reset then. So afternoon snack was Cheetos; dinner can still be a grilled chicken salad.

It’s true I think many of us like fresh starts- a new day, a new month, a new season. But dividing the day into quarters lets us have more mental opportunities for a new beginning.

I really like this idea!!

That’s all for now! Just a few tidbits or food for thought I’ve been mulling over this week. 🙂

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Facebook Update

Changing gears, I want to give a quick update about my August goal to delete Facebook from my phone and only check it a couple times per week.

It’s August 11th, and so far, so good! I have kept it deleted and have re-installed it temporarily twice per week to check it. (*I have opted to NOT check it on my laptop; this seems like a slippery slope to me because it’s more readily available. With my phone, I have to re-download it, which takes a couple minutes and is more of a barrier.)

I don’t have set days or times that I will do this; I decided I would just sort of wing it and do it when I feel like it/ have a chunk of time, but not exceed 2x/per week. This week I looked at it last I think on Sunday, and I’ll probably re-install it sometime tonight (Friday) to browse it for a while.

My impression so far?? Out of sight, out of mind! I honestly do not miss it really at all. I occasionally feel a pull to check it just because I think I am so used to it. (When I “make the rounds” on my phone, I usually always check my regular email, I check my blog email and then… I’d usually click on Facebook.) But then I realize it’s not there, and the desire instantly passes.

In random downtimes (when I would normally scroll social media), I have had a few thoughts of being “bored” without something to check, because sometimes my email doesn’t have enough Exciting Updates. LOL. (And I am probably refreshing my email a bit more frequently now as a result… someone please email me!! Just kidding… 😂)

But overall, I am surprised that I don’t really care about whatever I’m “missing” on Facebook. When I do check in, I spend maybe 10-15 minutes scrolling around and then I feel satisfied/ bored with it.

However! I will say- on Sunday when I reinstalled it, I got interrupted after a minute and didn’t have time to properly “check” it (that sounds… lame…), so I left it installed for a while, intending to finish looking at it a little later. Lo and behold, I found myself impulsively clicking on it again, multiple times, just because I knew it was there. Which is funny, because the whole previous week when it was un-installed, I really felt no desire to look at it at all. I guess it’s evidence that environment matters- having access to something ups my desire to have it. (Exasperated with myself, I promptly deleted it again.)

My overall takeaway: My brain likes this!! I mean, I still find enough random things to do on my phone, so it’s not like I’m taking drastic measures to decrease my phone use. I’ve made this one change and that’s it right now. But I think I feel less….. fragmented. A bit more centered. Calmer, perhaps? I feel better.

Okay, gotta run- have a fabulous Friday!! 😊

Daily Gratitude:

I am grateful for my new van having Bluetooth Audio!! My old van (2012) could only play podcasts when my phone was plugged in (and it was very touchy). I can now instantly stream podcasts in my van via Bluetooth and I love it!!! (Old news for many I’m sure with newer cars, but this is very exciting for me. lol!)