To realize anything in life you will need determination, grit, the willingness to go the extra mile, and you will have to work harder than everyone else. But that’s not all it takes: to get ahead in anything you need to work smarter. You need to have a general idea of where you’re heading, how you’re going to get there, and how you will stay ahead in your game.
This doesn’t mean that you need to be the first. In every human pursuit you will be inspired by role-models that were there before you. When you initially walk down that same road, you will have this notion that you will never be like them, and that’s why you will not succeed. Here’s a funny little thing though: if you stick around long enough, you will realize that you will never do things like your role-models, because you’re not them. You have your own ideas, your own angles, your own wisdom, your own personality and that’s how you fill those shoes.
When it comes to new pursuits, it’s rarely the case that it’s the first player who wins and dominates the field for decades to come. It’s usually a good second or third that’s able to see what the first player doesn’t see: small improvements and tweaks that the first one wasn’t able to come up with. Google, Apple, Facebook: they were all seconds. But what’s more: these companies were all man-made, which makes this an analogy for your career and ambitions as well.
Running as an analogy
When I studied physics and philosophy there were stretches that I needed to wrap my head around ideas at a higher pace than I was used to, so I needed to find a new angle. I gave running a try and as it turned out it was easy enough to get into, but to move beyond 3-4 miles was where it became more technical and therefore more difficult. This is where I needed to develop the right focus, which in my mind is laid out best in Chi-running.
That was at the time of a second running craze: around 2000 it seemed that everyone was jogging. The premise is simple: it’s the ideal work-out that you can fit into any lifestyle. You just need a pair of shoes, shorts, a shirt and somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour to spare. Running gets you in shape, it builds stamina and it gets you to clear your head. I have been running for 15 years and it has been one of the work-outs that I keep coming back to.
More recently I read an article about one of the guys who popularized running back in the 70s. I haven’t read his book yet, but it seems to be a classic (in case you’re interested, it’s titled The complete book of running). It was the book that started it all, and that’s also what first started Nike: it was initially geared towards running before they branched out towards basically all sports.
These days there are quick seconds who makes better shoes: in my personal experience that’s Mizuno. I have stayed with this brand for about a decade and I keep coming back for more. It has everything that you might want in good running shoes: comfortable, sturdy, supportive and lightweight. These are the shoes that I bought most recently, and those are the ones that I would consider buying next.
Run during the week, not while on retreat
Running is what keeps you going, and more. It clears your mind when busy, and it gives you that extra boost that you need to be on top of your game. It doesn’t mean that you can repeat this day in day out, in fact about one third of all folks who engage in sports over-train: they don’t incorporate rest-days to get the full benefit of a work-out.
Rest days aren’t just important for your body, but also for your mental state. For the last fifteen years I have stuck to this very simple rule: no matter how busy it gets, I take one full day of rest. By rest I don’t mean just inactivity, but slow activities that help me get a better perspective, and that’s why I prefer to call it a retreat.
These days it’s churned out over and over that all the big CEOs read about one book a week, and they attribute part of their success to reading a lot. In all honesty, my life is too busy to read one book per week, but I do aim at getting a better understanding of things on that one day of the week that I have set aside for my retreat.
It’s then that I look into sharpening my mind and to widen my gaze. Some days I pick up a book, I read long-forms that reflect on current events, I read up on blogs, and yes ---- I also watch my fair share of YouTube. The key is that throughout the day I force myself not to think, let alone spend time on my job or the pursuit of my second career.
Just to be clear: that day of retreat isn’t just about you and your mind. It’s also the day that you spend just a little more time with your family. Those are the people that you should care for the most, and who care for you the most. Without a strong family unit you will not achieve anything, in fact that’s what Stephen King says about his family: he attributes his success to the fact that he has a family, not despite of that.
During the last few months of lock-down there are a few books that inspired me the most: Rich dad, poor dad, Geopolitics of emotion and 7 habits of highly effective people. On my to-read list are The intelligent investor, and a few works of fiction, 11/22/63, The Gun Slinger and The Forgotten Island.
In summary
- quick seconds or thirds are usually more successful, because they dodge prior mistakes and are able to take a better perspective
- working-out helps you to recharge your batteries, both mind and body. By far the easiest and most effective work-out is running.
- build in a one-day retreat to sharpen your mind and spend time with your family.
Prime directive: Gaze wide, aim far.
Continue reading:
Living autobiographically: how to use narrative identity
On writing the story of our lives in such a way that we can live with ourselves.
Choose another path: how to identify opportunities in life
On figuring out what you're made of and when to seize opportunity.
Gaze Finder TV: On principles and brevity
On the way principles can make us better at what we do, and the way brevity makes us seem more knowledgeable.
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