Here is your Five-Bullet Monday
A quote I am pondering:
"If we can fall in love with serving people, creating value, solving problems, building valuable connections and doing work that matters, it makes it far more likely we're going to do important work." - Seth Godin
Serving people, creating value and solving problems makes a great trio of pursuits. Couple those with actual connecting (not networking) and prioritization, and we are sure to feel fulfilled.
A question I am asking myself:
What can I learn today? – in the morning
What did I learn today? – in the evening
A love of learning is one of the best ways to retain your youthfulness. So, if we set out to learn something every day, along with eating well and exercising, we are on the right track to remaining youthful. We can then reprise and refresh our learnings at the day's end, so we cement them for future benefit.
A book I am reading:
Wonder by RJ Palacio
This book is a beautiful story about August Pullman, a boy with a deformed face. The story covers him starting a proper school, and it presents, in the first person, the perspectives of August as well as his family and school friends. It is the book that inspired the Choose Kind movement, and it also became a major motion picture. Although this book is, in theory, a child's book, it is equally suitable for adults, and I found it both moving and enlightening.
My favourite podcasts this week:
The Tim Ferris Show #530 – interview with Sir James Dyson
I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast, in which my respect for James Dyson increased manifestly. He is known as a brilliant engineer for revolutionizing house vacuums, blade hand driers and bladeless fans. What I didn't know was that he persevered with his cyclone vacuum design for many years, producing thousands of prototypes on his own because he had no backers except his wife. The journey included them mortgaging their entire worth to get the vacuum into commercial production.
Hugh-Tips
Put your money to work and build multiple streams of income
As most of us are in salaried positions, essentially, we are required to invest time proportionate to the income we earn. It is a linear relationship between hours and income and, because most of us work full time, there is little we can do to increase those earnings. We must build up other streams of income through investments in equities, properties and the like. And, where employment conditions permit, and you have the time, a family business or side hustle can also be a good money-spinner. In short, the faster you can build your multiple streams of income that don't require a dedicated time investment, the sooner you can become financially independent. This will reduce your financial reliance on a salaried position and thereby create optionality for early retirement or other adventures you may have on your mind.
My highlights from the prior week
Doing things for the very first time
This last week I had the pleasure of doing several things for the very first time. These included playing underwater hockey, hiking up to and swimming under two waterfalls, sitting in a one-person sauna tent, trying out a CAROL exercise machine and easily holding my breath for two minutes under Wim Hof's tutelage. It felt so cool, going from the uncertainty (and sometimes apprehension) before doing them to looking back with satisfaction and saying, "I just did that!".
My challenge to you for this week
Include stretching in your exercise regime
I love my exercise but have never been much of a stretcher. I know that my lack of
flexibility will hamper me as I get older, so I have committed to stretch at least 20 minutes a day. It's not my most enjoyable time of the day, but it will pay dividends down the track, so I am determined to stick to it. If you already do yoga, pilates or stretching – good on you. Please keep it up. If you don't do any, please give it some serious thought.
Have a great week