Hi all,
Happy Saturday morning.
Here is your weekly dose of some topics and ideas I’ve found interesting over the past seven days.
Let’s dive in. Thanks for being here.
Quote I’ve been thinking about:
“If you focus on what you have, you gain what you lack. And if you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have.” – Greg McKeown
This quote, from the author of Essentialism, revolves around the idea of gratitude and the impact it can have on your life.
Greg emphasizes the importance of remaining grateful and explains how it’s fostered a feeling of fullness in his life, even when things aren’t going his way. He follows this quote with actionable advice, by explaining how much his daily practice of keeping a gratitude journal has helped improve overall happiness and mental well-being.
Check out the full podcast that dives into more detail on Spotify or YouTube.
Future Travel Destination:
Bergen, Norway
I never considered Norway to be a major travel destination, but after having several friends visit and attest it’s their favourite place they’ve been, I dug in to learn more.
Bergen, Norway's second-largest city and the west coast's largest port, is surrounded by a ring of hills known locally as the Seven Mountains. In one quaint coastal city, you can visit Bryggen, their famously colourful wharf, as well as explore stunning mountain hikes, a university founded in 1825, great local markets, and historic museums.
For those who may be interested or are planning a trip to Scandinavia, check out Bergen’s top tourist attractions or a travel guide for further reading.
Website I’ve found interesting:
Screenplayed uses a split-screen to help you watch scenes of movies while simultaneously reading along with the final script. For movie buffs, it’s interesting to see how a script is written and then visually brought to life on the screen.
For a quick taste, check out an example from Black Panther.
Idea I’ve been thinking about:
Most people overestimate what they can do in one year but underestimate what they can do in ten years.
A lot of the most successful people I’ve interacted with highlight one piece of advice: the importance of consistency. In other words, showing up each and every day with your best foot forward and the intention to work hard. That’s not to say you’ll be a rock star and feel motivated to conquer the world, but the idea is that those who are successful still “show up” and make progress, even if it’s small.
And over time, due to compounding, that relentless consistency creates massive results. For example, if you were to get 1% better every day, you’d be 38 times better by the end of the year (not that a stupid stat like that helps anyone but it highlights the compounding effect).
More and more, whether it’s in starting work on a project or trying to kickstart better habits, life is all about momentum. Often the first few steps are the hardest, but once you get going momentum carries you forward and things get easier.
This idea suggests that most people rush around on a daily basis with a stressed sense of urgency, needing to get everything done instantly, but don’t take into account how much time there is and the impact of compounding. I’ve loved the message, as it promotes the importance of patience, in a world where other people’s wealth and successes are on display and it’s so easy to be impatient.
In my own life, I often catch myself going through the day with a feeling of being rushed. Whenever I have something to do, my overactive Type A personality kicks in, and everything that needs to get done must get done today. And there’s a feeling of guilt or lack of productivity if it doesn’t.
But, I’ve leaned on this idea to help me to remember that I have time. The tasks on my list don’t need to, and can’t be, all done this instant. What matters more in achieving success is consistency. Make goals, set some timelines, but focus on the day-to-day progress, and the long-term will take care of itself.
People rush around trying to do everything at once, but if you can zoom out, you realize how much time there is. You’ll get there.
That’s all for this week’s edition of saturday mornings. After hearing from readers, I’ve tried to cut down on total content and focus on a couple of topics I think you’ll really enjoy or find helpful.
And, as always, please give me feedback. Which topic above is your favourite? What do you want more or less of? What challenges and ideas are you exploring and grappling with? I’d love to hear from you.
Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend, all.
Much love to you and yours,
Thomas