26th / Never Skip Two. Sisu. Consumerism. Unloved.
Some thoughts on how to maintain habits.
Welcome back to Circle Three!
This button below. Click it. Watch what happens. It’s an amazing feature of Substack. To the engineer at Substack who made this button, I applaud you. So simple. So effective.
And a way to get Circle Three into the inbox of a friend, spouse, or guru who needs it.
Cheers,
Dan
So what’s Circle Three? For new readers, the name comes from Seth Godin’s Linchpin, where he posits that the internet has created a circle beyond family and business: a tribe. Where knowledge is exchanged and our gifts are shared.
Thanks for being a part of this third circle. Let’s create something.
One Big Idea
“Instead of waiting for a warm sunny day, many Finns practice daily sisu by heading out in any kind of weather for a brisk walk or cycle, or to spend time in nature.” — Katja Pantzar, journalist and author
Sisu is an inner grit. It’s about persevering when the odds are against you, and viewing challenges as opportunities. These are the kinds of things those in Finland have to do during the harsh winters without sun. How can you embrace your sisu and live a little more this week? What challenge can you embrace?
Circles of Thought
Consumerism has been on my mind. I’ve always fantasized about living like Henry David Thorough at Walden, just a man in nature. This article on ethical consumerism comes from a self-growth and mindfulness perspective, why living simply is good for you; it reinforces how we can see the enriching effects of ethical consumerism.
I love statistics, especially those that give perspective on the incredible rate of change. Books published, forest losses, and today’s births, they’re all included in the Worldometer for real-time statistics about our planet and the people on it.
There’s a lot of talk about the gig economy and freelance workers. New tech allows monetization of any skill (and lots of non-skills). So many new digital platforms are monetizing individuality. Read more about the Passion Economy and the Future of Work here.
A couple of weeks ago I shared TabTab, a subscription sharing service. This week in the world of subscriptions I bring you Unloved, an aftermarket for subscriptions that sit unused. It’s still in beta, but I think they’re on to something with the rise of subscription-obsessed millennials.
Postconscious is a somewhat eerie, very simple site: input a word or phrase, and it will pull recent tweets from Twitter and read them aloud with a reverberating voice. Talk about shouting into the void.
Inner Circle: Never Skip Two
At all costs avoid the physical and mental toll of skipping two in a row.
If something pops up and I can't make a recurring meeting, the first thing I do might surprise you: I look at the next week to see if there's conflicts.
Because I Never Skip Two in a row.
Meetings, workouts, writing sessions, etc. Skipping two in a row is a no-no. Here's why skipping two brings negative consequences, areas of life that are most affected, and how I overcome the urge to skip.
Sustained momentum is not perfect. Take a car moving down a highway. It has to stop for food every now and then. That's like skipping one day of a habit; in the long run, this won't divert from the goal. Over the course of a roadtrip, it's just a blip on the radar. (My metaphors seem to consistently return to cars.)
Two in a row, though, is the start of a new habit. Your brain starts to become wired to believe the event, workout, or meal plan is acceptable to skip. You have to have a strategy to get back on track.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld uses an oft-quoted secret to stay on track: don't break the chain. For every day that he successfully writes, he draws an 'X' on his calendar. It just needs to be done, the writing doesn't have to be good and the jokes don't have to be funny. This is a visual way to track progress, just like the activity rings on my Apple Watch.
Another example: one meal of unhealthy eating won't derail your health (and is important for morale according to a lot of experts like Joe Holder). It's about being reasonable, staying attuned to long-term goals, and not being too self-critical in the short-term.
Our brains are similar when we skip the gym repeatedly. Nicole Lambert, Sports Performance Psychologist, says “if someone works out regularly and skips several workouts he or she may experience an increase in stress, lower self-esteem, embarrassment, guilt, depression, and lack of motivation.” Restarting or ramping up a workout routine can be like pulling my own teeth. I tell myself to just get through the first three workouts, no matter how much I want to resist, to get the good habit and elevated feeling back.
Sleep is similar. It's not optional. Getting two bad nights of sleep in a row leads to inflammation, headaches, and a weak immune system. (This is just one source, but there are plenty.) By listening to our bodies, we can hear the effects. Sometimes our bodies yell at us. "One more hour of sleep please!"
But getting back on track with meetings, personal goals, or family dinners isn't as easy. I use two strategies to Never Skip Two:
(1) consciously dedicate more energy to the task or habit. It requires reprioritizing.
(2) remember why I'm doing said habit. Returning to the why helps me get re-inspired.
The system isn't foolproof, but committing to not skipping two helps me to prioritize my time and energy, maintain momentum, and keep my brain wired towards the end goal.
State of the Circle
Dan is a People-Connector, Marketer, Crypto Enthusiast, and Project Manager. I love coming up with intuitive solutions that combine analytical and people skills. Reply to this email with what you’re working on.
🔊 Listening: José González
📖 Reading: Business Model Generation
➕ Win: Kicked off Pomp’s Crypto Course.
📊 Sidebar: Slightly tweaked my calf, healing up to resume training.
👁️🗨️ Looking Ahead: When is the first time you heard of Bitcoin?
This week was: Frustrating.
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