51 / Integrity Report. Seeking. Writing. Friendships.

My 2021 Integrity Report.

Nov 30, 2021

And happy GivingTuesday. As the holidays are upon us and we reflect on the year, I've reflected on what this newsletter focuses on. I want to deliver quality content about topics that are on my mind and give resources to document the journeys of personal development and introspection we are all on. Feel free to reach out with any ideas, concerns, or topics on your mind.

"Look for strength in people, not weakness, for good, not evil. Most of us find what we search for." — Bill Vaughan

Even when we feel powerless, there is one thing always within our control and that is the narrative in our mind. By consciously looking for the strengths, the good, and the positives, we can see a brighter world.

Friendsgiving made its annual spike on the Google searches list once again. In that vein, I read about the Dunbar number and six rules for emotionally intelligent friendships. "Okay, so what are most of our friendships missing?"
I admittedly took some time off from writing Circle Three. To be honest I missed it, and it's not a routine I drop lightly. It's always inspiring to read pieces on the power of writing like this one.
Set, track, & achieve a yearly financial goal for your startup. This would be a valuable tool for anyone getting something off the ground.
A People Map of the US, "where city names are replaced by their most Wikipedia’ed resident: people born in, lived in, or connected to a place." I live in the city of Will Smith.
This absolutely fascinating LEGO domino-making machine keeps getting better and better.

Integrity Report: 2021

Holding myself accountable after another year.

Modeled after James Clear’s report of the same name, the Integrity Report is designed to force myself to think about how I live out my core values and beliefs. I want to hold myself accountable for my interactions and attitudes in a reflective space. This is also a reflection on last year's report of the same name.

The report is meant to understand, document, and reflect on how I’m working towards a higher standard in work and life. Why integrity? Integrity is about honesty, principles, and living according to your deepest values. Integrity statements have to be signed at school, people are asked to be role models with integrity, etc.

Integrity as a nebulous idea is fairly easy; it’s harder in the day-to-day. How have I been living out my core values?

My hope is to publish a yearly Integrity Report towards the end of the year as people gather in families for Thanksgiving, days get short, and the time is ripe for reflection. This is my second such report.

There are three questions I will answer in this Integrity Report.

What are the core values that drive my life and work?
How am I living and working with integrity right now?
How can I set a higher standard in the future?

What are the core values that drive my life and work?

My core values are defined in my Life Resume. My core values remain similar to last year, but I tweaked them a bit to continue the journey of self-discovery and more accurately reflect my state of mind for the year. After undergoing a lot of transformation, I have shifted to a place of implementation — putting to practice many of the values I've internalized in the last year. The questions following each core value inspire me to think more deeply about living out the value. You can think about your own values, and use this list as well as this one for inspiration.

I. Growth (Learning, Habits, and Taking Action)

Am I learning new things, improving beliefs and thoughts, and exploring new places?
Am I setting a higher standard in my work and my life?
Am I building habits that lead to continual improvement?

II. Consistency (Dedication, Patience, and Discipline)

Am I showing up and making myself a contribution?
Am I carving out space when I need it?
Am I continuing the good habits that I have learned?

III. Sincerity (Honesty and Openness)

Am I sincere with myself?
Am I speaking my beliefs, thoughts, and desires?
Am I authentic and trustworthy in my interactions and/or representations?

IV. Community (Inviting and Beneficial)

Am I creating inviting places for others?
Am I an active participant in the communities?
Am I conscious about being a leader in those communities?

How am I living and working with integrity right now?

Prioritizing Learning. I enjoyed being a student in school. All my life, learning has been important to me. There is so much to learn, and I'm proud of how I've entered a new industry with curiosity and consistency in order to learn every day. One sign of consistent learning: at the end of every month feeling like I was inexperienced the month before. Asking "What am I missing?" or "What's your advice?" have opened up worlds of information that would otherwise be unknown.

Communication. Showing up honestly and openly hasn't always been my forte. Over the last year, I've been open with myself and others through writing, talking, and consistent meetings. It hasn't been easy, but the feeling of sincerity and the unity that I've seen spring from it has been eye-opening.

Discipline. While there have been changes of all sorts, I've consistently kept core values at heart — family, community, and discipline to name a few. I've pushed myself to physical limits and changed geographic locations, but the people in my life and patient routines have stayed with me throughout.

Risk Appetite. Something that ties my core values together is my increased appetite to take chances. I never thought I'd make it to 50+ newsletters, finish an ultramarathon, write a crypto newsletter, or publish an article for Levels. But here we are. Behind each of these was a sense of impossibility, but it was met with a willingness to try, the support of community, and a sense of peace to overcome any doubts.

How can I set a higher standard in the future?

This is where the masks come off. Where have I come up short in my integrity examination?

Balance. There have been periods of work without play and play without work. Finding that sense of balance in the day-to-day routines has been a struggle during these periods. I tend to get laser-focused on goals to the detriment of things on the periphery, whether that’s failing to show up for others or an overall sense of cleanliness. I'm working to keep my head on a swivel to maintain that sense of balance during the course of the days and weeks.

Service. What do I have an excess of? Sometimes it's time. Sometimes it's money. Sometimes it's a listening ear. Putting myself in a place of service to others can slip through the cracks. There were great opportunities this past year, and I'd like to continue that sense of service on a more consistent basis to continue to grow into community.

Playfulness. Of all the things I read this year, something that stayed with me was this report on the importance of playfulness and humor, especially in the workplace. I can struggle with taking a lighthearted approach to things and want to be able to more easily access my inner goofball rather than always defaulting to the introspective thinker. My value last year was contribution. I want to contribute in new ways.

The Bottom Line

Integrity lies within. This Integrity Report is an attempt to externally hold myself accountable. Major lapses in integrity don’t happen often, but slight deviations from values can add up.

The danger is recognizing it too late. The answer is making small steps to improve.

The report is a commitment to level up, lead, and live out this next year with integrity. Thanks for reading. What would your own Integrity Report look like?