An Occasional Newsletter
Greetings Joysetters,
As I draft this newsletter, I am already falling short of weekly as expected in the last edition. I am on track for this to end up going out three weeks after the last which is an improvement over the previous gap of nearly a month. I’ll take it! A 25% improvement is great. It is right in line with the current book I am reading. More on that is below.
Leave who you were. Love who you are. Look Forward to who you will become.
The past no longer exists. It is over. Enjoy the successes. Learn from mistakes. Plan the next steps of your journey. Here is my Leave, Love, Look Forward for the week:
Leave
I am continuing to leave expectations of getting this newsletter out weekly. I am working towards it coming out every other week and if that slips, then so be it because it is not my “One Thing” right now.
Love
I am loving my morning and overall routine right now. By simply lifting expectations of putting this newsletter out weekly, my overall focus on the new site, exercise, and plan to complete all the nagging to-do’s currently on my plate has increased exponentially. Prioritization is still a challenge. There are still too many #1’s dependent on the perspective taken, but that is always a challenge. The magnitude ebbs and flows over time, but there is always more to do than there is time to do it. Setting priorities to get any of it to completion is the key.
Look Forward
I look forward to maintaining this focus over the next two weeks when I will be on the road again. My biggest challenge has always been keeping my routine and focus while on the road. The simple lack of my desk with two large monitors, a standard keyboard, and a mouse tends to crush my routine. I am hopeful of overcoming this challenge in the next two weeks. From a priority perspective, there is a need to shift focus to the trip’s agenda. There are some pieces of my normal routine in the home office that should be paused during the trip, but it doesn’t need to completely blow up. Especially not for two weeks. Wish me luck!
What’s your Leave, Love, Look Forward for the week?
This Week’s Quote
You can do anything, but not everything.
~David Allen
Read, Reading, Up Next
One of my greatest joys is reading and sharing great books. As a subscriber to this newsletter, you will always be entered in my drawings to win a copy of whatever I am currently reading, sometimes signed by the author when I can make that happen. Here is what I just read, am currently reading, and what is on deck to read next.
Read
Again due to priorities I have not finished my current reread of the below book. I first read The One Thing back in 2014 I believe. As I started reading it again, I was immediately reminded why I enjoyed it so much. Very quickly into the book, they describe “The Domino Effect.” Did you know that a single domino can topple another domino that is 50 percent larger? The book goes on to share an experiment conducted by a physicist from San Francisco’s Exploratorium starting with a domino only two inches tall and running to the last being nearly three feet tall. If you could continue this experiment the results would be as follows (also shared in the book):
- The 18th domino would be taller than the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- The 23rd domino would tower over the Eiffel Tower
- The 31st domino would extend over Mount Everest by almost 3,000 feet.
- The 57th domino would almost reach the distance between the earth and the moon!
It would only take 57 dominos to reach the moon! Does your current goal feel like “shooting for the moon?” Great, you can probably get there in ~57 steps. Are you focused on that first “two-inch” step so that you can begin the progression to that goal? Will you enjoy the journey across those “57 steps?” If one is off slightly stopping the progression are you able to accept the challenge, reset, and possibly even change course? All the while – ENJOYING THE JOURNEY?
You can shoot for the moon, but first, you must start here on earth. What’s your first or next domino?
Reading
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller, Jay Papasan
Up Next
I have a stack of prior reads queued up to read again but I am sure I will move on to a new one that just arrived. I may even dive into it before finishing my current read.
Discipline Is Destiny: The Power Of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday
BTW – I bought 4 additional signed copies to give away. If you are subscribed to this newsletter, you are already entered to win a copy. If you know anyone else that might be interested, be sure to copy and send them the link shared below.
Recent Blog Posts
Did you catch the recent posts on michaelwgusky.com? Here are just a few:
- How to Balance Financial Responsibility with Generosity & HumilityHabit 8: Frugal, Giving, & Humble from The “Habits for Well-Being” Series Money makes the world go round. So they say. There is certainly some truth to that. But don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s all about having more, spending more, and definitely not about flaunting what you have. Financial success is just as much about being …
How to Balance Financial Responsibility with Generosity & Humility Read More »
- Maintaining a Healthy Social Life: How to Strengthen Personal Relationships and Reap the BenefitsHabit 7: Connect from The “Habits for Well-Being” Series This is currently my most out-of-balance area in life. Being a self-confessed workaholic used to make “Body & Mind” in the most need of focus but I have since found a good routine and momentum to both exercise daily and take the needed breaks to refresh my mind. This …
- Embrace Uncertainty and Find Possibilities with a Positive Mindset and GratitudeHabit 6: Positive Attitude from The “Habits for Well-Being” Series Do you approach each day with positivity and gratitude? There is no doubt that many of us are bombarded with negativity every day. It is important to rise above that negativity and approach your day with a positive attitude. Having a positive mental attitude and embracing your current …
Embrace Uncertainty and Find Possibilities with a Positive Mindset and Gratitude Read More »
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