When I first started this blog in the Summer of 2023, I felt as though I had an endless stream of ideas. A plethora of topics to write about. Now, seven months later as I write this at the end of January 2024, I’m starting to run out of ideas. Each day, I have a recurring reminder to write for 25 minutes. That’s all! Just 25 minutes every single day. But, sometimes I find it hard to do that. Sometimes I just don’t have any words, or don’t feel like writing, or feel that this is not a priority. And I think that’s the crus! This blog is not a high priority for me. It started out as a personal hobby project because I was just so excited about having finally after 10 years of grind, crossed into millionaire status! But, now that joy has gone away, and I’m finding it increasingly difficult to dump words out onto the screen.
But, I think that is exactly the point! Just sit down and do it. Doesn’t matter what the quality of the writing is. Doesn’t matter what the topic is. Just write, and write some more, and then write even more after that. I recall why I started journaling in the first place and it was because I had read the biography on John Adams. I think I’ve mentioned this tidbit before. He was a prolific writer and it’s thanks to that huge library of literature that Walter Isaacson could paint such a vivid picture and help the reader get inside the mind of John Adams. All that was only possibel because there was so much of Adam’s innermost thoughts written down on paper for future generations.
Even if not very many people read this blog, that is okay! All that it takes is one single person to discover this, by accident even, and gain something from it. If just one person does that, then I will consider this time well spent. And so, I set a pomodoro timer for 25 minutes and write. And even when the words dry up and stop flowing, I just keep writing whatever comes to mind no matter how random or of little consequence I think that thought has. It’s quantity over quality for sure. I think that’s alright for the purposes of this blog. In the future, as large language model (LLM) artificial intelligence continues to improve, this entire blog could be ingested and summarized in the blink of an eye, providing the read with bumper sticker sized summaries. What a world we live in!
I grew up outside the US in the 80s and Internet wasn’t really a thing in my childhood. I remember the first email my parents ever received and how mind blowing that small invention was at the time. You see, overseas in the middle of nowhere it would take mail literally weeks to go back and forth. And with email, we could have a response from family members the same day. That was incredible back then. And now today, we’re all deluged in endless spam and our inboxes have become this dumping ground for tasks, and that’s not what email is best used for! At least, that’s my opinion.
And so I continue to sit and write as the pomodoro clock continues to count down the time. Minute by minute until the end, and then I can cross this ritual off my list as having completed it. Why do I do this? To brag. To share the lessons I’ve learned and have helped me reach this point. And… for my children, should I have any, who might be interested, perhaps many many years from now, for a glimpse inside my mind and thoughts. And maybe, just maybe, a glimmer of insight and inspiration for that youngster to make their own path in life, doing better than I have at every step.
Here’s to you, youngster. Maybe your future be filled with endless possibilities and optimism, and live a FLEX lifestyle.
FLEX = Fun, Light, Easy, positive eXperience.
Leave a Reply