- I started a blog. This is my third post. I’m not good at it. But, I’m starting it anyways. Start before you are ready.
- Exactly a year ago, I moved to Buffalo. Winter sucked and I missed my friends and family from my home town so I moved back to Nashville. But, Buffalo is beautiful (in the summer), the food is great, and the people are better. The Rust Belt cities and people are underrated.
- The best part about moving is the new relationships you gain.
- The worst part about moving is the old relationships you lose.
- I follow the Rock on Instagram. His message is sent to millions of people every day. If you want to have a big impact, the best way to do it is to get famous.
- Watching football games for hours on Saturday and Sunday is probably a waste of time.
- When I was a teacher, I thought my impact was more important than money. I’ve changed my mind. Money represents value. If you make a lot of money, that means you are creating a lot of value.
- How to Spot a Great Salesman: Look at Their Wife.
- My buddy Steve told me this a while back and I think about it often. There are good looking people everywhere. Don’t beat yourself up for missing out on someone. There’s someone else out there.
- For a single guy, getting a girlfriend is the best way to begin building a community. I’m still single.
- I don’t look great in shorts. Unless I’m playing sports or swimming, I’m wearing pants.
- “Strong People are harder to kill and more useful in general.” – Mark Rippetoe
- I’ve never kept a clean or organized room. My mom and old roommates can attest to that. But, recently, I’ve come to believe that keeping a clean room is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. So much of life feels out of our control, but a clean room isn’t.
- The best thing about trips or parties or Bills home football games is the anticipation. Put things on your calendar to look forward to.
- If you fell while skiing, and your instructor told you why you fell, you wouldn’t argue. You would listen to the instructor, so you could avoid falling again. Then, why would you argue with your boss or spouse or coach when they told you why you messed up? Listen to your friends and family. They want the best for you.
- The only thing you should drink like a fish is what fish drink.
- When I find myself thinking a friend is smug or dumb or big headed, I’m probably just jealous.
- Since college, I’ve had a goal of bench pressing 315 pounds. I’m getting closer but I’m still not there. There are no life hacks to accomplishing big goals.
- I started playing kickball and basketball again this year. I loved both games growing up. Now, I look forward to playing every week, and while I’m playing, nothing else matters. The only thing I can do is focus on playing the game. I need to play more games.
- I pay a lot for a weightlifting coach each month. It’s probably an unnecessary expense. I could use that to buy a nicer apartment or upgrade my wardrobe, but I don’t care about those things. I care about being strong. Pay to optimize the things you care about and look for other areas where you can reduce or eliminate expenses.
- This year, I had someone tell me that they think “I’m smart.” It was such a nice compliment and one I don’t ever remember hearing. The truth is all my ideas have come from books. If you want to be “smart”, start making reading a habit.
- In order to make a habit permanent, you need to think of yourself as the type of person that does the habit. For instance, if you want to quit smoking, you need to think of yourself as a non-smoker instead of someone who likes to smoke but is trying to quit. Same goes for good habits. If you want to exercise, you need to make exercise a part of who you are. If the habit is a part of your identity, it is much harder to break for better or worse.
- This year, my boss accidentally overpaid me $500. I could of used the money, but I told him about the mistake and gave it back. I’m not trying to highlight the fact that I’m a great person. I’m not. I have said and done plenty of hurtful things this year. But, telling the truth made me feel better than having the $500.
- I held two jobs this year that I had no experience in: graphic design and roofing. I went from being one of the most experienced and counted on teachers at my last school to the low man on the totem pole in two new professions. I had to swallow my ego and listen to younger and/or less formally educated people. And now, I have dozens of skills that I didn’t have before. Be willing to be a rookie.
- I don’t have a television in my current apartment. I have replaced it with other bad habits like looking at my phone. But, I have also replaced it with being social and reading.
- This year, my brother decided to start playing ice hockey. There are 100 reasons he shouldn’t do it. He’s never played before. He’s not a good skater. It’s expensive. People don’t just start playing hockey in their 30s. But he did it. And he goes every week. And he loves it. What new experiences would I enjoy if I just stopped making excuses?
- At night, I don’t go to bed until I feel I’ve learned one new thing. I hope I will be much smarter if I keep doing this.
- I did jiu jitsu this year. Even being a somewhat strong 250-pound male, I got roughed up. Guys 50 pounds lighter than me would submit me with ease. It was humbling. It made me tougher. I should do things that make me humble and tougher.
- Let people tell you how hard they’re working and how successful they are. It’s probably not completely true, but it’s not your job to prove it.
- Want to date a girl, get a raise, or receive a discount? You have to ASK. Don’t wait for people to approach you.
- Lavar Ball has done a lot of good. He started a basketball league to compete with the NCAA, and the league actually paid its players. He has created streams of income for his family instead of being a parasite like many other parents of pro athletes.
- It sucks to be Lavar Ball. Lavar has fans but he has an equal amount of people that despise him. It can’t be fun to be hated that much.
- Don’t start sentences with, “Sorry to bother you.” Just ask the question. If you feel like you’re bothering someone, then don’t ask.
- I have an old friend I recently reconnected with when I moved back to Nashville. There are parts of our friendship that frustrate me. He hates trying new things and meeting new people. But, I laugh a lot with him. And that’s important. My friends don’t have to be all things to me. I can appreciate each friend for the good they bring and ignore the rest.
34 Thoughts From a 34-Year-Old
Published
The House of Improvement 