I love that you broke the sketch by Tim Urban down even further, John! I often think about what an actual past vs future life map would look like. Sometimes what is even more interesting to me than life paths that go in an entirely different direction, are the life paths that run parallel to the one we are currently living. What are the tiny decisions we make on a day-to-day basis that impact where we end up in the long run? Things like mindset, healing, and seeking connection. This also makes me think of the cliche "it's never too late". What are the decisions we might have walked away from in the past that we can revisit later in life? Can two seemingly separate paths realign later on down the road based on certain decisions? Now I am just philosophizing but a good piece will make me do that! Thanks for sharing John, I really enjoyed this.
ooh this is good! Love the extra questions and thoughts here. Some parallel universe vibes, and, yes, maybe some of the lines connect again if it is indeed "not too late". Or will things always be different once a certain direction is chosen (like the butterly effect?). Makings of a good essay or a TV show even (not sure if you ever watched Dark? similar vibes). Thanks for commenting!
I constantly struggle with regret and the “what if” conundrum. I'm always looking over at those other mountains after I have made my decision. This a great reminder to avoid that mindset at all costs. Thanks for writing it!
Great issue John. I love the Coaching Habit, by the way. That little book is packed with gems. But mostly I love this essay's illustration of the first set of pathways. The green line shows how even when you make a choice, that one choice leads to a whole full menu of life engagement. It helps me to visually move from the inner sense I am restricting myself when I make a choice to what will actually get opened up by the act of making that very choice.
Thanks Rick! That's a beautiful way of describing things and adds another layer of meaning to the regret vs. abundance framing. By picking one door (closing others) you end up opening a lot more.
Regret is one of the most corrosive emotions out there. And besides, we live in an age with so much opportunity. It is never too late to course correct.
Thanks Ishan. Exactly - regret is often a case of looking in the wrong direction (past failures) when a look in the opposite direction (future opportunities) can be much more motivating.
Haha love the story Matt. Dropping your phone down an elevator shaft is definitely one way of doing a digital fast. I've been training myself not to react to my phone when it vibrates. Before my hand had this automatic/involuntary reaction to pick it up, but now I'm happy to just ignore it.
yeah it wasn't exactly voluntary haha. I try to keep my phone out of sight and find that that helps. also have no notifications except for phone calls which helps too
I love that you broke the sketch by Tim Urban down even further, John! I often think about what an actual past vs future life map would look like. Sometimes what is even more interesting to me than life paths that go in an entirely different direction, are the life paths that run parallel to the one we are currently living. What are the tiny decisions we make on a day-to-day basis that impact where we end up in the long run? Things like mindset, healing, and seeking connection. This also makes me think of the cliche "it's never too late". What are the decisions we might have walked away from in the past that we can revisit later in life? Can two seemingly separate paths realign later on down the road based on certain decisions? Now I am just philosophizing but a good piece will make me do that! Thanks for sharing John, I really enjoyed this.
ooh this is good! Love the extra questions and thoughts here. Some parallel universe vibes, and, yes, maybe some of the lines connect again if it is indeed "not too late". Or will things always be different once a certain direction is chosen (like the butterly effect?). Makings of a good essay or a TV show even (not sure if you ever watched Dark? similar vibes). Thanks for commenting!
I constantly struggle with regret and the “what if” conundrum. I'm always looking over at those other mountains after I have made my decision. This a great reminder to avoid that mindset at all costs. Thanks for writing it!
Thanks Randy! Good to have buddies like you on the climbing journey.
Great issue John. I love the Coaching Habit, by the way. That little book is packed with gems. But mostly I love this essay's illustration of the first set of pathways. The green line shows how even when you make a choice, that one choice leads to a whole full menu of life engagement. It helps me to visually move from the inner sense I am restricting myself when I make a choice to what will actually get opened up by the act of making that very choice.
Thanks Rick! That's a beautiful way of describing things and adds another layer of meaning to the regret vs. abundance framing. By picking one door (closing others) you end up opening a lot more.
Regret is one of the most corrosive emotions out there. And besides, we live in an age with so much opportunity. It is never too late to course correct.
Great piece John.
Thanks Ishan. Exactly - regret is often a case of looking in the wrong direction (past failures) when a look in the opposite direction (future opportunities) can be much more motivating.
I've also been trying to avoid any screens in the morning for at least an hour
wrote about our relationship with phones too: https://gameofone.substack.com/p/34-put-it-down-for-once
Haha love the story Matt. Dropping your phone down an elevator shaft is definitely one way of doing a digital fast. I've been training myself not to react to my phone when it vibrates. Before my hand had this automatic/involuntary reaction to pick it up, but now I'm happy to just ignore it.
yeah it wasn't exactly voluntary haha. I try to keep my phone out of sight and find that that helps. also have no notifications except for phone calls which helps too