A Tool for a Great Life

Good Morning Y'all!

Today, I'll share a perspective shift that simplified my life.

WHAT WE WANT

I think it's safe to say we all have some sort of goal that we haven't achieved yet.

There's often a never-ending laundry list of reasons why we haven't gotten what we want...

Today, I want to provide clarity on how to achieve anything we want.

This applies to those who are trying to conquer the world, or simply just get in better shape.

We are going to separate the inputs from the outputs.

We're all currently hyper-fixated on the end result.

We're all focused on what it will look like at the finish line...

What it would look like to have a six-pack,

Be a millionaire and have our dream house and car,

Or to finally have a great relationship with our partner.

Although we need to know where we're aiming, we've taken this to the extreme.

If we're only focused on level 100, we won't understand how to get past level 1.

It's the anxiety around future problems that stops us from taking the first step today.

So, what's the solution?

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Having faced this problem in my life, I've created a prompt I use whenever I want to make an everlasting change.

That question is...

"What action can I take TODAY towards my long-term goal that, if I’m consistent, would almost certainly lead to success?"

This question intends to create a simple and direct path towards what we want to accomplish.

Because I mention the word, "TODAY", it's hard for the brain to assign us 1,000 different tasks.

Every human has a pretty good grasp on what they can do within 24 hours.

Let's say we are trying to lose twenty pounds of body weight.

Rather than focusing so much attention on...

How much creatine we're consuming,

The precise bench press technique we're using,

The optimal running shoes for the gym,

The best smartwatch for tracking calories,

The exact number of calories we're consuming,

How we'll look when we're 20 pounds lighter,

The clothes we'll finally be able to wear,

What our friends will say about our weight loss.

All of these topics are a complete waste of time, but they currently take up the majority of our mental space.

If we were to ask ourselves...

"What action can I take TODAY towards my long-term goal that, if I’m consistent, would almost certainly lead to success?"

Many of us will be able to immediately come to a conclusion on what that may look like.

More than likely, it will be...

• Eat no processed food today.

• Go for a 30-minute walk this morning before breakfast.

• Go for a 30-minute walk this evening after dinner.

That's it.

Just do it again, tomorrow.

For most people, that's all it takes.

Will this make us lose 20 pounds overnight?

No, but if we do it consistently for a handful of weeks, I guarantee we'll see a difference in the way we look.

Our bodies will let us know when it's time to throw in another daily/weekly task, like going to the gym.

But all of those extra scenarios we keep making up in our mind, are absolutely worthless.

HOW I'M APPLYING THIS

I'm here to make information on personal development and spirituality accessible to everyone.

I will also speak on how to live a healthy lifestyle, improve relationships, and overcome all self-sabotaging habits.

I've yet to master writing, speaking, and maintaining perfect health…

So it’s still not worth it for me to forecast into the future on...

• The title of the book I'm going to write in ten years,

• The topics for the daily talk show will be about in a few years,

• The health products or services I'm going to sell,

• Or how my future children will be raised.

Those are future problems, beyond my current control.

Or as I call them, "The Outputs".

What I can focus on is how I can build towards that lifestyle, every day.

"The Inputs"

I've been able to let go of the "future" and focus on the "now" by,

Creating a daily list for Writing and Speaking:

• Publish one edition of The Love Letter

• Post one Instagram Reel (& Youtube Short) saying, "You Are Loved and You Are Enough".

• Post another Instagram Reel(& YouTube Short) with a spontaneous positive rant.

• Post one "Solitude 60 Reflections" video on Twitter, after having meditated for an hour.

These four content pieces have expanded my audience in recent weeks and will continue to do so.

(I'll be including a weekly podcast and other videos soon).

It's highly unlikely that it won't continue to spread across thousands of others over the span of a few years.

I don't have to wake up everyday and focus on the metrics about how these posts have been doing.

I only need to focus on showing up everyday and completing the tasks.

Completely removed from the results and opinions of others.

Shut out from all the outside noise.

This allows me to focus solely on showing up and being better than the day before.

I've set up a few inputs for my own life too...

• Meditate for 60 minutes a day.

• Out of the 21 meals in a week, only eat out for 3 of them.

• Ground every morning (putting my feet in grass).

• Take four, 15-minute outside walks.

• Strength train at least 5 times a week.

• Reach out (either text or call) to a loved one every day.

Adopting these daily habits has led to me feeling happier and healthier than ever.

These nearly half a dozen habits for each category weren't applied overnight.

I added a new habit every few weeks.

So the lifestyle feels easy, simple, and gradual.

CONCLUSION

Now, every day I wake up and know exactly what I need to do.

No extra noise, no second guessing.

I'll know when it feels right to adopt more habits, but for now, this will put me on the right path to get to my destination.

I hope focusing on only the inputs, not the outputs, brings you value.

That's it for today.

You are loved and you are enough.

See you tomorrow.

I love you all.

-Cameron Hogan