Try to See the Future

I think a lot. Who doesn’t? It’s strange to say you’re a “thinker” or that you “do a lot of thinking”. Everyone thinks. All of the time.

Supposedly we have 70,000 thoughts per day.

I only know 1 person who doesn’t seem to think a lot. He’s probably the happiest person I know.

Many of my thoughts are experiments. I like to try and see the future.

So I often ask myself, “what would happen if…?”

Just like this…

What would happen if you left social media for a year? #

Less distraction. More focus. Getting more ideas. Executing more ideas. More valuable brain connections. More quiet. More boredom (that’s good). Less anxiety. Less FOMO. Less curation. More deep work.

None of that happens just because you leaves social media. Social media is entertainment. Just like Netflix, Us Weekly, Playstation, slot machines.

What if you increased your Netflix time in place of social media? That’s like trading in McDonald’s for Burger King and expecting healthy change.

The new minutes must be spent wisely. The fresh energy must be reallocated. The change is only the spark.

You might also lose followers. Maybe miss out on new internet connections. Become less known.

What would happen if you chose a business idea and stuck with it for 2 years? #

Independence. Money. Freedom. Success. A life of purpose.

Only if the business idea is good. Most ideas are not good.

This is the easiest way to know if an idea is good: ask people to give you money for it before it’s even built.

But there’s also potential failure. Wasted money. Stuck at the day job. But also, education and experience.

What would happen if you let yourself be bored for 10 minutes a day? #

You’d be like a kid again. Grounded. Laying on your bed and staring at the ceiling. There are no cell phones yet.

Some birds chirp outside your window. Your dog snores. Golden hour fills the room.

You’re just letting your eyes find faces in the paint texture. There’s nothing else to do.

Until…a brand new connection is made. How did you not think of it before? Too much noise before. You run to the sketch pad and scribble and scratch and smile.

What would happen if you broke a sweat for 30 minutes a day? #

Your waist would shrink. You’d feel better and have more energy. Maybe your hair would stop falling out. Maybe your jaw would stop clicking from stress. You wouldn’t get depressed as often.

What would happen if you left a love note for your significant other every morning? #

They’d love you more. Their sense of security in you as a partner would increase. Believe it or not, you’re an investment of the heart. They’re expecting a good return.

You’d probably make love more often. That would ease anxiety and stress for both of you. Your home would become peaceful and nurturing. A safe space.

You’d both smile more.

What would happen if you read 1 book every week? #

You’d have more ideas. Your own writing would get better. Your communication would become more clear. You’d learn faster than your peers. This makes you more valuable. This earns you more.

None of these are impossible experiments. They just need a healthy dose of discipline. People get a rotten feeling when they see that word. They think it’s uncreative, anti-art, too rigid.

But positive returns are directly related to increased discipline.

When I leave social media for even a month, I find I have more high-quality ideas.

When I exercise 5 days a week for 3 months, I smile more.

We don’t have to view discipline as something that limits us. On the contrary, the rejection of discipline is the only real thing that will limit our potential positives.