20/20 Vision = Freedom: Solopreneur Insights, Vol. 20
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed.
But, you live in a time when the list of information that strikes your consciousness could travel to the edges of the Universe and back. The non-stop onslaught of words, sounds, colors, shapes, sizes, voices, faces, emotions, notifications, ads, emails, complaints, distractions, scoreboards, ideas, tactics, opinions, platitudes, and 23-year-olds shouting “you gotta do this instantly or you and your progeny will suffer immeasurable consequences for 1,000 generations!” delivered straight to the palm of your hand 24/7 is—to say the least—untenable.
You’d have more focus if I pointed a megaphone directly at your left ear and screamed Scandinavian Death Metal lyrics all day. Speaking of lyrics, there’s this line from a Jack Johnson song that I love: “If you keep adding stones, soon the water will be lost in the well.”
Alas, most of us have filled our well with stones to the point that we’re throwing more on a mountain of them each day. The concept of drawing water from this well is long-gone.
What does the well symbolize here?
Clarity.
Clarity means the ability to clearly see:
What’s most important to you
What you’re actually trying to achieve
What steps will take you there
This applies to micro decisions like where to eat dinner and macro decisions like deciding whether to start your own business. Regardless of the scale, if you lack clarity on the list above, good luck trying to achieve anything meaningful. At best, you’ll shift into a state of hyper-reactivity, where your best bet is to swat down the rocks as they’re thrown at you so you can minimize the bruises.
Nothing gained. Only your current positioned maintained.
It’s a defensive posture that flips your mind into survival mode. And, there it remains, day after day until you die. Well, if you’re like most people. Fortunately, you’re not like most people.
You’re actually interested in living life on your terms. You wouldn’t be reading this if you weren’t. So, let’s take a look at what it takes to do just that.
It’s just math
Imagine two equations. The first is simple: a + b = c. Here’s the second: ∣x+ √1−x²∣ = √2 (2x² - 1).
You know which one is easier to solve. Yet, if you’re like most people, your life looks a lot more like the second equation than the first. Every task, every obligation, every relationship, every object, every action, and even every idea add up in our minds like some epic junk drawer.
Simplifying means reducing variables. Reducing variables means each single action makes a bigger difference to the final outcome. The clarity that comes from the simple a + b = c equation can only be described as powerful.
It's time to reduce the variables so you can reclaim your power. Here’s a list of the main offenders and what to do about them.
Too many priorities
Define exactly what is most important to you. All things cannot physically be equally important. In the age of “have it all!,” we’ve lost the ability to recognize that we are, in fact, creatures limited by time and space. Create a list of priorities for your life. What will you regret not doing when you die? List those out and rank them. Continue this practice across all of your commitments: Your family, your relationships, your career, your projects. Shedding light on this list will immediately reveal to you that you don’t have time to do it all. Prioritize what’s most important and put it at the top of your action list. Say no to everything else until the priority is complete.
Stuff
I once made a list of everything I owned. Originally, it was for insurance purposes. It quickly became an exercise in “what the hell am I doing with all of this?” Give it a try. Make a list. You see, everything on that list eventually will need maintained, cleaned, replaced, or would cause you distress if you lost it. I’m not going to make this a plug for KonMari tidying (OK, maybe), but it probably wouldn’t hurt. If you’d prefer, just remember what Tyler Durden said in Fight Club: “The things you own end up owning you.”
Information overload
Remember that list of non-stop information that I referenced earlier? That doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface. There’s an all-out war on your mind at all times. If you don’t fight, you’re going to lose. At the very least, ruthlessly curate what information you allow into your mind. This includes social media, emails, TV, podcasts, music, and even people. Adopt my criteria: If they’re not helping you take action on your prioritized goals, supporting you, or making you think bigger—they gotta go. The best way I’ve found to cut through the garbage and focus all my efforts on a specific goal? Hire someone who already did what I want to do, then do what they tell me to. It’s like a cheat code for getting past all the nonsense and acting only on what matters. Instead of screwing around and making critical mistakes for years, I can just trust their process and focus only on my next steps. Highest ROI ever.
Debt
Want to complicate life quickly? Put yourself in a constant state of anxious reactivity because you’re not sure you can pay the bills. I have experienced the weight of soul-crushing debt. It’s darker than any clouds not named death, disease, or divorce. Do everything in your power right now to reduce your expenses and attack any debts that you have. Save up reserves to avoid going into debt. One of the easiest ways? Learn how to make more money. Fortunately, I talk all the time about ways to do that as a Solopreneur. Instead of waiting for a boss to give you a 5% raise, you can learn how to double or triple your income in a relatively short amount of time. Many of you could start Freelancing and bringing in thousands within a matter of weeks. From there, it’s all about fiscal discipline and protecting your assets.
Monkey Mind
I mean, is there a better term than “monkey mind?” Tim Urban’s legendary blog “Wait But Why” features an article about procrastination, where he perfectly describes the Instant Gratification Monkey. Look it up. We all have this part of our brain that’s constantly trying to distract us with activities that will only steal our focus and clarity. We must learn to put a leash on this thing and control our minds. The best ways? Mindfulness practices, breathing, exercise, and journaling. You’ve heard these before. I’m not going to dive into the details of each. But, I am here to reinforce the immense mental clarity that each of these provide. After all, the ability to focus stems from your mind. If you can’t control that, what makes you think you can control anything else?
A life with an incredible view
By reducing the variables, you’re dramatically simplifying the equation of your life. Like a dense fog evaporating into a clear, beautiful day, clarity just arises. Answers arrive more quickly. Ideas flow. The path opens up. You connect with others who are on the exact same path. Start with the list above. After just a month of practicing these, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you solve those problems you’ve wrestled with for years.
– Torrey