The Annual Review - The Pursuit #3
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On the first of each month I share what’s new with my pursuits in fitness, finance, family and faith.
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Happy New Year!! To start the year I think one of the best things you can do is to take a few minutes and reflect on 2023.
One easy way to do this is by pulling your camera roll, going to January 1st, and scrolling through the entire year to select 12 photos that showcase your proudest moments and signify growth over the past year.
The photos that jumped out to me were not ones that would go on a frame. They were the highlights of the daily life that often get forgotten.
Believe it or not, my wife found this review much more fun than my financial review and projections spreadsheets!
Here are a few that I shared with her:
The excitement of my son using a torch is what makes this photo great.
What this photo doesn’t show is that I had an absolutely terrible time working with that contractor. On the good weather days he would go to other jobs then my job would freeze over and the project took several months longer to complete.
To me this photo shows that my sons are in a magic window of time.
If I am aware of this period of time daily, I will experience their magic with them, rather than letting the small frustrations blind me from their experience.
This year my Grandma died. It was a very hard time for many members of our family because she was truly an incredible matriarch.
This photo is a picture of her Bible. It had notes in the margins of nearly every page. It was clear she spent time praying with her Bible daily for years.
This particular note she was praying for my dad and stress he was experiencing over 40 years ago.
The Psalm and photo serves as a great example and reminder of where to turn daily and during times of difficulty.
I received this Rolex over four years ago as a sales award. A couple times a year I would put it on and realize that the only interest I had in wearing it would be as a signal to others. That never sat well with me, so then it would go back in the box and buried in my closet.
Objectively, nice watches are awesome, but just not for me.
This year I got clarity that I want to spent more time wearing a Garmin and having it track my workouts than a Rolex. I took this photo before selling the watch.
I used the proceeds to buy our sauna!
Objectively, saunas are also awesome, but maybe not for you.
This book, Wanting, really helped me get clarity on how our desires are influenced by others.
I would love to hear if you do this photo exercise, and what you learn from your 2023 as you make your plan for the New Year.
Top Finds From December
Mr Wonderful on TikTok:
“Two-thirds of you will become consultants, and you will never build anything of consequence,” he told a group of America’s best and brightest in a recent guest lecture. In a clip that went viral, he points out that consultants never really have skin in the game, and that to truly build something great you’ve got to be fully in the trenches.
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Newsletter worth reading:
James Clear’s weekly 3-2-1 Newsletter is one of my favorites and his thoughts below are the perfect reminder heading into 2024.
"The way to live a full life is to act quickly.
Particularly as you grow older, it's alarmingly easy to let a year or two (or five) slip by without doing the big things you always felt like doing. You get into a rhythm—not necessarily one you love, but one you become comfortable repeating—and the grooves of your daily routine become deeper and more established.
Speed is perpetually undervalued. That doesn't mean you should feel frantic or rushed. In fact, it's likely you should eliminate some of the things that make you feel so busy to make space for things you always wanted to do. But it definitely means you should stop letting the days drift by waiting for the moment to be right.
Stop acting like there is infinite time. This—the way you are living right now—is your one life."
The best reel of the month:
No surprise it came from Jess Itzler:
Have a great start to the new year!