5 Questions to ask myself in 2022
We’re a month into 2022 and the world seems even more unstable and volatile than ever. In light of all this uncertainty, I felt it appropriate to change the way I plan the year. Instead of concrete goals and New Year’s resolutions, I’ll be asking myself a series of questions:
1. Am I prioritizing fulfillment?
In my quest to become a dark horse one day, the first choice I need to make is whether or not I’m prioritizing fulfillment right now and not some time in the distant future. By doing things that make me come alive, or things that spark joy, I’m working on engineering my own passion. The ultimate goal is to be good at what I care most about.
Since happiness and fulfillment comes from solving problems, I need to examine if I’m prioritizing and working on problems that I enjoy. How do the problems associated with what I’m doing compare to known problems that I do enjoy?
2. Am I prioritizing good values over bad ones?
Better problems emerge when better values are prioritized. This year, I’m deliberately choosing values like: creativity, innovation, collaboration, giving back and leaving behind bad values like: getting rich for the sake of getting rich, seeking external valuation for my work, chasing status and people pleasing.
3. Am I able to enter into a flow state?
How much time am I able to spend in a flow state - uninterrupted periods of deep concentration without interruptions? I know that the more time I can spend writing, drawing, thinking or planning the better I feel and the more impactful the results become.
4. Am I judging, debating, evaluating pros/cons?
Something is off if I start evaluating the situation and begin creating a list of pros and cons.
As soon as I have a need to develop a list, I should be prepared to take action.
5. Am I trying new experiments and shipping?
A recent Tim Ferriss Podcast featuring Michael Schur brought this quote to my attention:
“The show doesn’t go on because it is ready, the show goes on because it’s 11:30 pm on a Saturday Night” – Michael Schur quoting Lorne Michaels
This year, I want to make sure that I’m consistently holding myself accountable to shipping - whether it’s a blog post, a drawing, a product or experiment, I need to ship. The benefits of shipping and learning quickly outweigh cautious contemplation.
Inspiration
Mark Manson - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Tim Ferriss Podcast - Interview with Cal Newport
Tim Ferriss Podcast - Interview with Michael Schur
Karan Bajaj’s blog - Lose yourself
Adam Grant’s Tweet - A motivating job isn’t one that makes you look important. It’s the one that makes you feel alive.