Question to reframe your work:

How can you change your outlook by changing your perspective?

This is a story I love about three stonecutters:

One morning, three stonecutters working on a cathedral construction site were approached by a traveler who was interested in their work.

The traveler posed the same question to each, seeking to understand their perspectives on their labor.

The first stonecutter responded without enthusiasm, "I am cutting stone." He saw his work as a means to a simple end.

The second stonecutter said with a bit more pride, "I am building a wall." He understood a bigger picture of his work for the tangible structure. He recognized his contribution to something that would stand well after his time.

The third stonecutter showed great joy and excitement as he gestured towards the heavens, "I am building a cathedral!" His voice carried a vision of the future, where the cathedral stood complete for many centuries after he was gone.

Each of the three stonecutters was performing the exact same task, but their outlook on that task was dramatically impacted by their perspective.

The first stonecutter viewed it as small and monotonous. The second stonecutter viewed it as important. The third stonecutter viewed it as grand and consequential.

The lesson here is a powerful one: Your life is what you make of it.

How can you change your perspective to change your outlook?

Be the third stonecutter. Take pride in what you do. There is nobility in doing the work, in punching the clock, in showing up.

Perspective is everything: Change yours and change your life.

Quote on the joy of the journey:

"The true delight is in the finding out rather than in the knowing." — Isaac Asimov

The one who loves to climb will climb higher than the one who loves the view from the summit.

Find joy in the journey, or you won't find it at all.

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Framework to improve your performance:

The Theory of Constraints

The Theory of Constraints is a business philosophy first proposed by Eliyahu Goldratt in his 1984 book, ​The Goal​.

The key idea is that every system has at least one constraint that restricts its ability to grow or meaningfully improve its desired output.

In other words, there is a bottleneck that prevents the system from improving.

By focusing attention on improving the constraint—eliminating the bottleneck—you can dramatically improve the performance of the entire system.

This theory applies to business optimization, but also to life:

• What is the constraint that is restricting your ability to grow or meaningfully improve your desired output?
• What is the one thing you could eliminate or improve that would drive the biggest potential gain or impact?
• What one change would create the greatest positive impact in your life?

A few examples where I've applied this idea to my life:

• Sleep: Poor sleep performance was a big problem. The constraint was that it would take me a long time to fall asleep. I recognized that a racing mind was the cause. To improve the constraint, I implemented simple pre-bed journaling that would calm my mind and get any stress or anxiety down on the paper.
• Fitness: Lack of aesthetic progress was the problem. The constraint was that my training intensity had become mediocre (my nutrition was strong). To improve the constraint, I shortened the workout length but increased the focus and intensity.
• Work: Lack of creative output was the problem. The constraint was a lack of creative energy and focus during the day. To improve the constraint, I moved my creative work to first thing in the morning (when I feel most creative) and time-bounded my focus block to progressively build the focus muscle.

The forced focus on a single constraint creates tremendous clarity. That is the Atomic Variable. Focus there first. Everything else is a distraction.

Powerful passage on waking up early:

I love this passage from ​Meditations​:

At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: "I have to go to work—as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I'm going to do what I was born for—the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?"

Worth a read the next time you find yourself struggling to get out of bed in the morning.

Simple PM routine that's working for me:

I try to keep my routines as simple as possible so that I have no choice but to follow them.

This three step evening routine has been working well for me:

1. 15-Minute Prep Session: At the end of my work day, I spend 15 minutes preparing for the first 2-3 priority tasks of the next morning. I get them pulled up on my computer screen, write down a few big goals for the next day, and generally try to reduce the friction to getting started the next morning.
2. Grayscale Mode (or Red Tint): I turn my phone to ​Grayscale Mode​ as soon as I'm done with the prep session to minimize my distraction and technology usage at night. I want to be present with my family, and this simple trick really helps. Note: I recently started experimenting with the Red Tint (also in the Color Filters on the iPhone) to see if it helps with lowering blue light exposure, which is shown to improve sleep. Stay tuned!
3. 1-1-1 Journaling: Just before bed, I take out my notebook and go through my ​1-1-1 Method​. I write down one win from the day, one point of tension or stress, and one point of gratitude. It takes 2-5 minutes and creates an incredible feeling of calm to end the night. I have seen my sleep improve dramatically since starting this a few years ago.

If you have struggled to find a consistent, yet simple, evening routine, try this.