Hey, RRR family šØāš©āš§āš¦! I hope the holiday season has been kind, filled with quality time (whether with yourself or others), and not lacking in reflection.
Typically, my holiday period is a time when I try to step back from my own life and observe its truths from an objective lens. This time of year tends to contain just a sprinkle more āfreeā time, which lends itself to pondering your entire existence. So relaxing š¤£.
One thing I have learned on our RRR journey is that itās incredibly challenging to write about something in a way that will resonate with all of my readers. Perhaps each of you wonāt be enthralled with my recent series on U.S. public transit, but I do at least want to speak about the subject in a way that engages my audience.
I want to get you excited about random things!
This is something Iāll challenge myself to get better at over time. Weāre just in the very early innings of RRR, and I would do well to keep that in mind.
However, in an effort to start down that path on the right foot, Iāll do my best to characterize how we can all reflect in a healthy way as we approach 2024.
Leave the past in the past.
Most people shy away from introspection because it hurts to think about our own faults. Whatever you do, donāt take yourself (or life for that matter) too seriously!
Itās such a pathetic sounding clicheā¦ but weāre all human. No one is judging you harshly on your lowest moments. If someone is judging you, theyāre legitimately not a person you need to impress. It sounds mean, but let them engulf themselves in their own misery. You donāt need to be a part of it.
Conversely, there is something I want you to be a part ofā¦ and itās this newsletter! Subscribing is 100% free, so thereās not really a reason you shouldnāt!
If any portion of my writing helps you formulate a good thought, offers a new perspective, or teaches you something about a subject you had never before considered, your ROI on a subscription would be infinity. Thatās what I call beating the market!
In Recent Timesā¦
Sticking with the theme of turning the page on the past and looking forward to a more prosperous future, letās talk about things we want to accomplish in 2024.
For me, I need to build some new / better habits.
Since I returned from London, Iāve been making a point to play a ton of sports. Iām playing in a soccer league on Monday nights, and we usually practice a couple of times each week. On top of that, Iāve been trying to commit to getting good at basketball again.
The positives here are that Iām getting a ton of cardio in the different zones, Iām having fun, and getting out of my own head for a while. Sports are truly a form of meditation for me. The exercise is also helping me sleep better. Never underestimate some good ole fashioned exhaustion.
The massive con, however, is the toll itās taking on my body. From the soccer, my feet are starting to get some ugly wear and tear. Iāve had a mild bone bruise on my right heel for months now that wonāt quite heal (because I keep running on it).
From basketball, the damage is far worse. My left knee has what I suspect to be a chronic pain issue. Even a little exercise on it sends the occasional sharp pain through my knee. My lower back is tightening and feeling less flexible with each day of hoops. Itās a sport played on a hard surface that involves a ton of jumping with less than ideal landing spaces. As a result, my lower spine is acting like a shock absorber, getting condensed over and over again.
If Iām going to keep up playing a lot of sports, I absolutely need to become more flexible, and do more at home stretching to target susceptible areas of my body.
The problem with this, is that the rate of progress from investing time and effort into these stretching routines feels impossibly slow.
As my friend eloquently put itā¦
Itās nothing a few hundred hours of stretching and strange workouts canāt make slightly better over a large duration of time.
ššš.
There are so many things we should do but donāt, simply because we wonāt see instant results.
Think about holding investments long term, trying to become more fit, building better relationships, or learning a new language. Theyāre all things we should strive for and rarely do because we donāt see outsized returns right from the beginning.
If we can break this constraint of our human condition, it unlocks a world of possibility for the future.
Please let me know in the comments what youāre looking forward to working on in 2024! I would love to hear about your goals š£š. We can help each other stay accountable š¤š».
Content of the Week šššŗ
A podcast and a movie for you, to change things up:
Making Sense Episode #308 - The Long Game
An oldie but a goodie, coming up on itās 1-year anniversary. Sam Harris and his guest speak about the Harvard Study of Adult Development.
All Quiet on the Western Front (Remake)
Definitely not one you should stumble into without proper mental preparation. The film does an astounding job of giving you insight into the horrors of WW1. Aside from that, I appreciate how the film can at times leave you feeling sympathetic towards the people representing both sides of the conflict. At the end of the day, there were a lot of reasonably āinnocentā young people who were sent off to do the bidding of incomprehensibly evil leaders.
Final Notes
Leaving you all with a short edition today. With that, here are some things I enjoyed this week:
Hamden CTās ghost parking lot as a commentary on Americaās reliance on cars.
SGA fried the Denver Nuggets for 40 in route to victory, part of an incredible week for his team.
Only Pessimists Pick Bottoms by
of Investment Talk
Thereās still not been any snow in Connecticut š - but my mind is here:
Happy new year, everyone šš„.
Thank you so much for recommending my piece! I really appreciate it!
Happy new year!