Stuck.
Stuck in thought.
Stuck with momentum.
Stuck with life.
I left work on a Thursday night, took the 5:30 train home to grab a quick change of clothing and a fresh spritz of cologne before heading out to a late night tea session with a good friend of mine. I like to catch up with friends every week, hear about what they are up to and talk about current events. This week “we” were on the topic of building a business from nothing and how it all starts with "you", not you as the reader but "you" as in yourself. It was a very mellow conversation in comparison to others I have had, but enjoyable non-the less. This friend I met with is all about the little things in life that make you happy. Looking at life from a day-to-day perspective instead of month-to-month or goal-to-goal.
We enjoyed our tea on what I would consider a perfect fall evening. There is something about the fall that really gets me excited. It must be the crisp air, cool and full of scent. We ended up at chapters in the self-improvement/business section of the store. After sifting through several self-help books I happen to pick one up by the founder of LinkedIn, the start up of you. Turned out to be a nice easy read, nothing too thought provoking; most of what the book talked about I already happen apply to my everyday routine. It was refreshing however to read that another person considers that process of thought successful. Lol. Go me!
The main take away from the book is the idea of growing soft skills aka. tailoring and working with my hands. Skills that other people don't have. Personal skills. These skills are imperative to being successful because they become your niche, the thing that people pay for. The book talked about growing slowly and with purpose and not growing rapidly only to burn out quickly.
Having met with my friend I spent the next couple days really thinking about my routine day to day. I gave some real thought to how quickly routine can become boring and almost overbearing when faced with new challenges. Positive actions lead to positive momentum and focusing on changing day to day in a positive way is a daily task that needs more attention. If you are not enjoying what you are doing why are you continuing to do it? (Speaking in terms of a person’s daily routine). My mentor’s wife has a phrase in Italian, and I know ill butcher it, but it goes something like ... "Che cosa hai fatto bello oggi?" or something to that effect. It asks the question "What did you do that was beautiful today?" Usually stumped by the question, I find it hard to answer. What am I doing that makes me happy or feel good on a daily basis? Other than the work that I do, what else do I do for myself?
Just one more thing to think about I suppose. ... Another thought to stick in the to-do list with everything else.