It’s 9:12 a.m. and I’ve already made breakfast, lost four games of chess, set my two teams for the fantasy championship, worked out, and started writing a blog post. This is exactly what I’d do every day if I didn’t have a job.
Once I finish this, I’ll check in on work—which is different from actually working—get a haircut, watch some football, and spend time with family. If I were hungover, none of this would be nearly as enjoyable, which is why you’re getting a rare morning post.
Reading old blog posts is funny. I keep running into past versions of myself complaining about a hurt knee. In my head, this knee injury is brand new. In reality, I’ve been dealing with it for 2 decades. Currently, it’s been two-plus months of on-and-off elliptical work, staying in decent shape while being irrationally afraid to go all out—especially after it felt tweaked at Topgolf. My thoughtful revelation is how easily humans can forget and move on.
Anyway, to transition topics, here’s a photo of the Stortz team. Judo looking happy.
All of this ties into what I think I’d do with my life if I didn’t have a job.
An old friend texted me asking a business question. I said, “Let’s grab lunch next week.” He said, “Ok.” The funny part is that with a job, I can technically meet for lunch anytime, but I almost never do. When I’m off, my schedule becomes relaxed, flexible, and spontaneous. That’s what disappears when you’re married to your work.
Yesterday, a consultant opened our conversation with, “What do you want?”
What does anyone want?
I don’t necessarily want the company to be more successful, it just feels like the correct outcome compared to failure. I don’t want my job to be the only part of me that feels relevant. But let’s be honest: you don’t care if my knee hurts. You definitely don’t care about my chess rating. And if I told him I wanted to improve my chess rating, he’d tell me to get serious.
Okay. Get serious.
I see people nearing the end of their lives who are no more certain about what to do at 80 than they were at 40. I raised a family. So did billions of others before you. If I truly knew what I wanted, I’d already have it. I imagine most people would to.
The book I just read—and plenty before it—keeps circling back to the same idea: it’s the ride.
Enjoy the ride.
That’s it.
* One reason I like AI, is because you boss it around without worrying about its feelings. It may not be the best strategy long term, but it’s nice to not have to think about it.
I’ve also heard the feedback that it doesn’t feel “authentic”, but it’s undoubtedly better. So take your pick, this will be the hybrid world we live in.
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