The change in year acts as a psychological reset.
Even though we’re smart enough to know the shift in calendar years shouldn’t mean much, it does. We can’t deny it. So use it to your advantage.
Here’s how to become average in 2023.
Quit alcohol
That means it’s literally making you dumber. We don’t need booze. There are far better indulgences that don’t make you a dumb-dumb.
If you don’t think you can give up alcohol, it’s only because it’s a habit. But all bad habits can be broken with discipline and time away from the addiction. Make 2023 the year you don’t touch booze.
Then use the extra energy on your big goals.
Set some unreasonable goals, then do this
When the year changes it’s tempting to set silly New Year’s Resolutions.
These are nice-to-haves, but action only happens when goals are musts. Quit playing with the fairies in La La Land. Set some big goals that feel uncomfortable and have a crack.
The way you get a goal to happen is by backing it up with a system. Systems automate a new behavior which makes the outcome of a goal a foregone conclusion.
This is the year to ditch hope and let execution determine your results.
Don’t get triggered by online arguments
The internet is a polarizing place. It’s how the attention economy works.
Make this the year you decide not to react to every little conversation that goes against your beliefs.
- Someone has the opposite political beliefs? So what.
- Someone has a different religion? Maybe they’re less enlightened.
- Someone doesn’t have the same sexual beliefs as you? Good for them.
You can’t change everyone through the vehicle of petty little arguments. Just focus on changing yourself.
Spend more time away from the phone
Phones exhaust our brains.
That brain fog you feel at the end of the day is often mental exhaustion. We’re not designed to be so reactive and have every little situation be considered urgent with a red notification.
Humans who lived in the 90s proved you don’t need to go everywhere with a phone. Some days are better without them. Try to spend more time in nature and less time in the internet metaverse.
Because time away from technology equals time when the mind can be creative behind the scenes.
Fix a broken relationship
Over the years sh*t happens.
I know I’ve burned 1 or 2 people accidentally. Oopsie.
When we allow past toxic relationships to stay that way it holds us back. Every time we’re reminded of the person we become trapped in our minds again like a prisoner.
In 2023 I’m going to spend more time forgiving people for the hell of it. Even if the person doesn’t deserve it. It’s not about them. It’s about being free. Second chances are massively underrated.
Work on a side project
Layoffs. Salary stagnation. Bad bosses.
You’ve heard it all before. Most people work jobs they hate and that’s no secret. The answer isn’t to keep hating. It’s to work on a side project you don’t hate. Your career won’t change unless you change it.
So, again, let action bring about that change.
Get home from work. Spend a few hours on a passion project. See where it takes you. And dare to monetize that project online in 2023.
Write more online
Not all of us are writers. But we should be.
Writing on the internet creates economic opportunities. No one can offer you opportunities if they don’t know you exist. Writing is how you speak yourself into existence in the minds of those who hold 2023 opportunities.
Just do this:
- Maintain a blog/newsletter
- Share your life experiences
- Share what your job teaches
- Engage in healthy conversations on social media
- Write DMs to people you don’t know and connect with them
The internet is a freedom machine. All you have to do is write to access it.
Move more
I became fat bastard toward the end of 2022.
It’s because I had a kid and went into panic mode. I paused everything. Now it’s time to move more again. The simplest goal is to aim to do 10,000 steps a day. Everyone can walk.
I’m going to do more walking meetings in 2023 to cheat my way to the target.
Watch less naughty shows
The biggest problem with streaming/tv is it sucks away your time.
One episode always leads to another one. It’s why movies aren’t so popular anymore. Netflix wants your attention for more than a 2-hour movie. So they feed you seasons of a show to keep you hooked for longer.
Then they take one tv show you tell them you like by watching it, and use it to sell you ten more. Even the smartest person with navy seal discipline will struggle. All you can do is override the programming.
I purposely have zero streaming subscriptions so I can’t get hooked. If I want to watch something I have to go to great lengths to make it happen.
The friction causes me to watch a lot less.
Another hack is to prioritize documentaries over fictional entertainment so at least you’re feeding your brain wisdom, not heroin.
Capture special moments
I have a baby girl.
My favorite time of the day is when I finish work to give her a bath. Then we sit down & spend 2 hours together playing and looking at each other.
Do more of these types of activities in 2023. It’s where all the hidden joy comes from that drives you to do big things in life.
Do this when you want to complain
My wife says I can be a sooky baby.
The temptation to complain is enormous. When you feel the urge, try to focus on the solution and less on the problem.
That’s how to become an above-average Joe in 2023.
