In last week’s newsletter, I mentioned that today is both the beginning of a new week as well as a new month, suggesting that it would be a good opportunity to start a new habit or project.
Thinking about potential habits and projects led me to wonder what I could do to make June 2020 a good month. Maybe even a great month. A month that I can look back on and be uniquely proud of. Bryan Adams had the summer of ’69; I’ll have the June of 2020. (And maybe July too, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.)
Naturally, a good month would act as a foundation for the months and years to come. But it would also have to be good on its own. For what is life other than a series of months like June 2020? By the way, how’s the water today?
The following are habits and projects I’ve chosen not only because I think they’ll serve me well in future months, but also because they will contribute to a month well lived themselves.
Habits
I will start every day before nine in the morning. While it’s not like I’ve been getting out of bed at three in the afternoon like a complete degenerate, there is a significant difference between starting your day at nine versus 11. I will start my days before nine.
I will walk a mile every day. Walking is good for your body and your mind. Hat tip to my friend Ken at More Mobile Yoga for this one. I’m not taking your No Coffee Challenge though (yet).
I will spend an hour outside every day. I have a tendency to stay inside at a computer, irrespective of government shutdowns. Fresh air is good. Sunlight may be even better. I will be flexible with this one and use the balcony if it’s raining all day.
I will stretch for half an hour every day. Most men need to work on their mobility and flexibility. I am no exception. I’m thinking that I will do this outdoors now that the weather is nicer. Two birds, one stone.
I will do 100 pushups a day. As Mark Rippetoe said, “A strong man is harder to kill and more useful in general.” I’ve been cranking out quite a few pushups recently, but I will start tracking how many.
I will journal twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. I will be using “morning pages” and the “5-minute journal” that Tim Ferriss described in Tools of Titans. Starting and ending each day with a journal entry will help me with the final habit…
I will focus on acting and thinking with intention and examination this month. Admittedly, I don’t know how to track this one, or whether it can even be tracked. Nonetheless, it’s still important. If I’m on Reddit for half an hour, it should be purposeful. And an unexamined life, isn’t.
Projects
I will complete HackerRank’s “30 Days of Code”. I’ve talked about achieving a basic understanding of how to write code for way too long. What better way to start than an introductory tutorial that spans the exact length of June 2020? You can follow my progress at @jonathanliu.
I may take on another project or two, time permitting. I don’t want to be the new guy at the gym who gasses himself on the first day and never comes back.
Accountability
I’m sharing these publicly to motivate others to do something similar. It will also allow friends to hold me accountable. I will publish an update at the end of the month, if not mid-month as well.
I don’t expect to have a perfect month, because life’s imperfect and so am I. But if I fall, I will get up again.
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.
Earl Nightingale
1.1: Here’s Fred Wilson with the same sentiment.
1.2: I realized I need to start with the absolute fundamentals of code. Thanks LinkedIn Learning!
Cover photo by NeONBRAND