Passionate Goals
I recently watched a video of Brene Brown talking about the power of vulnerability. It was a nice reminder to embrace your insecurities and appreciate the ordinary things in life. The little things are the big things. By numbing or protecting yourself from disappointment, you do not allow for the potential of true joy and success.
This year is more than halfway over. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my goals for the rest of the year. And it reminds me of a powerful lesson: True success is measured by how happy and fulfilled you are.
My path has conditioned me to believe that failure is not catastrophic and success does not come quickly or easily. I’ve learned that my happiness, earning potential, and performance are all directly tied by a common thread – giving a damn. In the spirit of being transparent and vulnerable, my true passions include investing in and working with entrepreneurs to build great companies. Solving hard problems by being creative. Competing and making money.
Achieving whatever you want to get done is not just about working hard, but working hard at things you’re legitimately passionate about. Here’s how we think about it at Collaborative Fund:
I plan to focus more of my time and energy during the rest of the year on the people and projects that I care about most. Where my passion is strongest.
Here are a few things I’ve started doing that have helped:
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Limit myself to 3 achievable to-dos per day.
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One hour per day of uninterrupted time to work on bigger projects.
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Avoid clutter via replacement. (Every time I buy something new, throw out or donate something old.)
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Use TeuxDeux religiously.
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Cut out fake work and focus on projects that really matter.
Finally, I would be remiss if I wrote a blog post about passion and failed to mention graffiti art. Graffiti has taught me a lot of life lessons. Taking risk. Choosing your spots. Creating your own style. Accepting that things are not permanent. Understanding there are consequences for your actions. Camaraderie, respect and loyalty. New York is a mecca for Graffiti, and spending time here has ushered a fresh breath of renewed commitment to this part of my DNA.