Big Little Decisions

I’ve been known to throw myself into analysis paralysis - thinking about things as so big and so complex that the urgent and necessary actions in front of me disappear.

Standing at letter A, all I can see is Z. Ignoring the rest of the alphabet, I find myself running in place while trying to get to the next stage. I’m stuck with overthinking, endless researching, and keeping busy with work that couldn’t actually be further from “the work.”

That’s why I’ve found it so important to remember that small decisions are the ones that have the biggest impact. I’m much more effective when I can take the huge gap between myself and my goals and break it into tiny action steps - small decisions that I can make in less than five seconds, over and over again. Things like:

• Ordering one more glass of water vs. one more pint of beer.

• Picking up the phone to call vs. waiting for an email response.

• Opening up a blank page in drafts vs. watching one more episode of Netflix.

• Sending them that good morning text vs. checking email first thing out of bed.

• Focusing 20 minutes in the gym vs. 20 minutes researching the best workouts.

• Dropping 10% of every paycheck into savings vs. spending it on entertainment and “business development.”

At first it feels like nothing, but repeated over time these tiny choices can mean everything.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

All that really matters is you’re headed in the right direction.

18 Ideas For Fresh Energy in the New Year

The first quarter can encompass some of the most motivating, active, and stressful days of the year. It's tempting to attack every dark, cob-web laden corner of your life with a full overhaul, but both experts and personal experience say you're better off taking it one small step at a time.

Here are some tips to inject a little energy back into your routine.

The following list is meant to be more of a buffet than an 18-course meal - just a few ideas that can be implemented in small portions to get you to a refreshed state of mind and build momentum for the year, which is still young.

1. Restart your computer. Then install a wrangler for all your browser tabs. 
This free Chrome extension automatically closes your tabs after a set amount of time (trust me, you won't miss them - and even if you do, there's an easy way to recover them).

2. Delete / clean up the apps on your phone screen

3. Turn off notifications from Instagram and Twitter. Initiate an unfollowIng spree on Facebook.
Yes, I'm under 40 and still on a personal Facebook regularly. If you want a cleaner feed with less distraction, no one else has to know. Quietly click the unfollow button on a former high school classmate, and you'll still remain friends in case either one of you decides to reach out for a substantive catch-up. Repeat the process with others you've lost touch or interest with and soon you'll have a completely blank slate.

If you're looking for a real shortcut, use this genius Chrome extension: 
News Feed Eradicator For Facebook

4. Begin a daily gratitude practice.
Gratitude reminds us that we have agency - the power to interpret the outcomes of our lives in a way that's useful.  I've begun writing down 3 different things I am grateful for every day, on paper or in the notes of my phone. I try to make 2 of these things something small that I'd usually take for granted, like ankle socks (in the summer; crew socks in the winter).

5. Write down a list of your fears.
On one side of the paper you'll have a list of everything that stops you in your tracks. Now flip it over and write the counter argument to each one of them.

6. Freewrite for 20 minutes, stream of consciousness style.
As a bonus, schedule a freewriting session with another artist.

7. Challenge yourself to write down 5-10 new ideas per day. 
They could be creative concepts or business plans, as long as they're something you haven't dreamed up before.

8. Find a therapist or life coach.
Good news -- it's no longer corny to have a life coach. A professional athlete would never train without a coach because their performance is serious business. If you're serious about life, could it be the same? 

9. Make and share a playlist.

10. Sign up for a class or course. 
Yoga, Painting, Flute, Breakdancing, Coding, Sex-Positivity.

11. Respond to an email that's gone unanswered for over 6 months . 
You'll be surprised what comes back. I've successfully picked up meeting plans that had stalled over a year prior.

12. Schedule a family activity.
Make it a monthly thing.

13. Book a solo trip.
Day-trip or a week overseas, some time in a new place on your own is a great way to shift your perspective and get aware of your trigger points.

14. Make amends. In person, by phone, or by letter that never gets sent.

15. Make a contract with yourself and sign it.

16. Set aside half a day to grab groceries and prep meals for the week.
As an addict for take-out and delivery, I can say that cooking has become a meditative experience for me. I appreciate what I eat much more after prepping the ingredients by hand, and save a lot of money in the process.

17. Take a cold shower.

18. Buy a plant for your home, office, or workspace.
Something you can take care of. Snake plants are among the toughest and nearly impossible to mess up.

Have you tried any of these out? What new habits or practices are you building in 2018?

Evan Smogor

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Still Mind

And I’m not sure what to say. Part of me is undoubtedly proud of the people we’ve reached and the message we’ve spread and the artists who’ve said “me too.” Another is grasping for what’s next. The goal has always been to maintain our growth organically, embodying the journey as the destination. But I’m still a human, caught up in the trappings of our Insta-fame fueled, venture capital-worshipping society. Good enough is never good for a starving ego. At times I wonder for the sake of the message, can Still Mind be a household name?

Then I remember, it’s not about that. It’s about all of us collectively. Whether it’s a community of 10 or 10,000 or 100 million, each individual is receiving and contributing something unique here. Even if it’s just a “me too” or “I feel you."

So we continue. We will continue serving each other through our personal essays and artistic inspiration, one post at a time, always remembering to breathe along the way. 

Thank you for joining us.