This is Optimal Living Daily, episode 396, an excerpt from the audiobook essential, essays by The Minimalist, by Joshua Fields-Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus. And I'm Justin Molick, your personal host and narrator for all things personal development and minimalism. And this should be the last day of me doing this. I'm cheating just a little bit, not really, but sort of.
I'm playing excerpts from the audiobook that I narrated for The Minimalist, because I'm trying to wrap up another audiobook for them. Let me tell you, there are way more steps and hoops to jump through than I ever imagined when you're doing audiobook. If you want it to be the highest quality or even close to professional, it's really crazy to work that's involved. So anyway, playing you in excerpts saves me time, so I can work on their new books some more and get it out as soon as possible.
So with that, here's another clip from the Minimalist's audiobook, as we optimize your life. An excerpt from the audiobook essential, essays by The Minimalist, by Joshua Fields-Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus. The end is right past the horizon. Every person has dreams and desires.
Many of us believe achieving these dreams will bring a satisfaction, fulfillment, or contentment. You can reach your dreams and feel fulfilled. You can accomplish everything you desire and become satisfied, but only for a short while. Accomplishment is transitory.
What's impressive and exciting today is easy, infantile tomorrow. Millions of examples illustrate this point, tying your shoe for the first time, dribbling a basketball between your legs, and awkward first kiss, et cetera, et cetera. Over time, people grow, and with growth comes grace, poise, and most importantly, the responsibility to keep growing. Growth is an elusive horizon.
You can travel toward it, but you'll never quote unquote get there. There will always be a new horizon to venture toward. Similarly, we should all work toward an ideal for every area of our lives, an ideal body, an ideal diet, ideal relationships, an ideal work environment, and so forth. While doing this, we must realize we'll never reach our ideal.
If we do, it won't be our ideal situation for long, because even beings are in to grow, and that which is ideal today, likely won't be ideal tomorrow. You can achieve and accomplish whatever you desire, but the key to lasting happiness is continued growth. Keep going, keep moving forward, keep heading toward the horizon. You'll never get there, but that's okay.
W.W.J.D., what would Joshua do by Joshua Fields-Milleburn? Recently, a friend of mine stood in her local grocery checkout line, fumbling with her wallet zipper, preparing to make an impulse purchase, but then suspended in the queue, she was given time to question the item she was about to buy. She pondered the item carefully and asked herself a question, what would Joshua do? If I were there in her shoes, would I make this purchase?
No, she thought and promptly returned the item to the shelf. When she told me about her experience, she joked she should buy one of those W.W.J.D. bracelets, the one so popular in the 90s, to help her avoid compulsory consumption, I laughed but then I realized I too could benefit from making more frequent use of this question and so could others. I don't expect or even want anyone to walk around asking themselves, what would Joshua do?
Please don't, at least not allowed. Rather, it's a question I should ask myself, what would the best version of me do in this situation? Likewise, what would the best version of you do? What would Chris do?
What would Katie do? What would your best self do? Would the best version of me put off writing until tomorrow? Would the best version of you sleep in extra hour and skip the gym?
Would the best version of me eat the frosted donut? Would the best version of you lie to your boss? Would the best version of me procrastinate by things I don't need or ignore a friend in need? Perhaps this question, when employed habitually, can help us change our priorities.
It's certainly a question worth asking. The rules we live by by Ryan Nicodemus. I had this friend in high school whose parents had all these strict rules, rules that seemed crazy to me as a teenager. For example, if she left her clothes on the floor for longer than a day, her mom would throw them away.
Sounds overly strict, doesn't it? Maybe it was, but she didn't leave clothes on the floor after the first time her favorite jeans hit the trash can. What if we did the same thing with our lives? What if we held ourselves accountable with our rules?
Our lives are nothing but rules anyway. Unfortunately, most of our rules are disempowering. If I make a million dollars, then I can be happy. If I get this promotion, then I'll work harder.
If someone doesn't like me, then I'm going to feel hurt. Too often our rules are just debilitating if then statements. It's time to make some new rules today. Empowering rules, rules that will help us grow.
New rules, if I wake up today, then I'll be happy. If I exercise today, then I'll feel more confident. If I spend focused time with the loved ones today, then I'm contributing in a meaningful way. If I step outside my comfort zone today, then I will grow.
The key though is sticking to your rules no matter what. Rain, hail, sleet, or snow. You must adhere to the rules you create. As long as your rules aren't powering, you'll be glad you did.
You just listened to an excerpt from the audiobook essential that says, by the minimalist by Joshua Fields-Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. And I'm planning to go back to my usual routine of reading to you tomorrow from our regular authors. Hopefully, I think I'll be able to pull it off. No promises, but our other shows are still doing their regular things.
Optimal Finance Daily, Optimal Health Daily, and Optimal Startup Daily. You can check out those podcasts and subscribe to those too. It'd be nice for them to get some love. Although I am a co-host of Optimal Startup Dailys, that's more of me.
But you know what I'm saying. I think I'm losing my mind. I really want to wrap up this audiobook for the minimalist I've been working on for so long. So have a great Tuesday if you're listening in real time.
Thank you for being here every day with me. And I'll catch you tomorrow, where you're Optimal Life awaits. Hey, this is Dan from the Optimal Finance Daily podcast, which is a lot like this show, except more focused on personal finance. Justin handpicks the best posts he can find from blogs and authors like Remit Satey, Mr.
Money Moustache, and more. And I read them to you five days a week. So if you enjoy this podcast, come on over and subscribe to Optimal Finance Daily, too. And together, we'll optimize your financial life.
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