This post is a completely spontaneous one. I was planning to take at least 5 days off of writing posts after my experiment, but I sat down, read a couple of newsletters I have been loving to read lately and felt inspired to come here to write.

When I start reading these inspiring newsletters, my head narrates everything I want to write, it is like inspiration running through my neurons without me thinking it or analysing it. The problem is: instead of stopping what I am doing to put my words down I just think I am going to do it later, because it is not convenient to do it at that moment. This time, I am doing it differently... I stopped everything to come here and share what I want to share with you – it feels freaking good doing this!

First, I want to share my three current favourite newsletters. I am subscribed for a decent bunch of them, they are all so much source of inspiration and wisdom for me that they have became one of my favourite readings of the day. So here they are:

Sahil Bloom's Curiosity Chronicle – my absolute favourite today! Love his chronicles, he has some invaluable gem stories. I was inspired by him to write right now, haha

Your Next Breakthrough, by Mark Manson – I have been a big fan of Mark Manson for a long time. Love his work and his way to put complex ideas in a such simple words. One day I want to write like him.

Feed Me, by Emily Sundburg – this newsletter has little practical use for me in terms of content, since it mostly covers what’s happening around New York City. Still, I really enjoy Emily’s style and the way she writes – yet, it inspires me more than I would have expected.

I could list many other newsletters here, but I will limit at these three so this post doesn't get too long. Let me know if you want a post about them.

The core of what I want to say today is what I read on Sahil Bloom's newsletter today (I adore his name!). He shared his intentions for his new year and they are pretty much the same as mine, but there was a particular one that – oh my goodness! – he summarised how I am truly feeling about new year resolutions, intentions, goals – whatever you call it...

He says:

"There’s an old Zen saying that I think about often:

“What do you do before enlightenment? Chop wood, carry water.
What do you do after enlightenment? Chop wood, carry water.”

As you start to experience success, notoriety, and achievement, it’s easy to lose sight of the work that got you those things in the first place. It’s easy to get distracted by results. By recognition. By the illusion that success somehow exempts you from the basics.

It doesn’t.

The outcomes may change. The titles may change. The scale may change. But the work doesn’t.

Chopping wood and carrying water means showing up when no one is watching. Doing the boring work well. Being reliable. Executing consistently. Returning to fundamentals even when you think you’re above them. Especially then."

Every end of the year for many years I was used to make a big list of the things I wanted to improve in my personal, professional, fitness, relational life and it never really worked. I used to end the year a little bit frustrated about the list I made at the start because I couldn't accomplish everything. Well... I finally learned this lesson: the list of things to improve simply doesn't work for me.

I love to chop the wood and to carry the water. This is what works for me.

If I decide that I need to change something on my fitness – it could be Wednesday, Sunday, 19 May or 7 July, it doesn't matter – I will start whenever I decide. The new year resolutions never did much for me, it was always a protocol I blinded followed.

Instead of goals and resolutions, I now set a few values, focuses, or intentions that guide my decisions throughout the year. Since I started doing this at the end of 2023, my growth has felt more consistent, intentional, and real than in any previous year.

Making tiny changes, adjusting and trying a new way of doing something can have a great impact in our lives. This change, certainly, was a big one for me.

How many times do we do things just because… that’s how people do things? How great it is to find our own way of doing things – what truly works for us. But for that to happen, we must try, try, and keep trying new approaches until we reach that moment of: oh my goodness! That's it!

I hope you discover yours this year, if you haven’t yet.

Photos are from my morning walk this morning with my camera, Poppy Pixel...

Bye for now,