The Graffiti Machine

We live in an age of distraction. Data and our attention are the most valuable commodities on the planet and there are lots of things fighting for it. Our phones, the news, apps, notifications, social media, the list is endless. Learning, or in some cases, relearning to fully focus our attention on one thing at a time is becoming more and more valuable.

The line between order and chaos is very thin. There is no avoiding chaos. In fact, the more you try to avoid it, the less prepared you will be when it comes. Making everything safe may not be making us safe. It may be leaving us very unprepared and not mentally tough enough to overcome adversity. Enjoy the times of order, but prepare for chaos every day.

If you make a commitment to do something, then break that agreement with yourself, it's a bigger deal than it may seem. One compromise—even a small one—often leads to more and bigger compromises. Before you know it, things can be out of control and it started with one little compromise.

How can you learn or build anything significant without some failure along the way? It's easy to forget that failing is part of the process. Failing is uncomfortable, it can be embarrassing, it can be a lot of things, but it is necessary.

We all know it takes effort to change ourselves. The further away you get from your old ways, the easier it is to resist the urges that may be pulling you back. What is interesting is, when you do say "fuck it" and revert back to old behavior even for a moment, it can take a large amount of willpower to get back on the path.

The idea of don't break the streak or don't break the chain is a simple but powerful concept. It's about creating a streak of wins. If you're trying to build a skill, or form a habit that will benefit from daily activity, every day you complete that activity is another link in the chain. The longer it gets, the more motivated you'll be to not break it.

The idea of a mastermind is to combine multiple minds to takle various things. In this episode, Bus talks over some ideas on using a mastermind for various things like fitness, graffiti, personal development, etc.

Establishing core values is a fairly common thing in the business world. It's a vital tool in creating and maintaining a strong company culture. Less common is establishing them for your own personal life. We all have them to a certain degree, but few of us have them written down and revisit them often.

Some people use the shopping cart analogy. Putting the shopping cart away or leaving it next to your car when you're done is a reflection of your core values. If you're the type of person that always puts it away, this kind of behavior will more than likely be present in other parts of your life. If you're the person that leaves it for someone else to deal with, it's most definitely not the only place you do this.

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