Yoni Ghebrezgi

It’s really easy to get caught in whirlwind that life takes you on, without you even realizing it. Easy to get sucked into a routine that you may follow for the next month. Easy to order the same thing that you always order for breakfast on the go. Easy to watch Netflix as soon as you get off of work. Easy to go to the same bar with your friends every Friday night. Easy to go to sleep around 10:30pm each day. Easy to do everything that you do on a daily basis.

Over the past month or so, I’ve been in one of these “funks” that many of us face without realizing it. Things like eating the same breakfast, the same work schedule daily, watching First 48 at 3pm daily(I can’t get enough!), and many other minuscule things that you couldn’t even remember if you wanted to that you repeat daily. This isn’t to say that organization and maintaining a schedule is detrimental to happiness.

That’s not where I’m going with this.

In my particular case, I’ve been feeling that I’m almost losing site of the bigger picture, because I’ve been consumed in meeting my routine checklist. It’s almost like we get satisfaction from filling up our day with things to do, in order to justify our day.

It’s important to take a step back and understand what’s really important. Things that make you happy, even if it is pointless, stupid, or expensive. I’m not saying burn your next paycheck on a trip to Hershey Park, but maybe get guac on your next Chipotle burrito. Don’t be afraid to step out of character.

Taking that step back allowed me to get a grasp on what’s important it my life, and provide clarity and purpose for what I do throughout the day. Things like going for a short run in the morning before I take a shower. Taking 20 minutes to myself to just sit outside, do nothing, and unload my mind. These are just a few things that you don’t appreciate when you’re consumed in your daily routine because you “may not have the time.”

Being self aware and honest with yourself is a crucial skill that needs to be practiced daily. It’s important to put our lives into perspective of the overall big picture, whatever that may be in your eyes.

“To the kids of the world that’s waitin for wealth
Waitin for health, you better do for self
Homey that’s yo’ last cup
Forget about the fast buck; boy, get yo ass up
People use yo’ brain to gain
Do something that ain’t never been done; and we can spend hun’s”

Ice Cube – Until We Rich

That last line resonates with me. I never thought I would be learning a business lesson from Ice Cube, but here I am talking about it. This goes a little deeper then that.

What I got out of this is that we need to take a deep look at where we are in life. Take 5 minutes out of your day to evaluate yourself, and ask yourself a few questions.

• How am I spending most of my time?
• What is it that I want to be doing with my time?
• Am I taking the right steps to help me do that?
• What’s stoping me from doing what I want to be doing?

Usually we deflect asking ourselves these questions, because we really don’t want to make the change. It’s too difficult, and uncertain.

It’s easier to continue with our lives and say that we’re “too busy” to do some of the things that we actually want to do.

This is rarely the case.

In fact, being “too busy” to do something that you want to do , is actually a crutch that gives you a mental excuse to avoid spontaneity.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Embrace a lifestyle of learning new things, trying new foods, and building new experiences.

I like to call it, building up your life resume.

Continue to build upon your life resume.

I am currently at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco. The weather is amazing, sunny with a nice breeze. I’m wearing my Arsenal jersey as well, so I’m feeling rather chilly. I am also listening to some Tupac, Troublesome 96′, and am laying down and relaxing.

I am doing a lot of people watching as well. Everyone is minding their own business, and taking in the day, in their own way. Some people are reading, some are writing, some are listening to music, some are smoking weed, but everyone is calm. I’m actually the only one with a laptop in the park. As I’m looking around right myself this very minute, not one person has a laptop but me.

I really like the bay area vibe. Everyone is finding their muse, and enjoying themselves.

It may be time for me to eat soon. Earlier I went to eat at a place that quickly became my favorite place to eat in SF. Onigilly, pronounced [Oh-KNEE-Ghee-Lee], is the name of the place, and they serve gourmet rice balls. They use brown rice, and stuff it with anything from lemon crab to cajun shrimp, which happened to me my favorites. I’ve already been here twice in the past 3 days, but I can’t wait to come back tomorrow!

Anyways, I’m going to get back to enjoying the day. I listened to a Tim Ferriss podcast episode with Robert Rodriguez. I didn’t know Robert before that interview, but he said some things that stuck with me. He said that we wrote down what he did every single day. He has record of what he did every single day, for over 20 years ago.

That blows my mind. He also said that some things that he thought influenced him over course of a couple months, actually happened within a weekend. Hearing this has driven me to start writing as often as I can.

Mostly about what I’m thinking about at that time, or what happened to me that day.

I want to be able to look back on this blog 10 years down the line, and be able to read what I was thinking about, at that moment in time. I want to be be able to relive that moment whenever I want.

I will try to stay disciplined as possible, and write something everyday.

That’s enough for today.

Until next time.