When the world says you need money, power, and fame—seek this instead for a meaningful life.
Money, fame, power.
We seek these because the world has told us we need them to be happy.
But one thing I’ve learned as a creative professional is that each one of those pursuits can lead us astray from something better.
And, ultimately, we don’t really want those things anyway.
We don’t want money. — We want the ability to choose what we do with our lives.
We don’t want fame. — We want what we do to mean something.
We don’t want power. — We want our lives to be on our own terms, not someone else’s.
So, what does this all add up to?
What do we really want?
Freedom.
I Lost My Way
My early career focus was to become someone the world wanted me to be. I thought that the right way to live was to push myself completely into my work because that’s how the “greats” had done it before me.
And while I love being an Architect—transforming ideas into drawings that emerge again into buildings we use every day—narrowing my focus into what others considered “successful” only led me deeper down the wrong path.
I walked that path for years.
My health suffered.
My relationships suffered.
My life suffered.
I burned out trying to narrow my focus into just my work.
At the time, work was the only path to success I could see.
Work hard. Do Better. Get Noticed. Everything will be great… eventually.
But eventually turned into “maybe someday,” turned into “this isn’t working,” turned into “I have a serious problem here.”
I lost sight of almost everything else in my life that makes it one.
Hitting Reset
I slowed everything down.
Anything I could set to autopilot in my life, I did.
Anything I could remove that was causing my burnout, I did.
I reduced everything back to the simplest, most minimalist way of living I could.
Then, I looked inside myself.
I reflected on what I really wanted from my life.
I thought about the person I wanted to be.
I imagined how that person would live each day.
Then, I took my first step into a new life.
Taking a Step into a New Life
The path was difficult, but rewarding.
Over the past five years, I’ve learned to accept myself for who I am in the here and now.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the success I sought wasn’t forged from work alone.
In fact, I’ve become more successful in the time since simply by leaning into the other pieces of my life that also bring me joy.
“A rising tide lifts all boats,” one might say.
I was lost. — I started learning more about the world and the journeys of others.
I was overweight. — I started working out and eating better.
I was self-absorbed. — I started spending time with loved ones and listening more.
I was disconnected. — I started hanging out with friends and joined a local club.
The 3 Levels of Personal Freedom
The process is just that—a process. There will never be a perfect way of living, but I can tell you that as soon as you invest in yourself and take a hard look at who you want to be, freedom is well within your reach.
In my experience, there are three different levels of personal freedom.
Level 1 — Awareness
When we know that freedom is obtainable, we can seek the knowledge required to obtain it.Level 2 — Action
When we know how to obtain freedom, we must take action to do so. Each step counts and builds upon the last.Level 3 — Autonomy
Once we have begun to build freedom for ourselves over time, we must tend to it. By showing up every day for ourselves, we honor the effort from before and the potential of tomorrow.
How to Get Started
Write down ten things you want in your life right now—one for each major category of your life. (A few suggestions to get you started: Health, Love, Hobbies, Career, Faith, Family, Service, Finances, Play, Social Life, Legacy, Personal Growth)
Circle the top 3 that jump out, the ones you resonate with most.
Write the list again with only the three you selected.
What is one thing you could do TODAY in each of these to take you one step closer to achieving it in your life? Do that thing. Do it today. Do it again tomorrow.
Final Thoughts
Once you take the first step, take another. Then take one more. Small steps over time will lead to the freedom we crave.
I’d love to know what you’re taking action on today towards your own freedom. Let me know by replying to this email!
Until next week, here are links to what I’ve been working on and treasures I’ve found out in the creative wilderness.
Enjoy!
Recent Finds
Ali Abdaal — How I Built a $72,000,000 Business In 5 Years | Julian Hearn Founder Of Huel (Video) | It’s interesting to see how creative personalities and entrepreneurs come up with the ideas that made a name for themselves. Before this interview with Huel founder Julian Hearn, I had little awareness of what Huel was. It was interesting as someone who finds himself at the tail end of his thirties that you can really start a creative endeavor or business at any age. There are no limits other than those we place on ourselves. Solve a problem for yourself and help others by serving others with the solution you create.
Ryan Holiday — Casey Neistat's 10 Stoic Practices For Productivity (Video) | An awesome video breaking down how entrepreneur and internet sensation, Casey Neistat uses stoicism to better his life. I was fascinated to learn how Ryan and Casey became friends and how that friendship has pushed each of them to greater heights. For those of us looking to balance work / life goals, this video was made for our journey.
Andrew Murnane — You are not your past (Reel) | A quick and thought-provoking exercise to help us reframe how we think about the past, the present, and the future. If you’re struggling right now with past regrets or the prospects of the future, take a minute and watch this.
Quote of the Week
“Be different on the inside, the same as everyone else on the outside.”
— Seneca
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
