I've just finished University, and will be starting work at the beginning of October. To many, it sounds like a perfect time to relax, travel, and enjoy the biggest holiday I will probably get until I'm retired. Although I will be doing plenty of that, there is still so much time to fill.

Recently I've been dead set on trying new things. I think it's critical to do this in order to continue upskilling and learning. I've been pursuing meaning and truth now more than ever. From one motivational quote to another, it has inspired me to go on this journey. This journey will improve my career, my faith, and my relationships.

Below are some of the quotes that have come my way, that have motivated me into becoming the best person I can possibly be, and hopefully can motivate you to do the same!

Death is Certain

Stephen Hawking was arguably the most popular scientist of our time. But his genius was nearly lost if it hadn't been for the technology we have now. His ALS hindered his physical capabilities tremendously. At the age of 44, he lost his voice, and with his disability preventing him from writing, we nearly lost his thoughts. Thanks to Intel and other developers behind the technology which allowed him to communicate with us, we kept access to those same thoughts. In his final book Brief Answers to the Big Questions, he gave a bit of context to who he used to be. Which resulted in me picking up my highlighter and highlighting this:

"One result of my illness has been to change all that [being lazy]. When you are faced with the possibility of an early death, it makes you realise that there are lots of things you want to do before your life is over."

Thanks to the people around me, I am pushed every day towards my goals. But sometimes, like almost everyone, I tend to waste time throughout my day. Sitting down and mindlessly watching TV, scrolling on my phone for hours on end, playing games without a reason.

If I had been told my life was going to be cut short, I wouldn't be wasting my time as I do now. I would use my time more intentionally.

I have the privilege of being on track to live a long and healthy life. I have the privilege of being able to get up every day and do whatever I want. Some people simply don't have that opportunity. Some people become bedridden by their illness. Some people come back from war being physically or mentally harmed, with bad rehab back into society making it worse, and can force them into homelessness. I want to make the most out of what I'm able to do, and pursue my goal of becoming the best me possible.

But why strive for Excellence

I use the word excellence as it is probably the best fitting single word that describes near-perfection. I cannot be perfect. It is impossible. But I can strive for excellence. It's important to frame it as that, because I don't want to hinder my progress by aiming for an unachievable goal. We shouldn't let perfection hinder good.

I’m subscribed to the The 3-2-1 Newsletter written by James Clear, the author of one of the most popular non-fiction books in the world Atomic Habits. The idea of his newsletters is to bring forth quotes, questions, and ideas that can help us reflect.

One of the quotes he brought fourth was of Rick Buhrman. During an interview he said:

INTERVIEWER: What is the kindest thing that anyone's ever done for you? BUHRMAN: ... our oldest son, Theo, who just turned seven, spent the first six months of his life in several NICUs. He was eventually helicoptered to Indianapolis at Riley Hospital for Children. And while we were living in that NICU for almost a half a year we saw a lot of kids who passed away. Most of those kids were not as sick as Theo was.

I don’t know exactly why Theo survived, but I know that a major part of how he survived was because for several decades leading up to that moment, numerous nurses, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, doctors, surgeons had committed themselves wholeheartedly to mastering their craft. I can give you tons and tons of examples of these people. And I know that in the moment, it wasn’t necessarily viewed as kindness.

But maybe in some sense, the kindest thing that all of us can do is to pursue something radically that in some way is in service to others, because you just don't know how it's going to change the trajectory of human life. And so for all of those medical practitioners, none of whom I'm sure are listening to this, I owe everything to, because they gave me the gift of being Theo's dad.

Maybe in some sense, the kindest thing that all of us can do is pursue something radically that in some way is in service to others, because you just don’t know how it’s going to change the trajectory of a human life.

This was such an effective way of showing that your passions, your constant striving towards excellence is not unseen. Whoever you interact with, you shape their future, be it big or small, be it good or bad. The dedication of the medical practitioners to becoming excellent helped save someone. The dedication to being the best video editor can lead to the next big business being recognised, and someone's dream being fulfilled. The dedication to being the best Security Engineer can decrease the chance of an attack and therefore save employees in a business from being made redundant or customers being affected by a breach.

Finding something you are passionate about, and committing your best to it is the nicest thing you can do for someone. No matter the type of positive impact you create, it can still be life-changing to someone.

The need for Discipline

I was with a group of friends from Church when someone mentioned something that I couldn't help but write down. I was so ecstatic about it. Maybe because it hit so close to home. He said:

Motivation can come and go but discipline will get you doing what you need to do even when you don’t want to do it. Ishe Mutasa

Motivation can only help us start something, but the discipline to continue doing it, even when you don't want to, is even more important. Your discipline is meant to ground you and keep you striving for the same goal you were once motivated by. You haven't changed, but the hard work is becoming greater than the excitement. But that doesn't mean you should give up. That hard work is what makes the success that comes after it so rewarding. That hard work is what makes your past self happy from your success. Sticking to your goal is what creates a positive reinforcement loop in your brain that gives you the mentality that you can do it again, but with another goal.

Today might be the best chance you have to take action.

The longer you wait, the more deeply embedded you get in your current lifestyle. Your habits solidify. Your beliefs harden. You get comfortable.

It will never be easy, but it may also never be easier than it is right now.

James Clear

Even if it seems hard to do it right now - how much harder will it be in the future. It may seem hard right now to get to the gym and do a workout, but how much harder will it be in the future when you are 40 and you are struggling with the constraints your body is under. It might be hard to put the effort into studying right now, but how much harder will it be to find a job that accepts the grades you received. The development of discipline is only possible when you rewire your mind to believing that it will be harder in the future than it is right now.

A question for You

No credit to myself, but to James Clear again for this question:

Talk about potential mistakes before they happen and people start looking for ways to prevent them.

Talk about actual mistakes after they happen and people start looking for reasons to defend their actions.

What do we need to be talking about now, so we can learn the lessons before we need them?

Our mindset changes from prevention to explanation when we make mistakes. It even makes us look unwilling to learn, and stubborn. Of course, there will be times when what you did was the best thing you could do, given all the information you had. Hindsight is always correct. But there are also times where asking more and more questions before fully committing to something is the due diligence that you owe yourself. When you have made a choice, you are less likely to change your mind, because it is your choice. So do your best, before making that choice, to ask yourself as many questions as possible, so that you can learn the lessons, rather than explaining the mistake you've made.