Hey friends,
I say that life is about the journey, not the destination. But sometimes, the destination deserves more credit than I give it.
There’s a special satisfaction in reaching a goal–the sense of completion, of looking back and seeing how far you've come, can be really rewarding.
It’s the moment when all the hard work turns into something tangible.
Yes, the journey is what matters. But reaching the destination? Allow yourself to savour the feeling that brings.
Ben x
👀 This Week's Standouts
🎵 Album - FINNEAS released his second album is week - For Cryin' Out Loud! While I'm a big fan of the music he makes with his sister, Billie Eilish, I've never listened to much of Finneas' own music. I really liking his new album - Sweet Cherries, 2001, What's It Gonna Take to Break Your Heart, and For Cryin' Out Loud! are my favourites at the moment! I may have just somewhat-impulsively bought tickets to his show in Auckland in January...
📰 Report - A bit of a geeky mention from me this week - The Chartered Institute of Public Relations in the UK has released their State of the Profession report for 2024. While it's pretty heavy stuff, there are some really curious insights in there. Something that stuck out to me is that over half of PR professionals say they are using AI ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’. Those working in-house in the private sector are most likely to use AI on a daily basis. Male practitioners are more likely, on average, to use AI than female practitioners. Also, the main challenges professionals see PR facing over the next 12 months are AI, disinformation, and the loss of specialisation. Interesting.
🧑🏻💻 Website - David Perell has launched a website, Writing Examples, to celebrate great writing. Each article deconstructs a piece of writing from an iconic writer to give you X-Ray vision into what makes sentences and paragraphs come alive. Every example has an analysis of why the writing works. There are text-explainers, summary graphics, and videos that come together to make it lively and multi-dimensional. It’s about showing the diversity of ways writers approach their craft, so you can develop your own style. I'm gonna spend some time reading through it this week.
🕺🏻 Outfit - Turned up to the WSU Club Awards ready to show off my new drip (custom Louis Vuitton, obviously) and this fella was wearing the same thing. What are the chances!
✍🏻 Two quotes for you
"Focus on your likes, not your wants. You may not want to exercise, but you like how it makes you feel. You may not want to write, but you like the feeling of accomplishment. You may not want to wake up early, but you like the calm beauty of morning. Wanting is the desire you feel before doing something. Liking is the satisfaction you feel after doing something. Let your likes guide you."
By James Clear in his newsletter.
"Even if you're not a teacher, be a teacher. Share your ideas. Don't take for granted your education. Rejoice in what you learn and spray it."
By musician and comedian Tim Minchin in 9 Life Lessons.
🤔 One thought from me
The real morning routine isn't about the morning at all.
Think of the last time you woke up feeling refreshed. What had you done the night before? Now think of the last time you woke up feeling like crap...
My ideal morning routine would be:
- Eat a reasonable dinner, no caffeine or sugar.
- Stop looking at screens around 9PM and get into bed by 10PM.
- Relax, journal, and read.
- Wake up early feeling great and ready to go!
I feel like there are two types of students: those who never sleep and those who always sleep. But I recently realised that sleep is my one non-negotiable. If I don't get eight and a half hours of sleep, I'll be irritable and short-ended the next day. No matter how much work I've got to do, I'll always make sure I head to sleep at a reasonable time.
But I do have some progress to make on how I wind down for bed–avoiding the treats, getting rid of the phone earlier, picking up a book. The last couple hours of my day have a huge impact on how I show up the next day.
If you're someone who has a dodgy sleep schedule, try a week of prioritising sleep above everything else. Let me know how you feel afterwards.
