Found a Cool Old Note in My Phone
Reflecting back on a time where I had to refocus.
About a week ago, I was scrolling through old notes on my phone and came across this particular one that I hammered out back when I was early into undergrad:
“Financial gain, mental improvement, physical improvement, enjoyment, the greater good of all involved, contractually obligated… If it’s not for one of those six things, then don’t do it. Understand what you want, understand the price, and pay that price.”
I remember having this specific conversation with my roommate Jake back at the time (shoutout to Jake, who was also my first ever business partner) and just whipping out my phone and making this note. I think I slightly changed it some time after, but it was a nice little refresher from right around the time that I decided to start getting really serious about school, physical training, and taking full ownership of my life in general.
I’d genuinely lost all discipline during my first year at college - I wasn’t performing up to my academic potential, and for some reason I thought that I didn’t need to diet or exercise to maintain the athletic fitness I’d carried over from being a three sport athlete in high school (spoiler alert, I overindulged and became pudgy that year). I was treating every day like it was a Thursday or Friday, and I’d replaced my hunger to win with utter complacency. The freedom that came with the new environment was a convenient excuse to let off the gas and enjoy myself for a while, even though I was risking a tremendous price down the road.
I started to look around at the other guys on campus, the ones that were getting things done - they had good internships, budding career opportunities, pretty girlfriends, lots of connections, the best parties, and a good path out ahead of them. And I was kind of looking back at myself like “Man, if these guys can do it, what am I missing?” I’m a bit ashamed to say it, but there was concoction of both slight jealousy and intense inspiration that I personally felt while watching it play out, since I knew I had what it took to compete and had the ability to get more out of life socially, materially, financially, etc.
Then, I had one of those turning points - you know, the ones that tend to happen as slow realizations pile up, then just snap all at once. I internalized things like delayed gratification, compound interest, consistency, intention, deliberate practice, soft skills, persistence, etc. I specifically recall going on a “protein, veggies, water” diet that semester where I strictly stuck to protein-rich foods, protein powder, vegetables/greens, and water. I was hitting heavy weights 5-6x a week and running sprints down at the football field with my roommate. We started a tutoring business together that went on to create countless employment opportunities and help students find more meaning in their education. I started studying hard (and correctly) and making the Dean’s List. I joined Greek Life and made a bunch of lifelong friends. Things were really clicking, both because I found motivation internally and had a good environment and support system around me.
It has now probably reached the point where it feels like a forced “humblebrag” post, but the actual point is that I’m grateful that I found that note that gave me grounding during a time where I needed to buckle down and invest in my future. Five years removed from college graduation (time flies, wow) I’ve hit numerous milestones in terms of career, finances, personal milestones, etc. that seemed like distant dreams back in school - and I look forward to continuing to make a dent in the world, even if it’s relatively small in the grand scheme of things. I’ll be honest, I was letting the summer laziness get to me, but seeing that note made me double back down on my work ethic, diet, and fitness routine, as well as starting to go out again.
And yes, I know life is about far more than surface-level accomplishments and money, but let’s not kid ourselves in that being physically fit, mentally grounded, financially stable, and having good friends makes a night and day difference in someone’s quality of life. I’m happy to be in a good situation, and I don’t take it for granted - even if I know it’s partly luck and external circumstances, I’m happy that I continue choosing to dig deep and challenge myself.
My final message here is for any reader to keep making strides, every day, no matter how big or small they might be. Write down what you want, then write down how you’ll get it - just so it exists on a physical or digital plane. Start small, start today, and keep on going until the end of time.
The decisions and commitments you make day in and day out will slowly, but surely, lead to a better living circumstance as time progress; you might not feel the improvements, but they’re happening and will become more obvious as time goes on.
We’ll all continue to make the most of this crazy life.
Cheers,
Jared