The Map and the Territory

Don’t let the program run you

I like routines.

Routines and habits saved my life 22 or 23 years ago, and I'm pretty attached to them. This is generally a good thing, but sometimes, I let the routine impose itself on reality instead of the other way around. It's like trusting a map over the actual territory.

I started publishing every Tuesday at 10:00 AM because I read that was a good time to do it. I've been sticking with this, even when it lands on days when nobody is going to see what I post, like Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve.

A few people pointed this out to me, so I'm going to wait and post the new episode of the podcast on Thursday, but I wanted to hop on real quick to tell everyone how grateful I am to you for reading the things that I write. I'm also grateful to those of you who send me the occasional feedback - it makes it feel a little less like yelling into the void.

I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve. Please be careful if you go out, please make sure you have a driver or an Uber if you even think you might need one. This is one of the things that it's always a good idea to err to the side of caution on.

I know resolutions can be tedious and overwhelming, so I came up with a list of super simple things we can all do that will improve our lives with very little effort.

Thank you again; enjoy the evening, and be safe.

I'm looking forward to talking to you in 2025.

Take care,

James

Simple Things that Can Make a Big Difference

· Drink a glass of water every morning

· Take a walk once a day

· Spend 5 minutes stretching every day

· Replace one sugary snack with a healthier option

· Write down one thing you're grateful for every day

· Go to bed 15 minutes earlier

· Spend one day a month screen-free for an hour

· Park farther away from your destination for extra steps

· Call or text a loved one every week

· Set a timer and clean for 5 minutes every day

· Read one chapter of a book each week

· Say “thank you” more often

· Do one random act of kindness each month

· Try a new recipe once a month

· Practice deep breathing for 1 minute every day

· Unsubscribe from one unwanted email list weekly

· Replace one soda with water weekly

· Delete unused apps from your phone monthly

· Volunteer for an hour once a month

· Learn one new word a week

· Spend 20 minutes outside every day

· Take a multivitamin every morning

· Stop hitting the snooze button (this one is HUGE)

· Declutter one item from your home every week

· Share one positive thing on social media each week

· Wash your car once a month (or every week if you live in West Texas)

· Spend 10 minutes in silence every day

· Set a budget for one unnecessary expense weekly

· Take one picture of something that makes you happy every day

· Try to meditate for 5 minutes every day