Let's Make Magic Happen

Yes, there were times - I'm sure you knew - when I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out.

Today I'd like to convince you to participate in an adventure into the unknown for the month of February.

I'd like your help making magic happen.

Let me explain...

The last two days have been two of the best days I've experienced in years.

I have been on a roll. I have gotten more work done the past two days than I can remember getting done in any two day stretch of my life.

I have made significant progress on important projects.

I have visited with 7 different people at the house and had engaging conversations with all of them.

I spent an hour catching up with an old friend who I popped in on, enjoyed coffee with my Grandma Barnard, played hide and seek with Kaia in a snow storm on top of the hill, and played with all my kids more than I have in months.

This bootcamp thing I've done has been working. My attention is going where I want it. It feels really good.

There have been many challenges. There have been times along the way where I almost broke. I didn't though.

I've shown up each day. I've built a keystone habit around this writing, and this writing has helped me get my thoughts and life organized in a way they've never been before.

Speaking of, I have not said this enough.

Thank you.

Thank you a million times over.

I'd like to show you something that gives me goosebumps each time I see it.

Here's the deal.

February will be the last 28 days of the 90 day bootcamp that started this daily writing, and I'd like to get some more people participating.

I have had many great conversations about habits and happiness thanks to the posts I've been sending out, and a common theme has been people feeling inspired to take action.

Let's do it.

Let's commit to big, audacious goals together that would make us feel good.

Let's all step up to take full control of our attention and direct it in the areas we most want to direct it.

I'm telling you, this is magic.

I'm telling you, we have a big attention problem.

If you feel any dis-ease at all, I'd like you to hear me out on the idea that this is the most important thing for you to think about right now.

Taking control of your attention is the most important thing you can do. If you believe you are already in control, then you should be reviewing your mental security procedures.

Modern life puts a lot of demands on your attention, and this is only increasing. Do you ever feel bombarded by life?

AI could fix this, or it could make it worse. I suspect it will be heavily determined by how each individual chooses to react to it.

Here is what I know...

AI is here and improving quickly.

I have not stopped playing with AI.

AI has already changed everything.

This is not something that I'm forecasting.

I have used it every day, and it's like a super power.

It's like having real super powers.

I'm not telling you what I think it will be like.

I'm telling you what it feels like every single day.

We have to get our relationship with AI right.

We have to get our relationship with both AI and nature right.

To use the words of the video from the other day, the future of our species depends on it.

I believe this all starts with our relationship with ourselves.

The battleground is our thought patterns.

Everything else flows from your thought.

All of the behaviour that we need to fix is thought that we need to fix.

Right now, our thought is increasingly captured by apps that use ariticifial intelligence to leverage the dopamine seeking-reward loop.

If you want to be happy, I believe that it is critical to take this attention back.

If AI is going to be a part of our lives like they predict, we need to make sure that it is part of our lives in a good way.

I don't know what that will actually mean in practice.

But I do know that we need to engage the process and do our best to figure it out. This is not something to pretend isn't happening.

This is right now.

The majority of the kids I meet are unable to get their attention out of an app.

Many adults I know can't control when they look at their screens, whether phone or computer or TV.

I want to commit February to doing our best to harness us much of our attention as we possibly can and direct it at the things that are most important to each of us.

If for no other reason, do it to feel like a kid again. Remember what it was like to lose yourself in something - to make the time to go all in on something cool?

Here's what I'm thinking for the challenge:

• A general commitment to evaluating both our screen time and our daily attention interruptions, taking stock, and coming up with a plan to direct more of our attention to the places that are most important to us.
• An individual goal to pursue a better habit in some key area.

I want my attention.

Join me for a 28 day game.

28 days of rewilding.

28 days of process philosophy.

28 days of going all in.

28 days of deciding where you want your focus and attention to go.

28 days to throw yourself at an opportunity to improve how you feel.

28 days to flip the script.

I am inviting everyone to join me on an adventure of ideas and new habits.

We start February 1.

I will have details tomorrow.

Here's the thing. I want you all.

Remember that image I showed you? You have held me to high standards, now let's do it together. Tell us what you want your standards to be, and together we will get there.

100% engagement! That mean's you have to participate.

YOU!

The first person to sign up was my dad.

He's ready to get serious about health. He is committing to doing something big for February, but you'll have to wait for those details.

We are going to have fun.

My dad and I decided to give ourselves a carrot on a stick.

I'll give you a hint. I want to go on an epic weekend beach adventure.

The truth is, for me, the daily moment to moment improvements are enough to justify all of this.

Let's make magic happen.

Life is good.