Recently, I heard a podcast where the guy was reviewing a book that reviewed 500 self-help books.
And now I am doing a review of the guy doing a review of a book that was a review of books that probably did reviews of Other books.
Fractals.
Anyway, he was generally in agreement with the twelve lessons they pulled out of the 500 books.
In statistics, what they did is called content factor analysis.
It’s when several items of data can actually be combined to make up one factor.
They came up with 12 factors that seemed to explain the advice in the 500 books they reviewed.
Here’s my simplified take on it.
People use self-help books, and/or a life coach, for three primary things:
Discuss topics and issues they don’t have anyone else they can discuss them with, or at least get a more distant, confidential, and objective listening ear.
Find a problem-solving partner to help resolve problems or issues they’re having with changes they want to make in their lives.
Get help making a decision.
The guy reviewing the book about the 12 factors, on the podcast I was listening to, said that in his 20-plus years of coaching and thousands of hours of experience, most people show up not knowing what they want.
They want or need his help making a decision.
This got me thinking about where things stand in my own life as the month is quickly coming to an end.
You may recall that I have decided I can handle three big objectives at a time.
I have two of these in the works right now:
Writing, editing, and posting a daily blog article for one year straight.
Maintaining a 15,000-steps-per-day average for the year, too.
I also continue to do daily Zeroscape tracking, just less dogmatically, and have escaped the algorithm, for the most part.
Darn podcasts still get me, but I tend to listen to them when I am walking, so that is okay.
There are other things I want to do and attend to most days, but in a way, they also help with the 15,000-steps goal.
When I do strength exercises, I am moving and getting steps.
When I rehearse songs, I am moving and getting steps.
When I clean the apartment, I am getting steps.
When I weigh in to see if I’m on track to maintain my target weight, I even get a few steps in.
That told me something important.
When I look at the remaining items on my list of “someday” goals and projects, there is one that could be added to help with getting to 15,000 steps.
That is to be a “regular” at a favorite place.
Unfortunately, I can’t decide which place, though, or when I want to do it.
However, when I do implement this, ideally it will help with the 15,000-steps goal, too.
I have another objective that competes with the daily blog-writing goal.
Songwriting. Writing and recording songs.
I am not doing this now, and am trying to decide when and how I will introduce it into the mix.
A part of me says it should be combined with or replace daily blog posting.
Perhaps I go to an every-other-day goal when I finish the year of daily posts?
One day work on songs, one day on blog articles?
Regardless, I don’t want to push it right now, though.
Plus, I am fully into the year-long dreamwork certification course I started in September.
This course is taking 5–10 hours per week.
It is also counting as a mini “adventure.”
And, the course could also be considered part of my current “vocational” path.
It is the “student” identity on a Highway to Yeah.
That may lead to a “professor” identity on a Highway to Yeah, too.
And these are two of the four vocational paths I have referred to as “viable options” for my next steps in radical lifestyle design.
Do I want to just be an eternal student from here on out?
Yes, perhaps I do.
Do I want to eventually “teach” or hang out a shingle to work with people?
Possibly, but there’s no rush on this.
Do I want to be a traveling minstrel troubadour, being nomadic for a full year?
Possibly, and there may be a rush on this.
Do I want to get involved in a “third place” type of adventure?
By this, I mean going to work seasonally at a venue or restaurant/venue, and perhaps eventually “owning” and/or “creating” my version of what such a place could be.
I have not ruled this last of the four options out, but it would definitely keep me “locked” into a particular location.
therefore, it is in direct competition with being a traveling minstrel.
This is where Coach Leavers steps in.
Dude.
You have left off a big one that you know you need to address, and the sooner, the better.
Place.
Coach Leavers is right, darn it.
Do you see how it becomes a chicken-or-the-egg type of decision-making conflict?
If I focus on place without regard for the four options being considered, then I might paint myself into a corner.
If I want to be fully nomadic for a year, that would probably drive me to make one set of decisions.
If I want to continue to be a “snowbird,” that drives another set of decisions.
But guess what?
I am loving life as I figure this out!
I was up until 1 a.m. last night rocking out to great tunes and slept until 9 a.m. this morning.
Whooo!!
FIRE is the bomb.