UMS v3.1 - Which Is to Be the Master

[ReconGunner]

Addendum:

Wrestled with a bit of internal negativity yesterday. It didn't drag my mood down like it often does.

Finding joy in a lot of things, centered on people that I care about.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 2
Cycle 2 of 4 - Mid-cycle

Contemplating why The Grind* <spit> is a problem.

In The Grind, the goal is activity. Any kind of activity as long as it is arduous and draining, mentally and physically taxing. And when you do The Grind correctly, Good Things will happen for you. And if the Good Things aren't happening, you aren't doing The Grind correctly, or you haven't done The Grind long enough. That is, the entire thing cannot be falsified, and there is no end state where the goal is accomplished.

Contrast that with working toward goals that are clear, definite, and achievable. Once a goal is achieved, a new goal can be chosen and work applied toward that new goal. There is a direct relationship between the work performed and the achievement of the goal; the work is a direct means to the end goal. And this is usually falsifiable; either you achieve the goal or you don't. Persistence is often necessary, as the effect of the work is often cumulative; consider the example "It's not the 100th blow of the hammer that breaks the rock; it's also the 99 that came before."

Goals come before work so that work has a purpose. This is not an excuse to do nothing and wait for goals to walk up and introduce themselves. This is an observation that "do anything" is not an indefinite state; "doing" is not the goal, it is a means to a goal. Action will often produce unexpected results than can lead to identifying good goals and the means to achieve them. What is detestable is the idea of "do more for longer" as the purpose rather than the means.


*aka "The Hustle", "the Gig Economy", etc.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 2
Cycle 2 of 4

The Good: Continuing to experience joy at good things happening for those I care about. I consider this to be good alignment with the flow of things.

The Bad: I forgot to adjust the automation on my cell phone and started the next cycle a day early, so only 3 days rest on this cycle.

The Ugly: Nothing fitting this category.

The Challenge: I remembered something that I have long thought about money. "Money should not be the goal. Money is a good and healthy result when good goals are reached." I call this a challenge because I need to let it sit and ponder it before I accept or dismiss it. Currently leaning strongly toward "accept".

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 2
Cycle 3 of 4 - Mid-cycle

Very tired. Likely due to accidentally skipping a rest day.

Still pondering the above idea. There is still value in having financial goals and objectives, I believe. Those should not be your only goals, though; those should be achieved by completing other healthy goals. Even so, I believe that money is not zero-sum - for me to gain does not require anyone else to lose, or to do without or be denied. Money goals become a problem when money is viewed as being zero-sum, and as the only goal to pursue. So more complex than the simple statement.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 2
Cycle 3 of 4

A day late in journaling. got all four rest days in, though.

Acted on an opportunity that should help me make a long-desired career transition, with hopefully my first increase in income in about four years.

Other income ideas are percolating.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 2
Cycle 4 of 4 - Mid-cycle

Correcting my last entry. I was getting in all four rest days, but hadn't yet finished them. Now I have finished all four. And I was probably two days late in posting that entry.

The ball is rolling on the opportunity.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 2
Cycle 4 of 4 - Mid-cycle addendum

Definitely off on tracking my days. Last night was the last day of four listening days. Four days of rest to finish Stage 2.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 2
Cycle 4 of 4

Stage 2 complete.

From all of my introspection and examination of my life and how I got to where I am, I now have a tool to address past, present, and future.

"I have been the Underachiever's Underachiever. It is time to be the Late Bloomer's Late Bloomer."

Three months left on this run. Two stages with a month of rest after. One more run after that; five more months. Then, take stock of where I am relative to my definition of UMS.

And anything can happen in eight months.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 3
Cycle 1 of 8

Picking up steam towards the career transition.

I've been less tired in the mornings, too. Stage 2 tired me out; Stage 3 isn't.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 3
Cycle 2 of 8

Feeling urgency towards the career move. Less "It's coming" and more "I need something soon". Still driving forward.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 3
Cycle 3 of 8

Progress continues. One step at a time. Definitely NOT feeling like a slog. More like I have a tailwind helping me forward, or pieces steadily falling into place. My mind is zeroed in and churning through challenges. External conditions are what they are, and there's some short term uncertainty there. I'm more optimistic than I remember feeling in a long while.

Why did it take until the third run to get to this point? Maybe external conditions. Maybe I'm just a stubborn cuss, and that includes my subconscious. Whatever. I'm here and moving ahead.

[ReconGunner]

Run 3
Stage 3
Cycle 4 of 8

Slow progress. Major learning experience. Having to successively adjust my perspectives at each step of the way. Still optimistic in the face of a countdown to a currently unknown outcome; a little anxious anyway.

Had an acid issue on the listening night, after the loop was finished. Relatively minor, but enough that I had to get out of bed to take care of it.

[ReconGunner]

Supplemental

Major emotional reversal. All of my confidence has dropped. Nothing major has happened externally. Maybe a good night's sleep will help turn things back around.

[ReconGunner]

Sleep helped. Monday night is next loop. The only way out is through.