“I insist on a lot of time being spent, almost every day, to just sit and think. That is very uncommon in American business. I read and think.”
– Warren Buffett
Most of life happens in default mode.
That’s fine.
Because you can’t constantly reconsider every action in your life or you’ll go crazy.
The key is that your default mode represents the life you want to live and pushes you forward.
But that doesn’t happen… well, by default.
You have to calibrate your default mode.
You have to fine-tune the settings.
To…
- Exercise consistently
- Work on meaningful things every day
- Rest
- Spend time with family
- Meditate
- Be kind
…and so forth.
Which means you have to give yourself time — a few hours per month, for instance — to think about the direction you’re heading and the things you’re doing.
Is that the default mode you want to operate under?
What needs to be removed?
What needs added?
It’s amazing what a few hours of intentional thought or conversation can do to build clarity around who you are now and who you want to be.
My wife and I like to go for long walks to discuss our financial goals, our businesses, our parenting style, and even our relationship. Clear-headed decisions always follow these long, thoughtful discussions.
Life is complicated.
And running on default mode is fine.
But you need to calibrate your default mode so you’re able to live the life you want to live.