I was watching LeBron James after he scored his 50,000th career point against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 4th.
Hitting 50,000 points is almost impossible. To put that in context, Michael Jordan—widely considered the greatest by many—finished his career with 32,292 points.
In the post-game interview, Lebron was asked, “How are you doing this at such a high level, at this stage of your career?”
Lebron is 40. And he still plays the game with the enthusiasm of an 18-year-old.
I’ve felt stuck or lost so many times in my life that I can’t even keep count.
In 2011, I finished grad school. The economy was still recovering from the 2008 crash. I wanted to work in finance. But no one wanted to hire me. Not a single company gave me a shot.
So I did what a lot of people do when they’re out of options. I started a business with my dad.
By 2013, I’d been working with him for two years. And I hated it. I didn’t like the industry, felt no passion for the work, and couldn’t see a future in it.
Every day, you’re fighting a battle. The enemy? Your own mind. Distractions, doubts, and impulses pull you in every direction.
You want to focus, but you keep getting sucked into nonsense. You know what you need to do, but you don’t do it.
A reader asked me:
“It is becoming difficult to maintain focus, concentration and discipline in terms of learning and studying for exams and for gaining knowledge in general.”
I agree. It’s getting harder to focus.
Everywhere I go, I overhear people talking politics. I was in a coffee shop last Saturday in Amsterdam with my wife.
On the table next to us were three generations of a family—grandmother, mother, and son—drinking coffee. The young guy, who appeared to study in Amsterdam, had his family over for a visit.
We were already sitting when they came in. The first thing they talked about was the latest geopolitical news, which I hadn’t even heard yet.
Before they ordered coffee or talked about the guy’s studies, they talked politics.
This is not uncommon.