How to push yourself and why it's important

Most people seek to improve themselves, learn new things, become better people. The way to do this is to change your behavior.  Changing your behavior stems from ‘pushing yourself.’ Pushing yourself is a mentality.  You can push yourself mentally or physically, but they both stem from your thinking.  

I did not write this to persuade you that you ‘should be doing more.’  In fact, there’s a decent chance that you ‘should be doing less.’  Realistically, you will need to do both at the same time - do fewer unimportant things in order to do important things more frequently.  Both ‘doing more’ and ‘doing less’ are challenging.  ‘Pushing yourself’ refers to accepting this challenge and undertaking it, despite its difficulty.  Not pushing yourself is easy, comfortable, and reactionary - you just keep doing what you’ve been doing and go with the flow.  Pushing yourself is pro-active, and it forces you to exist in the uncharted headspace of new experiences.

You will have to push yourself in order to say no to things, because saying no is often difficult!  We believe that we are obligated to do many things which we are truly and deeply NOT obligated to do, but we choose to do them because we do not want to face the discomfort and possible confrontation of saying no to someone or to something.  We are too scared of seeming selfish, even though we actually know that it is in our best interest and well-being to say no.  You will need to push yourself to say no...simply because saying yes is an easy way out.  Automatically saying yes to a request or an offer does not require us to push ourselves.

Pushing yourself requires that you do not merely perform what is handed to you, or what is assigned to you.  It will require you to think about all that you are required to do, what you have assigned yourself to do, and all that you desire to do.  Pushing yourself is simply a mindset of proactivity, of thought, of care, of planning.  

Pushing yourself requires that you are aware of what you are learning, or of what you could learn.  We are all learn everyday, by default.  The way to accelerate learning is to be aware of it, and to drive it in the directions you desire.  

Start small

Begin the habit of pushing yourself in small ways.  Here’s a few I’ve used, but create your own:    

• Mix up your everyday habits - Eat your meal in different chairs, drive on different streets on a familiar route, buy 5 new groceries products you’ve never noticed before, brush your teeth with the opposite hand.   

• Focus ALL of your attention on actually paying attention while you drive your car.  Sure you can listen to music, text at red lights, and think of 2 things while you drive, but focus all of your attention on driving.  Driving is actually pretty fun when you’re aware of all the details -  those car commercials that push the joy of driving have got it right.    

• Experiment with a new rising time.  Don’t just try waking 20 minutes earlier, go for something more drastic.  Wake up 2-3 hours earlier than usual -  the shock of tiredness your body feels can be used to your advantage to jump out of bed and start the day.  

• Purposefully avoid the use of cliches in conversation.  It’s easy to get through the day saying things like “Hey what’s up?”  “Just chilling, you?”  “So busy!”  “Ah, it’s good to be busy.”  Cliches communicate little.  Make an effort to actually say something.  Be creative...think.  You don’t have to say anything of substance, just something that is genuine that stems from real thinking.  The interaction will be far more interesting, you have a better chance of connecting with someone, and you will probably feel better because of it.

• Do math in your head whenever the opportunity presents itself.  Your shopping bill was $53.16 after a 10% discount?  So then what was the full tab before the discount?   

It may seem that changing such trivial and mundane habits has no significance. But the logic behind it is that if you change an unimportant action in your day-to-day life, you will become more aware.  Things that have slipped by unnoticed for days, months, or years will now be on your radar of awareness.  Once your awareness has been roused, your creativity is set into motion - how can you put a spin on this ‘same old thing’ to make it new?  You’ll need to create a new way… It’s a game… games are fun…and fun boosts your mood (and the moods of others).  Applying your creativity to small stakes situations will slowly change the way you perceive your environment, enhances your interactions, speeds up your thinking, makes you more decisive, builds your confidence, improves your problem-solving chops, and it will increase the number of options you are able to perceive in any situation. It will allow you to perceive choices of action that you never knew existed, that you were simply unable to see.  Ultimately, it increases the number of ways you are able to think and builds a habit of pursuing new things.  

Think Big

Drawing a roadmap of your future is the best motivator for pushing yourself.  

Answer these:

• Where are you now?

• Where are you going?

• How are you going to get there?  

Sit and spend the minutes/hours to answer these questions and it will generate the energy for you to push yourself.  Some people have a mental block about forecasting for themselves, and have a very difficult time thinking about the future, this I understand.  If this describes you, you can push yourself by thinking through the block.  When the block is encountered, most conclude that they are just not capable of thinking about the future.  However, if you deal with the block, and persist in your plan to plan, you can have a breakthrough and be able to imagine your future with more clarity.

Pushing yourself happens thought by thought, action by action, day by day.  The small actions will add up over time and create major change in your life.  Change will come about if you stay the course.  Pushing yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally  requires resilience, persistence, grit, and constant reminders of your future vision.  The process is the journey, and the results are worth every difficult moment…

Josh Giunta is an electro-groove music producer who writes about learning, the creative process, the relation of art & science, and more. 

Photo Credit:  Long Road Ahead by flickr user teamscuby

8 steps to understanding the size of the universe

Let's take your mind to the gym right now.  The exercises we'll be doing today will induce wonder, expand your vision, connect your imagination with reality, and increase your perspective.  We will do this by looking at just how big our universe is, or put another way - how far reality goes. 

1.  The size of the Earth.  On the highway, you probably drive around 75/mph when no cars are close and visibility is good.  If you could drive in a complete circle around the Earth at this speed, it would take you 13.5 days of continuous driving... that's without any refueling, pee breaks, sleeping, or pit stops of any kind.  Long road trip. 

2.  Distance to the moon.  The average speed of a 747 (typical passenger jet) is 500/mph.  If you could book a non-stop ticket to fly to the moon in a 747, the flight would take 20 days, or 477 hours.  Flying to China ain't so bad now.  

3.  Distance to the Sun.  Let's think of this in terms of familiar objects instead of with numbers.  If the Earth were the size of a grain of couscous, the sun would be the size of a ping pong ball - and it would be 15 feet away.  

4.  Size of our solar system.  In 1977 NASA launched the Voyager 1 spacecraft.  It's purpose was to fly by numerous planets and then exit our solar system.  The craft travels at 38,000/mph.  At this speed it still took 35 years for it to leave the solar system (it did so in 2012)!  If it could travel back to Earth from its current location at the speed of light, it would take 17 hours!  It is the farthest reaching human made object in existence.  

5.  Our closest neighboring star.  Aside from our Sun, the closest star to Earth is Alpha Centauri.  It is located 25,660,320,000,000 miles away (25.66 trillion).  It common terms, this is RFFAB (Really Fuckin Far Away Bro).   So how long would it take us to travel there?  Here's how we can imagine it:  Let's say we could commute there in the fastest object humans have ever created.  This would mean we would cruise in NASA's Juno spacecraft which reached a top speed of 87,000/mph.  Even if we could travel at 87,000/mph on Juno, it would STILL take us 33,669 YEARS to get to Alpha Centauri!! 

6.  Size of the Milky Way galaxy.  If our solar system were the size of a CD, the Milky Way would be the size of the United States!

7.  Our closest neighboring galaxy.   Our closest galactic neighbor is a small cloud galaxy called Canis Major, located 25,000 light away.  To put this distance in perspective:  when a beam of light leaves the Sun,  it takes 8 minutes for that light to travel through space and reach the Earth.  For our Sun's light to reach the closest galaxy it would take 25,000 years - mind you, it is traveling at 186,000 miles per SECOND.  The Andromeda Galaxy gets a little more attention as being our closest neighbor because it is a spiral galaxy similar to our Milky Way, and also because it just looks way cooler than the Canis Major cloud.  Fair enough.  This galaxy is 2.5 million light years away from ours, which is considered just around the corner in astronomical distances. 

8.  Number of stars in the universe.  Before we chew on this nugget let's understand how big a billion really is.  How long does it take to count to 1 billion?  If you were to count one number every second it would take you about 31 years to get to 1 billion!  It is roughly estimated that the average galaxy has about 100 billion stars.  It is also estimated that there are about 100 billion GALAXIES in the known universe.  When we do the math we discover that there are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all of the Earth's beaches!  

Please visualize these things and think about them when you look up at the sky.   It's good for you mind, heart, and imagination. 

Josh Giunta is an NYC based music producer and student of living.  

12 must read books for the artist & creator

The job of the artist is to be creative.  Not a bad gig!  The act of creating is exciting for artists, it provides a rush of excitement, connection, and flow.  We can expand the power of that creativity by educating ourselves and broadening the scope of how we use our creativity and what we use it for.  Reading is an essential tool to improving yourself and increasing your happiness and success.  I have complied a list of books that have reshaped the way I think about making art, productivity, and the promotion of creative work.

To me, every one of these books is a gem – I will be re-reading all of these books for years to come, and I’m certain they will inspire me to new action after each read.  The books cover a multitude of topics, yet are all very much related.  Some of the ground these books covers includes:  the creative process, learning new skills, the science of social media, saving and building money, saying ‘no’ to things, determining your life’s purpose, democracy & despotism, building relationships, and building your own business, to name a few.  I hope these books inspire new things for you.  Click on the book TITLES to link to the book’s Amazon page, or click your heels to get your ass down to the library.

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield

An interviewer once asked jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis if the doubts that an artist feels go away once you reach a high level of craft & success.  He responded that they do not go away, but they change form and one learns how to manage them.  The War of Art is a tool for the artist to combat the deep doubts we can feel during the creative process or over the course of our careers.  The message of the this book is to power through and do what your calling asks you to do, regardless of your doubts and despite the voices that try to deter you from creating what you envision.  Doubts and distraction are something that every artist experiences.  The Pros know that negative thinking is all an illusion to be overcome.  This book is a map for overcoming the challenges faced when we create things consistently.

Essentialism:  The Discplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown

The basic premise of this book is that there are very few things in life that are truly important.  It is up to you to determine what those few things are, pursue them, protect them, and disengage from things that are not important.  When we reach a certain level of busyness and success, we will undoubtedly be asked to do many things from many different people.  Because of our innate desire to please others and do good in the world, we say ‘yes’ to too many things because we believe that we can do it all.  Essentialism claims that we can NOT do it all, nor should we try.  We should instead figure out what is most important for us to do, and then decline things which are not in line with it.  This enables our best contribution to the world and our most personally fulfilling existence.   Saying ‘no’ is difficult to do and often uncomfortable because it is confrontational and sometimes can hurt or disappoint the people we say ‘no’ to. It is an important skill to develop because saying ‘no’ will lead to better ‘yeses.’

Money: Master the Game, by Tony Robbins

Ahhh, money.  So many artists are scared to think of money, desire money, talk about money, pursue money.  But why?   Money is not often talked about in detail, even among friends – so why would it be surprising that we don’t know a lot about saving, investing, and planning?  Some people seem to have a mental blockage around money.  To be free of this blockage, we simply must learn more about money.  This book starts from square one and is written in a  simple way.  The first game changer this book instilled upon me is to save a fixed percentage of each paycheck that you receive.  It doesn’t matter if that check is $75 or $6,000, put that 9% (or whatever you decide upon) into savings.  It also outlines all the places available to you to put your savings so that they will potentially earn money for you (AKA investments).  There is money to be saved in the world and there is money to be earned… one must only know how.

The Art of Learning: An Inner Journey to Optimal Performace, by Josh Waitzkin

Author Josh Waitzkin was a world champion child chess prodigy who burnt out on chess and then became a world champion in the Tai Chi Chuan martial arts after only a few years of training.  His transition between the two disciplines made him delve deep into the learning process itself and this book is the result of it.  He uses both chess & martial arts as a vehicle for his self expression and creativity, no different than an artist.  Waitzkin dissolves a lot of the barriers we create between genres and disciplines, outlining the deeper commonalities between mediums.

Steve Jobs, by Walter Issacson

Steve Jobs was an artist across multiple mediums – technology, design, aesthetics, minimalism, psychology, business, and management.  There are thousands of ‘how to’ books for entrepreneurship, leadership, and business, but the first hand story of Jobs teaches lasting lessons by example and action.   He was deeply in touch with art and he utilized the problem solving techniques that artists use during the creative process.  He had a strong vision, the courage to pursue it, and executed his plans with enormous detail.  He was a perfectionist and he obsessed over each detail of his products, much the same as a creative artist.  His story is an inspiration for those striving to have an impact.

Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism, by Cornel West

Every American should read this book.  The USA was founded upon the most forward thinking ideas for self-government humans have created – a beautiful ideal.  We, the people of a nation must first understand the true principles and task of democracy and then we must judge our government by these principals.  Is it actually democratic or is it not??  This book is a call to the minds of a sleepy nation to educate themselves and to keep their government in check.  West speaks a lot about the role of artist in societies throughout history, and calls on them to be educated, to speak truth, and to create art that is relevant to the times, for the benefit and enlightenment of the people.  It also illustrates the darkness of the human spirit instigated by oppression and imperialism, and why it is crucially important for our survival  to establish and maintain free nations.

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coello

This book is the story of a man who of takes a life plunge that is guided by intuition.  It is the story of a spiritual journey.  You don’t always know what you are getting into by leaving your comfort zone, but your inner compass will be your guide.   It is also the story of trust – trusting that you will be guided by unforeseen people, events, feelings, and circumstances to move in the right direction and arrive at your destination.  A beautiful reminder that life always has been and always will be a journey.

The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss

This book opened a huge door for me and allowed me to begin navigating the music industry, artistic world, and life in general with a more entrepreneurial approach.  A few key concepts:  (1) Time is more valuable than money – the person who works 25 hours/week and makes $50,000/year is more wealthy than the person who works 80 hours/week and makes $100,000/year.   (2) If you arrange your work and business to be free of location, you can travel and experience more things in the world for a lot less money than most people assume.  (3) Life is not all about work!  But freedom takes planning and action.  Also, check out the Tim Ferriss podcast where he interviews top performers in various fields to better understand the inner workings of their success.

 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

Most people believe that there is a great divide between “artistic” types of thinking (intuition, emotional expression, timelessness, spirituality) and “technical” thinking (problem solving, construction, engineering, scientific method).  Artists often feel that the two are at odds – the technique and the expression.  By applying ancient philosophies from various cultures and being deeply astute of our current culture, Pirsig shows that there are NOT two sides, but they are actually the same thing.  The book also focuses on the concept of ‘quality.’  Humans have an innate ability to measure the quality of something, and we may take it upon ourselves to be creators and curators of quality.  The beauty and wisdom of this book is certainly too deep to summarize in a paragraph, but hopefully you have been properly baited.

 Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook:  How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy World, by Gary Vaynerchuk

This is an instructional book that gives specific coaching on how to use social media most effectively.  Start by watching a few YouTube videos of Gary Vaynerchuk to get a feel for his directness and his ideas.  If you think that you need to use social media more, or have been using it to unsatisfactory results, this book is for you!  The guiding premise of Gary’s philosophies is that you must create content that is actually valuable, that people will find useful or entertaining – something people will want to share.  The title of the book refers to the ethos of give, give, give, give, ask – most people on social media ask, ask, ask, ask, ask… “Come to my show,” “Buy my album,” “Like my photo of me liking my own page.”  An important read for the times.

Never Eat Alone:  And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, by Keith Farrazzi

You’ve heard people say it a thousand times (and perhaps it’s annoying by now) – “It’s all about the relationships.”  Most people believe that being socially fluid is something you are born with or you are not.  This is not so – social chops are something that may be learned and improved upon, this book is a schooling in this world of interaction and relationships.

Strinking Thoughts: Bruce Lee’s Wisdom for Daily Living by Bruce Lee, John Little

Bruce Lee is a double threat.  He has immense compassion and spiritual depth, AND he is a master and an innovator of the martial arts.  The power of his ideas stand on their own, but he exemplifies the philosophies and manifests them through his martial art.  Each idea in this book is no more than a paragraph long, yet they each are deep enough to ponder for days.   A master of both the world inside our minds and the outside world, he is a teacher to listen to.

Thoughts on Style

This post was inspired by watching and playing soccer in Brazil.  Brazilian soccer is known for its graceful flow, creative combination of touches, smooth and quick movements, and a visual aesthetic equivalent to dance.  In Brazilian soccer, there is an emphasis on style.  Brazilians have a term for style, as it pertains to soccer:  Joga Bonito means “play beautifully” and Jogo Bonito means “the beautiful game.”  Both refer to the artful expression through the game.  I hope the ideas here inspire creativity in any medium.  

 Style is…

• Original style is easy. It is easy and inherent to the individual expressing it.

• Style is art. Style is expression. The highest level of style is the purest expression of art.

• Style feels good to express.  

• Style looks good.  Style is attractive.  Style is graceful. Style has a sense of humor.

• Performing with style is a winning game, because true style always embodies function, quality, and consistency.

• To do something with style is to do it YOUR way…and to be proud about it. That very pride feeds your style, it gives you the confidence to act most naturally and efficiently.

• Style is craft…

• Style is also a wormhole, a shortcut through the universe of creation. Style can break all the rules. 

• Style absorbs information faster, and views the world in greater detail.

• Style is not merely ‘in the moment’ – style is having a real time conversation WITH the moment. 

• Children can have style before they care about function, or before they care about style itself.

• Style is not a luxury, pursued at the end of a long journey.  It must be cultivated along every step of the journey.  It is omnipresent.

• Style is like gravity… its forces are playing out, whether you are aware of them or not.

• Style is difficult to define but easy to identify.

• Style is the language of the intuition.

• “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.”

• Style does not play the game of winning and losing.  Style always wins, and feels good about it. 

• Style operates above the plane of rules, regulations, cliches, memories, and logistics.

• Style is not new… but it is not old either.

• Style is a silly thing to think about, but an excellent thing to put into practice.

More definitions:

True style is the full expression of everything that’s tangible and intangible, for all to see.  Style is what makes people smile and appreciate.   Style is a natural ripple resulting from someone doing something their own way, creating their own solution.  It is also a goal to steer towards, through the journey of progress.  Style does not passively imitate, it actively creates.

Style = a particular way to do something.  Our own style is with us from the beginning, and it stays with us throughout the entire learning process.  Style often gets abandoned or forgotten about because we think that our way of doing something is inferior, or another’s way of doing something superior.Mastery is an accumulation of experience and full embracement of one’s own style.

Function comes first. A job needs to be done, something needs to be accomplished by a person. A beginner is slow, but becomes faster as one learns and integrates motions into habit.  Once function is achieved, the goal becomes quality:  to do the job better.  Once we can do something with quality, we strive to do it with consistency:  to do a great job, as often as possible.  
We are often ‘stuck in our own heads’, trapped in logical thought – focused on function, or quality, or consistency.   We should instead be focused on style.