CG 🌲 #066: Season Your Mind

Hello 👋🏾

Welcome to edition #066 of the Chase Growth Newsletter!

A peek behind the scenes of what I am building online.

Welcome to October!

The beginning of q4.

I have not written one of these emails in a while and the reason is simple.

Focus.

Earlier this week, I posted this story…

This is my mindset going into q4.

I have been plugging away, focusing on consistency.

“So Carl, if you are so consistent, why haven’t I seen an email in months?”

Priorities and balance.

Recently I see that the biggest barrier to my success is not a lack of:

• ideas

• network

• finances

• execution

It is actually working too hard. Burning out.

My focus has been on slow steady forward progression. Incorporating all of the elements into my life that make me happy.

A lot has changed since I last wrote an email.

I returned to playing with my national team and scored my first goal.

I started a new remote role with the agency Viral Nation.

And I’ve been reading more books.

Today I want to share the books I’ve been reading and my biggest take away from each.

Season Your Mind

My recent reading “Kick” was inspired by a question I heard posed on a podcast.

The author asked “What books would you read if you chose books based on your personal interest instead of recommendations?”

I instantly realized I had been on a hamster wheel of consuming books in and around the personal development space for the past 5-6 years.

This was great, but I had fallen into the cycle of liking an author, consuming their work, then consuming the work of similar authors with whom they collaborate or recommend their works.

I was stuck in a loop of self-development literature. Admittedly, not a bad loop to be stuck in.

But, as soon as this question was posed to me I instantly realized that left to my own devices I would choose more books on history, architecture, design, and even biographies.

This led me to a small bookstore in Shoreditch, London where I picked up a book that instantly validated my assumption and launched me into a period of loving to read more than ever.

No Name in the Street - James Baldwin

This was a timely, thought-provoking read for me. It left such an impression on me that I made a video speaking about it. I never got around to posting the video but I just uploaded it as an unlisted Youtube video that you can only watch here on this email.

Not Everybody Lives The Same Way - Jean-Paul Dubois

This is a novel, not my usual style, but good to break up some of the heavy things I have been reading. The overarching theme is expressed in the title. The novel develops various character lines showing how different people have different priorities throughout their lives and more importantly, how people can have drastic switches of priorities and actions throughout their lives.

In our society, it is easy to fall into the mentality of “doing what’s next”. Go to college, get the job, the apartment, the car, the better job, the house, the partner, get married, start a family, hit 100m net worth… And do it faster than everyone else in your immediate circle so you can act like you “won life.”

However, this preconception of reality is a myth. So many people live such noble lives and commit to various fulfilling pursuits. Whatever your measure of success, remember that it doesn’t matter that much to other people, they are happily living their life in the way they see fit.

Scotland Yard - Simon Read

This one was an audio book and I’m not finished, but it details the history of the development of the police and detective systems in the UK. The author brilliantly uses captivating stories to turn what could be a boring history lesson into a sprawling true crime documentary with sprinkles of historical context. I would recommend the audiobook experience, you feel as if you are being transported into another period of history, yet the characters, their struggles, and sometimes untimely demise feel all too relatable.

In conclusion, challenging myself to choose books solely based on my interests instead of recommendations has reinvigorated my enthusiasm for reading. What aspects of your life can this line of questioning help to revolutionize?

Some Interesting Finds From Last Week:

📖 Read this: The Craziest Wikipedia Page You Will Read This Week (Read all)

📺 Watch this: The End of Travelers Visas?

🎧 Listen to this: An Excellent Discussion on Roman History

Quick heads up, I most probably will not be returning to writing these emails once per week. The goal right now is once per month, just a personal update. If something very interesting happens that I want to document I might throw that out as well.

That’s it for this edition of the Chase Growth newsletter.

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Until next time, take care.

CH

When in doubt, Chase Growth