5 Great Decisions of My Life

Do you ever think back to some benign decision and think, wow, that was a great decision.

1. Getting a good mattress

When I first moved out, I bought an IKEA mattress. I was still in the mindset of saving money at all costs. I wasn't aware early on, but I would attribute a lot of back and neck issues to the terrible support from the bed. After getting my annual bonus, I spent the money on a $1400 mattress and threw out the old $200 one. Never looked back.

2. Getting back into reading

I had a period of one or two years that seems to have been filled with mindless entertainment. I remember forgetting the last book I ever read. I wasn't learning and growing as a person. On new years day, I participated in the Good Reads Challenge and set a goal to read 12 books in the year. Each book changed my perspective on things and helped me grow in different ways. Looking back, most of my most significant mindset changes were from reading a book.

3. Going to the gym six days a week

For a few months, I went to the gym as often as I could. Inspired by reading a few books on habit building, I decided to become someone who would work out as their life depended on it. The experience of really applying myself and seeing the results was a fantastic feeling. I will never forget the winter of 2018 when Seattle was hit with a huge snowstorm. I woke up that very first morning of snow and still drove to the gym at 6:30 AM. No one was on the streets. I had to drive in deep snow and carve a path forward.

4 Stop going to the gym

Funnily enough, my next great decision was to taper the amount of time in the gym. Even though I was getting bigger and stronger, I got injured very often and had a miserable time. What stopping has made me realize is that I need to listen to my body. Going to the gym and injuring myself here and there eventually built up in long-term chronic pain. Today I focus my efforts on functional strength and mobility by doing movements in their full range of motion and total control, also working on core and stability muscles.

5. Stop gaming

Gaming has been such a huge part of my life. It has been a source of entertainment and a sense of achievement. I loved that with practice, you can get better at the game. I've spent countless hours in the lobby, practising my shooting technique in Counter-Strike, no doubt. This love for getting better turned into an addiction. Unlike hobbies such as sports or reading, playing games floods your brain with dopamine no matter the situation. Eventually, I would notice myself using games to escape from other things going on in my life. I decided to cut out games from my life and have loved the feeling in control of my mood.