For many, the summer is a time of recalibration. A time to read or listen to podcasts. A time to grow and learn.
Input = Output
So with this in mind, I thought it would be a good time to write about how our input equals output.
I have seen several quotes getting at this idea…
“You become the content you consume.”
“What you feed your mind is what you’ll become.”
This is a really simple principle. If you consume crud, you will be crud. I have never spent a lot of time consuming junk, such as mindless scrolling on social media, message boards, etc, and walked away feeling sharper, more creative and clear thinking.
EVER.
Compound Effect
We will often excuse this time as a time to unwind or to let our brains take a break. However, we often don’t do this once a month, or heck, even once every other week…we often do this everyday.
This input of junk compounds and makes a big difference in a short amount of time. The tough part about this compounding effect is there is a lag to the effect.
Lag Effect
James Clear talks about how our habits have a lag time. So if you decide to veg on your phone and consume junk for an hour or more every night, you will not see or feel a big difference the next day. Heck, you won’t even see or feel a big difference in three to six days.
Which will lull us into thinking “That input equals output idea is a joke. I have been vegging on my phone for a week straight and I feel no different.”
So we keep doing it, thinking it is not impacting us.
How’d I Get Here?
The next thing we know, we look up in two, three, four weeks… and we are in a pit. The result is poor emotional and mental health, a lack of clarity in our life, oftentimes being physically lethargic, and a feeling of stagnation.
The daily habits over the last four weeks catch up to you and you are not even aware of it until it’s too late.
What are you consuming on a regular basis? Do these habits propel you? Do they help or hinder?
Create habits that feed your mind, body, and soul.
