Hello and welcome to 4-Minute Friday where I share, in four minutes or less, the latest things I’m doing to enhance my health, develop a better mindset, make day-to-day life easier, and other shenanigans.
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Word of the Week:
Agency.
I’m not sure if it’s my social media algorithm getting the best of me or a sign from up above, but this word has seemingly surfaced for me daily.
Defined by good ol’ Wikipedia as “a person's ability to initiate and control their actions, and the feeling they have of being in charge of their actions” – this agency word prompts an important dialogue.
After some reflection, I’d argue having high agency may be one of the most important traits one can bolster for the sake of living a meaningful, satisfying life.
The belief that we don’t have much influence over our lives is an easy trap to fall into.
But it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sure, there are some things that are absolutely out of our hands and bad stuff happens in this world far too often. Yet we get to control our response to these instances, nonetheless.
The time we spend outwardly or inwardly grumbling “if only” could be spent leaning into making a change to remove the “if” from the equation.
If only I had more time in the day to start that side hustle I’ve been dreaming of.
Set your alarm 90 minutes earlier and start your day focusing on your dream with a fresh mind over a cup of coffee. You control this.
If only I knew how to cook healthy food, then I would be able to clean up my diet and eat consistently well.
Use one of the thousands of free resources out there to begin a meal preparation program starting with the basics. You control this.
If only I had a closer group of friends to spend time with, then I wouldn’t waste as much time inside on my phone.
Go out of your way to attend meet-up events, ask a co-worker to do an activity, heck, do a solo excursion where you might meet someone along the way. You control this.
One of the most important things we can come to realize is that we are in the driver’s seat of our own life. We exert power over our actions and have the opportunity to seek whatever it is we want out of our short time here.
Is life happening to you or are you happening to life?
I’m doing my best to strive for the latter.
Shortcut to a Medium-Rare Steak:
I promise I haven’t gone crazy on you.
Although it’s almost that time where you can roll your Weber back out on a Sunday evening and throw down a perfectly charred ribeye, I recently discovered a hack that’s too surprising not to share.
And believe it or not, it involves an air fryer and a hunk of lean beef.
While it sounds absurd and I too was heavily doubting it’s viability, I was quite taken aback when I gave it a go and it turned out pretty darn good. Of course, not to the standard of a sufficiently grill-marked steak, but good enough. And at this day and age, that’s really all I’m going for with my nutrition plan to be quite frank.
Air fry 4-6 minutes on each side at 400F depending on your liking – medium-rare is the only correct answer – and then let rest for 5 or so minutes.
Add a couple over-easy eggs on the side and a dollop of ketchup and you’re in business.
Documentary I Recently Watched:
Avicii – I’m Tim.
Tim Bergling, notoriously known by his stage name Avicii, was a mastermind Swedish DJ who took the music world by storm in the early 2010’s.
If you aren’t familiar, give a few of his top songs a quick listen on Spotify and it’ll take you back to the good ol’ days. For me, that happened to be in Junior High where we thought this guys’ music was euphoric at evening dances hosted in our lunchroom.
Anyhow, this documentary highlights Tim’s upbringing from being an incredibly shy, self-conscious boy to an iconic multimillionaire celebrity selling out arenas and doing packed shows on most nights of the week.
The first thing I realized while watching is how much energy, effort, and passion is required to truly master a field. Watching him discuss music and various sound combinations was eye-opening. It was like a game of chess game to him – he knew the mechanisms within the game that made good music good because it’s what he lived, breathed, and thought about every single day for years.
To reach the top, this is a necessity not a byproduct.
But while this all sounds virtuous, a fast-moving lifestyle and fame comes with its obstacles.
Tragically, Tim’s struggles with fame and mental health led him to take his own life at a young 28 years old.
When watching the most recognizable people in the world do what they do, we often wish we could be in their shoes.
We neglect to realize the internal framework that’s often, but not always, driven them this far.
While it outwardly appears as success and unlimited excitement, we have no way of feeling what’s on the inside.
Just a reminder to be grateful in your own pair of sneakers – even if they are a little scuffed.
What else?
I’m continuing to find that setting a few weekly goals is a great way to place some guideposts in the ground and foster productivity. Next week, write down 1-2 daily non-negotiables – place a checkmark each day you succeed and an ‘X’ each day you fall short. Aim for a minimum of 3/5 winning days!
Do some happening to life this week.
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DISCLAIMER
This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.