š How I Bounced Back From A Mental Health Breakdown
How to navigate a chaotic world, make the right decision, & see reality clearly.
This is Bread Crumbs, the most interesting newsletter in the world (Dos Equisā voice). And it just got a whole lot more interesting. Guess what? We are splitting it into two different types of newsletters - The Big Baguette & Bagel Bites!! It will still only come once a week but the editions will alternate.
The Big Baguette is the edition you already know and love. It uses habits, questions, & principles to cover high level life strategy.
Bagel Bites is the edition you will get to know and love. It uses specific experiments, websites, and people to cover ground level tactics you can check out right away. We also highlight the subscriber of the week!! Any bets on who is winning the first one? Our bookie has Charlie Rhomberg at -150 š
Todayās estimated read time: 4 minutes & 55 seconds.
Written by the excel junkie formally known as Paul Clancy.
One Tiny Habit
Under 5 minutes a day can change your life.
In college (ILL!), I was the person who had āno chillā. I was constantly ādoing somethingā. Studying for exams, attending meetings, and applying to new organizations. Weekly stretches of not seeing my roommates were par for the course.
At school, I got by with this behavior. Winter and summer breaks provided a cushion. No papers to write. No exams to study for. No meetings to attend. They were temporary period of relief.
But no such breaks exist in the āreal worldā. You (the reader) likely are or will be a knowledge worker. Youāll have an infinite set of projects. Your boss wonāt take a summer break. And youāll use your phone for easy communication. These factors can dangerously combine to make you always āonlineā.
As an investment banking analyst, I was praised for constantly ādoing somethingā. I was either online, thinking about being online, or sleeping. It took me from a person with āno chillā to one with āno lifeā. I couldnāt pause. My āwork ethicā eventually led to a full-blown mental breakdown. Coming out of this breakdown, I was diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder. Three things helped me get betterā¦medicine, therapy, and the MĀ³ Method.
The MĀ³ Method is the most powerful morning habit (Iāve found) for improving oneās life and career. How does it work?
Block out the first 30 minutes of the day and leave your phone in the bedroom.
Set a timer for 10 minutes. Repeat 3x.
In the first 10 minutes, move your body (walk, stretch, do push-upsā¦literally any movement).
During the second 10 minutes, meditate. You could sit quietly by yourself with coffee, write in a journal, or use the Calm app for a guided meditation.
For the final 10 minutes, work on mastering a skill you want to build. You could practice guitar, write a short story, or work on your side hustle.
In an increasingly chaotic world, where so much is out of our control, committing to a practice we CAN control reminds us of our own power. It leads to preparation. And preparation leads to peace.
One Insightful Question
Stop unconsciously floating through life & start thinking about things that really matter.
Becoming an adult is pretty FREAKING cool. We earn our own money, choose where to live, and so much more! To me, the most amazing (and terrifying) part of becoming an adult is that āIām the captain nowā. I can consult my parents, friends, and mentors BUT ULTIMATELY the buck stops with me.
The career I pursue, the relationships I keep, and the lifestyle I design will create ripple effects for the rest of my life. Knowing those stakes, I often get scaredā¦
Recently though, I came across a question that makes adult decisions less scary. It was made famous by the one and only Jeffrey Bezos. When debating what you pursue, ask yourselfā¦
āWhen Iām 80, which of these options will I regret most for not trying?ā
This question is powerful for two reasons.
It reminds us that our life is finite. We do not have unlimited time to pursue every option. So, we should act with purpose.
It orients us towards pursuing long-term success and happiness. 80-year-old you will regret missing your best friendās wedding way more than finishing that super important work project.
Next time you come across a fork in the road, ask yourself this question. The decision will still be scary but youāll have the wisdom of 80-year-old you on your side.
One Guiding Principle
Principles can guide you to a great life.
Growing up, my brothers and I played A LOT of little league baseball. But, I ended up quitting baseball in 7th grade. Looking back, the two main reasons I stopped playing were:
I was better at basketball and wanted to focus my energy there during the summer.
After playing 5+ years of travel ball, I realized I hated most of my coaches.
All the coaches I despised had one trait in common. They thought their kid was WAY better than he was. Iām no Joe Torre but I know nepotism on the diamond when I see it. Instead of being the starting pitcher or shortstop, Little Timmy deserved to be hidden in right f*cking field or on the bench. **Full disclosure, I wouldāve been sitting right next to him.**
These 40-year-old men couldnāt accept reality. Little Timmy wasnāt going to be the next Jeter. The y were blinded by one thingā¦their ego. Many of our worst decisions stem from our egos. If left unchecked, our ego will ruin our lives. And for that reason, this weekās principle is Ego is the Enemy.
Our egos are the greatest obstacle to progress. They rob us of the opportunity to learn. As the great Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, āIt is impossible to learn what you already think you know.ā
In the case of my little league baseball coaches, they āknewā their kid was good enough to play shortstop. That was until Little Timmy entered high school and didnāt make it past the first round of Freshman tryouts. Ironically, his Dadās nepotism robbed him of the chance to grow as a player.
In our own lives, we are no different than these little league coaches. Think about the last time you couldnāt handle criticism at work or in a relationship. In these situations, our ego rears its ugly head to protect ourselves in the short term. But in the long term, it limits us from achieving great things.
We cannot get rid of our egoā¦it will forever be part of our genes. But by remembering not to trust it and being aware of situations when it arises, we can mitigate its risks.
5 Great Resources
A curated list of content to help you explore your curiosity.
An epic music special with insight on the perils of ācreating contentā. HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Check out this deep dive on the history of Bezos and Amazon.
The last 10 years of American life have been pretty stupidā¦hereās why
Here are 103 bits of advice from one of the coolest 70-year-olds on earth
Is your brain running on old software?
Meme of the Week
See yāall next Sunday. And remember, Sundays were created for rest and carbo loads.
- Paul & Luke