Arbitrary Rules

February and March I’m going to spend half in San Francisco and half in Vegas. So I’m buying a bunch of cheap tickets to ping-pong back and forth between the two cities. As I booked these flights I thought about how it became “a thing”. Two months, two cities, back and forth.

Those two months are going to be about productivity, getting my Vegas house up to snuff, and spending time with friends.

The only reason it is those things is because I decided it would be, though. No concrete reason.

I do this all the time, I’ve realized. Now my traveling is always with friends. Traveling is about spending quality time with friends. Doesn’t have to be that way, but I made up that rule so that’s how it is now.

Even things like wearing one shirt. It feels so normal to me to never change shirts, and that’s just how my life is.

All of these things are just things I’ve made up. I think about where I want to go or what I want to accomplish, package it up in my mind, and decide that’s how things are now.

There’s a danger to this, too, in that it constrains flexibility. What if there’s a good reason for me to have a second shirt? Would I really consider it?

But mostly it’s a good way to simplify. You make up campaigns and rules and guidelines and then you just follow them instead of making a million little decisions. February and March will be easy to schedule because I know what they’re about. I don’t ever look at clothes because I already have my one outfit. I don’t book flights unless friends are going with me.

What can you make up to make your life a little simpler?

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Photo is Shibuya at night.

Enjoying my last couple days in Tokyo, but also eager to get back to the grind in Las Vegas. Now that I’ve got all the little stuff out of the way I’m really motivated to get cranking on Cruise Sheet!


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