Decisions
And how to make them
Last week we had a couple of decisions to make.
One was personal, the other a business one.
We had two routes we could have taken - follow the logic or follow the heart.
I can’t say that I am risk averse; quite the opposite—however, the risks I take are usually calculated. I weigh many options, make lists of pros and cons and then make the final decision.
And this serves me well, especially when many people make rash decisions regarding their relationships, finance, and work.
Taking calculated risks pays off.
But the problem is that it takes a lot of fun away when you only do that.
If every decision needs to be rational and practical, then the silly ones that often surprise us can’t happen. And stupid choices sometimes lead to a good outcome as well.
I know it is a problem and worked a lot on it. But it is not easy to break away from that conservative mindset when you come from nothing and achieve some success.
What if I lose it all?
What if I had to start again?
What if something happens?
This type of thinking is paralysing and stops us from enjoying the fruits of our labour and the good things in life.
But, with help, I worked on it and got a lot better. Planning evening outs, going on trips, and purchasing things that can make me happy.
And yet that voice is there, and this week was a good test.
Should I take a logical route and make a practical, rational decision?
Or should I not worry about practicality and follow my heart, making a silly but fun decision?
We both decided to follow the heart this week rather than logic; it was so much fun (and anxiety).
Don’t get me wrong, I still plan, stress, worry, and over prepare.
But I also know that enjoying something guilt-free for ourselves is ok.
PODCAST PRODUCER LATEST
The podcasting is going well. I have prepped another two episodes for Casefile and am waiting for some audio assets to finish the mixes.
At the same time, I am working on four different shows but at various stages of production.
It will take me 4-6 weeks to clear the workload and return to a more structured series.
At least, that is the plan!
YOUTUBE
The official four weeks of the PTYA course are finished. I did pay for additional 12 months of support, so it’s not over yet. In short, I am pleased with the investment. The main reason is my mind shift as I started treating the channel seriously, developed the plan for the next 12 months, and hired additional people to help me with it. We developed a schedule, templates and a system that we want to adhere to. It will be an exciting experiment for everyone involved.
At the same time, we will be trying many different kinds of videos to improve the style, direction and production.
We released a more personal, motivational-kind-of video last week.
LEARNING
I have handed in two assignments this weekend - the essay and the final assignment for another unit. I’m very proud of myself because I did it 23 days before the deadline, meaning I have over three weeks to focus on something else instead!
The essay writing was particularly interesting because I used the latest AI development to help me with the task. I learned that the tech could be more reliable regarding facts and sources. The GPT AIs wrote things which are often false.
The tactic I employed instead was to use the ChatGPT AI to inspire me with ideas, and then I did my research and wrote the draft of a chapter. After that, I used Grammarly to fix my grammar, spelling and writing mistakes. After that, I used ChatGPT to make my writing more academic, and then finally, I returned it to Grammarly to fix the style again and make it my own.
These tools are beneficial if you know how to use them.
BOOKS
Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. It’s a business book I was recommended on my YouTube course. It’s all about delegating tasks and using money to buy our time back rather than fund further growth. As with most business books, the writing is ok but nothing special. There is no need to read it in detail, but it helps understand key points of delegating work.
FUN
Music from Lord of the Rings. On Tuesday, we went to Bath for a live music gig from Lord of the Rings films. Initially, when I bought the tickets, the gig was supposed to be in December 2021, but because the musicians are from Belarus, the war in Ukraine blocked them from coming over here. They moved the date three times, and finally, it happened. I completely forget about it, barring the notification a day before! It was good. However, the orchestra was too small for the epic music from LOTR. They did make it up with their energy and performances, which got emotional several times.
Magic Flute by WNO. We also saw Mozart’s Magic Flute opera, reimagined by Welsh National Opera. The music is classic Mozart, but the sets and the story are set in a futuristic scenario with lasers, LEDs and other unexpected elements. It was good but, as with operas, relatively long! It was in English as well.
That's it for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you (hopefully!) next week!
Mike
https://mikemigas.com/
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