The Smartest Thing I’ve Ever Done

I’m entering a new phase of my life, a phase where I must be better than what I was before. And I’ve taken my first steps toward that today because I have made a stunning discovery, something that has escaped me until now, even though it’s so obvious. I’ve figured out that I can put my e-reader inside my agenda cover and carry them all together in one hand.

Everything I Need

Yes, that’s right. My daily planner, a tiny notebook, a Kobo e-reader, a pen and normally a Leatherman Croc multi-tool (although I don’t bring that with me when I travel because I’m afraid the people at the airport will throw it away when I go through security) all in one compact package.

Today, when I went to the beach, I had my phone in my pocket and my agenda in my hand. That’s all I needed. I had my book. I filled out my agenda for the next few days, did some brainstorming for a couple of projects I have to work on next week, and then read some more of my book. There was never any risk of losing anything (like the time I left my Kindle behind in the seat pocket of a flight from Seattle to Salt Lake City) because they all fit inside each other perfectly, as if that’s how they were meant to be.

All this time it’s escaped me. All this time I’ve been missing out. I could have been enjoying life to the fullest. But now I will. Now I will be something better. Now I will be what I am capable of. A man with a planner, a pen, a tiny notebook, an e-reader, and a multi-tool with him at all times, yet still unburdened, nimble, and mobile. And if I combine it with my fanny pack or my tiny messenger bag, I will be unstoppable. An efficient, getting things done, force to be reckoned with. This is what will get me through the rest of my life. This is the new me.