Big Sur, CA – Taken during Week 4 of my experiment.
The following is based on a talk I gave a few weeks back at Twitch HQ for Women’s Catalyst Lightening Talks.
At the end of September I deliberately kicked myself out of my studio apartment.
I sublet to a friend for two months and hit the road.
Now, I didn’t go very far. I drove around California in my trusty Prius C – living with friends, crashing on couches, spending time in nature.
I did this because I needed to get uncomfortable.
Because I believe that curiosity is greater than comfort.
[ Curiosity Zone > Comfort Zone ] *
I didn’t always believe this.
I’m a virgo perfectionist who likes her creature comforts. I’m in the upper half of my 30’s. What sense did it make to live out of my car when I had immediate goals to achieve?
Because I needed to clear my head. Because I wanted to get better.
Biohacking is a systems thinking approach to our own biology.
Here’s a short list of hackable things** :
• Nutrition – what we put into our bodies
• Physiology/Movement – muscle activity, cardio-vascular health, stretching & posture
• Environment – lighting, air quality, spending more time in nature
• Meditation – it can literally rewire the brain
• Mindfulness – practicing gratitude on a regular basis
• Sleep – measuring how much you get, performing regular quality checks
• Attention – how you think, learn, reason and focus
• Getting Uncomfortable…
…Ah ha!
Getting uncomfortable can mean a lot of things. It can mean taking a cold shower, contemplating death, or giving rejection therapy a spin. For me, it was a version of being homeless.
I’m not going to say it was easy. I oft dreamt about returning to my peaceful Oakland apartment.
But as soon as I returned to Oakland two weeks ago I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me. I walked to the window and looked out. Where was everyone, and…
…When can I do it again?
Here are my findings post-experiment:
1. Possessions – I can get by with less. A lot less.
2. Focus – Having less allows me to focus directly on my goals.
3. Self-reliance – I became stronger with my asks because my needs were clear.
4. Self-Awareness – I became more open minded to new situations.
5. Planning – I made a choice to just show up and take it one day at a time. And it worked.
Most of all, I learned that I don’t need to have everything figured out.
Becaue we are a generation defining life on our own terms. There are no right answers, no playbook to live by. We can write our own stories as we go.
* via this post by James Altucher
** via this post by Dave Asprey