#113: How can I enjoy this 10% more
Learn why success is enjoying time as it passes, how small shifts make life more joyful, why meaning lives in who you’re becoming, and the quiet legacy of effort for its own sake.
Lately, I’ve been running an experiment in abstinence—from most of the stimulants in my life: coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, even content.
I realized I was constantly bombarding myself with growth-related material. Podcasts, books, newsletters—including the ones I read to keep this one going. I have a backlog of ideas, always ahead of the next post. But it started to feel like noise.
What triggered this was a stretch of poor sleep. And instead of asking what I could add to fix it, I asked: what can I remove? What happens if I just stop?
So I’m pausing it all for a month. No stimulation, no input, just space. Maybe I’ll return to some of it—but slowly, and with more intention.
What I’m learning is the value of subtraction. The simplicity that emerges when you start taking things out. Behind this newsletter is a mind that’s been saturated—absorbing content from creators whose job depends on feeding the machine, fast and often. And I let them. I gave them the wheel.
I wasn’t choosing to engage—I was being pulled. Podcasts while commuting, learning while cooking, something playing while eating. Silence had become unfamiliar, maybe even uncomfortable.
But I’m realizing we don’t always need more advice. At some point, you realize you’re no longer lost—you’re just adjusting. You’re on the path. And the real growth might come from letting go.
So I’m trying that. I went to the gym without headphones. I commute in silence. I cook, I eat, I move—fully present in the physicality of it.
And I’m enjoying it.
Just wanted to share that with you.
This week at a glance:
⌚ Enjoying the passage of time
🎈 How can I enjoy this 10% more
🌟 Meaning lives in who you’re becoming, not who you are
🎴 For the love of the game
⌚ Enjoying the passage of time
When someone used to ask me, “What does success mean to you?” my answers were scattered—financial independence, freedom, agency over life’s choices.
But after listening to an episode of Shane's podcast, the answer finally landed:
Success is enjoying the passage of time.
Not because it’s always easy, joyful, or light. But because over a long enough horizon, I want to look back and know I enjoyed being here.
Success looks different for everyone. For some, it's building something their grandchildren will be proud of. For others, it's living fully in the present, avoiding things that don't bring joy. Either way, it's about creating a life that feels authentic to you, not meeting someone else's definition of "well-rounded." The key isn't to do everything - it's to do what matters to you, and do it well.
🎈 How can I enjoy this 10% more
Think about the last time you tried to arrange your life to be more enjoyable. Maybe you changed jobs, moved cities, or bought something expensive. How'd that work out?
If you enjoy something 10% more than someone else, you're essentially 10% more efficient. When you enjoy running, you run more. When you enjoy creating, you create better. Enjoyment isn't just about feeling good - it's about sustainability, quality, and lasting power.
But here's where most people get it wrong. They think enjoying life means avoiding the mundane - less trash-taking-out, more vacation-taking. That's not how it works. You can choose to enjoy even the simplest tasks. It's not about what you're doing, but how you're doing it. The secret isn't in finding perfectly enjoyable activities. It's in learning to enjoy whatever's in front of you right now. When you master this, something fascinating happens: you naturally gravitate toward things you genuinely enjoy. It's like training your enjoyment muscle.
Think of enjoyment as a skill, not a destination. The more you practice finding joy in mundane moments, the better you become at recognizing and creating genuine satisfaction in your life. The path to a more enjoyable life starts exactly where you are right now.
Here's a subtle but powerful shift: rather than asking "What can I change?" try asking "How can I enjoy this 10% more?" The difference? One creates pressure to try harder, while the other invites you to let go. Trying usually reduces enjoyment. Letting go enhances it.
You're not a project that needs fixing - you're evolving naturally. When we act from authenticity rather than "shoulds," life flows more easily. It's like a river finding its path - no forcing needed. This applies to everything from boring meetings to major life choices. The people who succeed by forcing themselves to be who they "should" be often end up with lives that don't fit who they really are.
✨ From How Embracing Emotions Will Accelerate Your Career | Joe Hudson
🌟 Meaning lives in who you’re becoming, not who you are
I don't tell people they're okay as they are. Instead, I say they could be much more than they are. This is a relief because if someone is in a dark and terrible place and is told they're okay, they may feel hopeless about improving their situation. Telling a young person they're okay as they are at 17 isn't helpful - they have 60 years to become better in countless ways. Pursuing that better version of themselves is where they'll find meaning and an antidote to their suffering.
✨ From “You’re Okay the Way You Are” | Jordan Peterson
🎴 For the love of the game
What I’m seeking is seeking itself — when you don’t play the game to win but for the love of turning over another card. Legacy is never truly wealth or fame. True legacy is the story of effort, valiant or tireless, an archive of people and ideas you fall in love with along the way.
✨ From Personal Artifacts
🎵 Music I’m listening to
You’ll find mostly Ethnotronica, Organic House, World, Disco, and Organic Electronic here:
🎧 If you appreciate the music I carefully select and haven't followed my Spotify playlists yet, now is the perfect time to hit that follow button and join me on this musical journey! 🎶
🌒 Pano: Danceable and electronic obscure songs
🌓 Sisy: Ethnotronica and organic house
🌑 Berghain: Dark, minimal techno and tech house
🌕 Heide: Groovy soul and disco house
🌞 Sonntag: Afterhours shit
🦥 Slow rave: Sleepy techno for tired danced
🌎 World: From Latin jazz to Turkish psych
🌚 Super Slow: For your intimate moments
Previously on Pursuit:
