Optimalism: the big reveal

You have to get crystal clear on your purpose in life.

And, committing a personal philosophy in writing is my purpose at this particular moment in time.

Through introspection, journaling and old fashioned just-trying-stuff-out in an effort to discover what I believe, I started writing every single belief-type thought that came through my head.

Slowly the shape of a philosophy and set of principles started to emerge…

Optimalism.

As I get this philosophy into fighting shape, I’m going to share it with you all. 

Without further ado…

I am an optimalist and this is my manifesto.

The Optimalist strives to be the optimal version of themselves ALWAYS through intentional living, continuous learning, optimism, hard work, and resilience with the purpose of becoming a sovereign individual that makes life better for their family and community.

You, the optimalist, are the person that stares into the unknown defiantly, and says “give me your best shot, I’m ready.” Not ready tomorrow, or next week, or next week. Ready now. You’re in the optimal state for what life throws at you.

There will be local maxima and minima on the journey of life, but the optimalist always pushes for a global maxima. They see what they are capable of, and realize their true potential.

Imagine a tree growing on the side of a mountain. The elements are stacked against it: the soil is not ideal, the wind buffets, and seasons are severe. But the tree thrives. It endures, and grows with vitality. In spite of it all, its roots continue to deepen through the earth as the branches grow towards the sunrise, symbolizing hope and the optimism of a new day.

Just like the wind on the tree, life will always hit you hard; be ready. 

Build the mindset and skills to the point that if you lost everything tomorrow, you can build it again, consistently. Because nothing good comes from being comfortable. 

Push your boundaries, get uncomfortable, and create the reality where you have all the luck.

The way is to continuously optimize your life for health, wealth, and wisdom through intentional living with optimistic resilience. Because if you don’t pick a struggle, one will be assigned to you.

Practical Application 

So, what does the optimalist optimize for? Where does the rubber meet the road, if you will?

Well, there are 3 pillars of life that you want to optimize: wealth, fitness, and relationships.

Here are a few principles to apply in each area.

• Wealth (business and ownership): 

  • Own something. True wealth only comes through ownership in a capitalist economy.

  • Build a business. Learn marketing, sales, and building.

  • Own multiple businesses through investment. Don’t run them all yourself.

• Fitness (physical, mental, and spiritual): 

  • Challenge your mind and body through physical activity and continual learning. Read often. Write more often.

  • Don’t be addicted to food. Consume whole foods as much as possible.

  • Workout with progressive overload 3-6x/week.

  • Meditate to calm your mind. 

  • Believe in something bigger than yourself. 

• Relationships (family and community): 

  • Play the game of business at the highest level while also maintaining  an extremely close relationship with your family.

  • Take responsibility for those around you. Elevate them with you. Get involved in local government. 

  • Volunteer your time. Invest in your community.

  • Cut ruthlessly those people that pull you away from your optimal life. 

  • Be a leader. 

Foundational Skills

The optimalist has a timeless skill stack, and practices them every day. 

Why every day? Because you won’t wear out, you’ll rust out. If you don’t practice, you’ll get rusty. And rust = death. 

Skills to practice every day:

• Focus

• Diligence

• Writing

• Speaking

• Exercise

• Leadership

• Wealth management

Communication is the highest leverage activity you could ever optimize. If you can articulate your thoughts logically and persuasively through writing and speaking, you will become powerful and dangerous. It cuts across each of the 3 pillars and between all of the skills above.

If you had to choose 2 (80/20ish), exercise and writing will be the optimalist’s main levers to pull.

This is just the start. 

I will be sharing more in future posts. 

Let me know what you think! I’m interested to hear your thoughts.

Swanagan

P.S., if you are getting good vibes from these emails, send it to 5 friends and I’ll send you a sick t-shirt.