How to Find Clarity Amidst the Chaos

Good morning!

I hope this finds you well.

Welcome to another edition of The Matt Viera Newsletter.

The newsletter with the goal to inspire you to live the life you actually want to live.

Thank you for your continued support.

If you enjoy The Matt Viera Newsletter, please forward this email to one person you believe would enjoy reading this.

This past Saturday, I experienced an epiphany, an awakening, a realization.

A realization of such profound impact, I'm surprised it didn't hit me before.

Let me explain:

Weekends are days of the week for me to be productive with tasks I want to accomplish for myself, e.g., writing this newsletter.

During the week, it's challenging because I have this little thing that gets in my way: a career that entails working from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Granted, I am relatively productive during the week and can accomplish a lot (some) of the tasks on my so-called "to-do" list.

However, I often tell myself, "I'll knock out so much during the weekend when I have the time."

When the weekend rolls around, I still wake up early, pour myself a cup of coffee, and prepare to be productive ("to-do" list in hand), but then, I find myself procrastinating.

I find myself making excuses to justify the procrastination with, "I have all day. Let me relax for a few hours."

The next thing I know, it's past noon, and I have nothing checked off of my "to-do" list to show for the 6 hours I had available.

The one thing I shouldn't be doing is procrastinating, especially after pinpointing some activities I struggle with.

I keep a daily journal to record things such as:

• What I am grateful for

• What I accomplished in the day

• A short 2-sentence story of the day

• Something I may be struggling with

Here are the things I've been struggling with for the past 9 months:

• Sleep

• Digital clutter

• Overstimulation

• Distractions (TV)

• Taking on too many tasks

• Effective time management

Now, here's the epiphany:

One of the reasons why I take mini-retirements is because it helps me overcome (avoid) these struggles.

For example, when I am on a mini-retirement:

• I’m (far) away from the overstimulation of New York City.

• I sleep like a baby every night while on a mini-retirement because I don't have so much noise in my head.

• I'm in an environment free from distractions, unlike my apartment where I have too many distractions to tempt me.

• I rarely watch TV; I may watch a movie here or there, but I don't sit in front of the TV, binge-watching a TV show for hours.

• I focus my time on what I want to get done for myself because once I complete some of the tasks I want to do I can explore a European city for the rest of the day.

The key word: distractions.

There are way too many distractions (mentally, physically, and virtually), which is why taking a mini-retirement, a cross-country road trip, or weekend camping trips are essential for me.

However, avoiding distractions does not solve the problem of distractions.

What I need to do is minimize the distractions.

I need to embrace minimalism.

Why?

I vividly recall a moment during my recent mini-retirement when I spent a few hours reading in a Vienna café.

There was nothing I felt I needed to do.

I found solace in the simplicity of the moment as I enjoyed a drink (or two), people-watched, and read for pleasure.

Reflecting on this moment reinforced my belief that a distraction-free environment is essential for me to continue to live the life I actually want to live.

I'm drawing a line in the sand and professing my commitment to minimizing distractions.

The goal is to mirror, as much as possible, the environments I find myself in during mini-retirements.

If you are struggling with one or more of the struggles I listed above, maybe you should consider the actions I plan on taking to reduce distractions and clutter:

• Align tasks to priorities (prioritize tasks)

• Eliminate sources of distractions (work in a café)

• Establish a calming pre-sleep routine (no TV before bed)

• A digital purge of accumulated digital clutter (eliminate 20+ emails/day/inbox)

• Continue weekend getaways, road trips, and mini-retirements (for calm and clarity)

• Time-blocking activities to ensure essential tasks are accomplished (knock out 3 essential tasks every day)

As you go about your week, take a moment to reflect on areas of your life that may benefit from a touch of minimalism.

Minimalism isn't about sacrificing the things you love; it's about creating space for them to flourish.

By simplifying your life, you open the door to a world of clarity, purpose, and fulfillment.

While I didn't have this epiphany during my most recent mini-retirement, I don't believe I would've realized the profound importance of eliminating distractions had I not.

And that is one of the main objectives of a mini-retirement: a reexamination of your life.

So I ask you: what steps can you take to reduce distractions to help you live the life you actually want to live?

Interesting reads:

There appears to be a real estate buyer’s market in some parts of Italy.

Thanks for reading!

Please feel free to reply to this email with suggestions, questions, or comments.

I read every email.

If you have a question about personal finance, travel, or mini-retirements, email me and ask. I’ll discuss the answer in a future article.

If you enjoy The Matt Viera Newsletter, please forward this email to one person you believe would enjoy reading this.

I’m ready to follow you on X (formerly know as Twitter)!

I definitely want to read past articles of The Matt Viera Newsletter!

I’m not a subscriber to The Matt Viera Newsletter and I’m ready to subscribe!