How do you transform this renewal from a nice idea into a living practice?
Most people fail at renewal because they try to boil the ocean. They attempt massive resets that require herculean willpower.
We know this approach is doomed from the start. There’ no substance.
The secret to lasting renewal isn’t dramatic gestures—it’s tiny, consistent practices that fly under the radar of your resistance.
It’s about getting 1% better, which doesn’t feel like much. But over the course of our lives? Watch the fuck out.
What’s the smallest action that would trigger a sense of renewal in your life right now?
Maybe it’s a five-minute journaling session to clear mental space before the day begins. Or perhaps it’s ruthlessly unsubscribing from the newsletters that add noise but not signal. It could be as simple as a 10-minute walk without your phone.
Renewal thrives on boundaries. It’s like how Jocko’s all about “discipline equals freedom” because it’s true. Without the discipline to stay focused, know what you want, etc – life happens and we fill every available space with meaningless shit.
Renewal Hour
Schedule a weekly “renewal hour” where nothing productive happens. No goals. No improvement. Just space to exist without purpose. This feels uncomfortable at first—we’re conditioned to optimize every minute. But this discomfort is precisely the point. It doesn’t even need to be an hour.
Remember that renewal isn’t just about adding restorative practices. It’s equally about subtraction—identifying what you can remove to create breathing room. This is often what we need, not that quick fix solution but subtracting something from our lives.
Most lives don’t suffer from a lack of input—they suffer from a lack of processing time. Information without integration is just noise.
We’ve talked about focused thinking and diffused thinking when we broke down learning how to learn. Our diffused thinking is what organizes our entire day into the file cabinet within our brain. The thing we forgot to hit on was the fact that you have to give your diffused thinking the time it needs.
It doesn’t just happen.
And thats the paradox of renewal – it looks like nothing is happening, but everything is changing. While you rest, your subconscious connects dots. While you create space, new possibilities emerge.
Renewal isn’t selfish—it’s strategic. It’s the difference between a life of reactive firefighting and one of proactive creation.
This month, don’t just think about renewal. Practice it. Start small. Be consistent. Notice what changes.
Joe DiAndrea 