One really great thing, maybe two.

[00:00:00] **Aurooba Ahmed:** Well, hello. This is The Daily Five with Aurooba, that's me, where we reflect on creating our best lives a little bit every day. Here we go.

[00:00:15] Episode 96. We are nearing the end, and yet somehow, right now, I have a feeling that I could keep going for at least another 20 episodes or so, just based on the ideas rolling around in my head these days. I won't, but I could. 100 episodes is good work, despite the 14 day break in between. The last two episodes have been pretty intense, so today's gonna be, not lighter, but at least shorter.

[00:00:48] I don't know if this is just a me thing, or an everyone thing, or something, but I've realized that I can do one really great thing at a time. Maybe two, if I push it. And that's about it. And I don't just mean one or two great things in each arena of my life. I mean in total, period. I used to really, really hate that, you know, cause I mean, we all kinda know it, right?

[00:01:14] I mean, how was I supposed to do and achieve everything I wanted to do in my life if I could only do one really great thing at a time, especially when most great things require sustained effort over a non trivial amount of time? Now, I've always known that quality trumps quantity, except, you know, when it doesn't.

[00:01:32] But overall, the principle applies. But it's not easy to accept. It's not easy to accept. But that's one of the reasons why, even though I could keep going with The Daily Five past the 100 episode mark, I won't. I'm really happy with this season. It's much better than the first season, by a long shot.

[00:01:51] There's a lot more intention, thinking, and underlying meaning woven through the episodes. than there ever was in that first season. That first season was just purely ad hoc, you know? And it's time to start thinking about the next thing I want to do. My tiny little podcast has given me incredible value, and hopefully a few people found something valuable in it too.

[00:02:16] Do you want to know something funny? Every year since 2014, like clockwork, my life has dramatically changed every fall. Typically in October, sometimes in November. Sometimes it's my own doing, and sometimes it's just my life's doing. I moved cities for the first time without my parents one October. I met my now spouse one October. I made the decision to try employment one October. I got referred into the gig I am at now one October. I went to Spain and thought really hard about my heritage one October. My brother got married one October. I have registered my business without a partner and learned so much and grew so much and became the person that I am one October.

[00:03:10] I recognize the trend, and I don't know why it's a trend. So now I just hold my breath and prepare to be thrown into something brand new every October. Who knows what this October holds. It's April now, so I have five to six months where I can do another something great until whatever is coming in October happens. Although now that I've said it out loud, I could have jinxed it. Who knows? Stay tuned.

[00:03:37] In any case, I do think of my year in quarters, roughly. It makes sense to me. Two and four are my favorite numbers. And also, I've been reading Cal Newport's new book, Slow Productivity, very slowly. And I think creating great impact in a few things in life is far more valuable than creating a bit of impact in a lot of things in life, even though maybe on the surface it seems less impressive to some people and to my really warped brain.

[00:04:10] So yeah, one great thing at a time. Maybe two.

[00:04:20] Thanks for listening. Same time tomorrow?