BennyEast.Com/Blog The official blog of Kenny West

Main Line

Today, I went to Starbucks and Planet Fitness it up on the Main Line.  I found a Starbucks that's open until 11!

The one near me closes at 9.  There's another one a little further away that I go to that closes at 10.  But this is the latest one I've found so far.

I kind of wish there were one open until 12.  I don't really need a 24/7 one.  But maybe like, open at 6, close at 12... That would work better so I could come home after work, do other things, then head to Starbucks after making a nice dinner and doing chores around the house and practicing and recording some music and such.

So, anyways, the barista introduced me to the half passion fruit and half white tea.  It's pretty good.  Obviously not something I would order if I needed the caffeine.  But, since I had a green tea first, and it was close to 11pm... I was just like... Okay, give me that one.

The thing that's interesting about this experience with Starbucks and the gym is that, it's kind of motivating me to do even more work just by being at Starbucks.

For example, at this Starbucks there were two Villanova students who were trying to maintain their near perfect GPA in order to get into med school.  There's something to be said about the effect of one person rubbing off on another.  Just by sitting near them, I felt kind of like... The need to "impress them".  I mean, not really, but just hearing them talk to one another was motivating me in a way...

So, even though I don't know these people, and they don't care about what I'm even doing there.  I was like... Well, I need to make it look like I'm doing work too!  Look at these two go!

So, I did more work.  Not only did I make it look like I was doing work, I just ACTUALLY did work.

I took care of some work remotely for my job, and then I also got other items taken care of that are my personal things.

It's just funny how, in a way, we're all influencing one another.

Surround yourself with people you want to be... Isn't that the phrase?  I think it's something like that.  I forget exactly where I heard that, but the idea is that if you want to get better at anything, find someone who's better at that and spend time around them.

So, if you want to improve your work skills... Find some people who are more efficient at getting tasks done.  Become a better musician, find people who are better musicians to teach you.

That's the idea.  Anything you do, if you hang out with people who do the same thing, or know less than you, it's hard to pick up anything new!  Right?

Anyways, so, there was something about their study skills, or their motivation and the work they were doing, that I thought was something I could learn from.

I mean, maybe not ALL of the things they were talking about rang true... I think the phrase that probably isn't the best advice is.... "Go, go, go, crash".

The one girl said that in order to study for this one test she adopted a go go go crash attitude to study.  She stayed up as long as possible and then slept like 18 hours after the test was over to catch up on sleep.

I know that adequate sleep is one thing that helps a lot and not the idea of staying up until you just pass out.

Well anyway... Speaking of crashing, I'm gonna go to sleep.  But, I like this new thing where I stay ahead of my peers by spending time sipping on a caffeinated beverage at a Starbucks doing work with other people and then going to the gym after to work off the caffeine.  I just like the feeling.  It feels good.

And on top of that, it makes going in to work each morning much more manageable because I know my inbox has been cleared and I'm ready to start fresh each day rather than try to play catchup at 9am when I first walk in.

Life is all about giving your future self little advantages.  It's not a race with other people, or a competition.  It's just about making the future you a better you than the past you.

At least that's my view at the moment.