Marius Schober

Progress Through Consciousness

Tag: Personal Development

  • The Mindset of Spending, Earning, Saving

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    3 min read

    Today’s morning started different from expected. As I unconsciously opened my Amazon app, I saw a notification which informed me of changes on my ‘wish list’. The MacBook Pro 16’ suddenly was €2.388. This price was too good to be true (and ignored) so I pressed “buy”.

    After this impulse buy, I somehow thought: “Marius, no matter what, this still is a lot of money. Are you sure?”.

    It’s not that I cannot afford it. I easily can. As I just thought about it, I realized it is a more overall mindset that I have.

    I like to focus on investing, earning, and saving. Spending – on the other hand – somehow invokes a negative feeling in me. I cannot really describe it. I’d have felt good investing €2.388 into Apple stock, but spending €2.388 on a laptop???

    In general, I’d describe myself as a simple and Stoic man. I don’t need any luxuries. I prefer minimalism to consumerism. I still drive a cheap used car – which totally does its job of getting me really reliably from A to B. We still live happily in a simple apartment because we see no point in upgrading to a larger and more luxurious apartment.

    For me, it’s not a question of whether I can afford something, but whether I could allocate this money in a better way.

    What could I’ve done with €2.388 instead? I could’ve hired a freelancer to program a web app for me, pay my rent for 3 months, or simply invest in Apple stock.

    Whatever. I knew that – earlier or later – I will need a new laptop. I’m still working with my 13’ MacBook Pro from 2014. It works fine – as long you restrict yourself to 2h of battery life, writing, emails, and 4 or 5 Brave Browser tabs. Everything beyond that? Not really.

    So, the purchase was totally fine.

    What I philosophize about is this “scarcity” mindset I have. Which, for quite a while after I pressed “buy” I thought “are you sure?”.

    After a while, I realized that the better way to think about (and a better mindset to have) is to say to myself: “Great purchase! Now, how can I earn €2.388 today?”.

    This reframing helped me to go from doubting my impulse buy to instantly getting back to work, be productive, and now trying to earn €2.388.

    The quintessence is the following: pay attention to your mind and reframe negative connotations to get into an abundance mindset again – as soon as possible.

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  • Asking the RIGHT Questions

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    5 min read

    To think about the future of a certain industry, we must start by asking questions. These questions should be honest, and they should be challenging. Right now, we can see entrepreneurs and technologists who are re-inventing entire industries. They do so by identifying a problem and then asking the RIGHT questions.

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  • Morning Movement & Gratitude

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    2 min read

    Every morning when you wake up, you decide yourself how you start your day. I myself developed a great habit of morning movement and gratitude in nature. It is the best way I can imagine to start a new day and besides of a little morning exercise, it also gives me a lot of clarity and gratitude on my life.

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  • The Magic of Doing it Right Away

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    2 min read

    Often it’s a simple daily chore which reminds me of important concepts in life. Concepts which are true for small things such as cleaning the dishes as well as large and important projects in life and business.

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  • Independence Money

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    4 min read

    Let’s talk about independence. For some, it is passive income which exceeds their monthly expenses. Others believe it is traveling the world with a backpack or living on a self-sufficient farm far from civilization.

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  • Do You Really Need It?

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    2 min read

    It is a powerful question which will save you a lot of time, headaches, unneeded expenses, and inefficiency. Stop for a moment if you convinced yourself that you absolutely need something, need someone, or need some time.

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  • Work and Work-Out in the Early Morning

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    5 min read

    There are three options on the table for every person who wakes up and wants to enjoy a healthy and productive day. An important decision you should make is when and how you work out.

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  • Traveling: Despite or Because of Instagram?

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    3 min read

    The perfect sunrise in a dreamlike national park. No people around and complete silence, despite the sounds of the river and wild animals. At least, this is what you might anticipate when looking at one of many photos like this on Instagram.

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  • My Affirmations Saved me from Taking a Job I Never Wanted To Do

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    2 min read

    Today, I experienced for the first time in my life how my goals act like magnets. How and why?

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  • Apply These Two Rules Into Your Life to Stay Positive

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    3 min read

    3-2-1 and the 5-Minute Rule

    A few days ago I listened to a talk of Hal Elrod. He talked about a concept he called the 5-minute rule. I found that the 5-minute rule is a perfect supplement to my own 3-2-1 rule. Both are straightforward but still very powerful rules you can quickly implement into your life, so I decided to share them with you here.

    The 5-Minute Rule

    In one of his talks, Hal Elrod introduced the five-minute rule. Hal was involved in a severe car accident where he died for a few minutes. When he found himself in intensive care with the worst possible injuries, he remembered the five-minute rule which he learned during his sales career.

    Here is what the 5-minute rule says:

    It is okay to be upset, angry, sad, or whatever negative emotion you are feeling. But it is only allowed to feel that way for maximum five minutes. So feel free to scream aloud but make sure to stop after 300 seconds.
    After five minutes, you accept the reality as it is. You start giving all you can to improve the current situation. Hal had severe injuries. Instead of whining how bad his situation is, he decided to be the happiest guy in the hospital as he wasn’t going to change the current situation anyway.

    The same can be applied to your life. If you feel stuck in a lousy situation, feel free to let out your negative emotions for five minutes. After five minutes are over, accept the situation and give all you can to reduce the harm of the circumstances.

    3-2-1 Rule

    I found that the 5-minute rule blends perfectly with my 3-2-1 rule. I started using the 3-2-1 rule after I read a similar concept in a book some years ago. If there is anything that upsets you, don’t immediately get angry. Instead, start counting down from 3 to 0. Loud or in your head: three, two, one, zero. While you are counting back, ask yourself if it is worth to feel upset, angry, mean or whatever you are about to feel. Usually, the answer is no, and you can resolve the situation calmly.

    Here is a simple example; you are on the road, and another driver is challenging you into a race on the road. Instead of giving in, count from 3-0 and ask yourself if it is worth it. While you are counting – three, two, one, zero – ask yourself:

    • Is it worth to accept this race even though I could die?
    • Is it worth to accept this race even though the police may fine us?
    • Is it worth to accept this race even though I may kill somebody?

    You will quickly realize that it is not worth racing with a random guy on the street. Simply smile and keep the speed limit.

    Implementing the 3-2-1 rule already avoided me a lot of headaches and countless arguments. Just ask yourself: Is it worth it?

    Even though these are only two tiny exercises, I think if you implement them into your daily life, they can have a tremendous positive impact on you. Don’t let negativity win! Always think positive and remember that negativity is not worth it.

    Photo by Luca Iaconelli on Unsplash

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