Keep Going by Austin Kleon

Book Summary

Just keep swimming

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swim swim swim!

We should all remember Dory's song from Finding Nemo. Keep Going is effectively an expansion upon the theory that all you need to do to succeed is not quit. Now at the same time you do have to have talent, drive, determination, motivation, etc. You have to do the thing for a long period of time and half the battle is outlasting the competition.

Apple

Look at the tech giants. Apple has been making computer hardware since 1976. They have had ups and downs over the years but you could mark the iPhone as the don of the age of Apple.

This took 31 years. I am only 34 years old. Apple has been doing business in the tech space for almost as long as I've been alive.

Control

Going to work, spending time with family, working on a side hustle, making art. It can be hard to fit everything that you want to do into a single day. Being intentional with what we choose to work on is one of the simple joys of life.

Many of us can't choose to not work, we have to show up in the morning, there are bills to pay, a mortgage to cover, and mouths to feed. What we can control is how we spend the time outside of work.

Work is just a means to an end. I have long been a work to live personality, wanting to to greater and more impactful work through other means, photography, videos, writing and more.

I have hopes and dreams just like anyone, that I strive towards in my limited time away from the office.

At the same time, living in the moment and enjoying the ride is important. It is important advice for me. Don't get so caught up in the potential future success that you forget to look around at the beauty of everyday life.

Routines

I eventually come to dread most routines that I create for myself, however during the bust and crazy times, it is the safety of these routines that can help move the needle, even when you feel like you couldn't possibly do anything more in a day.

I record videos on Saturday. It's just what I do. It could be a podcast, b-roll, or YouTube video talking head, but Saturday is my record time.

During the week my schedule is hectic, I rarely get meaningful work done on the channel during the week. Maybe a little bit of video editing or some managing and organizing of apple notes and my task list. This tiny little bit likely is more important than I weight it. Allowing me to then focus on the tasks at hand when I have time on the weekends to do so. I am laser focused.

Grace

This reminds me of the "must do" vs to-do list. Either is still aspirational, but a must do list would contain a single thing that is absolutely critical to get done, where a to-do list is just a bunch of stuff that you want to get done, the aspirational stuff. No matter how you slice it, there could be obstacles in your way that keep you from getting even your must do list done. Each day is a new chance.

Coach Bennett is probably my favorite voice on this topic. If you don't know, he is the head coach at Nike running and his podcast and social posts are some of the best. One of his catch phrases is "kindness is hardcore".

Touch Grass

Get outside, go for a walk, hike, run, bike ride whatever. Getting outside is good for you. Physically and mentally. Often I now go out for runs without music. I am ok being alone with myself, my own thoughts, in many ways it is better for me than to add a distraction to the task at hand.

I've now gotten pretty much over the fear of posting on the internet and when someone leaves a hateful comment, I don't stew over it. Occasionally I will think about how sad their live must be to spend their time on such useless nonsense, but I delete it and move on.

You can take the same approach with your own thoughts, don't stew for too long. Get up, get outside and keep moving.

The final book in this series, or at least so far, from Austin. I have read all of them and published a summary of my favorite quotes and thoughts that popped into my head while reading them.

Every once in awhile a series comes along that you read and don't want to forget. This is how I remember to just keep going.