📚 It's Time To Build A New Habit

In this week's P.O. Box:

A couple weeks ago, I hopped on The Taekcast with Davis Mattek to discuss some of our resolutions for 2024:

But instead of just throwing random goals against the wall and hoping they stick, we tried to drill down on how we actually plan to accomplish them.

I’ve learned that it’s basically impossible to achieve specific goals without building the necessary habits around them.

My main goal for 2024 is to read more.

In the next week or two, I’m going to outline some specific benchmarks I’d like to hit on that front and launch an offseason book club of sorts with you guys. But before I do that, I know that I need to build some new habits that will make it possible.

My biggest road block when it comes to reading is time. Or at least I tell myself that. I could also say that my biggest road block to exercising is time, but I’ve built up enough positive habits and systems that it’s not something I struggle with:

• I time block my calendar and schedule workouts ahead of time so I’m showing up to them as if they are non-negotiable

• I plan what specific exercise I’m going to do in advance so I don’t let decision fatigue derail it

• I’ll turn on my sauna and dangle that carrot as a reward after I workout

But when it comes to non-internet reading right now, I’m a disaster.

And I know where I need to start. And I don’t want to do it. But I’m going to do it…

The most obvious place for me to carve out time to read is before going to sleep. Right now I spend roughly 30 minutes or so dicking around on my phone before bed each night. Drafting fantasy teams, scrolling X, responding to messages, etc…

I could get into all of the ways I’ve justified this behavior to myself, but I’d rather outline how I’m going to change it.

No more phone in the bed room.

Starting on Tuesday (look, I’m going to need to check my playoff best ball advance rate on Monday night), I’ll be leaving my phone at my desk each night. The only devices I’ll allow on the night stand is my Kindle and an alarm clock.

I wish I had the necessary will power to do this without an extreme hack, but this will absolutely make my reading goal easier.

It’ll also help me form an “identity” around reading—something James Clear talks a lot about in his book Atomic Habits (which is the foundation for everything I’m spit balling here).

Not only will I remove the distractions that would prevent me from reading, but I’ll try to become a “person who reads before bed each night” (maybe I’ll get some silk pajamas and really comfit to the bit).

I know once I get rolling with this new nightly reading habit, I’ll naturally find myself wanting to fill other pockets of free time with reading. Getting engulfed in a good book always helps, as will launching a book club to keep me publicly accountable.

With the offseason around the corner, I’m going to pull every lever I can to develop this new habit.

🚢 It’s playoff week on Ship Chasing. Here’s a recap of the shows so far:

• FFPC Boomer Opto Reveal w/ Hasan & Blair. Predicting the chalk lineups in the contest.

• Pat’s Ownership Projections. We go team-by-team on how we think the field is going to build their lineups.

• Underdog/FFPC/NFC Hodgepodge show w/ Stat Chasing. Hit on all three major contest formats with Sackreligious & DricoOut.

🧤 $500 Big Mitten Drafts w/ EZ. No DFS After Dark this week, but I did post a video for YouTube members with me and EZ drafting some high stakes playoff best ball teams on Underdog.

☣️ What Recent Layoffs Mean For The DFS Space. Pete and Bric dive into some DFS drama, including Stokastic laying off two employees. We dig into what this means for the DFS space and the economics of running a content site right now.

🏆️ Fantasy Life roundup. We recapped the Week 18 slate and then spent Wednesday and Thursday covering the Mike Vrabel, Pete Carroll, and Bill Belichick coaching moves.

💪 Swolecast: Draftkings Wildcard Weekend picks. The episode where Tuttle became an alpha and started bodying his co-workers.

🍾 Dissecting The Ravens & A Playoff Best Ball Draft. Jack returns to the Club to review his 2023 season long fantasy football takes, his thoughts on the Ravens, and his upcoming performance in Gilbert Arenas' shootout competition. We then dive into playoff best ball strategy and draft a team on Underdog Fantasy.

🐟️ A Double Stack In Cash?! (Week 18 DFS Recap/Gillcast). I put a bow on Cash Game Week and joined Davis Mattek, Sammy Reid, and Nate Nohling for the Week 18 Gillcast.

🏈 If Tim Robinson was in the NFL thread. Beautiful thread from Cooterdoodle.

🏀 Watch Gilbert Arenas and Kenyon Martin roast Peter Jennings. So good.

We got 3 shows on tap before Wildcard Weekend kicks off, plus a special MNF playoff edition of the ShipCast.

⏱️ Off & On The Clock: Double Header (Wildcard Weekend Battle Royale Strategy + Playoff Best Ball)

🚢 Ship Chasing: Final Playoff Show w/ Dink & Leone

🚢 Ship Chasing: Eagles/Bucs MNF ShipCast

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