Have you heard of "monk mode"? I was recently on Danny Miranda's podcast (Spotify, Apple) where I talked about mindset, entrepreneurship, and much more. One of the concepts I discussed was the idea of monk mode, which describes the tendency of young entrepreneurs to hole up in a cabin in the woods (or apartment in the city) and do nothing but focus on their mission/startup/venture/goals. You stay inside, you don't talk to anyone, you don't have any fun or waste time on leisure or frivolities. You become like a monk—a devout man (or woman) of the cloth whose sole desire is to further the mission. And this is supposed to skyrocket you toward professional and business success. I think it's bullshit. I didn't get to where I am acting like a monk. Instead of staying in my room, I went out into the world. I actively tried new things and threw myself out there to the wolves. Monk mode is about hiding. Staying safe. Huddling in a closet trying to convince yourself you're "building" something. To really build something, you have to be out in the world. You have to be trying, and failing. You have to be eternally optimistic about your chances, because doing so is opening yourself up to luck and chance. I'm not even talking about anything mystical or magical. I'm talking about pure effort and will. I'm talking about making sure your nervous system knows you're actively seeking greatness so that it believes you and starts pulling for you. And remember, when I say words like "greatness" I'm not talking about objective, world-rending greatness. I'm not referring to any numbers or dollars or anything like that. Greatness is relative. No matter where we stand in life, no matter where we come from or where we're going, we can be great. We can be great in the context of our small neck of the woods. How are you seeking greatness, folks? Let me know in the comment section of New and Noteworthy. | 
