Two Years of Mathews Mindset

This month marks a big milestone: two years of sharing insights, lessons, and reflections in Mathews Mindset. 

From the very beginning, this journey has been a space to dig deep, learn, and grow—both for me and, I hope, for each of you. It’s been a discipline, a joy, and, most of all, a shared journey. I’m grateful to each reader who’s taken time to read, respond, and reflect along with me.

Today, in honor of these past two years, I want to share key lessons from each of the 24 newsletters that shaped our conversations. Alongside these, I’ll also share a few meta-lessons that the act of writing itself has taught me—lessons in clarity, vulnerability, and the power of showing up. 

And I also wanted to give you a warm welcome to my new-look newsletter, powered by Beehiiv, aimed at creating a much-better experience for you as a reader and more tools for me as a writer.

Whether you’re here to learn something new, revisit ideas, or find inspiration for your own journey, I hope these reflections resonate with you as much as they have with me.

24 Lessons from Two Years of Mathews Mindset

Each of my first 24 newsletters has been aimed at teaching you how to grow purposefully, while maintaining balance in all areas of life too. Today, I wanted to give a quick 1-sentence takeaway from each edition for you to apply on your own.

Feel free to dive deeper into any of the following newsletters that you find interesting or valuable in this moment.

1. Breaking Burnout with a Growth Cadence
   If you don’t control your life pace, life will control it for you.

2. 4 Levels of Scaled Growth
   Each stage of life requires a different version of yourself. The rewards make the evolution worth every step.

3. Cultures of Growth
   Inward change leads to outward change; when we grow, everything around us follows.

4. Combatting Your Itty Bitty Shitty Committee
   Improving your life starts with improving the conversations you have with yourself and others.

5. How AI is Transforming My View of The Future
   AI isn’t here to replace you; it’s here to replace those who aren’t willing to learn and adapt.

6. Best Bets
   Betting on yourself is the first step toward inspiring others to believe in you too.

7. I Wonder What Will Happen to Our Hero Next
   Failure is an essential part of the hero’s journey.

8. Anti-Aging Formula: Seeking Discomfort
   By seeking discomfort, we find resilience, growth, and a deeper sense of fulfillment.

9. New Job Responsibilities Needed to Flourish
   Anything that enhances your life professionally and personally should be considered core to your role.

10. Home Court and Away Court
    Strengthen your habits and processes today to meet tomorrow’s opportunities with confidence.

11. Position and Surface Area of Luck
    Prepare yourself to be in the right position for the right opportunity.

12. The Single Player Game
    Don’t aim to be the best; aim to be the only. Authenticity wins.

13. Creating Freedom and Wins with Predictability
    Predictability in life leads to freedom. It reduces the weight of uncertainty.

14. Yes is a Liability in the Future
    We’re all in the business of commitments—choosing wisely is key.

15. Playing Small
    Seeking competition is often a comfortable way to play it safe.

16. Keep Your Identity Small
    Holding too tightly to an identity can limit growth and self-discovery.

17. How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything
    Elevate your standards to elevate your outcomes.

18. What Fun is a Riskless Adventure?
    Seek to explore, build, and change lives with courage and curiosity.

19. Hit the Ceiling on Your Talent
    The limits you place on yourself are yours to challenge.

20. Not 1, But 2
    Often, the tools you need for success are right around you—you just need to take stock.

21. Average is a Failed Formula
    Don’t lower your goals; raise the actions you take to meet them.

22. Raise Your Healthy Deserve Level as You Enter 2023
    You get what you believe you deserve—set that bar high.

23. Awareness
    Control begins with awareness; what you can’t see will control you.

24. Bigger Future, Better Present
    As your vision grows, so does your capacity for a better present.

My Personal Lessons from the Writing Journey

Over the last two years, I’ve learned so much from writing this newsletter that have overflown into other areas of my life, beyond writing itself.

1. Generosity of Ideas: Writing has been an act of sharing. Each newsletter is a chance to spark curiosity, open new perspectives, and invite readers into new ways of thinking.

2. Clarity Through Consistency: Writing regularly sharpens insights. Consistency has helped me simplify and clarify ideas, making each insight sharper and more actionable.

3. Connection Through Vulnerability: Authenticity connects us. Sharing both triumphs and struggles has deepened connections with readers, allowing each of us to grow together.

4. Discipline as a Growth Tool: Committing to a consistent writing schedule has shown me how discipline drives results, building impact over time.

5. Perspective Beyond Achievement: The real reward is in the journey itself—the learning, growth, and connection that happens along the way. Each message is part of a shared experience, evolving together.

To every reader—thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to the path forward, with more insights, challenges, and growth to come.

This reflection on two years is not just a look back but a stepping stone toward the future. As you read through these lessons, I hope they encourage you to reflect, learn, and find purpose in your own path.

Quote I’m Pondering

Each newsletter, I like to share a quote I’ve been thinking about. Here’s the quote for this week:

“Most geniuses—especially those who lead others—prosper not by deconstructing intricate complexities but by exploiting unrecognized simplicities.”

— Andy Benoit

Books I’m Reading

Below are a few recent books I highly recommend . . .

• How to be Perfect by Michael Schur

  Michael Schur presents a witty and very entertaining journey into moral philosophy, blending humor with profound reflections on the challenges of ethical living in the modern world. Consuming it as an audiobook was even better, thanks to the engaging performances by big-name actors that brought Schur's insights to life.

• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

  In Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara recounts his journey at Eleven Madison Park, where he transformed a mediocre restaurant into the world’s best by embracing “unreasonable hospitality”—a commitment to going beyond expectations with personalized, memorable experiences. Through inspiring anecdotes, he shows the profound impact of exceptional hospitality, making this book essential reading for anyone aiming to create genuine connections and extraordinary service.

Even Coaches have Coaches…

This picture is of me with Alex Adair, who has been my personal trainer for 2 years now. It was taken right after I completed a full prescription of the Murph Challenge this past spring. He helps me make commitments on physical fitness and keep those commitments. If you took the sum of the lessons above I think this picture captures a lot of the themes of the past two years. 

We are all in the business of making and keeping commitments to ourselves and others including when it comes to growth and transformation.   

That’s all for today!

I hope you enjoyed this first edition of my newsletter on Beehiiv. Don’t be a stranger — please let me know if anything piqued your interest here by replying or messaging me on LinkedIn.

Cheers,

Eric Mathews

P.S. — If you’re looking for a coach to get you to the next level as we enter the final two months of 2024, I’m opening up slots for a free 45-minute call to learn more about my coaching and how I can help you unlock your goals.

Schedule a call with me HERE.