On the 22nd Feb 2023, I sent a daily email with the subject line:

A cheerful and sombre trip down memory lane

In the email, I wrote about memory dividends. 

This is something ex-oil trader and poker player Bill Perkins riffs on in his eye-opening book Die with Zero. 

The gist is that, just like investing in stocks & shares today pays you a financial dividend in the future, the experiences and adventures we have today pay a “memory dividend” in the future as well. 

So the more fun, pride and joy you feel about something you do today, the more time you have to relive that fun, pride and joy in the future.

And just like a financial dividend, every time you do, the fun and happiness tied to that memory grow.

It’s an intriguing idea.

It has a lot to be said for it too.

On Saturday I caught up with one of my best pals for a Dad date and we got reminiscing about a trip we took to Vegas 10 years ago. As we chewed the fat about our craps table antics and watching Britney Spears mime her way through a live gig at Caesars Palace, it actually did feel like withdrawing gold from a 10 year savings account.

Anyway, I got thinking about memory dividends when a colleague at work started nattering about the experience economy.

I started pondering other kinds of dividends too.

While I have a soft spot for memory dividends, there’s another type of dividend which has undoubtedly done more to improve my life than any financial or memory dividend could.

Those dividends?

I call them clarity dividends.

When your mind is calm, when your thoughts aren’t racing and when you’re not second-guessing yourself, that creates a clarity which unlocks better decisions, more resourcefulness and fewer dodgy detours driven by stress or fear or ego.

But it’s not a one time thing. 

Clarity like this creates a ripple effect. So your actions lead to ever-better outcomes, you start to trust your judgment more - and on it goes, like compound interest for your peace of mind.

I’ve seen this play out in real time.

Up until a couple of years ago, work hung over me like the Sword of Damocles. There was so much chaos and chatter in my head that I was constantly making to-do lists (and to-do lists of to-do lists) just to try to find some headspace.

Those to-do lists didn’t help me see things more clearly though.

It was only once I learnt what clarity really is and where it comes from that I finally started to cut through my mental clutter.

Life feels a lot less jammed up now. It’s easier to figure out what does matter, what doesn’t matter and what to do about the stuff that does. And the more I figure out, the clearer the next step becomes.

So the clarity generates more clarity, just like a dividend.

All of which bring me to this:

I’m putting together a small group coaching program all about finding clarity.

This could be perfect for you if you’re always circling the same old questions without ever landing on a solid answer or making progress in the world.

During the program we’ll explore ways to cut through the noise in your head, make decision-making lighter & faster, tap into your own sense of direction and replace confusion with clarity.

Are you interested?

If so, please hit reply.

Thank you