Doing This Will Make You & The World Better

I pick up other people's trash every single day.

I wipe other people's piss off toilet seats every single day.

I do tons of things that are “other people's problems” every single day.

You know why?

Not because I'm some great human.

I think I'm a pretty decent dude, but that's not why I do those things.

I don't do it to be recognized or get credit.

I don't do it to be “better” than anyone else.

I do it to be better. Period.

I know that the discipline exercised to do those things is sharpening my blade.

It's making me better.

It's honing my attention to detail.

It's honing my willingness and ability to do things that are inconvenient, hard or just generally things other people won't.

It's helping me be better in a million tiny ways.

A tiny fraction of an inch at a time.

...and I care about those tiny fractions.

A lot.

Some people laugh when I tell them that.

They most definitely look at me funny when they see me picking up an eraser-sized spec of paper off the gym floor.

...which is very rare in comparison to when nobody sees me.

So yeah, I don't do it because people are watching.

I don't do it just to be a good dude and it makes me feel good...even though that's a nice plus.

I do it for me. Selfishly.

The way I see it as this:

I cannot get worse doing those things.

If I chose not to do them...

...I could get worse.

And that's a chance I'm not willing to take.

So if you can't find the motivation to do good shit just because you should.

Do good things because they make you better.

The world ends up benefiting either way.

—Andy