Sunday ☕ : Noise and Silence

The rhythmic hum of Manhattan traffic invaded my dreams before I even opened my eyes. Construction jackhammers pounded in perfect disharmony with taxi horns and the constant murmur of 8 million souls moving through their day. The smell of street vendor pretzels and coffee wafted through my cracked hotel window, along with that distinct perfume that is uniquely New York — a blend of ambition, exhaust, and possibility. My brain struggled to reconcile these sensations with my expectations of birdsong and Hill Country morning dew. Then reality crystallized: I wasn’t in Texas anymore. I was smack in the middle of Manhattan, having flown in for a quick speech at the American Watercolor Society Banquet.

Business Trip Transformation

Before having kids, business trips were personal adventures. I’d add extra days to explore, discover, and soak in new experiences. But somewhere along the way, I developed the habit of treating trips like surgical strikes — get in, do the job, get out. This time, though, I managed a small victory: visiting the new Sargent exhibition at the Met before rushing to the airport. And I even allowed myself the luxury of an afternoon flight rather than my usual pre-dawn scramble.

Time Management Magic

People often apologize for “taking my time,” assuming I’m perpetually overwhelmed by my hectic schedule. The truth? I don't feel busy. There's wisdom in that old saying about giving tasks to busy people if you want them completed efficiently. I’ve learned that work expands to fill available time —- give me an hour for a task, I’ll finish in an hour; give me four days, and somehow it takes all four days.

Deadline-Driven Success

Before this New York trip, I had several projects with looming deadlines that I’d postponed until the final day. Then came the inevitable minor emergencies, leaving just three hours to complete everything. Somehow, magically, it all got done. The principle about filling available time truly holds water.

Goals Require Speed

As a young businessman, I once heard billionaire W. Clement Stone speak about goal-setting. Instead of placing targets years into the future, his mantra was simple: “Do it now.” Most goals can be accomplished rapidly if you engage your brain. The busiest person I know, Elon Musk, runs several companies as an active CEO — not just an investor, but the person setting agendas and driving execution. He recently noted that any project with a long timeline is fundamentally flawed. His approach? Shorten everything.

Question Your Timelines

What are you currently dragging out that could be completed now? I know, you’re convinced you need all that time. So am I ... until I ask myself: “If I had to get this done in 10 days instead of 10 months, what would I do differently? What would need to happen?”

Speed Creates Success

Most of us take too long to accomplish things. When you set audacious goals with compressed timelines, people get uncomfortable and list all the reasons it can’t happen. Yet impossible achievements occur every day. The key lies in eliminating unnecessary steps, dreaming big, and embracing speed.

Acceleration Beats Stagnation

There used to be a driving-safety campaign called “Speed Kills,” but in life and business, slowness is the real killer. Recently, when AI program DeepSeek suddenly surpassed competitors, Elon Musk didn't accept second place. He gathered his team and gave them two weeks to make Grok 3 demonstrably superior. Sleep became optional. The result? A breakthrough that catapulted them ahead. Sometimes speed truly matters.

Life's Ticking Clock

One day, you’ll wake up after a long career, having believed time was abundant, only to realize the countdown is accelerating. All those things you wanted to accomplish might never happen. You face two choices: accept defeat or shift into overdrive.

Thirty-Year Vision

Imagine you’re 30, with potentially 60 more years ahead. If you adopt speed as a principle, you could accomplish 10 times more and magnify your impact on the world exponentially.
Balance Requires Contrast
Not everything benefits from acceleration. Some experiences deserve slowness — savoring fine wine, celebrating birthdays with your children, enjoying unrushed conversations with friends amid nature's beauty.
Age Versus Mindset
I visited a friend yesterday and met his parents — a very elderly couple confined to rocking chairs, seemingly just waiting for life’s conclusion. I caught myself thinking I hoped never to become so sedentary — then discovered we were the same age. Here I am, planning for 30 more dynamic years, moving quickly, leading teams, launching new ventures, while they’ve chosen a different pace. The leisure-focused life works for some, but not for me.

Purpose Drives Energy

My paramount goal? Extract every drop of juice from life while blessed with good health. It’s not about money — it’s about discovering my limits and maximizing my positive impact. For me, speed matters. What about you?

Who Is This Guy Eric Rhoads?

Eric is the founder and publisher of PleinAir magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine (both on newsstands nationally), author and host six of Art Marketing instructional videos and has a blog on Art Marketing, and is author of the Amazon best seller Make More Money Selling Your Art. He produces newsletters American Watercolor, Fine Art Today, Plein Air Today and RealismToday, Creator of; The Plein Air Convention, The Plein Air Salon $30,000 Art Competition, The Figurative Art Convention & Expo, Plein Air Live, Realism Live and Watercolor Live Virtual art conferences. Art instruction video with Streamline Art Video, Liliedahl Art Video, Creative Catalyst Art Productions, and Paint Tube.TV (art instruction on Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV) and host of several painting retreats: Fall Color Week, Paint Adirondacks and PaintRussia, plus an annual collector Fine Art Trip, Rhoads hosts a daily art broadcast on Youtube and Facebook (search Streamline Art Video). He is a plein air , landscape and portrait painter with works at Castle Gallery. He is also heavily involved in the radio industry as founder of Radio Ink, as well as Radio and Television Business Report, the Radio Ink Forecast Conference, Podcast Business Journal, and the Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference. He is the author of a best-selling book on the History of radio; Blast From the Past: A Pictorial History of Radio's First 75 Years. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his bride Laurie and they are the parents of triplets. Learn more at EricRhoads.com or see Everything We Do.