Category Archives: Habits

If Unsure, Connect

Last year, I labeled the Coronavirus pandemic, “The Great Accelerator” for the immediate changes expedited within our lives, businesses, travel, education and all things day to day life. Change which seemingly felt on the five year horizon, was brought to our doorstep in light speed. In turn, behaviors changed over night.

The pandemic also brought with it a tremendous amount of uncertainty. Our health. Our financial futures. Our careers. What would be left when it ended?

I promise you large amounts of uncertainty are alive and well within many individuals. Fear hangs around long enough and it starts to feel normal. This isn’t right.

What I’d like to tell all the readers is fear lives in everyone. Uncertainty, lives in everyone. Sure, some are better at hiding it than others…but it’s there.

I’ll also tell you I’ve personally become very comfortable with the idea that NO ONE has it all figured out. No one is operating a master playbook whereas every page plays out like the acts of a master play.

So what does one do with lingering or consistent uncertainty?
Connect.

Resist the urge of pushing away, into isolation where 2020 led us…and pull instead.

Let your uncertainties, or fears or anxieties hit oxygen via the most basic of human needs. Communication. The rest will melt away. I could use this advice probably more than most.

I know whenever I’m stuck with a problem, or I’m anxious about uncertainty, the ONLY thing that really brings me out of it is the connecting through others.

I’m very hopeful to say we’re nearing the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. What we’re just getting started with…is the all important restart. Think about rebooting your computer. It’s not a singular button and seconds later things are refreshed anew.

No. It takes a reset and time. It takes a reboot and the machine needs to recalibrate for a fresh start. I think we’re in the year of recalibration. We all heard “the new normal” enough in 2020 to throw up. At least I did. But some of the newly found normalcy of it all stuck.

As we move deeper into this recalibration, start with human to human connection. This is a wonderful example where “more for the sake of more” is TRULY, a good thing!

Connection. We’ve all been missing it in a MAJOR way.

If I Want to Be ______________

I started using this open-ended statement a few years back as I pondered what progress in my life looked like and where I wanted to go. Knowing there is much in life that is undoubtably out of our control, I looked to better understand and therefore control the focus of my efforts.

If I knew what I wanted, how could I get a roadmap to get there? Who would know and who walked a similar path?

What followed was a pretty simple exercise of fill in the blank.

If I want to be _____________ ,

Then I must do, what _____________ people do.

Choose MUST DO > Want to.

If I want to be ____________,

  • Healthy
  • More Christian
  • Physically Fit
  • Wealthy
  • Great Parent
  • An Owner of Multiple Businesses
  • Well Read
  • Less Anxious
  • More Flexible
  • Real Estate Owner
  • Financially Free
  • Well Traveled

Then I must do what _____________, people do.

By refocusing my efforts toward a more well-defined target, mentors and examples became abundant. I found there’s nearly a 100% chance, where I want to go…someone asked a similar question and walked a similar (if not the same) path.

Does this make achieving a goal any easier?

Not sure. If you believe information is hard to come by, then yes, this would be a step in the right direction of making the process easier.

That said, we almost all have access to the same information in the palm of our hand. So action is undoubtably the winner here. MUST DO > Want to.

Now the hard part. The mentors I’ve found didn’t happen upon their skills and they didn’t luck into their existence. It was earned.

Once you define, don’t forget to ask, “How did you do that?”

Here’s to defining and earning!

ISO: Energy Builders

Tell me you’ve been there…I know I have.

You get to the end of the day, and you’re wiped out. Just. Plain. Tired. Your brain might as well be mush. Why am I soooooo drained?

You may even be a touch irritable and you can’t exactly pinpoint why? Why do I feel this way? What did I do today to feel this way?

I’ll challenge you to think about the question of feeling…with a twist. Gain perspective into WHO time is spent with vs. exclusively WHAT you’re spending your time on.

Recently, I was listening to Jim Collins, a guest on the Tim Ferriss Show (episode 361). Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, Great by Choice, and Built to Last, keeps a daily +/- spreadsheet log based on how he feels from that day’s efforts. Personally I find this very interesting as I’m always trying to tune into just how I feel about a meeting, situation or encounter.

Back to Collins and his spreadsheet.

Jim’s daily scoring goes as follows [-2, -1, 0, +1, +2]. A score of +2 is a great day, +1 is a good day, 0 is a ‘meh’ day, -1 is a net negative day, -2 is a bad day. He then sorts his spreadsheet, looking over long periods of time, does more of the things that cause a +2 day and fewer of the things that cause a -2 day.

He pays attention to those things that give him energy and positivity.

This is where I offer the reader a plot twist. Jim pays deep attention into where he spends his time. My parlay to that bet isn’t inclusive to only WHAT time is spent doing, but looking to the additive (or subtractive) nature of with whom?

Everybody knows an energy suck!

Energy sucks are largely unavoidable and come in different forms. If possible, the goal is to avoid these people at all cost like a root canal. No one goes looking for a root canal nor do they enjoy the hours in the chair.

  • The Ego Monster – These energy sucks take, take, take, because they are the black hole to conversation. Everything in the end, is swallowed up by them and is about them. I’ll add “toppers” to this group as well. You did something? They inevitably did it BIGGER and BETTER. Heck, might as well throw the “assholes” in here too!
  • Negative Nancy – Name says it all doesn’t it. The perfect cloud for any sunny day. Run forrest run from negative Nancy. She has a sister as well. Saturday Night Live did a skit for her titled, “Debbie Downer”
  • No-Mo-Joe – This person is low energy. Low drive. Low ambition. Hang around them and I’m certain you’ll feel sleepy too. Don’t worry too much about what can be done better, the world happens entirely to No-Mo-Joe and there isn’t much to be done about it.
  • The Stressor – This unique group is habitually worried about worrying. Although they may seem like a Negative Nancy on the surface, they really are just anxious about being anxious. Careful as this could rub off on you. I can’t think of a long list of people satisfied with being more anxious.

This is when I like to take a step back and think of a few of the most EPIC energy sucks I know. We all have them. I smile ear-to-ear thinking about how little time I spend with them anymore.

Now, the inevitable question must be asked. Zac, “What if I can’t avoid the energy suck in my day? I work with them. Or better yet, they’re family!!!” The answer is simple. Limit interaction. Be brief. Get what you need and don’t be sucked in. Your energy level will hate you for it. As tough as it sounds, it’s the right thing to do.

Be on a mission to add energy to your day.

I’m personally much more in tune to how my day is scheduled and WHO it is scheduled with. If I know I’m going to run into a couple back-to-back energy sucks, I’ve got to plan a rebound call or chat with an energy builder. It’s as simple as more (+), and less (-) every day. I won’t be perfect, but if you read anything I put out, I’m very bullish on momentum. Momentum builds up and tears down. Be a builder.

Who are energy builders?

  • Energy builders bring a smile to your face just by hearing their voice
  • Energy builders add value and stimulate deeper conversation with you
  • Energy builders talk about ideas and progress, not people
  • Energy builders challenge you to think bigger, take more action and live bolder lives
  • Energy builders ask thoughtful questions and engage you by listening to what you really have to say.

I’m incredibly fortunate to have a ton of energy builders I can connect with. Some are family. Many are close friends. Some are clients past and present. Each has their own recipe to build me back up and getting me moving toward progress again.

As I close on this topic, pay close attention not only to how you’re spending your time, but WHO you’re investing that time with.

For those looking for the final plot twist here it is. As you complete reading this post, be on the lookout for energy sucks. Also, it needs to be abundantly clear. Whose list are you or I on?

Am I an energy suck???

Or am I an energy builder!?!


What Do John Harbaugh & Kirk Ferentz Know About Reinvention?

Two legendary coaches. Two different journeys. Two wonderful examples of what reinvention can do for a career. Especially when your back is against the wall.

I got to thinking about these two great leaders after watching Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens torch NFL teams in the final weeks of November. Soon they’d find themselves atop the AFC standings. How did they get here?

How did the Ravens get here after benching Super Bowl winning quarterback Joe Flacco just a short year ago? What a tough decision!

John Harbaugh, a Super Bowl winning coach…was on the hot seat. Is it time to fire John Harbaugh the Baltimore faithful asked?

It was time for reinvention. The drafting of a duel threat QB, retooling the offense mid-season, and getting more “analytics” involved in their real-time game decision making.

Comparatively, in 2014 the University of Iowa and head coach Kirk Ferentz were coming off a very mediocre 7-6 season which included a blowout bowl loss to Tennessee. The fan base was ready to move on.

The votes were in. FIRE FERENTZ < – – – the articles said. This one specifically rang in the new year of 2015.

Stay the course and persevere? Or change? Sweeping change!

Changes in the staff, practice schedules, more aggressive play calling on 4th down, and a new QB led Iowa to their first ever undefeated 12-0 regular season in 2015!

The answer. Don’t settle for mediocrity and REINVENT!

ACTION ITEM: As they say in the Movie Rounders, “Fold or hang tough. Call, or Raise?” Stay the course and persevere, or change? Fortune favors the bold and answers you’re looking for are probably available to those who choose to see them.

The Value of Playing Up

I can probably tell you when and where it happened.

I was back for only a few of days over Christmas break of my freshman year of college. I was playing basketball at the time and spent the last four months playing with guys who we former all-staters, but were now all-Americans. I was an 18, they were 21 and 22. Big difference. My learning curve was steep.

I played a few pickup games in the time home as was customary over Christmas break. After all, I’m always in the mood to get buckets. But this time something was different. The game had changed. It not only slowed down, but it was just easier as my perspective shifted.

I’m talking BIG change. Not small incremental change.

You ever wonder why the middle or youngest brother turns out to be the REALLY good one? I have zero stats or data to back this up, but I suspect it is true because he spent his entire life “playing up” and getting worked by his older brothers.

Would you like another example?

Things changed drastically in my career when I was 24 and started working with a nationally managed retail organization. Their game and demands elevated what I needed to deliver to continue adding value to the relationship. I quickly began to understand what it took to operate “successfully” at their level, and what expectations came with it. I needed to get better. The good news is, I could see and feel what that looked like.

With all that said, how can you start playing up today?  Or better put, what would that look like?

Here are a few ideas:

  • Get in a room with people better than you. These people have been “there” before.  There = where you want to go!
  • In golf speak, if you shoot in the 70’s you’ve got to run with the guys consistently shooting in the 60’s. Find out how they do it?
  • Are you a director? Get in the room, in a pitch, in a strategy session with a VP or President. How do they think or influence people?
  • Are you an educator looking to be an administrator? Spend time with someone who walked the same path and is a principal.
  • My wife was a good runner. Her suggestion, find a new pace. Find a new group to speed you up! A PR (personal record) awaits.
  • Imagine being a chess prodigy, and sitting with a grand master.
  • Find a new peer group. You ever heard the saying “there’s always another guy with a bigger boat?” Find that guy and who he hangs out with.

Playing up means involving yourself in a new game. A game outside your current comfort zone. Success may or may not come quickly. Embrace the ability to understand where you can improve to play at their “new” level.

Newsflash. You’re going to get knocked back. I’ve had it happen numerous times and I hope it continues. Nothing wrong with a little humility and appreciation for the competition.

It doesn’t mean your current skillset isn’t worthy, or isn’t valuable. It very likely is. It means the pursuit continues.

ACTION ITEM: Get lost in the pursuit of playing up! The rest will come.

I’m Great vs. We Are Great

It’s a natural progression I guess…

I started out in my career like any ambitious 22 year old can. Do the absolute best “I” can, to show others I’m worthy. Looking back there is a great deal of insecurity in this thinking and lifestyle.

I would do whatever it took and wherever it took me to be perceived as great at what I did. I’m really not even sure why, but I could almost say there was a chip on my shoulder. I really don’t know how it even got there… and I’m also not really sure it will ever go away!

I was going to win. For me.

There’s an interesting naiveness to it all. I really didn’t know what I didn’t know. But I was going to PROVE something to someone. I’m convinced looking back now some of this energy was misdirected.

Maybe it’s the competitive nature in me (ok, super competitive). I did what any hyper-competitive young adult would do. I wrote down goals and kept them on my dresser. They consisted of:

  • Become the youngest Account Executive the company ever had (by 24)
  • Make $100,000 in annual income (as that’s what the big boys were making…so I thought )
  • Sell a BIG client on my own. (Thinking back who was going to commit a $1 million/year to a 24 year old who looked 18? Didn’t matter)

I achieved them all. Somehow I had it figured out. <Insert chest pounding after scoring a TD dance>

In hindsight, I really didn’t know anything.

Fast forward 15 years and I now spend a great deal of time thinking about being the tide vs. the boat (a high tide raises all ships). I’ve also grown much more self aware in the process.

In my 20’s, my confidence was inflated…as young men in their 20’s usually are. Any confidence I have today is the result of truly understanding WHO I am, and who I am not. No easy journey on that path. I’ve had a lot of people help me with this along the way and appreciate their honesty and intrepid spirit to share candidly what could only make me better as a person, friend, leader, parent, father, or husband.

I’m starting to think a great deal more about legacy and a vision for the future both personally and professionally. Legacy is a great beacon for where our decisions will take us.

Looking back on my career I’ve experienced many wins. I’m positive there will be many many more. After all, 40 is still a long ways away!

But those individual wins aren’t the most fulfilling. I smile ear to ear thinking back to times I’ve seen others win. Big wins. Personal breakthroughs. Team wins. People stepping out of their comfort zone to contribute. Those scenarios truly FILL me up with gratitude.

No doubt I’ll continue to work on myself and getting every ounce of talent I can out of my abilities. I’m wired this way and shutting it off would be equivalent to asking a fish to stop swimming.

To add one last bit of color to this post, I’d like to clarify the “We” of this framework. We isn’t only my Mindstream Media team at work, although it is important we continue to grow and succeed together. It’s my family and friends. My peer group. Community leaders I’m fortunate enough to work with. We need to be great!

ACTION ITEM: More valuable that WE are great, vs. I’m Great.

 

Understanding Discipline Through the Eyes of Nick Saban

Rather fitting this post is about discipline.

I’ve been undisciplined in my effort to share quality thoughts and content at a frequency I’d be proud of to the group. I have no excuse for that.

This one’s for you Scotty M.! Thanks for the recent words of encouragement and the nudge to get it going.

The last couple weeks when traveling I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Origins Podcast by James Andrew Miller. Specifically I’ve listened and re-listened to the Nick Saban episodes probably four times.

As with most books I read, and podcasts I listen to, I’m left with one powerful thought when I finish. Ok, that’s not really fair. Really it was two thoughts from this series. That said, both thoughts revolve around discipline from the hall of fame coach.

The first thought is how Saban defines discipline. He believes discipline does NOT exist to punish. Discipline (and I believe it is his wife Terry who says this) exists only to change behavior. Think about that for a moment. If you don’t change behavior…discipline is useless.

The second powerful thought on discipline comes from a story, told by ESPN reporter Tom Rinaldi. To better illustrate the story, coach Saban demonstrates the two sides of discipline with two hands when speaking to Tom.

  1. Left Hand – Saban holds up his left hand. On this hand is something you really want to do, but you KNOW you shouldn’t do. Can you keep yourself from doing it?
  2. Right Hand – On the other hand is something you really DON’T want to do…but you know you need to do. Can you MAKE yourself do it.

That is Discipline.

That is life. Choices. Left hand vs. right.

ACTION ITEM: We may not lead lives of perfection. But paying attention to Nick’s demonstration of the left hand and right hand of discipline will lead us down a quality path.

Get Comfortable Calling Yourself Out

Some call it feedback.

Others call it disapproval, criticism, or even “constructive” criticism. No matter what, I haven’t met too many people who love getting negative feedback. Yet, none of us are immune to criticism. That said, how do you react to it?

Instead of the feedback coming from external sources, how about getting comfortable with it coming from within.

Every major change I’ve encountered in my last 10 years is the direct result of calling myself out. Essentially in not so many words saying, “Really!?!? Maybe that’d be the case…if you weren’t full of shit!”

This is where transformation occurs. As the saying goes, being sick and tired of being sick and tired. When it comes from outside, it can be shrugged off, and often times it is. When it comes from within, the fire to change burns soooooo much hotter.

Where did this happen in my life? I’ll tell you a few examples. 

Career: A few years back I talked about doing something BIG with my career. Somewhere other than the place I was at. Problem was, my action didn’t match my words. I had empty intentions. Enough people told me I was bright, talented, and driven, so the story I was telling made sense. But my action didn’t match reality. It was the Fall of 2014 when I called myself out. In January of 2015 I started a new challenge and started cashing the checks I was writing with my words.

Addiction: I’m an addict. Not in the sense I’m a recovering drug addict or an alcoholic, but I have a very addictive personality. I had a nasty habit with tobacco that turned into what I’d consider an addiction lasting a few too many years. My wife asked me to quit many times. Why didn’t that work?

Looking back now it is so gross thinking about it, but it wasn’t until I got really serious and borderline angry with myself in the process of quitting. I can tell you the day (I have a weird way of remembering these things) and I also wrote it down in my journal at the time. 

Sept. 10th, 2011 I knew it was done. I was at Jerry and Connie Davis’ lovely farmhouse watching the Iowa State vs. Iowa football game. I was about 4-5 days into my 2nd attempted “quit”, having a panic attack watching a football game. The lack of nicotine had my body short circuiting. I’d never felt so awful in my life, and that got my complete attention.

Diet: When I was 27 I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (an autoimmune disease of the colon). I’d never felt so terrible in my life from the inside out. What needed changing was my lifestyle and diet. I was traveling a great deal, not eating well, and just wasn’t looking after myself the way I needed to. I quit the dip. Stopped (for the most part) eating fired food. No more hard alcohol. Funny thing happened.  I started to feel a ton better and have even been able to get off the medication i was initially prescribed. The disease may never go away, but I’m now the one in control when previously it was the other way around.  I got sick and tired of being sick and tired.

There is something invigorating and powerful about calling your own shots. Especially when the shots are fired internally. No one else to blame.

I read this a long time ago and forgive me as I’m not sure where,

“If it’s up to you…then it’s up to you!”

ACTION ITEM: Father Time is undefeated. Instead of carrying around buckets of regret, get comfortable calling yourself out! Make the change that needs making.

Live With Intention

Your life is a reflection of your intentions. 

People who live with intention, get what they want. Over, and over, and over again.

If I asked, “are you happy?” right now in your life, I believe your answer closely correlates with the level of intention you associate in your everyday life and your choices.

A life lived day to day, simply keeping the car between the white lines will no doubt travel…but to where? How will you know when you get there? Or what happens when you passed your destination altogether?

Contrast that with a person who KNOWS where they are going. Every day driving closer and closer to attainment. Even if incrementally. I believe happiness is 100% related to personal progress. The opposite is staleness, and staleness leads to boredom. Boredom is one of the absolute worst words a person can associate with. Very bad weeds grow from the seeds of boredom.

How can you become more intentional on your individual pursuit?

  • Be intentional about getting uncomfortable with new challenges
  • Be intentional about who you spend your time with
  • Be intentional about your spiritual journey
  • Be intentional about where you want to live
  • Be intentional about your continued education
  • Be intentional about your body and what you can and can’t put in it
  • Be intentional with your money

I would not be intentional in the pursuit of possessions. I understand the pursuit of a Ferrari, but I believe in the end it will be unfulfilling…because I’ll want a newer one. There will always be a newer watch, a nicer car, or as the saying goes, “there’s always bigger boat.”

How is intention being reflected in my own life?

The last couple years I’ve gotten more and more intentional about my education to become a real estate investor/owner/operator. My journey continues down a path with this very focused intention. I have a goal of reaching a target monthly income (TMI) generated from these efforts.

This spring I found myself frustrated with my progress toward my goals and so I did what I preach to others. Play offense and make my intentions known to others. I want to know how I can get to where I want to go, by helping peers obtain their intentions. Make it known…and doors will open. Open doors deliver opportunity and possibly even more importantly…they deliver ENERGY!

I’ve said it hundreds of times. Funny what happens when you let the world in on your vision, your hopes and your dreams. Doors open, introductions are made, progress ensures. Back on track.

ACTION ITEM: Act with intention! Get a pen and get serious about what you really want out of your life, your relationships, and your time. Write it down. I’ve lived it and I’ve seen the better part of progress.

PS – I’m super excited for my next post, or maybe it will be the one after. I’ve been working on showcasing how you can bring your intentions to life visually and through a lens of accountability.

 

Grocery Store Growth

I really like getting groceries.

But, I also like to do it at 7am on Saturday morning, with earphones in and an old school hand-written shopping list in my pocket. I talk to no one as I’m usually buried deep in my own internal conversation or lost in an idea.

Why on earth would I get groceries at 7am on a Saturday?

It’s built in learning time and its systematic.

You see, getting groceries is a somewhat passive or attention-lacking action for me (just ask my wife when I come home with the wrong stuff! Haha!!). In reality, the act of getting groceries is 30-45 minutes of uninterrupted learning time for me to digest a podcast or a recent audio book.

It’s also hard to run into people with my cart when I’m the only when there and not paying full attention!

Even if my week is a complete disaster of a nightmare, there is always Saturday morning and it usually comes with the need to get groceries. I’ve even used this quiet time to listen to a recorded presentation delivered by yours truly. You’d be amazed what you pick up on when you take the time to listen to yourself present!

Don’t have enough time?

Bullshit!

I’d recommend you start to get groceries. Or mow the lawn. Or find one of 10 other mostly passive activities you engage in on a weekly basis to build in some learning time. Here are a few more I’ve been able to build in education time.

  • Daily Exercise
  • Your commute (car, train, bus)
  • Folding the Laundry <—– I HATE folding laundry…but this helps pass the time
  • Travel – if you have any work travel you have dozens of hours at your disposal
  • Doing the Dishes
  • Lunch Hour
  • Shoveling Snow (for you Northern climates in the winter)

Lastly, the choice is entirely up to you on WHAT you listen to. I get everyone needs the freedom to unplug from time to time or to take in a little entertainment. But you can’t always be looking to unplug, while simultaneously complaining you’re not advancing in your career the way you should.

ACTION ITEM: Prioritize what goes in your ears to feed your brain! Next stop, the grocery store.