Starting Over. Week 1. Day 1.

I despise starting over. But beginning Feb. 26, 2021…that’s exactly where I was.

I spent that cold Iowa Friday night with some friends on the golf simulator at our golf course. A few too many beers and a few months of COVID (family, business, life) stress led me to making a decision I knew I’d regret as I’d spent years staying clear of it.

I’d chew tobacco again. But it wasn’t really that I’d chew again that specific night, it was more that I’d been doing a lesser version of this same habit (Camel Snus) for a few months in 2020 and most importantly – – – – > hiding it from my wife. But this night it was the real stuff and it was placed directly against my gums…and it tasted G-R-E-A-T. It was sending ALL the signals to my brain I knew I’d have to fight on my hands…tomorrow.

The next day I was filled with a poor night of sleep and a titanic-sized boat load of shame with my family. I was starting over and I knew what the addiction battle that lie ahead looked like and that I needed to rebuild my body and health.

The prognosis was simple: two weeks of hell followed by bits of progress and commitment. But the good news is I’d done it before, and that was the silver lining.

Let me rewind.

I quit chewing in 2011. I know this because I kept a diary my first 100 days of quitting. Sept 12th was my first “Days Upon Days” email to myself (I’ve shared these with no one). I’d slipped up two days prior to writing this message. I was watching the Iowa vs. Iowa State game in 2011. It was a 44-41 overtime thriller and one of the last times in a decade Iowa State would beat Iowa (sorry, couldn’t resist Cyclone fans). I was six days into my quit and I’d given in. I was at my friend’s parents house (Kalli you’ll remember).
Here’s proof of my first email to myself.

The following week would present the same challenge as the week before. Tailgating. Make it past seven days. Eventually I did, and continued to write about my journey the whole way, past day 100 and beyond. If I’m ever deep in a challenge, I relate back to these messages to understand what I’m capable of taking on, and what real perseverance looks and feels like. It starts as pain, and ends in progress.

At this moment in my own personal reflection, I’m quite certain you’re asking yourself, “Why is he telling me this?” “What is it about this story that needs to be shared now?”

I’m sharing because I’m staring to embrace the concept of starting over and energy of the rebuild. I’m making a game out of it.

Life isn’t a straight line and people make mistakes. God knows I’ve made my fair share and I’m sure I’ve got more waiting for me.

Most importantly, I know people this very moment struggling and battling with a variety of similar challenges and they’re all MEN I respect. I’m talking with some men daily and others weekly as they work to make progress in their journey. They’re all in different phases of the rebuild and “starting over” from any one or two of the things listed below:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Alcoholism
  • Stress from Business Collapse
  • Addiction
  • Marital Issue
  • Combo order of elements above (add two, shake and scream)

I’m sharing this for my friends, colleagues and peers to know they’re not alone. Everyone is dealing with some shit. The rebuild isn’t humiliating. It’s an empowering challenge. And although it may suck now, it doesn’t have to suck forever. There is a way through and it’s actually incredibly mobilizing with momentum.

Dealing with stress, or anxiety, or addiction doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human. Everybody’s got something.
How do I know? Listen to this podcast with olympian Michael Phelps (23 gold medals) talking through his struggles. Tim Ferriss Show Episode 494. Michael Phelps now famously stated, “It’s OK, to not be OK!”

I love that. It’s OK, to not be OK!

If you’d like more mental resources, here is another I recently feel in love with from Rich Roll and David Goggins. Start your watch at 1:46:38 when Rich says, “Then it becomes about Willingness…”

Lastly, Rich says the following: “We’re in a culture that is driving everybody toward this idea that happiness is purchased through luxury, comfort and ease. And the truth could not be more different from that reality. If you want to find peace with yourself, self understanding, self knowledge, self esteem, all of these things are going to be found through: sacrifice, getting uncomfortable, re-evaulating what your normal is and putting yourself in situations you don’t want to f*cking do”

“Rich Roll Podcast – Episode 413”

~Damn Rich. Love this! Thank you!

One last thought I’d like to share is, “Be weary of the quick fix.”

I know I’m guilty of wanting answers and progress immediately in life, especially in times of struggle. But that’s just not likely, nor will the results stick. Results have to be trained in with habits. Good habits.

I’m reminded of lottery winners who win tens of millions in a jackpot…then go broke. Why on earth would a lottery winner go broke!?!?! Because they didn’t have good money habits in the first place. The money was transient. The habits won out. They’re broke again.

Today upon publishing this piece it’s Oct. 7th and I’m feeling really great. My body and mind are in an entirely different place than where they were six months ago. Looking back I was broken, body inflamed, stressed and tired. I still feel the temptation, and I will continue to, but that’s ok. I’m aware and being aware is the shit!

My habits are also in a different place. I’m on a mission to knock out 3,650 pull ups this year (10 per day). It’s a feat I gave up on in 2020 and only amassed 1,400 before quitting. I’m proud to say I’m nearly at 3,000 and I’m gaining momentum every day. Three months ago I started running again to get a good sweat in and free some mental space. I still don’t like running, but I love the cleanse of a good sweat.

(Good/Bad)Habits win over time!

Choose your habits wisely.

If any element of this post hits with you, I’d share with you one final quote,

Henceforth, I will consider each day’s effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today

“The Greatest Salesman in the World” ~OG Mandino

F.E.A.R.

This one will be short and sweet for all of us that need to hear it.

How does fear come to life for you?

  • False evidence appearing real 
  • Frantic effort to appear recovered 
  • Future events already ruined 
  • Fear expressed allows relief 

I’ve personally been afraid of many things in my life…and yet, none of them have come to be. Sunday is a good day to face what we believe to be true and let these thoughts hit the light of day!

PS – this post was inspired by the Tim Ferriss podcast and guest Anne Lamott. A terrific listen and worth the time.

The First 10 are the Hardest

I set a goal in 2021 to complete 3,650 pull ups. Pretty simple really, 10x per day, 365 days and boom…done!

Slight Edge Principles. Small actions (x) magnified by TIME = BIG RESULTS!

The psychology behind this isn’t only to do 10 per day. It’s to establish momentum doing 10 per day, EVERY DAY, such that it becomes easy and soon I’d be knocking out 20, 30, 50 or more a day. Soon repeat sets of 10 would turn into sets of 15-20. Putting me in a position of tremendous momentum to squash my mere 3,650 target and be in pursuit of 5,000+.


Except…you guessed it. That didn’t happen!

I got lost, lazy, not feeling great and forgetful in the 1st quarter of the year. Every day consequently I fell behind 10 per day for about 80-90 days. Or in bigger terms 800-900 behind my needed pace. Now what?!?!? The answer is never about moving the target to adjust for laziness.

My pull up bar is in the storage area of our basement. I mark my sets of ten with an “X” on the wall next to the bar like an inmate counting his days at Shawshank. X, X, X, X, X… There is no digital replacement for the feeling of accomplishment of scratching my lead pencil into the back of a sheet of drywall. Scratch /, scratch \…(X)DONE!

Basement Wall Pull-ups


Getting back, the 1st 10 was the hardest.
Getting back in running shape, the 1st mile was the hardest. I felt like my heart was going to rip through my chest and my legs felt like heavy noodles only 1/2 mile in.

As I regained my meditation practice, the first ten minutes of calming the hamster in my mind (who happened to feel like he was on a rager!) was the ABSOLUTE hardest.

Where am I now? I’m happy to report beginning August I’m in full “catch up” mode. Knocking out at least 50 or more pull-ups a day, sometimes closer to 100. I will surpass 3,650 in 2021. Write that down.

The point of this post is about embracing the suck of starting. It’s about embracing the pain and steep learning curve of starting anything. Immediately starting or learning any new skill or engaging a new regimen is going to take perseverance. Search “Learning Curve” and look at the image.

It’s going to suck right away. I’m going to suck right away. The technique will be poor and the outcome sloppy. But that’s the point!

I was listening to Anne Lamott (author of Bird by Bird) on the Tim Ferriss podcast. She teaches the power of “Shitty First Drafts” as they lead to good second drafts and terrific third drafts. The key is putting in the work. Getting your ass in the chair and sitting down to write.

The hardest part for me in this quest is simple. Grab the bar.

Just like the hardest part of a run is lacing up my running shoes.

Grab the bar, lace’em up and embrace the suck of starting!

What’s on the other side is the momentum needed to hit targets.





The Four Pillars of Progress

4 Pillars of Progress

I’m going to share with you a secret. I’ve been using this secret to unlock my happiness and momentum in 2021, coming off what was a challenging 2020 and 1st quarter of 2021.

The four pillars I’m going to share with you are helping to unlock my happiness, reduce tension and simply move through life with more ease, creating effortless momentum.

The Four Pillars:

  • Exercise
  • Sleep
  • Hydration
  • Meditation

I really hope at this point there is some eye-rolling happening…because of the simplicity of what was just shared.

Speaking on the note of simplicity for a moment, I find myself more in the pursuit of simplicity the older I get. I see it everywhere and when done well…it’s beautiful, its poetic and simplicity also produces power.

I look for simplicity in sports because of the rhythmic movement needed to produce a repeatable outcome. Here are a few of my favorites.

  • Ray Allen’s Jump Shot – Simple. Beautiful. No wasted movement. Poetic. SPLASH!
  • Louis Oosthuizen’s Golf Swing. Simple. Compact. Powerful.
  • Barry Bonds Swing – (yes he was juiced on horse steroids), but even prior to those record setting years his swing was simple. Compact. Extremely effective.
  • Aaron Rodgers Passing Motion – Yes his god-given talent is likely off the charts, but the ease in which he flicks the ball is so fun to watch (and I’m a Bears fan).

In 2020 I found myself lacking in the simple execution of paying my daily debt to the four pillars, leaving me feeling less than my best self, and (I believe) setting flare to my autoimmune disease. A loss of momentum can snowball.

It’s pretty easy to figure out really. Too much stress, too little exercise, poor sleep, and under hydrating myself lead to a lifestyle I personally can’t sustain. Neither can you I’d argue. I’m also thinking more and more about health and general well-being coming off a year when many of us saw life through a very different lens. I don’t want to be that guy that waits til he’s 60 and their cardiologist says, “you gotta make some lifestyle changes Zac, or else…”

Why not start now?

I’ve adopted the thinking that I’d like to feel 20 again, but think like I’m 60. Interestingly, or ironically I’m about in the middle of those two numbers anyway, so maybe it’s just a realignment. Amazing what that does to a person’s perspective. Feel like you’re 20, think like you’re 60. What does that mean?

  • Feel like 20 – To me this is about energy and enthusiasm. A playful and youthful exuberance to play offense in life and let the chips fall where they may.
  • Think like 60 – This is about perspective. Cutting out petty annoyances and relationships. Barring anything tragic, life is a long game to be played. Think about it this way.

The daily practice of following my scorecard (exercise and meditation) along with staying hydrated get the last and most important piece – – – – – – > A good night of sleep.

I’d ask you to think deeply about the last time you had a great night of sleep? How did you feel the next day? What was your energy level like? How about your overall zest for life and creativity?

The question I started asking myself is what leads to a terrific night of sleep? It can’t really be 20 things. I kept coming back to four.

Exercise. Hydration. Meditation. Sleep.

GREENLIGHTS and Harvard Business Review Collide

I recently read Matthew McConaughey’s book, “Greenlights” and I loved it. The whimsical storytelling was easy to read and found myself laughing out loud numerous times. At some points, I was left shaking my head asking myself, “Is this true? Can’t be! Did he really do that??!”

More importantly, I found the exercise of Matthew finding his “greenlights” incredibly enlightening and took it as a personal challenge. Matthew went on many journey’s in his life, looking to “find his frequency” when he was lost personally. I got to thinking…why don’t I do the same?

I dove back into old notebooks. Notebooks I’d been keeping for years…in search of my own Green Lights. I began pouring through old sketches, business plans, ideas, notes to myself and challenging questions. Here’s a 10-year snapshot of the notebooks and journals kept.

I was in search search of finding my frequency

  • Where was I having the MOST fun in my career?
  • Who was I working with? What did they have in common?
  • What projects did I effortlessly dive into?
  • Where did I lose track of time because I was so deep in work?
  • Where did ample challenge, best meet energy to tackle it?
  • Where were the BIGGEST WINNERS? What projects, campaigns, or teams produced exponential output?

Success leaves clues. Follow the breadcrumbs of history and you’ll find them!

Consequently, and almost simultaneously I read the following post from the Harvard Business Review: 5 Questions to Help Your Employees Find Their Inner Purpose. What a WONDERFUL intersection of chance and insightfulness. I

I challenge you to pause here. Did you click the HBR link above? You really need to. You owe it to yourself and your team. It’s more important now than ever. COVID set people off their frequency. Everyone is trying to relearn, reimagine and recalibrate their life.

This is the exercise for exactly that!

Here is the kicker. Your responses to “The 5 Questions” from HBR, have to be in writing. Your writing, not someone else’s. This could be either hand written or typed out on a keyboard, but you have to put them in writing because the exercise will challenge you to truly think about your answers. Your mind will know if you’re writing bullshit, and you’ll rewrite it.

The feeling this produces is fulfilling. A feeling of self-awareness meeting satisfaction of the truth. Like stepping out of a dark room and the sunshine hits you in the face feeling. Step into it!

Final step of the journey…Share unapologetically! There is no fear in showcasing your best self.

Best of luck in the journey of recalibration and finding your frequency!

Detrimental Impact of Stagnation

I was watching a video on Instagram yesterday and this question really stood out to me.
“What happens to water when it stops moving and becomes stagnant?”

Imagine a pool where the filter stopped working.

The image below speaks more than 1,000 words to tell you what stagnation looks like.
The parasites, the disease, the negativity. It all has a chance to thrive when stagnant. Nothing is pushing it to move. Now play this out in your head. What happens a week from now, a month, a year…


Lesson: Keep Moving!


Like millions of others, I follow Grant Cardone and I’ve found his perspective of the wealthy very interesting. Grant says the rich, more specifically the ultra-rich are mercurial with their location, businesses and money. Always staying on the move, potentially with the thought of staying “one step ahead” of the rest.

Constant movement. Constant progress. Execute, learn, iterate and execute again.

In boxer parlance, stick and move. Stick and move!

Stagnation = Boredom. This is without a doubt the enemy of any pursuit.

  • Workout hit a plateau?
  • You and your partner aren’t connecting on the same wavelength?
  • In a rut with your nutrition or diet? Or making poor choice after poor choice?
  • Not feeling connected on your current spiritual journey?
  • Find yourself following or reading the same thing over and over again?
  • Friend circle have you in a death spiral of gossip and not enough talk about ideas and possibility?

Keep moving! Keep evolving!

I say it often and try to reinforce it with team members I work with weekly. No one has it all figured out. No one! Have a well thought out plan, execute it and be prepared to move based on the results. Be like water and find the path. Flexible and fluid. This is where I find entrepreneurs the most fascinating and I’m definitely not 100% a purebred entrepreneur. The entrepreneur may not be labeled as society’s “smartest” but they use their will, to find a way. No matter how long it takes to find it. Never stagnant, always moving, always pragmatic in the approach.

To the point of the stagnant pool example above, we need to be certain we’re keeping the filter on. Filtering allows us the perspective to audit and keep the water flowing cleanly. Keep a keen eye focused on your behaviors and be willing to consistently audit and filter.

Stagnation hits us all. I’m visiting it in my life right now. I’ve been stagnant with a few thoughts and behaviors and now I’m making changes. Big changes with respect to my lifestyle.

As I’m typing this, I’m 24 hours into a fast that will likely last about 30 hours. I get a colonoscopy about every 2-3 years due to my ulcerative colitis condition and the fast is part in parcel with that procedure. What seemed impossible when I first did this years ago (WTF…not eating for 30 hrs!?!?!?), really isn’t so bad after all.

Think I’m crazy?

The fast produces an odd amount of clarity in the mind and “filtering” for the body to reset. It also showcases the power of the mind over the body. I’m strongly considering the incorporation of a 24 hour fast into my monthly scorecard. More to come on that.

Lastly, I’m in the midst of undertaking new behaviors to filter out some of the inflammatory aspects of day-to-day life. The older I get, the more I’m paying attention to how I feel and the importance of sustained energy and momentum in life.

New Wrinkles:

  • Cold Shower – at least 60 seconds, if not 2 mins in the morning. Water temp below 70 degrees.
  • Wim Hof Breathing Exercise – 1x daily (Link to example here – – > Wim Hof Breathing) Give it a try!
  • Daily Meditation (evening) – I subscribed to the Peloton app during the pandemic and really like some of their guided sessions. There is tremendous variety and it’s a nice change of pace from my usual practice.
  • Diet – The research behind the gut/brain connection is now plentiful. Adjustments to the gut microbiome are driving my curiosity here.

If you find yourself stagnant, as I did coming out of COVID, start with getting curious about how to start something new. Flexible and fluid in pursuit of a better outcome.

I will warn you. It’s the lessor part of my personality to try to change ALL things, all at once. This takes tremendous will power. Do your best to resist that implementation method and adopt a process for incremental progress.

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.

State Your Intentions

I believe this is one of the most powerful pieces of advice I can give anyone on tribe following this content.

STATE. YOUR. INTENTIONS.

I’ve been fortunate enough to follow some really solid advice in my life, and for the most part I can’t really tell you where it came from. I can only tell you what it’s given back to me…which is everything.

  • When I was 21 interning at a job (unpaid as an intern) I stated my goal (and wrote it down) to be the youngest Account Executive the company had seen to date. Less than two years later it happened. It was just before I turned 24. A year or two later I was managing the largest piece of business we had. 
  • Just prior to 30, I stated the need to expand our company’s offering at the time and the need to acquire talent in the digital field. I wrote that message to an old friend on 2/27/2012. I still have the email saved. Less than a year later, the acquisition of this company was complete and we were off and running with an entirely new product line. Looking back, this was one of the most fun times of my career. ~Cheers TargetClick.  
  • After the previous accomplishment, I felt the burning desire to own something. My eyes were opened.I wasn’t going to continue on working my tail off for only what was left over. I needed to be on the other side of the deal. I needed a seat at the table and began my search. It was mid 2014. In 2015 I made the transition and after putting in a year of solid growth, my intentions were rewarded. I owned a piece…and a piece is more than zero. As luck would have it, almost a year after this, we sold our business to a much larger firm in the space. Something I couldn’t have imagined only a few years prior. Until I stated my intentions to OWN. 
  • My newest intentional ask revolved around relationships and the real estate space. I’d been devouring books, audio, and lessons on real estate ownership but I had one big problem…I still didn’t own or operate anything. So, what did I do? I called my banker. Stated what I was looking to do, and ask that they connect me with another customer of the bank, one who was already operating in the space. Preferably someone my age. Fast-forward to today, we own and invest in multiple pieces of real estate with a few more deals in the works. Each producing monthly cashflow. Reading another book wasn’t going to get me across this threshold.  

In each of these examples, I stated my intentions clearly, and was committed to their outcomes. This is vitally important. I was committed to their outcomes and was prepared to take LARGE action. 

Here’s what won’t work.

  1. Who you tell matters. “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”~Buddha. Try telling a bum on the street your intentions to become wealthy…can he help you? Not likely. Who you tell matters what resources will present themselves. My advice, tell someone who has what you want, or is doing what you’re doing! 
  2. Lack of Commitment. Running around flapping your gums about what you want to do is wasteful if you aren’t 100% committed. These people are a blow hard. Big hat, no cattle. People do pay attention and they’ll know it’s fake. To note each of the examples above, I was ALL IN on bursting through the door once the opportunity presented itself. No going back. State intent, find guidance, and act! 

I continue to use and coach this strategy today as I go about mapping out the journey that is life. 

ACTION ITEM: You have to get insanely intentional about your life. Know exactly what you want. For you. Not anyone else. You don’t have to know exactly where to find it. In my experience, the world has a funny way of presenting itself once you know what it is you want and are committed to the pursuit!

The Time is NOW for a Personal Scorecard

How did a visit to one of the nation’s largest owners of Verizon retail stores and their annual summit change my perspective on New Year’s Resolutions?

About two years ago, right around the time millions of people were mulling over “New Year’s Resolutions” I was drafting the first version of my personal scorecard.

Put simply, “resolutions” are shit!

New Year’s Resolutions are complete waste of time and energy. A faint promise made on Dec. 31st (potentially alcohol induced) is NOT a roadmap to having what you’re hoping to be, THE BEST YEAR EVER!!!!! You know…like the same BS spewed the year prior!

Furthermore, most resolutions lack the level of detail needed to truly follow through to make any real progress. Empty promise = Empty result. Well spoken resolutions drift away or fall forgotten like the fun and hangover had on New Year’s Day.

Resolution Examples:

  • Lose “some” weight (how much?)
  • Get in Shape (what does that mean?)
  • Save X,XXX $$$ (Ok, for what?)
  • Read more (How much is “more” anyway?)
  • blah blah blah. The list goes on.

Lastly, as if I needed to hammer home my point any deeper, resolutions are really ALL OR NOTHING propositions. You know how human beings do with ALL OR NOTHING? I’ll tell you. Nearly 100% of the time, “nothing” wins out, because that’s what happens when you deal in absolutes. One slip up and the resolution is broken like one of the Ten Commandments and shame quickly ensues. Momentum = LOST

So what is the alternative?

The answer instead, is what I learned from starring at a piece of poster board at a Verizon summit. A Scorecard. Many of the most successful businesses I’ve ever encountered operate with a keen sense of measuring what really matters and it’s made visual to the point of elementary understanding. The scorecard also serves as a decision-making tool for energy investment.

What is essential?

Below is a snapshot of my personal scorecard. Recently updated for March 2021. I’m obviously biased, but there is beauty in the simplicity.

The four categories listed in my monthly scorecard are my vitality boosters. They are the essential activities I control, which largely impact my overall well-being and positive contribution to those around me.

  1. Meditation – I have a very active mind. When I mediate, my day is more fluid and my thoughts more organized. I can think deeper. I’m calmer. I sleep better. I’m happier, sharper and more witty. I’m a better Dad and husband. What started as 15x month, I’ve now increased to 18x.
  2. Exercise – Many things can be considered exercise and I’ve really thought recently about fine tuning this definition. My definition is I’ve got to get my heart rate up 150+ into a target zone for 20+ mins. I could move 20,000 steps in a day…and I may count that if I’m feeling like I earned it. Mowing the lawn, doesn’t count. Exercise calms my mind and usually generates ideas I can act upon.
  3. Church – I’m a healthier person when I make time for this activity plain and simple. I don’t know how you measure compassion, but mine would be undoubtably higher after attending church (even virtually). My generosity also peaks after church. I feel a sense of relief and release when I’m done in the best of ways. I can’t say I’ve ever been the most religious person, but I do feel the spirituality of a service if that makes any sense at all.
  4. Education – Consistently consuming new perspectives, new stories, and new ideas is good for the mind. I’ll never stop consuming books as I still love turning pages and making notations in the margins. Call me old fashioned I guess. The audiobook piece is just too easy nowadays as well. Audio can fit into so many aspects of our daily lives. I’ve thought about increasing this one but I do offset a good amount of listening with a variety of podcasts.

As a means to help you the reader take action, I’ve included a link to my scorecard (if it helps you get started). CREATE ONE!! It doesn’t have to be perfect and know it can be fine tuned over time.

SCORECARD LINK – – – > https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HXlvYmZK919m4oNlOV1Yay0dq1Ixkg-r/view?usp=sharing

Lastly, there are two reasons I created a scorecard.

Accountability. Momentum.

The first is very easy to figure out. The second is what I consider one of the biggest keys in life. Finding, generating and harnessing momentum. Conversely, as previously stated, a resolution is all or nothing and largely lives off fear. Don’t mess up, or this year is shot. Blown up. Gone!

With a scorecard you can have a bad day, week, or even month. But the following month always allows for a reset and a kick in the ass to restart momentum.

Here is my December. 2020 was a Looooooong year…and I was over it.

January 2021 I came out refocused and swinging! Momentum…re-established.

Find activities, or actions which are additive to your vitality. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. They have to be YOUR THINGS!! Not mine. It won’t work otherwise as you’ll be faking it.

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!