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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.

Live Through the Windshield, Not the Rearview Mirror

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I love talk radio.

Colin-Cowherd

Colin Cowherd – ESPN Radio Host

Specifically, really good, polarizing, entertaining, talk radio.  My favorite radio personalities are those who excel at making an interesting argument.  I was listening to the December 12th podcast from “The Herd“, Colin Cowherd’s national daily radio show, and he was talking about the recent job openings in college football and how the landscape has evolved over the last decade.  Then he said this,

“You have to live your life through the windshield, not the rearview mirror.”

I immediately hit pause on the broadcast and sat back in my chair.  Did I hear what I thought I heard?  I quickly pressed the rewind button and went back into the podcast.  I listened again and it was exactly what I heard.  I scrambled for a pen to make sure I could transcribe the words knowing it would be my next post.

After sitting and reflecting for a while, I realized just how much of an epidemic it is in our country to live life in the rearview mirror.  Do me a favor. Take two minutes and think about the past.  What came up?

  • Bad Decisions
  • Business Failures
  • Regrets
  • Relationship Failures
  • Maybe even BIG Accomplishments (although most thinking is directed at the negative)

“The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different.” ~ Peter Drucker

Why is it that after hundreds of failures, someone can be successful?  On the other hand, why is it that after being so successful, great companies (or football programs) come to a screeching halt?

It’s easy to see great companies (and football programs in Colin’s reference) get hung up on what they accomplished in the last 10, 20, even 50 years.  Sorry Michigan football fans, this is you.  This is also what happened to the American auto industry in the 80’s and 90’s. Their trophy rooms are full of hardware outlining numerous feats and accomplishments.  But, none of them are recent.  They’ve gotten fat and happy, and spent too much time admiring the rearview mirror.

Conversely, how can a life filled with failure, do the exact opposite and produce success?  I believe the person makes a decision to live life through the view of the windshield.  All that matters is what is in front of them, and how can they best apply their passion, knowledge and hustle to achieve their goal.  Sure they’ve failed.  Who hasn’t?  They chose to use failure as a learning experience, and not as a scar for eternal pain and suffering.

My rearview mirror: I have many accomplishments. I’ve made many mistakes. I have regrets.

My windshield: I have an amazing list of opportunities and big goals in front of me.  Watch what happens next!

ACTION ITEM: I’m working every day to live my life through the view of the windshield.  Constantly pushing forward, while learning from what’s in my rearview mirror.