Some Reading Material

One of my biggest frustrations is not being able to find time to read all the good stuff I come across on a daily basis.  First, of course, are the books I have going.  As I mentioned back in December, my reading list is long.  Currently I'm getting back into Principle of the Path so I can get a family book club blog back up and running again.  I've also started to read Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer.  But as I mentioned earlier in the week, the GRE has been my main text for the last few weeks.

So there's the books, but then there's the internet.  Critics will have a field day with this, but Twitter has put a huge burden on my reading list.  I follow some pretty smart and compelling people on Twitter - you should too.  And I don't want to hear that you don't have time b/c it's as much or as little as you make it.  Sure, I'm kind of complaining about Twitter adding to my reading list.  But I'd rather take time to sort through the stuff than not be connected like I am.  Anyway, Twitter feeds me with articles about blogging, fitness, news, and leadership which I all find completely fascinating.

What about you?  What are you reading?  Do you have a regular source for keeping up with the world or your personal interests?  Of course I'd recommend finding some interesting people on Twitter.  Tell me your interests and I'll try to point you towards some smart people.

Blogs are also great for finding good stories.  Recently I came across two great posts I want to share with you.  The first is from Spence Smith who works for Compassion International and has a great blog.  This article is called Leaders Who Blog Engage Their Audience is a great argument for why leaders should blog and the influence they can experience.  Look around Spence's website for other articles -  I read him every week.

If blogging and leadership aren't your thing I've got a compelling story for you.  Katie found this blog from a friend of hers and I'll give you three guarantees: (1) you will see beautiful photography and excellent writing, (2) it's a long read (3) you will thank me for pointing you to this when you're done.  If it doesn't affect you, check your pulse.  Enjoy the story of Nella.

Most of my readers know I'm really into social media - blogging, Twitter, Facebook.  The whole point of social media is to be social.  So I'm sharing what I'm reading.

Do you have anything to share with me?

What I Learned From the Haiti Challenge

This Haiti Challenge has been a mini-series on The Game Plan.  I've really enjoyed it and it's made me think of the project from many different angles.

It helped people: 10 days ago this money hadn't been given.  The need arose, people responded, and money was donated.  People benefited from our work.

Teamwork wins:  I'm very proud of the fact that my efforts in combination with the efforts of my team produced more dollars than would have been donated with just one person. Some would have donated anyway, some donated after reading the Challenge.  We formed a team.

Not everyone will join:  My biggest frustration and learning moment is that not everyone will join the cause, as good and as necessary as it may be.  I admitted in my first post of this series that,

It's too easy to pass up opportunities to help.  I've done it so many times in the past.

I knew only a small percentage of my friends on Facebook and the blog would respond.  My blog has a small readership, and I know I have exactly 416 friends of Facebook.  But I honestly thought I could get at least 20-30 people to donate $5 or $10.  This honestly baffles me.  Maybe it shouldn't b/c I've passed on other similar opportunities to give.  It's leaving a sour taste in my mouth, so I'm done digitally processing this thought.

(Alright, tt's still pissing me off)

People appreciate a good story:  I thoroughly enjoy researching a topic and presenting it to my readers and friends.  This story of course was a global disaster, but I took it and organized a sub-story for people to join.  If I'm frustrated with those who didn't join, I'm equally joyful with those who did.  They joined my story. 

Social Media will be a platform for really good things:  Not everyone is into Twitter and Facebook.  I hope they will see how quickly good information and stories can spread if we get involved in networks that are so viral.  And texting generated so much money.  Technology can be such a powerful tool.

Every cause needs a champion:  I'm not saying I championed this Haiti cause, but I moved towards it.  For 7 days I was a leader for a really good cause.  This disaster will pass, recovery will happen.  In the big picture this is a small story.  Serious but small.  What are the bigger stories?  What stories need to be told?  What stories need a champion?  How has God gifted you or given you experiences that have drawn you towards a cause or problem that needs to be solved?

I'm not going to go back and delete that point about my frustration with those who didn't join.  I know many may read it and be turned off by my harsh words, but I can live with that.  My frustration is equally directed at myself b/c in years past I haven't put my money where my heart was.  Hypocrite?  No.  I'm learning and I'm growing.  I'm willing to challenge people to excellence even if I can't always produce it myself.  I want to be in the game and leading myself and those I love towards goals that are bigger than ourselves.

Jack wrote his check to World Vision on Friday.  I wrote my checks this morning - $45 each to World Vision, Compassion, and Red Cross.  Thanks for reading about this Haiti Challenge.  Let's continue to do good things and cheer each other on to greatness.

3 Words for Twenty-10

I think new years resolutions set you up to fail.  Have you ever actually kept one past the third week of January?  On the other hand, I'm a big proponent of reflecting often on the details of life - where you've been, what you want to do, where you want to go, and how you're going to do it.  The title of my blog, The Game Plan, should signal my readers that I believe in organizing strategies and executing the plan.  To my core I'm a teacher and coach.

In my last post I talked about articles by Michael Hyatt and Chris Brogan that are exercises in reflecting on the past and planning the future.  I highly recommend both articles.  It's not too late to put together a plan for 2010.  In fact, I think without the pressure of the first few days of the year you can strategize with a more level head.

Chris Brogan has an exercise he does called 3 Words.  From his post:

Over the last few years, I’ve practiced something I call “my 3 words,” where I come up with three words that I use as guidance for how I should conduct my efforts in the year to come. I set goals around these three words. I build deadlines and projects around these words.

Here's my 3 words for twenty-10:

catalyst:  A catalyst is someone or something that makes things happen.  I want to take more initiative with my family time (especially with a baby girl on the way).  Catalyst.  I want to add value to people's lives.  Catalyst.  I want to take Katie out more often.  Catalyst.  I want to create excellent content on my blogs. 

athlete:  I understand the world of athletics; I think in terms of sports.  Athletes are into training, planning, practicing, performing, and then reviewing the whole process and doing it again.  Thinking of the word "athlete" makes me pursue my fitness.  Though I may not compete in a race this year, I want 2010 to be a solid year of training.  Athlete.  I want to prepare for each week (and month) as an athlete prepares for a game.  My life would be much more efficient and enjoyable if I spent a little more time preparing.  Athlete.  I also want to explore the idea of failure.  Athletes fail.  Failure is ok... if you learn from it.  I'm afraid of failure.  But if I fail I will know I'm trying hard and am fully invested.  "I've never failed.  I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work."

coffee:  This is my most abstract word.  Coffee this year reminds me of my morning routine.  Before my family is awake I'm up reading my Bible, journaling about life, reading a good book, and preparing for my day.  Coffee.  I'm also going to pursue a few more meaningful relationships for me and my family.  Coffee.  I want to host friends and family at our house.  Coffee.  I want to get into some strategic relationships with other Christian men who I can do life with.  Coffee.

Disclaimer:  These three words may mean nothing to you, and they can't be fully understood from this post; it's not meant to be all-inclusive.  But they have been pondered by me for over a week and I've internalized them and started to process them here.  Accountability is good.  Having goals is good.  Failure is ok.  Learning the process to growth is essential.

Loss of Innocence

I understand you don't want to hear any more about Tiger Woods, but I'd be withholding from my readers if I didn't acknowledge what's on my mind, and in fact what I've discussed with a handful of you.  My brother said it best, "It's a complete loss of innocence."  I know I'm kind of a dreamer, even an old-school guy when it comes to this stuff.  I'd even say I'm in denial about pro sports these days.  Here's a few of the stories that disappointed:

• Kobe Bryant and that girl in Colorado
• MJ divorced Juanita after stories of his "women"
• Brett and his divorce with Packers - he should never have to wear purple, it's just not right
• Alex Rodriquez and Barry Bond - two of the greatest players ever - steroids
• Tiger Woods - the most recognizable athlete in the world, on voicemail trying to dodge his wife

I'm not going to write extensively on this, but as a huge sports fan who understands the importance of positive role models in society, I can't begin to explain my disappointment.  Nothing is pure.  I know that.  I just really want a good story from one of these great athletes.  Looks like my last hope is Tim Tebow.

Things I'm Thankful For

Thanksgiving is a great time for family and reflection.  It's a holiday that everyone can agree on and this is evident in our culture's universal celebration on this weekend.  Of course as I'm writing this plenty of people have moved beyond Thanksgiving towards Christmas and the Black Friday event that's gotten completely out of control.  But still, Thanksgiving is a great weekend.

Briefly, let me reflect on what I'm thankful for.  Let me start with the Big Rocks:

1. Family:  Katie is such an amazing mother.  She works so hard and makes me so proud.  Sorin is healthy and a joy to watch as he plays throughout the day and grows up before our eyes.
2. My job:  While this isn't a career for me, Bill at H&H Arborists is an excellent employer.  I've learned a lot from him and had an opportunity to grow in my leadership and management.
3. My parents:  mom and dad are right across the street and have helped with Sorin and other duties around our house.  They are very giving individuals, both of their time and their resources.
4. My in-laws:  Steve and Sue are very welcoming and involved in our lives as we work into parenthood.  
5. My relationship with God:  My rock and my Savior.  All comfort and security is found in the Creator.

And then I'm thankful for many things that are along a different line of thinking.  Let me explain:

1. My gifts and abilities:  I am discovering day after day how God has established qualities in me that show how He will use me in this world.  Sure, I'm frustrated with certain areas of life (I'm not in the career field I want to be in) but he's given me passions and skills, thoughts and ideas to where I can see where this is leading me in the future.
2. Social Media:  I have the ability to keep up with so much information right now.  I follow top notch pastors from around the country.  I hear industry tips and best practices from exercise specialists who are further along in their career than me which motivates me and my business plans.  I have relationships with friends on Facebook that weren't possible years ago because they've moved away.  Social media has allowed me to be hyper-connected and it's a really good thing.
3. Things that are FREE:  With so much information and good products available, think of what we get for free.  Google has made everything knowable within seconds.  My blog freely allows me to reflect on life and share it with whoever wants to listen (all five of you).  Twitter allow me to listen to and write to thousands of people on a variety of subjects.  And YouTube allows me to watch U2 live from the Rose Bowl, all for free.
4. My health:  I love running.  I won't be winning any races any time soon but working out is enjoyable for me.  I'm always up for a challenge and my goals are changing by the season.  
5. My career goals:  God gave me the passion for exercise and education.  I feel like I've been charged with helping people become healthier individuals and this is an admirable calling in life.  God has instilled this in me and continues to bless me with the thoughts and ideas required to have a successful business and affect on my community.
6. The Office and Community:  Katie and I laugh weekly very hard when we watch these two shows.
7. Sorin's Puma sweatsuit from Grant and Jes:  You've got to see him in this - he should have one of these outfits at every stage of his growth.

I'm very thankful on many different levels.  We live in a very privileged society and we should never forget that.  

A Night Off, A Night Alone

In one of my educational psychology classes in college, I remember a professor talking about the brain and learning.  He said that when we learn, the brain is like a sponge; it can absorb only to a certain point.  Sponges can only hold so much water before they need to be squeezed out.  Purging is essential for the sponge to function properly; same goes for the brain.  It needs to be emptied at regular intervals to continue to be efficient, even effective.

I'm finding myself in a season of busy work.  Life is very busy right now and the routine sometimes gets the best of me and I get complacent and lazy. 

• the same morning routine.
• the same thing for lunch
• the same search for a new job
• the same evening with family

Are these all bad?  No!  I love my time with family.  Sorin is changing daily.  Katie and I had a great talk at dinner last night.  My days aren't always (or completely) boring.  But I certainly lack a freshness to my daily activities.  I get stuck in a rut.  Certain things lack excitement.  I need to squeeze out the sponge before I can refill.  For me that means a full day off.

For two evenings I'm home alone.  Katie went to Cedarburg for three days to be with family, so I've got run of the house.  And Katie knows this about me - sometimes I just need this alone time to refocus.  Life has been very predictable.  But tonight I knew I was coming home with no pressure or responsibilities to be "on" with family.

Tonight I was able to catch up on a few blogs - less than I would have liked, but that's probably a good thing.  At the same time I checked Facebook and then an interesting thing happened.  A couple people started posting comments on my blog and on my Facebook according to some of the things I'd recently written.  It started a series of small discussions that led me to think proactvely about my next career move.  Katie and I have talked about developing my fitness business and what that would entail.  Tonight I was able to share with some of my friends some of my thoughts and I was also able to see that I can get relevant discussions started with people - this is big if you're starting a business.

My brain needed this.  I believe God had this night set aside for me to decompress from life and be able to engage with people in a way that I rarely have time for.  It was very refreshing.  It's hard to talk about this because I don't want it to seem like I need to get away from family to be productive.  But there is something to be said for retreats - retreats from the normal day-to-day routines that get us bogged down with sameness. 

So I'm happy with the night.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow night.  I need time away like this and so do you?  If you didn't have to answer to anyone for a night, what would you do?  What could you accomplish?  Would it make any relationship better? 

Social Media Revolution

There are certain things that I really get jazzed about that others could care less about.  Most people hate Favre - I'm still a fan.  Friends and family are still using Hotmail and Yahoo - Gmail is the best.  And U2 is still the best band on the planet.

While I'm aware that my personality leans towards passion and action, I know that not everyone gets as excited as I do about certain things in life.  But some things are worthy of more attention than people give me credit for.  My career choice is to be an exercise professional.  While you may not view it as important as I do, and though you may not talk about it as much as I do, you should still do something about it.  Your health, livelihood, and quality of life depend on it.  And that's independent from me - it's just a fact.

In the same way, I don't see too many of my friends and family getting excited about Social Media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube).  But that doesn't mean it doesn't affect them.  Because if it doesn't now, it sure will in the future.  Many of my friends have ditched email and now message each other through Facebook.  I've been able to keep friends and family informed with my life and being a husband and father through Facebook updates and photo albums that I can share.  You can't do that with email.  I've learned to not only find information from the web but share the relevant stuff publicly with Facebook, Twitter, and my blog.  News and information is so much more personal when it's shared this way.

As you can see I'm still trying to find my voice on this.  While I may not communicate it as effectively as I'd like, the beauty of computers and the internet is sometimes I don't have to.  I came across this YouTube video last week from a friend I follow on Twitter.

I'd be very curious to hear your thoughts about Social Media after watching this clip.  It goes fast, so you may want to keep your hand on the pause button.

Book Giveaway - Donald Miller's "A Million Miles"

I have recently started reviewing books for Thomas Nelson as part of their book review bloggers program.  My second title will probably be an all-time favorite - Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years."  Katie and I were sitting on the porch when the UPS man pulled up with a box that was bigger than expected... because there were TWO books included!!

The publisher (CEO Michael Hyatt) thought that the book was so good that he wanted us to give away a copy to a friend.  So I've decided to have a little fun with this.  I've teased this on Facebook and Twitter for the last week and here on my blog I'll be giving away the free copy.

Here's what will happen:

1. You post a comment at the bottom of this post telling me why you deserve the free copy.  Include your first name or an identifying title.  Get creative!!
   
2. You email me your full name and address in case I choose you as the winner. (Hans@uwalumni.com OR message me on Facebook)  IMPORTANT:  include "Donald Miller book" in the subject so I can sort through them.
3. I'll pick a winner on Wednesday night and post something on Thursday. 

If you're so inclined, please check out my blog and participate in some conversations.  Oh, did I mention I may or may not have some Nooma videos to give away later?  Shameless promotion, I know.

Reviewing Books

A few months back I stumbled upon a blog by Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing.  Somewhere in there I found out that they have a blogger review program.  The idea is that they ship you an advanced copy of a book in return for a book review that you post on your blog, their website, and at least one commercial site (such as Amazon).  Well I'm always a fan of free stuff and I figured it would be a good way to add some goals to my reading habit and challenge me in my writing hobby.

The first book I received was Fearless by Max Lucado.  I've read a few of Max's books, so I knew what to expect.  But what convinced me to choose this book was Hyatt's raving review of the book - that it was one of the most timely books written considering the state of our nation.  And did I mention it was free?  I'll be reviewing the book Tuesday morning, so please check out the review and post a comment of you're so inclined - the publishers will appreciate your feedback and attention.

I've already got the next book - it's by one of my favorite authors, Donald Miller.  His new book is entitled A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  I'm so excited to read this because Katie has already stole my copy and is at page 190 in less than 48 hours!  Michael Hyatt liked the book so much that he included a second copy so that we could give one away, so I'll be giving away a free copy on my blog on Tuesday September 8th.  Stay tuned if you're interested!

First 30 pages of Donald Miller's New Book

Currently I'm using my blog as an extension of my reading on Twitter and the blogs that I follow. Donald Miller is beginning to promote his new book, which I'll be reviewing for Nelson Publishing and posting here on the Game Plan.

Did you read Blue Like Jazz? Great memoir of Don's, a must-read. Are you excited for his next book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years? If so, here's the first 30 pages to get you started.


A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller

I've never done this before, but as it turns out it was easier than I expected...

I follow Donald Miller on with my Google Reader account, and a couple days ago this came across the screen. I heard Don talk about "Story" last fall and it was fantastic. His writing is very unique and I appreciate his honesty and candid words. You should check out his blog and get ready for his new book.

Advent Conspiracy articles

Katie and I were very excited to participate in the Advent Conspiracy this Christmas season.  You can look at a previous post for some details - I think it's worth the read.  Blackhawk created a blog to provide a forum for people to share their stories and thoughts about how the AC was affecting your Christmas Season.  I was asked to contribute and you can find my post ("Sustainable Conspiracy") here.

I was also asked to be interviewed about our family experience with the Advent Conspiracy for Blackhawk's monthly newsletter - Life at Blackhawk.  Here's where you can find that interview.