I can still hear my defensive coach from high school. I can see him out of the corner of my eye, pacing around the team and insisting that "life is a series of adjustments." Very few - I mean very few - phrases have stuck with me over the years. But Coach Lecher ("lek-er") had a phrase that I'll never forget. He used it in such a brilliant context - defensive football.
In the game of football, the defense can game plan and strategize all they want. But often the defensive unit will succeed based on their ability to adjust to what the offense is doing and find a way to stop it - make and adjustment. "Life is a series of adjustments."
In part 1 of this series we talked about recognizing previous failures at exercise and using this as a learning tool for moving towards a successful plan. In part 2 we talked about SMART goals. Part 3 had to do with keeping detailed records of your fitness routine.
Today I'd like to encourage you to listen to Coach Lecher with me - "life is a series of adjustments." You've undoubtedly had weeks where you didn't get all your workouts in. You've had workouts where you couldn't workout as long as you had hoped. One day of lifting was you vs. the weights, and the weights won. This happens all the time in exercise. You're good, but if you're so good that you never have setbacks, what are you really accomplishing? (You need more challenge.)
Life happens - and we need to adjust. I'm learning this right now with our adjustment to life with a kid, and soon two kids. My time gets pulled in new directions in this stage of life. I'm also a personal trainer - I hear the excuses all the time. (I think I heard the worst one this week, but I better keep it to myself in case he's reading.) We all have a list of things that take up time and then other lists of things that seem to just pop up and take even more of our time.
So when things get in the way of your workouts, or a workout beats you up pretty good one day, what's your response? Will you be passive and allow the set-back to just happen? Will you promise yourself it will never happen again? Will you play the blame game? Will you chalk it up to bad luck? Or will you process the set-back, regroup, and find a way to move towards your SMART goal? Tim Sanders wrote about this last week.
Engage with your workouts. Engage with your goals. Engage with all the details of your life and then come up with a game plan. When you get knocked around a bit, try to hear the words of my defensive coach, "Life is a series of adjustments." Big or small - make that adjustment and take another step towards your goals.
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Productivity
I feel extremely compelled to write this morning. Productivity has been heavy on my mind this week, and it was reinforced this morning during my run. I'm only giving myself 10 minutes for this, though.
My blog is currently in the middle of a series entitled "Creating a Fitness Routine." If you haven't read about our process check out the three posts here:
I have to admit that staying productive can be tough for me. Most days at work we're very busy with the tree work, training, and keeping things up and running efficiently. But when I sit at the office in front of a computer there are so many things reaching out for my attention: Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, email (personal, business), and that doesn't even include news sites so I can know what's going on in the world.
How is a man supposed to concentrate when everything is so readily available?
This isn't new information, but maybe just a reminder. Or maybe it's just me processing this on my blog. What it comes down to is prioritizing. For me the question is not "What do I do first?" The better question is "What do I not do?"
I know this post may not make sense to my readers, so sorry for the little rant here. If I were giving this more than 10 minutes I'd explain more of what I'm doing (specifically) to stay productive.
For now, I'll just tell you that saying no to email and Twitter is a good thing (albeit very difficult). My Moleskine notebook is my best friend. And I'll live today with my favorite line from one of my favorite books, Four Pillars of a Man's Heart:
Any successful leader must first be able to lead himself.
My blog is currently in the middle of a series entitled "Creating a Fitness Routine." If you haven't read about our process check out the three posts here:
I have to admit that staying productive can be tough for me. Most days at work we're very busy with the tree work, training, and keeping things up and running efficiently. But when I sit at the office in front of a computer there are so many things reaching out for my attention: Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, email (personal, business), and that doesn't even include news sites so I can know what's going on in the world.
How is a man supposed to concentrate when everything is so readily available?
This isn't new information, but maybe just a reminder. Or maybe it's just me processing this on my blog. What it comes down to is prioritizing. For me the question is not "What do I do first?" The better question is "What do I not do?"
- I don't need to have email open all day. I can check it 3-4 times rather than always having it in real-time.
- I don't need to have Twitter open all day. Checking for 5 minutes twice per day is plenty.
- My Google Reader will keep those items stored and unread, also for the end of the day or even better the weekend.
I know this post may not make sense to my readers, so sorry for the little rant here. If I were giving this more than 10 minutes I'd explain more of what I'm doing (specifically) to stay productive.
For now, I'll just tell you that saying no to email and Twitter is a good thing (albeit very difficult). My Moleskine notebook is my best friend. And I'll live today with my favorite line from one of my favorite books, Four Pillars of a Man's Heart:
"Organize and lead. I say it again, organize and lead."
Any successful leader must first be able to lead himself.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Creating a Fitness Routine Part 2 - Goal Setting
This is part two of our J2K Fitness Challenge. In part one we talked about how we can learn about ourselves in our failures, and that in fact failure is essential for success. I ended part one with instructions to write down some obstacles that have gotten in the way of your training programs in the past.
Now with those in the back of our mind, let's start writing some goals. Goals, both short and long term, are extremely important in creating a fitness routine. In college as I was learning about physical and health education we learned about S.M.A.R.T. goals. At first it seemed a little over the top, but over the years I've come to realize how important each component is to the success of your goal.
S.M.A.R.T. Goals:
Specific (What *specifically* do you want to happen)
Measurable (How will you know when you've accomplished your goal?)
Attainable (Is your goal within reach but still challenging?)
Relevant (Is it your goal or someone else's; how does it fit in your life?)
Timely (To be completed next week, next month or next year?)
Without a goal we will never accomplish what's important to us. The world distracts us in many different ways, so we need to focus. And when we establish a goal, it needs to have the five SMART components.
Take that sheet of paper and start formulating your S.M.A.R.T. goals. Nothing is written in stone, remember? You may write these goals and then make some changes a few weeks into the program. Life is a series of adjustments. But we'll continue our J2K Challenge by writing some goals.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Creating a Fitness Routine Part 1
Admit it - you haven't had that much success in this area. You've had a few exercise routines come and go over the years. Maybe you've tried running or getting on the bike, but it didn't last more than a couple weeks. You've tried some diets that didn't produce the results you expected. And weight lifting - after a week you were so sore you never made it back to the gym.
Score: Intentions 44
Results 0
Failure is not the end of the story. Many leadership experts and business professionals would testify that failure is in fact necessary for success. So we begin J2K with a look at our failure.
When you think back to your attempts at creating an exercise program for yourself, what has gotten in the way? What's made your routine fall apart? What one aspect would you do differently to improve your chances at success?
The first part of the J2K Fitness Challenge is to get one piece of paper for some thoughts. Write "J2K Fitness Challenge" at the top and brain-storm a couple reasons why exercise hasn't worked for you in the past. That's it. Come back in a couple days and we'll talk about what to do with those thoughts and we'll formulate some goals. But not just any goals - we'll formulate S.M.A.R.T. Goals.
Score: Intentions 44
Results 0
Deep inside everyone knows they could be a little healthier. We all want to eat a little better and workout a little more. We have something to prove to ourselves. Forget the guy at work who always gets a good workout in - we have something to prove to ourself!
This is the first article in a new series called J2K. Kind of catchy, right? J2K. It's a project for you, by you, with me. But mostly it's for you. This is a story you're going to write about your fitness experience. "But Hans my fitness experience, if I'm really honest, has been a story of failure." I'm with you. I've failed too. But luckily history provides proof that even when we fail, we can still learn and succeed. Here's how the J2K Fitness Challenge derives its name.
Virgin Atlantic Airways is an airline owned by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin label, a forward-thinking business group known to be highly innovative. In 2000 they made a $67 million investment to create sleeper seats, reclining seats for their business class.
Although sleeper seats had long existed in first class, airlines had not yet adopted them for business class. Virgin was the first to announce it would be offering "a bed in business," says Joe Ferry, Virgin's head of design, who led the design of the J2000 seats. Within a year, however, Virgin's idea was one-upped by its chief competitor, British Airways PLC (BAB ), which rolled out a truly flat bed. While customers were initially enthusiastic about the J2000, some complained about sliding and discomfort. In the end, says McCallum, it "was wildly unsuccessful. Everybody acknowledged that it was not as good a product as our principal competitors'." Agrees Ferry: "We were an also-ran, which didn't really sit well with us."But Ferry didn't get fired. In fact, CEO Gordon McCallum entrusted Ferry with more money - $127 million to over-haul the upper-class seats. The new version, launched in 2003, has been a solid success. Called the "upper-class suite," Ferry's makeover made a design leap beyond merely being flat. Flight attendants flip over teh back and seat cushions to make the bed, allowing for different foam consistencies for sitting and sleeping. While Ferry hoped the new seats would eventually improve Virgin's business-class market share by 1%, they've already exceeded that goal. (Source: businessweek.com)
Failure is not the end of the story. Many leadership experts and business professionals would testify that failure is in fact necessary for success. So we begin J2K with a look at our failure.
When you think back to your attempts at creating an exercise program for yourself, what has gotten in the way? What's made your routine fall apart? What one aspect would you do differently to improve your chances at success?
The first part of the J2K Fitness Challenge is to get one piece of paper for some thoughts. Write "J2K Fitness Challenge" at the top and brain-storm a couple reasons why exercise hasn't worked for you in the past. That's it. Come back in a couple days and we'll talk about what to do with those thoughts and we'll formulate some goals. But not just any goals - we'll formulate S.M.A.R.T. Goals.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
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,
(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.
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.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Final Numbers for the Haiti Challenge
There was no way I was going to process the reports from Haiti and not do anything. It was impossible. Over a two day period I watched Twitter and glanced at nytimes and cnn.com. I saw the tragedy unfolding and knew that as a God-fearing man and father of a little boy that it was my responsibility to take action. Families were being torn apart and forced into extreme conditions. It was my obligation to assist in whatever way I could to the relief efforts.
What I did was not revolutionary. It wasn't even my idea. I was reading my Twitter feed and saw that Bebo Norman (singer from Nashville) was donating $5 for every person that mentioned that a link where you could donate:
Bebo has 5,000+ people "following" him, so you can do the math and see how their bill could add up really quickly. But the idea inspired me. I talked to Katie about us donating, and then I decided to create my own Haiti Challenge.
I'm happy to report that my team raised $133 in six days. The challenge was posted on Facebook and on my blog. One of my blog readers then decided to match whatever I had to match. So "Jack" is contributing $133.
Our grand total is $399! Sorin just found four quarters in our couch, so you can tell people that the Haiti Challenge raised $400.
I would like to thank each person who joined my team for this effort. When people work together for a single cause, big things can happen. $400 isn't even a drop in the bucket for the problems in Haiti, but that money will certainly provide assistance to someone who needs it a whole lot more than we do.
(Stay tuned: my next post will include additional thoughts about this project and I'll report when I write the check and where it goes.)
What I did was not revolutionary. It wasn't even my idea. I was reading my Twitter feed and saw that Bebo Norman (singer from Nashville) was donating $5 for every person that mentioned that a link where you could donate:
Help Haiti. Donate to Compassion's Disaster Relief. Roshare & I will give $5 for every person that RT's this link http://bit.ly/8VNyfF from TweetDeck
Bebo has 5,000+ people "following" him, so you can do the math and see how their bill could add up really quickly. But the idea inspired me. I talked to Katie about us donating, and then I decided to create my own Haiti Challenge.
I'm happy to report that my team raised $133 in six days. The challenge was posted on Facebook and on my blog. One of my blog readers then decided to match whatever I had to match. So "Jack" is contributing $133.
Our grand total is $399! Sorin just found four quarters in our couch, so you can tell people that the Haiti Challenge raised $400.
I would like to thank each person who joined my team for this effort. When people work together for a single cause, big things can happen. $400 isn't even a drop in the bucket for the problems in Haiti, but that money will certainly provide assistance to someone who needs it a whole lot more than we do.
(Stay tuned: my next post will include additional thoughts about this project and I'll report when I write the check and where it goes.)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Last Day for Haiti Challenge
Tuesday January 19th will be the final day of my Haiti Relief Challenge. In my last post, I challenged my readers here and on Facebook to donate to one of three organizations: World Vision, Compassion International, or Red Cross. I asked them to post how much they donated (suggested $5 or $10) and I would match their gift.
BREAKING NEWS:: one reader ("Jack") has been inspired by this campaign and has offered to match what I'm matching!! This means that if someone donates $10, I turn it into $20 and then Jack turns it into $30! How cool is that?!? Inspiration is a powerful thing. There's also power in numbers. Do you know someone who might want to join our team? Please pass this on and tell them that they can join anonymously by posting at the bottom (comments) of this blog.
And thank Jack for Jack-ing up the donation!!!
Haiti needs our help. Please consider a $5 donation.
(Photo courtesy of Damon Winter NYTimes: Quake survivors fight over goods that were taken from a destroyed home supplies store.)
(Photo courtesy of Ricardo Arduengo NYTimes: An injured boy in a hospital bed in Port-au-Prince. Many hospitals were destroyed, and those that were not are swamped.)
(Photo courtesy of Damon Winter NYTimes: Marie François, in the foreground, who lost three of her six children, waits with a son and daughter for a delivery of fortified biscuits from the World Food Program.)
(Photo courtesy of Ruth Fremson NYTimes: Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne and members of the Navy loaded helicopters with food and water.)
(Photo courtesy of Ivanoh Demers)
(picture courtesy of Ruth Fremson NYTimes: Quikani Alakassis, 21, gave her 4-month-old daughter, Kiana Jean Baptiste, water from a bottle distributed by soldiers with the 82nd Airborne as she sits in her makeshift shelter on the grounds of the Pétionville Club.)
BREAKING NEWS:: one reader ("Jack") has been inspired by this campaign and has offered to match what I'm matching!! This means that if someone donates $10, I turn it into $20 and then Jack turns it into $30! How cool is that?!? Inspiration is a powerful thing. There's also power in numbers. Do you know someone who might want to join our team? Please pass this on and tell them that they can join anonymously by posting at the bottom (comments) of this blog.
And thank Jack for Jack-ing up the donation!!!
Haiti needs our help. Please consider a $5 donation.
(Photo courtesy of Damon Winter NYTimes: Quake survivors fight over goods that were taken from a destroyed home supplies store.)
(Photo courtesy of Ricardo Arduengo NYTimes: An injured boy in a hospital bed in Port-au-Prince. Many hospitals were destroyed, and those that were not are swamped.)
(Photo courtesy of Ruth Fremson NYTimes: Soldiers with the 82nd Airborne and members of the Navy loaded helicopters with food and water.)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Haiti Challenge
I admit I haven't done much reading on this disaster in Haiti. I'm just sitting down to write about thoughts that have been going through my mind for 24 hours with no time to process. Yesterday the recurring theme on Twitter was, "Watching scenes from Haiti. Wow. Shocked. Praying for Haiti."
From where I sit on a daily basis I get my news from Twitter. I fire up my iPod Touch and read "tweets" from people who make sense to me. But this post is NOT about Twitter. It's about people's reactions to the world. My Twitter feed has given me a very unique perspective on this event from people who I highly respect. I don't hear from strangers. I hear from very intelligent, thoughtful, and caring people. And their response has been one of awe, compassion and action. And that is what this post is about - action.
My life has changed since Sorin was born. The thought of my son suffering is unbearable. And when I look at cnn.com and nytimes.com and see the photos of Haiti, I see news through a new lens now - awe. I see it through the parent's lens, and I know each person suffering is someone's child. And they need help.
As I said, I haven't done much reading on this. But really, what do you need to know? You need to see pictures and hear a couple stories of what's happening. From the nytimes.com:
Their time is running out. I'm sitting on a laptop computer, sore from a hard day's work, and ready to get some sleep. But their time is running out.
Compassion.
I have no other stories to share. Do you really need one? My purpose is very simple: action. It's too easy to pass up opportunities to help. I've done it so many times in the past. Not this time. I was inspired by Bebo Norman's tweet where he said that he would donate $5 for everyone who repeated his plea (on Twitter) for financial support to Compassion International. My challenge is this:
If you'd like to forward this blog post to someone who may be interested, please copy and paste right after you visit one of the three websites above.
Awe =>> Compassion =>> Action
From where I sit on a daily basis I get my news from Twitter. I fire up my iPod Touch and read "tweets" from people who make sense to me. But this post is NOT about Twitter. It's about people's reactions to the world. My Twitter feed has given me a very unique perspective on this event from people who I highly respect. I don't hear from strangers. I hear from very intelligent, thoughtful, and caring people. And their response has been one of awe, compassion and action. And that is what this post is about - action.
My life has changed since Sorin was born. The thought of my son suffering is unbearable. And when I look at cnn.com and nytimes.com and see the photos of Haiti, I see news through a new lens now - awe. I see it through the parent's lens, and I know each person suffering is someone's child. And they need help.
As I said, I haven't done much reading on this. But really, what do you need to know? You need to see pictures and hear a couple stories of what's happening. From the nytimes.com:
“You can’t do anything about the dead bodies, but inside many of these buildings people may still be alive. And their time is running out.”
--Eduardo A. Fierro, a structural engineer
inspecting quake-damaged buildings
Their time is running out. I'm sitting on a laptop computer, sore from a hard day's work, and ready to get some sleep. But their time is running out.
Compassion.
I have no other stories to share. Do you really need one? My purpose is very simple: action. It's too easy to pass up opportunities to help. I've done it so many times in the past. Not this time. I was inspired by Bebo Norman's tweet where he said that he would donate $5 for everyone who repeated his plea (on Twitter) for financial support to Compassion International. My challenge is this:
- donate $5 or $10 to World Vision, Compassion International, or the Red Cross (texting "disaster" or "Haiti" to 90999 will take it right out of your phone bill)
- write on my Facebook wall that you did this (or comment on this blog post)
- I will match your gift
If you'd like to forward this blog post to someone who may be interested, please copy and paste right after you visit one of the three websites above.
Awe =>> Compassion =>> Action
Friday, January 08, 2010
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:
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.
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.
Friday, December 04, 2009
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
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
What I'm Reading - December 2009
Have you ever had the question posed to you: "If you had one super-power, what would it be?" I had this asked of me numerous times in college and the answer was always the same. I wanted to fly. I mean really, what could be any cooler than that?
But now I'm thinking that the super-power of that super-hero named Book Worm would be pretty cool, too. You know Book Worm, from that one show. Or was it a comic strip? Or am I completely making this up? Anyway, I've given up on my desire to fly. Now I want to be able to read at super-human, yes super-hero speeds. Because my library isn't getting any smaller and my desk is getting cluttered with unfinished books.
It seems most readers that I talk with have the same problem. We just can't finish a book before we start another. Then another. And another. And soon we have four books going. I remember having to do this in college because we had 4-6 classes per semester. But now I should be able to pick up one or two books and have them finished before I start another, right?
Needless to say I'm not reading fast enough and my attention-deficit disorder is getting the best of me. So here's what I'm reading right now:
So what are you reading?
But now I'm thinking that the super-power of that super-hero named Book Worm would be pretty cool, too. You know Book Worm, from that one show. Or was it a comic strip? Or am I completely making this up? Anyway, I've given up on my desire to fly. Now I want to be able to read at super-human, yes super-hero speeds. Because my library isn't getting any smaller and my desk is getting cluttered with unfinished books.
It seems most readers that I talk with have the same problem. We just can't finish a book before we start another. Then another. And another. And soon we have four books going. I remember having to do this in college because we had 4-6 classes per semester. But now I should be able to pick up one or two books and have them finished before I start another, right?
Needless to say I'm not reading fast enough and my attention-deficit disorder is getting the best of me. So here's what I'm reading right now:
- ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription
- ACSM's Resource Manual
- How People Grow (Cloud/Townsend)
- Boundaries for Kids (Cloud/Townsend)
- Principle of the Path (Andy Stanley)
So what are you reading?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Goal Setting
If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time. ~Author Unknown
How true is this? Have you recently analyzed your goals in life? Could you list your top three priorities on a sheet of paper? How are you spending your time?
Goal setting is an exercise that requires our daily and weekly attention. I am very easily distracted, and I'm not alone. In today's age of technology there are so many things that battle for our time, and they often win... unless we have a set of goals in place. These goals need to address what's important in our lives and no one can create them but ourselves. We must internalize them and make them our own.
One of my biggest challenges in helping clients become more fit and lose weight is to help them understand the importance of goal setting. "I want to lose weight" This is a bad goal. "I want to be healthier." This is also a bad goal. Why are these bad goals? Because they don't give me enough information. They're not SMART goals:
Specific (what do you want to happen; why; how)
Measurable (how will you know when you've accomplished your goal?)
Attainable (are you in over your head or is your goal within reach?)
Relevant (is it your goal or someone else's; how does it fit in your life?)
Timely (to be completed next week, next month or next year?)
This is a criterion I learned while studying physical education in college. While it first seemed a little over the top, I now realize how essential these five components are to proper goal setting. So without a goal we will never accomplish what's important to us. The world distracts us so we need to focus. And when we establish a goal, it needs to have the five SMART components.
Challenge:
- write one short-term goal to be completed this week
- write one long-term goal to be completed within one month
Friday, November 20, 2009
Only Do What Only You Can Do
One of my favorite pastors is Andy Stanley from North Point Church. Andy is the son of Charles Stanley, who my mom grew up listening to. So it's kind of fun to see how the next generation takes after the first, both in preaching and in listening. Andy probably delivers the clearest message I've ever heard. He's very compelling and I tune in weekly to his leadership podcasts.
Years ago I was going through a book with college ministry leaders by Andy called Next Generation Leader. One chapter was called Only Do What Only You Can Do. The description went like this: the less you do the more you accomplish. I got the idea but I struggled to put it into practice.
I was leading a team of students that put on our weekly meetings for the Link, the college-aged ministry of Blackhawk. I knew that it was my job to get my team to do more work. The more they took ownership the better our team was performing. It was their job to get the equipment to the venue, get the equipment set-up, put together the script for the night, and make sure all the media components were cued up. But after that there was nowhere to go. That was the final product. It worked, it was good, but there was nothing left for me to do. There was very little that only I could do. So Andy's principle didn't fully sink in.
Fast forward to Summer 2009. I'm working at H&H Arborists as the lead worker on a crew of three. Bill, the owner is busy all summer doing sales while the crew is out doing everything from pruning to removing trees. It's a young crew - with eight years of experience I'm the veteran.
My job is to figure out how to complete each job efficiently and safely. As the only man on the job with real experience, this can only happen so fast. Thankfully Bill is very willing to take precious time on the job site to train the guys on many days where the job requirements are appropriate. (I say this because many other tree companies don't value or practice intentional training like H&H.) So now my job is to balance training with being a productive crew.
After a few weeks I've developed the guys' skills. They can do light pruning, mostly from the ground. Soon one of the guys is comfortable in the tree so the crew is getting better. And this is where Andy's principle really started to sink in for me. Now the crew is to the point where they can function in certain situations and I'm tempted to work along side them but I can't. There's other work that only I can do. Sometimes work gets done fast when everyone works on something together. There's accountability and there's encouragment when you're side-by-side. But if I'm doing something that they could be doing, there's something I'm not doing that they couldn't do. This isn't always the case, but I'm challenged daily to evaluate how to get the work done most efficiently.
Only do what only you can do. It's become a simple principle to understand but an important one to practice. Businesses move forward when they're efficient and this is one step to that end.
If you're in a leadership position, are you doing thing other team members could be doing?
Years ago I was going through a book with college ministry leaders by Andy called Next Generation Leader. One chapter was called Only Do What Only You Can Do. The description went like this: the less you do the more you accomplish. I got the idea but I struggled to put it into practice.
I was leading a team of students that put on our weekly meetings for the Link, the college-aged ministry of Blackhawk. I knew that it was my job to get my team to do more work. The more they took ownership the better our team was performing. It was their job to get the equipment to the venue, get the equipment set-up, put together the script for the night, and make sure all the media components were cued up. But after that there was nowhere to go. That was the final product. It worked, it was good, but there was nothing left for me to do. There was very little that only I could do. So Andy's principle didn't fully sink in.
Fast forward to Summer 2009. I'm working at H&H Arborists as the lead worker on a crew of three. Bill, the owner is busy all summer doing sales while the crew is out doing everything from pruning to removing trees. It's a young crew - with eight years of experience I'm the veteran.
My job is to figure out how to complete each job efficiently and safely. As the only man on the job with real experience, this can only happen so fast. Thankfully Bill is very willing to take precious time on the job site to train the guys on many days where the job requirements are appropriate. (I say this because many other tree companies don't value or practice intentional training like H&H.) So now my job is to balance training with being a productive crew.
After a few weeks I've developed the guys' skills. They can do light pruning, mostly from the ground. Soon one of the guys is comfortable in the tree so the crew is getting better. And this is where Andy's principle really started to sink in for me. Now the crew is to the point where they can function in certain situations and I'm tempted to work along side them but I can't. There's other work that only I can do. Sometimes work gets done fast when everyone works on something together. There's accountability and there's encouragment when you're side-by-side. But if I'm doing something that they could be doing, there's something I'm not doing that they couldn't do. This isn't always the case, but I'm challenged daily to evaluate how to get the work done most efficiently.
Only do what only you can do. It's become a simple principle to understand but an important one to practice. Businesses move forward when they're efficient and this is one step to that end.
If you're in a leadership position, are you doing thing other team members could be doing?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
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.
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?
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
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?
Monday, October 26, 2009
On Encouragement
Last week I went to see a movie by myself. Katie had Bible study, but she probably wouldn't have been interested in this one anyway. The documentary was called "Race Across the Sky." It's the story about the Leadville Trail 100, a mountain bike race in Colorado that has grown from a cult following to national prominence after the release of this movie.
The Leadville Trail 100 is a grueling race that competitors have 12 hours to complete. It starts around 10,200 feet and peaks somewhere above 12,000. Twists and turns, climbs and drops, pavement and mud are all part of the race. Some of the climbs seem like they can't be any steeper. At one point in the movie there's a row of 30 bikers all walking uphill single-file because the rain had caused so much mud that the athletes couldn't get any traction.
But on another portion of the course I saw other athletes struggling. The section is called Powerline because the trail runs directly under a set of powerlines that are streaking down a mountain's side. The trail is bordered by rows of pine trees. And this isn't a nice smooth trail. It has pits, boulders, bumps and gravel scattered everywhere. Some of the leaders were walking up it earlier. But at this moment the film was showing some locals who've adopted this section of the course as their own. They've decided to help these bikers up the Powerline if they want to stay on their bikes. What they do is as the biker approaches, they ask if they want a push. Some decline, but many welcome the assistance. So the next shot is a man coming along side a biker and pushing him at the hips as they climb the Powerline together.
Don't we all need that push sometimes? Aren't there times in life when things are either dull and complacent or frustrating and difficult, and an extra set of hands would really help us get up Powerline?
My biggest challenge right now is finding a job teaching or in the health and fitness industry. We all know about the difficult economy. Few companies are hiring. Those that are have hundreds of applicants to sort through. I've been at this seach for quite some time. I really enjoy what I do and Katie and I have been making it work. But it's not a career for me. I've been searching extremely hard advance myself and it's been a tough road.
But today I talked to someone close to my situation who had words of encouragment. He noted Psalm 45:1 that talks about pursuing a "noble cause." He said that he's noticed how I have pursued a good career in which I will be very successful. I've continued to study and grow as a leader and a learner. I've read books and written reflectively about what it means to develop as a man. He spoke into my life words of encouragement that were perfectly crafted. They weren't sappy and they weren't over-reaching. They gave me that push up Powerline that felt like a fresh pair of legs after miles of struggle. He gave me that push up Powerline...
Encouragement is very powerful. And it usually costs you nothing. You can offer words, thoughts, your hand, your heart. It costs you nothing. But you'll gain a sense of worth as you assist someone else up the hill they're climbing.
The Leadville Trail 100 is a grueling race that competitors have 12 hours to complete. It starts around 10,200 feet and peaks somewhere above 12,000. Twists and turns, climbs and drops, pavement and mud are all part of the race. Some of the climbs seem like they can't be any steeper. At one point in the movie there's a row of 30 bikers all walking uphill single-file because the rain had caused so much mud that the athletes couldn't get any traction.
But on another portion of the course I saw other athletes struggling. The section is called Powerline because the trail runs directly under a set of powerlines that are streaking down a mountain's side. The trail is bordered by rows of pine trees. And this isn't a nice smooth trail. It has pits, boulders, bumps and gravel scattered everywhere. Some of the leaders were walking up it earlier. But at this moment the film was showing some locals who've adopted this section of the course as their own. They've decided to help these bikers up the Powerline if they want to stay on their bikes. What they do is as the biker approaches, they ask if they want a push. Some decline, but many welcome the assistance. So the next shot is a man coming along side a biker and pushing him at the hips as they climb the Powerline together.
Don't we all need that push sometimes? Aren't there times in life when things are either dull and complacent or frustrating and difficult, and an extra set of hands would really help us get up Powerline?
My biggest challenge right now is finding a job teaching or in the health and fitness industry. We all know about the difficult economy. Few companies are hiring. Those that are have hundreds of applicants to sort through. I've been at this seach for quite some time. I really enjoy what I do and Katie and I have been making it work. But it's not a career for me. I've been searching extremely hard advance myself and it's been a tough road.
But today I talked to someone close to my situation who had words of encouragment. He noted Psalm 45:1 that talks about pursuing a "noble cause." He said that he's noticed how I have pursued a good career in which I will be very successful. I've continued to study and grow as a leader and a learner. I've read books and written reflectively about what it means to develop as a man. He spoke into my life words of encouragement that were perfectly crafted. They weren't sappy and they weren't over-reaching. They gave me that push up Powerline that felt like a fresh pair of legs after miles of struggle. He gave me that push up Powerline...
Encouragement is very powerful. And it usually costs you nothing. You can offer words, thoughts, your hand, your heart. It costs you nothing. But you'll gain a sense of worth as you assist someone else up the hill they're climbing.
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