Blog
H – Heighten Hunger
Some years ago, I attended a high-performance coach summit for ski racing. A presentation began with a short video of synchronized swimmers performing at an Olympic Games. It was met with a few giggles. The giggles soon dissipated as the skill of the swimmers soaked into the skulls of the watching coaches. Many athletic abilities were being showcased under intense and stressful conditions. These athletes had to be capable of holding their breath for well over a minute while moving
Keeping Things Clean
In 1982 an essay was written by two professors that introduced the idea of the “Broken Windows Theory.” In its essence, the idea is that where we hold the line with respect to order in a community, crime is less. The other side of this coin is that crime flourishes where we let standards slip. When buildings are left vacant, graffiti and vandalism spreads. Where graffiti is allowed, the derelicts of society shuffle on over. Broken windows, garbage, and graffiti
G – Grind Gives Grit
The 2006 movie, Open Season, introduced us to Boog. Boog is a bear raised in the comforts of a human home by a Park Warden since he was a cub. He knows no other way of living. Boog inadvertently meets Elliott, a clumsy and chaotic deer. Their adventures lead Boog to being reluctantly relegated to the wild. Boog’s struggles with living in the environment for which he was born becomes the basis of the movie. In one scene, Boog is
The Tyranny of Or
Back in University, four friends and I took time for an Easter weekend road trip to Banff. We looked forward to meeting up and blowing off some steam after our respective Winter semesters were winding down. We also planned to enjoy some spring skiing for a couple of days. We met up at our hotel and headed out for a night on the town. We had enjoyed many similar excursions over the years and were prepared to adventure for a
F – Face Feedback
Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson have written that “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” To improve, we need guidance as to how we’re doing. We need to face the cold, hard facts of reality. We need to embrace the unvarnished truth. Feedback from those that care about us and know the subject in which we’re seeking to improve can be incredibly valuable. Unfortunately, it’s something that we’re not good at receiving. Instead, we’re doing our best to flee feedback. In
Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish – Book Review
Shane Parrish founder of the popular blog site Farnam Street has authored a book about decision making called Clear Thinking. Parrish has spent much of his working life seeking to answers to questions like, “How can we get better at reasoning? Why do people make bad decisions? Why do some people consistently get better results than others who have the same information? How can I be right more often, and decrease the probability of a bad outcome when lives are
E – Embrace Effort
We are what we do. Our effort speaks more about our true character than anything else we have or claim to have. Most importantly, what does your effort look like when the stakes are low? It has been said that the way you do the little things is the way you’ll do anything. The French poet Jean De La Fontaine over four hundred years ago gave us the quote, “By the work one knows the workmen.” A hundred years ago,
Parrots & Practitioners
I was listening to a podcast recently where a guest talked about a fascinating video he had seen on Facebook. The video was about an ant and a pen. The host of the video showed his audience a piece of paper on a table upon which he placed an ant. When the ant hit the paper, the ant started walking. The host drew a circle around the ant. The ant, then, walked up to the edge of the freshly drawn
D – Delight in Discipline
Self-discipline is a hallmark of the healthy, wealthy, and wise. Discipline is a tool that successful people possess and develop. Being able to take actions in the moment that may be counter to our urges or less than pleasurable yet beneficial to our longer-term pursuits is what self-discipline is about. It reflects being able to keep our eyes on the prize. Discipline is about making the right choice. The one that may be seen as hard and not easy. It’s
The Go Giver – Book Review
The Go Giver is a business parable that offers a lively read written by Bob Burg and John David Mann. In The Go Giver, the reader rides along with Joe, a high charging ambitious account executive, as Joe is introduced to “The Secret”, a simple, yet powerful framework that focuses Joe to change his outlook and approach to work resulting in dramatic constructive changes. Joe learns that “The Secret” can be summed up in a single word, “giving”. His mentor
