Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Sleep

There will always be "one more thing" you need to do. Your "to do" list is never ending, and it will probably always be never ending. Instead of staying up late to work on "one more thing," here's a suggestion: go to sleep. Whatever it is you are considering doing will still be there tomorrow, and you'll feel so much better in the morning if you go to bed now.

Try it for yourself.

Monday, September 19, 2022

Quotable Quotes: Jim Rohn

I ran across this quote by Jim Rohn and really like it:

“If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.”

It seems to explain a lot of behavior.

Sunday, September 18, 2022

Memory or paper?

Here is a question to ponder: is it better to write notes down on paper so you can refer back to them, or is it better to rely on your memory? Is memory a muscle that improves with practice (i.e. no notes) or something else?

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Favorite Things: matcha latte

I first discovered matcha lattes at Cafe Brio (an upcoming favorite thing) because I wanted to branch out from my first favorite drink - ginger chai latte (so delicious, but with a risky, i.e. unknown, number of carbs.)

At first, I did not like the taste at all. However, over time, it became my new favorite drink. Also, if you get it unsweetened (I get it lightly sweetened), then the only carbs are from the milk. Because I can't always get to Cafe Brio, and it does get expensive, I have been trying different matcha companies. So far I like Jade Leaf Match, and it tastes very similar to Cafe Brio's drink. I don't have any fancy equipment, so only the iced matcha latte resembles theirs. My version of the hot matcha latte is quite poor compared to theirs!

Friday, September 16, 2022

Self coaching

This week was challenging in terms of self-coaching because I let the whirlwind (i.e. the activities of daily life) go unchecked. For example, on Wednesday, I wrote out "Today's Top Three" on a cute Post-It note specifically made for this purpose. Nope, nada, I didn't even start any of the top 3. I will try again next week.

Be kind to yourself. Each day is a new day to try again.

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Why We Are Restless, part 2

Follow up on the book Why We Are Restless: bottom line, I finished the book, but I didn't get it (yet, ha ha). I think I need the Cliff Notes version or something. I think I thought the book would explain more about "The Art of Choosing" because that was the title of their New York Times opinion article. That was a long painful journey to discover the book really only talked about why we are restless (and I did not understand enough of it to be able to succinctly summarize it ... yet.)

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

What's the right thing?

Leadership is doing the right thing. 

Have you ever wondered how people learn what is the right thing. Because if we have different values, maybe your right thing is not my right thing.

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

I first saw this video about a "fixed vs. growth mindset" at Back to School night a LONG time ago. The principal played it for us parents, and although I'd heard the terms before, the video hit home. A growth mindset - praising a child for "trying hard" not a fixed mindset - praising a child for "being smart" was more beneficial in the long run for children and adults as well. I love adding the word "yet" to many sentences.

Monday, September 12, 2022

Quotable Quotes: Laura Liswood

I first heard this quote by Laura Liswood in Adam Grant's audiobook "Power Moves":

"You can't be what you can't see."

When I heard this quote, I really liked it. Seeing people like you doing things you've never thought you could do opens your ideas of possibilities.

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Jumping In

My goal for this blog is to post every day. Sometimes things get in the way, as evidenced by the various posting gaps, and I'm okay with that. I'm jumping in vs. waiting until things are "perfect." 

Guess what: things will never be perfect. Start where you are.

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Favorite Things: Paper Mate Write Bros. ballpoint pen

I like to write and I like to write with nice pens. Sometimes my nice pens disappear. Now I have found another entry in the inexpensive nice pen category - the Paper Mate Write Bros. ballpoint pen at ~25 cents each!



Friday, September 9, 2022

Your LinkedIn profile in 5 years

Last week, I wrote a blog post about writing a letter to yourself dated one year in the future. Another exercise I've done is write my LinkedIn profile 10 years in the future (you could try 1, 3, 5+ years, whatever feels right for you.) It's another way to envision what I want to say I have accomplished with my time.

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Why We Are Restless

Last week, I posted about the book Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment and I am really struggling with it. The book talks about the ideas of philosophers like Montaigne, Rousseau, Pascal, Voltaire, and I am trying to keep up, but it is very difficult to focus on serious ideas when I am driving. I am determined to finish the book so I can understand the authors' thesis of "why we are restless" and maybe integrate the ideas with my work.

Side follow up to Tuesday's post about doing the next step: when I started my car this morning, the "check tire gauge" light came on. Instead of driving around for days like I usually do, I took it to the mechanic right away! It turned out to be a slow leak at the valve and they replaced it. What did I learn? When I'm intentional, I can make changes!

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

How to grow as a leader

Leadership is learning to be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. That's easier said than done. When you're uncomfortable, where do you feel it? For me, uncomfortable is when I'm about to do something new and/or big, and I get nervous. I feel my heart race and my stomach hurts. Then I have to remind myself that I've prepared (if that's true), and I need to stop thinking (usually in circles) and just do it. Ha. That's just like yesterday's post about just doing the next step! Funny how these ideas circle around.

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Just do the next step

My iPhone 8 camera has been broken for a long time. The camera takes wavy pictures like the ocean. I have cleaned the lens, and it didn't get better. Sometimes, instead of wavy pictures, I get shaky pictures.

Today is the first day of school and I had to take "first day" pictures with another phone. That was embarrassing. Also, I have missed out on how many months of pictures because of this problem? So I made an online appointment at the Apple Store and guess what, for $59 + tax, they replaced the camera with a new camera. Voila. Too simple.

Instead of kicking myself that I should have taken care of this sooner, I am going to congratulate myself on making the appointment and taking care of this today. And hopefully next time I'll remember to "just do the next step."

Monday, September 5, 2022

Quotable Quotes: Eleanor Roosevelt

I ran across this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: "Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't."

Sounds about right.

Sunday, September 4, 2022

Start Where You Are, part 3

I had to put this blog on the back burner for a while, and that's okay. I jumped back in without knowing exactly what I was going to write about, and I'll figure it out as I go. I'll refer myself back to my first blog post of 2022 and remind myself it's okay to "start where you are."

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Favorite Things: more chocolate

This is like a reverse grasshopper and ant story: I planned for the hot summer months when chocolate would be difficult to ship, and now my cupboards are empty! I am now counting the days for when mail order chocolate will be safe from melting. I am very much looking forward to trying Barometer Chocolate's new finds. I have come to the independent discovery that any chocolate from the Ucayali River (Peru) is phenomenal and a must try. There are the versions from Letterpress Chocolate, Odyssey Chocolate (alas, sold out!) and Fruition (no link, and also sold out!) Also, a new favorite brand is Castronovo Chocolate - and is peanut / tree nut friendly (a big thank you!)

Friday, September 2, 2022

Goals are not so easy

I have come to the conclusion that achieving your goals is not so easy. That might sound strange coming from someone who is re-tooling to be a youth life coach.

What I mean is you have to be super intentional about your goals. Otherwise, the interruptions of daily life become the rhythm of your weeks, months and then your entire year.

One thing I like to do (often at the beginning of the new year) is write a letter to myself dated one year in the future. If I were to write this letter today, I'd date the letter September 2, 2023. In the letter, I'm writing as if it were September 2, 2023 and I reflect upon all the things that happened over the last year, which of course, haven't happened yet. I've noticed that when I set intentions about what I'd like to say I've done, a lot of those things actually became a reality.

I'm curious about why that is, especially as the letter is put away and not a daily reminder. My theory is once I've identified what I want to achieve, I'm using those goals as a lens that helps me choose how I spend my time. That's what I mean about being intentional.

Try it for yourself. See if it's useful. Might help, can't hurt.

Thursday, September 1, 2022

(Audio) books

I realize that I read (i.e. listen to audio) books more when I drive more. I was "reading" a lot earlier this year, and then when I wasn't driving as much, my reading levels went kaput. On the bright side, the first step in making a change is recognizing there's a problem.

So next I'm going to "read" Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment by Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey because I liked their recent opinion article in the New York Times, "The Art of Choosing What to do with Your Life." I'm very interested in this idea of what it means to live a good life so I am interested to read their book. I think the answer is different for each of us, and it's also different in each phase of our lives.

P.S. It's a nice coincidence that my last blog entry before the break was on Longevity, which is closely related to today's post.