The Power of Words
Starting Each Day With A Little Thinking...Blog Challenge Day 22
So after yesterday’s “rest day” we start Act 3 of the blog challenge today with the following:
If you chose to live anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?
They say your first answer/thought is normally the right one, so I’ll go with Denver. However, the purpose of Natalie’s prompts is not to get an answer; but rather, to learn something about yourself that will help you to get to a better place. So why Denver:
- It’s got great weather that allows you to be active outside the entire year round. The three years we spent there were some of the most enjoyable of my life.
So the key take away for me is that being able to be active outside is high on my list of priorities. Why don’t I live in Denver? Well, the first — and no longer relevant — reason is because of my job. I’ve always moved according to the job and that’s landed me in Chicago for the time being. However, going forward that’s not nearly as large of a constraint. The second is because of my daughter. She’s just starting her sophomore year in HS. It’s important to us that we stay put for the next three years so she can get the most out of this important time. Third is family. Both our parents are about three hours south of Chicago. Denver would be more like 16. For the time being, having them a bit closer is a high priority.
But… There’s a big take away for me today: I need to make sure that wherever I live I spend time being active outdoors. I’m happier and more productive when I do so.
If you want some more information on the challenge, check out the post on day twenty-two at:
http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/blogchallenge/blog-challenge-day22
Beginner
This past weekend I had the opportunity to try something totally new for the first time — fly fishing. While I’ve fished ever since I can remember, I’ve never been fly fishing / had only had a fly rod in my hand for a total of ten minutes prior to the weekend. To set the stage a little further, I’ve done A LOT of fishing. As in I’ve probably come close to the 10,000 hour rule. So you’d think that it would come pretty easy….
It didn’t. While many of the skills that I have learned over my years on the water were transferrable, the actual act of casting with the rod was entirely new. For the first time in ages I had the opportunity to step in to the role of a true “beginner”. It’s a very frustrating place to be! For every successful cast there were 10, or 20, or 30 that were unsuccessful. But not failures. Each one brought a little improvement. Each one taught a new lesson. Each one reminded me that it takes a lot of hard work and concentration to master a new task. Each one reminded me that being a beginner is simultaneously exciting, rewarding, and frustrating.
From 9-5 each day we are normally in a role where we are at the other end of the continuum from a beginner. We often step through tasks mindlessly with no appreciate for their difficulty, our ability, and the value we can provide. We don’t open our eyes and minds the way a beginner does. We don’t take the time to experiment, fail, get up, and do it again and again. And that’s a shame as the beginner learns, grows, and lives so much more fully.
With that in mind:
How would your day be different if you looked at it through the eyes of a beginner?
As always, thanks for the time.
(BTW — If you like what you’ve read, sign up for my sign up for my mailing list. I promise that I won’t sell your data, spam you, or offer you some pill to cure all your ills. What I will do is share more valuable content as I develop it.)
Special thanks to Dave Kempka for graciously offering to introduce me to fly fishing and having the patience to help me learn, grow, and live more fully!
Blog Challenge Day 20
Today Natalie asks us to identify the top tools we will use to make our life online easier:
State your top three tools that you will use (or already use) to save time and money and make your online world more seamless
There’s a ton of options here. However, after a bit of thought here’s my top three:
- First has got to be BlueHost + WordPress + Elegant themes for my blogging. I’ve been using BlueHost since 1998 and I started using WordPress + Elegant Themes last year. These three tools provide me with a great environment to publish content.
- Second has got to be EverNote. Thus far I’ve only tapped the surface of this tool. As I become more involved organizing information for easy access will be critical
- Third has got to be a CRM which is yet to be decided. While content is king, the network has got to be queen! And keeping track of everyone will be critical to success.
So there you go! 2/3 of the way home on the challenge!
If you want some more information on the challenge, check out the post on day twenty at:
http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/blogchallenge/blog-challenge-day20
Blog Challenge Day 19
Today Natalie challenges us to consider
- Which methods do you want to use to build your platform and increase your influence?
One of my biggest faults is that I have a tendency to overcomplicate things. I’m going to avoid that malady on this topic — I’m going to build influence by delivering great content and interacting with folks in my space. Nothing complicated here — just a focus on execution of the basics!
If you want some more information on the challenge, check out the post on day nineteen at:
http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/blogchallenge/blog-challenge-day19
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