My workout this morning was a hike up Grandad Bluff with my loaded backpack on. Last Tuesday I did the same and I was amazed at how relaxed I was from the bonus outside time on a weekday. Why not try it again, right?

Just like last Tuesday I was greeted by a couple of furry friends when I got out of the car. They were in the same yard as before and less than eight feet away from me as I walked by with my pack.

As I wound my way up the bluff I left the red light of my headlamp on so I could keep better night vision. While it wasn’t quite bright enough to catch the eye shine of other deer up the bluff I could tell they were there. A rustle of leaves, the pause of movement, and the feel of eyes on me.

On my way back down I heard a noise seemingly only a small handful of feet away. There was a crashing of brush traveling up the hillside. By the time I’d flicked my headlamp’s bright spot light the four deer had already moved to about 15 yards away. When I panned the area with my light all eight eyes were locked right in on me. I chuckled to myself, switched back to the red light and started back down the hill. Yes, I may have even talked to the deer for a little bit 😉

I went to the bluff for exercise and relaxation. My kinda hiking buddies made it all the more memorable and helped it feel like I was further off the beaten path than I really was. Thanks deer!

Thanks!!!

Earlier today I had an excellent conversation with a mentor talking about how to maximize our teams’ effectiveness. While business is very strong we’re seeing room for improvement in a couple of spots. What’s interesting is that we are at a point in which we can either continue doing what we have, add to what we’re already doing, or pivot in a different direction. The long term answer is to do both, but quite often the addition of something else means that neither are done as well as one would hope. If I was going to hedge my bets on one, which would I choose?

In this unique situation there is a definite pull in one direction due to inertia. It is the way we’ve always gone, a direction we know well, and something we’re very proficient at. This solution has a strong gravity which pulls us towards it.

The other situation is a bit counterintuitive. Pulling it off requires much effort to break free from the gravitational pull of the traditional idea. It is very much an unknown in some ways and it doesn’t quite feel right as I can’t help but be distracted by the normal solution.

So which to choose?

If I would sprint to an answer I’d go with the normal one. The other is intriguing but doesn’t seem as if it would have as much of an impact.

One of the words of advice from my mentor was to pause and focus on which action moves the dial the most. Which strategy has the ability to make the biggest impact? Over the past week I’ve taken time to analyze the situation and our results and test each solution in a vacuum using our past results. After taking time to pause the whirlwind around me to think I’ve found what appears to be the correct answer. If I am correct, the counterintuitive answer will be over 50% easier to accomplish to yield the same results. It doesn’t quite seem right on the surface but after mapping it all out that is the best leverage point of the two.

Today I’m thankful for taking time to find the point of leverage. Had I rushed into an answer I would have made the wrong call. By pausing to think, research, and analyze we’re able to more quickly head in the right direction.

Thanks!

My brain is heading in about four different directions at once as I focus in on what I am most grateful for today. I’m grateful for a bonus hike with Mom and my family. I’m grateful for an insightful Easter homily. I’m grateful for the story behind Easter. I’m grateful for the joy of aiding the Easter Bunny in hiding eggs and baskets. I’m grateful for creating space to get things done. I’m grateful for keeping my composure when I spill the majority of the marinade for our grilled salad on the grill and deck. I’m grateful for the lists I’ve got growing – dream lists, backpacking checklists, goals for this year, task lists, and so on… I’m grateful for the amazing April weather and the sun. I’m grateful for a safe ride home. I’m grateful for a quiet grocery store. I’m grateful for the moments of unexpected willpower. I’m grateful for trying new things. I’m grateful for random texts from friends. I’m grateful for seeing how quickly the children of friends are growing up. I’m grateful for memories of awesome vacations. I’m grateful for taking time to plan for the week ahead. I’m grateful for going to bed before 9pm. I’m grateful for all of these things and so much more.

So where do I focus today? What I am most grateful for today is the way all of the parts above fit into my day. It’s been wild, busy, fast paced, and full of fun. I’m thankful for having a plan, having goals, having dreams, and staying focused on those dreams. By knowing where I want to go I am better able to live my life into those dreams. I’m grateful for the ongoing focus on what I value most and doing my best to keep pointed in those directions as much as possible. It would have been very easy to just drift today. To sit back, let life happen, take a load off, and chill. Pull up my phone, stare at it without purpose, and be unaware of how quickly time was slipping away behind me. Instead I lived into what was important to me.

Knowing that I have an awesome dream supporter there with me side by side and helping me to live into even bigger dreams than I could have imagined without her makes it even more worthwhile. I’m grateful for the way Becky helps and encourages me to grow into the best version of me I can be.

Boil it all down and it is pretty clear to see… I’m grateful for an ongoing focus on living into my dreams and for the way Becky encourages me to live into even greater dreams.

Thanks!!!

Wow! What a perfect day of weather? The sun was out, the temperature was perfect, there was a cool breeze in the air. I think if was forced to have one specific day of weather for the rest of my life I’d be pretty ecstatic if this was the weather I had. Perfect for being outside, cool enough to not be overly hot and just hot enough to not be cold.

The plan for the middle of the day was a a perfect way to enjoy the excellent weather. Mom, Becky, the boys, & I all loaded up and drove to Interstate Park for some hiking. For a couple of hours we hiked and enjoyed some beautiful scenery. The rock formations were jaggedly awesome and reminded me of an amalgamation of so many different places we’ve been – from Devil’s Lake to Australia. We hiked up and down some of the rocks, around a lake, and amongst some cool looking natural potholes. What a beautiful park!

Even better than all of that was bonus time with Mom and my family. Sharing old memories, sharing an appreciation for the outdoors, and getting some outside time together. How perfect is that? To have it happen on such a wonderful early April day made it all the better.

The day isn’t even close to over and it’s been an awesome one.

Thanks!!!

I love the drive up to Mom’s. Much of the drive follows the Mississippi River Valley and provides some spectacular views of the Driftless area.

Most of the time I’m driving. My eyes definitely wander off the road and I get to see some of the views, but most of my focus stays straight ahead. When Becky drives I’m usually focused on something else – like typing a blog.

Today has been a very pleasant change! I’ve got a chauffeur – and it’s not Becky. She’s sitting behind me reading a paper for work. I’m chilling in the passenger seat taking on the views, jotting down my backpacking list, and typing this blog. Having the opportunity to spend much of my time sightseeing has been awesome! There have been more than a few things that I had not really noticed in the past. It’s kind of like getting a tour of the area.

This dude is driving us the entire two plus hours!

Having Dominic drive today has been pretty sweet! Sure, there’s been a little added stress of a different flavor, but it’s well worth not driving. I might get used to this more quickly than I’d expected.

Thanks!!!

Dominic’s soccer game tonight started at 5:45. Becky and I drove over separately as I wanted to watch some of the varsity game before Dominic’s JV match. When I got to the field I quickly realized that the seating that parents usually sit in for soccer games was in the shade. The temperature outside was a little chilly, so much that I was wearing a winter jacket. Sitting in the shade was even more cool. When I looked across the soccer pitch I saw the other bleachers on the other side. They were shining bright in the sun. I gazed longingly at them and kept thinking about how lucky they were to be in the sun. For a second I wished I was sitting on that side soaking in the rays, but I knew I should probably stay on the proper side. I huddles back into my jacket and watched the game.

When Becky got to the game she sat down beside me. In less than five minutes she said, “why are we sitting over here when the sun is over there? Let’s sit over there instead.” And off we went! By the time we got to the other side of the field I would’ve swore it was 10-15 degrees warmer! Sitting directly in the sun felt exquisite and I just sat there basking in it and not caring about anything in the world. Throughout the entire game I’d occasionally see the rest of the crowd in the shadows of the soccer field while we sat in the borderline hot sunlight. It was wild!

Tonight I’m thankful for Becky’s ability to see an opportunity that my brain saw but blocked out quickly. She took action and I’m glad she did! The game was so much more pleasant to watch while sitting in the sunlight. It reminded me of the scene in Men In Black when Will Smith’s character makes himself comfortable in the intentionally uncomfortable testing room. She didn’t see obstacles, she saw an opportunity. What an awesome reminder for me to remember for later.

Thanks!!!

There is so much I would like to accomplish. I mean this on an annual, weekly, daily, and hourly basis. There are so many things I’d like to focus on. So many things I would like to create. So many tasks that beg for attention. No matter how hard I work I would never be able to complete all of them. Whoever said there are infinitely more good ideas than there is time to execute them was 100% spot on.

Something I have been focusing on this year is keeping my focus on the essential. This sounds so simple in theory and is painfully difficult in practice. There are so many levels of challenges to follow through on this. First I have to identify what is the most essential. Often this is the first place I’ll get myself in trouble. If I don’t take the time and energy to determine what is most important first it is over before it started. Then there’s the hurdle of having to say no to the good to have time to say yes to the essential. Sticking to the plan instead of making exception after exception is critical. Finally, there has to be 100% focus in the right direction followed by a shift into the next essential task.

Focus on the essential? So easy to say, so difficult to do. Today I’m grateful for the opportunity to be tested on this. I was mostly successful today. The places in which I stumbled were excellent opportunities to learn.

Tonight I had the opportunity to coach one of the boys on something which could be a huge life skill for them if they choose to work on it. I struggle as it sometimes would be so easy to helicopter parent in some moments. I know that is not the right thing to do and I need to coach them on how to work through difficult things instead of just fixing them myself for them. With that in mind it was difficult to focus on helping them see how they could move towards a resolution on their own instead of just trying to fix it. What’s funny is that while I so badly wanted to fix it for them I was also reminded of so many wonderful life lessons my parents helped me to learn on my own as well. I’m grateful for the life lessons they are getting at relatively early ages, even when it pushes me out of my comfort zone a bit as a dad.

Thanks!!!

4am never felt so good!

Today I hopped out of bed at the ripe hour four in the morning to start my day. After spending time researching our backpacking plans for the summer last night my mind was racing. I’d pulled the maps of the routes to see the elevation gains for each day. Nothing too crazy, but there are a couple of thousand foot days. We’ve also got a couple of mountain hikes with over 4,500’ but at least those won’t be with fifty pounds on my back. Regardless, I was pretty amped up before I went to bed last night. Instead of hopping on my bike or sleeping in I had a different idea. Before laying down I grabbed my pack, loaded it up, and left it out.

When the alarm went off this morning I got dressed and headed out to Granddad Bluff. In the dark I shouldered my pack and knocked out a wonderful quiet and serene hike. My morning started with an hour and a half of mental stillness while walking in the pseudo-woods. Not too shabby of a way to start the day!

Dominic’s first soccer game of the season was tonight and it felt great to get another step closer to normal-ish life. I thoroughly enjoy watching all of the activities the boys are passionate about, but soccer holds some weird sweet spot in my heart. I’m grateful for the opportunity to watch anywhere from 3-6 soccer games a week for the next month or so!

Right before Becky and I left for Sparta to watch the game I ran out and grabbed the mail. In the mailbox was quite possibly the most awesome catalog I’ve ever seen in my entire life…

Get this… It is a catalog of nothing but vacation and travel!!! While I drove Becky was reading off some of the crazy adventures we could sign up for. Some of them were interesting and ones we’d already done on our own or planned on doing after we retire. Others brought back past ideas and dreams of places we want to go. Still more led to some pretty spectacular new dreams – fly around the world in a private jet in 24 days stopping in incredible places like Easter Island, Samoa, Great Barrier Reef, Serengeti, and Petra. Are you kidding me??? That knocks out several of my dreams all at once! Talk about the greatest catalog of all time. Period.

Thanks!!!

There are certain questions one should always ask. Often times they are so simple by their very nature that they only receive a cursory thought and are then passed over. Sometimes the question is so simple that it seems as if the quick and simple answer is best. Though half of that is correct the other part couldn’t be further from the truth. When helping someone else it is so easy to ask the question, yet when I am asked the question it is so easy to dismiss it.

What is the the purpose of this action? Why is this important to you? If you could distill the thought into one sentence what would it be? Why?

Such simple questions and yet profoundly thought provoking when focused on and truly considered for an answer.

In pursuing one of my biggest dreams for this calendar year these questions were posed to me. Though I’ve worked on the project they were pointed at for several years I struggled to answer the questions with the concise and simple answers the questions (and my dream) deserved. My initial explanations rambled on and I quickly caught myself lacking the pinpointed direction I should have been able to answer. Over the past week my brain has been fixated on them in some fashion at seemingly all hours. I hope to answer them within a week as they right simple answer filters and percolates through my mind.

Had the questions not been asked my thoughts wouldn’t have been complete. If my answers are not clear, simple, and concise I must pause and refocus. It is only when my answers are as simple as the question that the thought will be complete. I am grateful for these simple and profound questions.

Another thing I’m thankful for today is the ability of a great dream to motivate me to be a better version of myself than I would otherwise naturally be. As certain dreams are coming closer and closer to fruition I am reminded of the importance of grit and perseverance. To let up on the gas now would put the dream in jeopardy. By having a clear dream in front of me with a very clear finish line I am able to change my otherwise normal behavior in positive ways.

What’s also especially motivating are the reminders of past accomplishments of dreams. I still remember the empty feeling I had when I finished the marathon with Becky a handful of years ago. We’d trained so hard and often together that once it was done there was a big empty space. As I focus on the dreams ahead I think back to that feeling and remind myself of the importance of savoring the journey in each and every difficult step. Once the dream is complete I will most likely remember the journey as much as the dream itself. Embrace the discomfort and remember that it is a sign of growth.

Thanks!!!

At about this time last year we started working as a family to help Gavin earn the Hiking merit badge for Scouts. The sudden increase of time at home provided a unique opportunity for us to spend more time outside hiking and enjoying what was some spectacular March and April weather.

From a few small hikes we grew into the bigger hikes including a 20 miler. After that was under our belt we moved on to camping in the woods in the “Dollar Store Challenge.” Then we spent more time hiking. And more time hiking. More camping. More hiking. Once the snow hit we started snowshoeing. We camped in the snow. Throw in some skiing and snowboarding for good measure and we spent more time than ever outdoors. As the weather has warmed back up we’ve jumped right back into it and have gone hiking with loaded up backpacks the past couple of weekends.

Looking ahead we’ve got a small handful of backpacking trips ranging from a few days to a week. Camping is being intermixed as well. We’ve got a hiking trip planned to summit a couple of mountains in Colorado and are considering a crazy one in the fall pending the first couple of backpacking trips.

All this outdoor time would likely not have happened quite to this extent. There would have been outdoor activity, but nothing quite like this. All this from the world hitting the Pause button for all of us last March.

Over the past twelve months I’ve greatly enjoyed the renewed passion for being outdoors and in nature. It’s always been there, but this past year has really awakened a sleeping giant. Each moment we spend in the woods fuels that flame even more to be out there more and more often. Hot weather, cold weather, it really doesn’t matter. The being outside to enjoy fresh air and the beauty and simplicity of the outdoors has been the music my soul has needed to hear.

This morning on our hike we saw many migrating birds. There were the calls of eagles, cranes, coots, and crows. The trees creaked in the wind. The water was moving so quickly that the sound of it was always just in the periphery. There were almost no others around and the ones who were all had huge smiles as they enjoy the same majesty we were. No cellphone calls, no texts, no distraction, only time in the outdoors. It was perfect.

As we look ahead to the next several months I am absolutely giddy with my passion for being outdoors. I am grateful for so many opportunities to scratch the itch!

Thanks!!!