Day 3,043

What a timely post based on reading Essentialism 😉

I’m in the couple minutes between Gavin’s powerlifting meet and hanging out with dear friends so this is short one. Here’s an abbreviated list of gratitude today:

• Watching Gavin grow mentally and physically
• Spending quality gym time with Becky and Mom
• The look of joy when someone out lifts their goal
• Spending time with childhood friends
• Remembering the difference between intent and compulsion

Thanks!!!

Day 3,042

Growth:

More timely advice from Greg McKeown’s Essentialism on the power of perspective. When facing a situation in which I must choose something over something else, which mindset do I utilize?

“What do I have to give up?”

or

“What do I want to go big on?”

Hey Future Mike, do yourself a favor. Always choose the latter.

Appreciation:

I’ve gone back and forth on this section today. There are some directions I almost went including my workout, team successes, working through difficulty the right way, spending time with business colleagues turned friends, and future leaders. All were worthy, but I think what I am most thankful for is the confluence of several ideas and trainings and lessons. 

At a certain point today I felt very overwhelmed. Normally, I would react in a handful of ways like taking immediate action, letting my emotions get the best of me, or move on to something completely different until I calmed down. Today I took a deep breath, used my five minute hourglass and watched the grains slowly drop, and then spent time doing nothing but thinking deeply on the issue at hand. I took it apart and broke it down. I looked at it from many different angles. I tested some potential options. I considered how this was best handled. I focused exclusively on this challenge. While this happened I had phone calls, emails, and messages piling up. I ignored them and held the line until I was ready to move on after I’d had time to walk through it.

This is not my default reaction, but it felt as natural as if it were. In that moment I paused to appreciate just how much I’ve grown over the past year. Simultaneously, it was very similar to earlier in the week when I got my most recent fitness results. The successes and growth propel me to work still harder to improve further. If this much work helped me grow by this much, how much more growth is possible if I dig deep and push further? I’m excited to find out!

Here’s to the successes we have that become a springboard for future larger successes… especially when they come as we work through challenges. We always have a choice to make. Do we choose to focus on the challenge itself or do we focus on the growth attained specifically due to the opportunity?

Presence:

This evening was the Winona Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet. My buddy Mike and I were the dessert auctioneers and had the honor of helping local businesses pay large sums of money for desserts with all the proceeds going to help a Chamber program focused on helping students get real life work experience and training. By the time the dust settled local businesses contributed over $11,000 towards the program.

Throughout the fifteen minutes or so we had an absolute blast, so many laughs and smiles! Helping to brighten lives while brightening lives through that shared experience was epic. 100% flow state the entire time for sure, felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be in that moment – physically and mentally.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,040

Growth:

Without an insanely full plan the entire span of time is used to accomplish the less than full plan set forth. With an insanely full plan the same span of time is used to accomplish so much more. The same amount of time will be spent regardless. Plan huge, bust ass, and maximize the time.

Appreciation:

Over the past eight weeks or so there has been a gathering momentum in my life. Pushing further, striving for more, clarifying goals. My sense of purpose has grown, I’m seeing a much more clear view of the gap between who I am and who I should be. I’ve seen this gap in the past, but now it seems I’m also seeing the materials to build the bridge across it. As I take each step forward it seems as if Universe keeps conspiring to make the next step more visible and easier to take. I’m gathering inertia and I can’t stop smiling.

As I look back over the past month and change of tracking I’ve of course noticed a couple of days that were off, they were 0’s (on my scale of -2 to +2 of how joyful the day was), but they are few and far between. I have yet to log a -1 or -2 (though I know they will happen at some point most likely). What’s interesting is that on the 0 days I find I haven’t made progress towards a goal, I haven’t lived into my purpose. When I score myself at night and write notes to myself about what happened I seem to quickly notice the issue and have always bounced back the next day. In some ways those 0’s motivate me to live better into the next day!

So grateful to enjoy this inertia AND so motivated to keep up the hard work that keeps it growing.

Presence:

Today seems to be a collection of moments of presence, especially those focused on connecting with others.

• Excellent conversation during my morning run with Becky
• An early morning meeting with someone I’m helping with their career
• Hand delivering a copy of my book to someone who brought back some wonderful memories
• Celebrating the success of six weeks of a fitness plan with the coach who’s helping to create the success
• Connecting with fellow franchisees on shared challenges and successes
• Starting plans for a future adventure with a friend
• Setting up spontaneous plans with a couple of lifelong buddies
• Talking with Mom on my drive home
• FaceTime with Dominic to catch up on his college experience
• Dinner with Becky and Gavin

So many moments of connection with others, so many smiles, so much presence.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,039

Growth:

Take thirty minutes to distill a book into a usable and memorable summary for future reference. Wonderful investment of time!

Appreciation:

I’m not sure I’ve ever quite covered this before or not, but I’m so appreciative of my passion for reading. There is so much knowledge and wisdom to soak up from others and reading is a wonderful vehicle for learning.

Presence:

There was a specific moment while reading Matthew McConaughey’s book, Greenlights, that snapped my head into an immediate state of presence. So much so that I had to go back and re-read the sentence.

When Matthew told his dad that he was no longer going to pursue being a lawyer and instead attend acting school his dad responded with five words. Five words that emboldened Matthew. Five words that were his dad’s acceptance and encouragement all rolled into one. Five words of advice that would help motivate and push him.

“Well, don’t half assume it.”

So many memories of Dad offering the same advice came flooding back. Many time I received that advice, that blessing, that instillment of hard earned wisdom, that challenge to be the best version of myself.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,038

Growth:

Interesting concept to come back to at another time (aka a breadcrumb for Future Mike to follow sometime)…

Two very different tasks with very different results in the past 48 hours led to an excellent couple of examples of investing time. Learning video editing software is something that will pay large returns in the future as “memory dividends” from travel. Learning how to reconfigure Outlook for a minor improvement after a laptop has been reimaged will not have solid returns. I pushed through on the video editing app and rightfully quit the Outlook change after five minutes and went back to a vastly superior technique – pen and paper.

Rather than diving into time consuming projects I need to remember to pause and evaluate the future return to put my time in the right place.

Appreciation:

There are many times when I have an idea that I get very passionate about. Too often I leave it as an idea and don’t act on it like I really should. Today I realized it was time to start acting on two of those ideas and I’m so glad I did! The sense of purpose has been amazing!

Presence:

Between my small group workout and yoga I’m totally tapped! For reals, my legs will be crying when I wake up for my run tomorrow morning. That said – the clarity, focus, and presence of both workouts today were totally worth it.

There was a specific moment during final rest knight in which my body was exhausted and my brain just let go in which I felt a deep oneness with all. A perfect moment of stillness connected with everything thanks to the intense physical activity.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,037

Growth:

The power of a list is rather incredible. As soon as I have goals, tasks, and projects written down there’s a much higher likelihood that they will be accomplished and I attack them with a stronger sense of urgency. Today I put that power to work and made progress in a couple of directions rather than wasting time.

Appreciation:

This has been a solid weekend at home – no crazy agenda, no big plans, just a lot of time with Becky, Gavin, and Leia and time to myself. A wonderful opportunity to pause the world and enjoy time at home. Exactly what the doctor ordered! Throughout my brain has had the space to wander to a handful of conclusions that will help out in the future – both for work and personal stuff. I love travel and vacations, but sometimes the time at home is exactly what I need.

Presence:

This one may seem a little weird, but I’m grateful for the moment of presence I am currently in as I type this blog. Even though I’ve done this over three thousand days in a row it is still something I look forward to every single day, an opportunity to pause and chill. Today it was exactly the moment I needed to pause and focus.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,036

Growth:

Knock out the to do list early and enjoy time focused on relaxing and recharging, preferably in way which works towards our goals and purpose.

Appreciation:

Becky mentioned it while we were snowshoeing today – “I’m glad you enjoy doing stuff like this!” Ditto!

Life is better when shared with someone while doing something you are both passionate about. Being outside, physically active, and appreciating all the splendor of nature together is one of each of our favorite activities. I’m grateful for sharing life with someone else who also feels a profound sense of wonder in experiencing the outdoors.

Presence:

Our almost two hours of snowshoeing was glorious!!! The sun was out, we had half of the state park all to ourselves, and got a nice sweat going while wandering the trails together.

Thanks!!!

Day 3,035

Growth:

I’m sticking with the theme you’re about to read in the next sections, I’m going with multiple growth moments and lessons.

• Our presence can make a positive impact – pause, be still, listen, be present.
• Everything is figure-outable.
• Vision without action is a dream, action without vision is a nightmare.
• When in doubt check in with a friend for another perspective.

Appreciation:

Today has had quite the combination of time alone and time with others. Both have led to many highlights and created a bevy of memorable moments.

It has been a full day in so many ways. So many life lessons. So many moments of right and purposeful action. So many shared moments. A full day throughout!

Presence:

There were a handful of moments today that really stuck out including hearing a new version of an old favorite song, a surprised smile, laughs with a team, moments of insight, family game night, and laughs on the couch with Gavin watching a movie. so many moments of presence and focus!

Thanks!!!