Tag: health

Thankful for Focus, Self-Analysis, & Another Morning Run

Day 3,649

Growth:

Cut out all the distractions, put 100% focus into the task at hand, be amazed at how quickly you can slip into a flow state – even when it is something you typically don’t enjoy! Working on a project today reminded me of how important all of those components are and how they all work in unison to generate a very fulfilling and productive result.

Appreciation:

Each night before bed I pause and fill out a scorecard for the day. Yes, totally nerdy, but 100+% more effective than I realized!

Knowing I’ll be tracking and scoring myself late leads to behavior change on its own, a very positive and worthwhile endeavor there on its own.

What is really interesting to me is how much that daily tracking has become an unintentional journaling process which is helping me learn more about myself! As I analyzed my scorecard results form this year I learned some very interesting things. Here are some of those:

  • Joy spikes with people + nature + progress. Your +2 days almost always include one or more of: time with Becky/your boys, outside time/hiking/van days, and meaningful progress (training teammates, closing new clients, backpacking planning, sunrise hunting).
  • Joy dips with screens, over-packed weeks, and “drift.” Your -1/-2 entries regularly mention doomscrolling/screens/games, driving/commutes, too many meetings, sleep debt, being sick, and negativity (politics, conflict, or misaligned teammates/clients).
  • Intentional eating ≈ better days. When you log +1/+2 eating, Joy is typically ≥1. When eating is -1/-2, your notes often include “felt gross,” “junk food,” or “no exercise.”
  • Sleep is a quiet accelerator. The happiest streaks show ~7.5–9.0 hours. Sub-7 shows up around “exhausted / grumpy / mid.”
  • Movement helps—but being outdoors multiplies it. Plenty of +2 days have 60–180 min of activity, but the best ones call out woods, hiking, sunrise, van days—not just gym minutes.
  • Creative time correlates with meaning. Your best stretches include 1–3+ creative hours, especially when you’re writing, planning trips, or building trainings that become shared experiences.

More on this to follow as we near the end of the year!

Presence:

Running under the stars, feeling the cool air in my lungs, moving early in the morning. The early morning run was another win today! Nothing quite like it – being outside, quiet time with Becky, the world is asleep. We move through the darkness and are serenaded by the frogs and crickets. What else does one really need to live a joyful life? Time outdoors in motion and present in each moment.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Jotting Down Yoga Thoughts, Being Tested, & Deep Yoga Squats

Day 3,368

Growth:

Listen to and write down the random yoga thoughts that appear in the midst of the calm after the storm. So many wonderful nuggets of wisdom when the brain is completely open and present like that.

See the next section for my yoga thoughts from this evening… I’m grateful for taking the time to jot them down rather than let them slowly flutter and drift away.

Appreciation:

This evening what kept going through my brain in Final Rest was – be grateful for the test. The opportunity to be tested is an opportunity to grow, to find our strengths, and to make the most difficult of decisions… will we learn from the experiences which put us into the test in the first place and make a change or will we default to what we have always done, the same thing which has gotten us in this position in the first place. The test is an opportunity to prove our growth, to learn and adapt, and to better close the gap between who we are and who we should be.

Being tested is a gift, something we can be grateful for.

Presence:

One of the most presence filled moments today was also in yoga (hmm… kind of a Monday night trend). During our class we were moved into a deep squat with our feet out wide and toes pointed out. We were challenged to get as low as we could while holding our arms out in front of us. As we held that position for what felt like an eternity I dove deeper and deeper into my breath. I felt the ongoing trembles of my legs. As each breath came and went I focused more and more on the burn in my legs, my toes gripping my mat, the sweat running down my face, and my breath, my breath, and my breath. Honestly, I have no idea how long we held that for, but it felt like forever. When we then stood up the release was glorious – until we were told to drop right back down into the deep squat for another couple of breaths. Nonstop presence, felt amazing!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Leadership Lesson Through Dominic, Scarcity in Doses, and an Unexpected Pose

Day 3,207

Growth:

Yesterday we helped Dominic plant trees as a part of his ongoing Eagle Scout project. There were many Scouts, parents, and siblings there to help and Dominic’s job quickly changed from planting trees to directing the volunteers. Then the media showed up and he was pulled in another direction, public relations. Throughout there were a couple of times when it was easy to see that he was frustrated with not being able to help to physically plant the trees. Several times I heard parents remind him that it is a part of leadership, changing from “doing” to “directing.” He smiled and understood, but there was still a dissonance between what he felt he should be doing and what he needed to be doing.

What an awesome leadership lesson for him to learn! We can’t do everything ourselves, we do our best work when we work with others. The role of a leader is to help show others the way and support them as they do their work. It is such a difficult change to get used to, but a necessary part of growth as a leader. I’m so thankful for the opportunity he had to learn this yesterday… and for the wonderful reminder it was for me also.

Appreciation:

Sometimes scarcity is a gift. The clarity of a tight deadline (or a couple) can really sharpen the mind to a razor edge. This week is a wild one to be sure! Thankfully I’ve planned ahead, gotten a lot loaded up, have prepped for potential curveballs, and have great people around me. Today was a study in productivity, focusing on only necessary tasks and going fast and furious. Tomorrow will be more of the same and I’ll finally take a deep breath on Thursday.

Here’s to the sensation of a deadline breathing down the back of my neck to help me kick into a higher gear to focus!

Presence:

At yoga this evening Jenn threw us a little curveball. After a very intense, hot, strenuous, and sweat soaked workout she had us pause flat on our backs for a moment.

“Take it in, the sensation of being flat on your back, your entire body relaxing into the mat. Take it in, enjoy it, be present in this moment.”

While the workout itself was kicking my butt and had my attention, I was very much focused on holding the pose or transitioning to the next while quickly swiping the sweat out of my eyes. This pause right in the middle, totally relaxed, was an entirely different type of presence. I was immersed in the sensations of laying relaxed on my back, allowing my breathing to slow back to normal, feeling my heart slip back to its normal resting rate. It was an amazing moment!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Matching Growth Mindsets, Play and Plan, & a Moment of Sunlight

Day 3,049

Growth:

When two people are actively working together in a growth mindset the results are very productive. There is no judgement, no frustration, no ego, or any other types of obstacles. Only possibility, open dialogue, open and constructive conflict, and productive dialogue exist. So much positive progress when the growth mindsets are aligned.

Appreciation:

There’s a balance to be found between play and planning. Over the past 6 weeks or so I’ve been working out in the gym quite often and it’s been a wonderful mix of all types of new exercises. I’ve had the opportunity to focus on lifting for strength, for muscle, and for endurance in an extraordinarily wide array of all kinds of exercises focusing on pretty much all major muscle groups. This was exactly the play I needed to help me see weightlifting as fun again. There’s not really a clear goal other than just getting back into the habit and stoking my passion for fitness again. I’ve already seen some awesome results and have been feeling great! 

Now it is time to focus on my long term goals. I want to be in the type of physical condition so I can be a 94 year old dude hiking and backpacking eight plus miles per day in the mountains. To get there I’ve got to get myself in fantastic backpacking shape now complete with a very solid base of skeletal muscle mass to keep me moving. Now is the time to take what I’ve learned from play, set a clear objective for the short term (3 months) and then set the clear path to get there.

Without play I wouldn’t have been motivated to work on the long term plan and would not have had so many more exercises to choose from. Without the plan all the play is great, but I would likely keep gaining muscle mass in places I don’t need for backpacking and hiking and would have a lot more weight to carry – all of which actively hurts progress towards my goal.

Today is all about balance – play and plan – a dichotomy that leads to success.

Presence:

Lots of road time for Becky and I today! Not only our long car ride, but we also had road time on our morning run. Throw in some trail time we had while we took Leia for a walk and it was a day of many moments shared together. I’m grateful for the extreme moments of presence shared together today – especially when we had exactly two seconds of sunlight peek through as we neared the exit for Lewiston. Even when we are doing some not so exciting adulting we can still be present and enjoy time together – and plan future vacations 😉

This was from a trip to San Francisco – we happened to catch a sunset in a low tide on the ocean!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for New Concepts from Old Resources, a Recurring Idea, & Weightlifting Based Presence

Day 3,041

Growth:

We never step in the same river twice, we are never the same person when we read a book another time. This proved very true today as I started reading one of my all time favorite books, Essentialism by Greg McKeown. Over the years I’ve read this book on “the disciplined pursuit of less” several times and each read has brought new insight.

Today was no different. Within the first few chapters I had an epiphany moment that helped me see a solution to a challenge in a very different way. It connected to a couple of ideas I’ve been working through in other projects. Crazy how perspective works, isn’t it? The answer has always been there, I just wasn’t ready to see it yet. I’m very thankful for the advice I learned long ago to read and re-read the books that hit home the most.

Appreciation:

The movie Inception revolves around the idea of planting an idea in someone’s head while they are dreaming. This idea grows and grows and becomes a core of who they are and how they react. Over the past week or so an idea has continued to grow and grow and is taking on more and more of my thought processes. It is a challenge I’m working through, but coming at it from another direction (which is why I started re-reading Essentialism in the first place). While I stay focused on and up to date with the work I need to do this project appears randomly in my brain and connects to what I’m working on at that time and shines a different light on both projects. This cousin of an earworm – I’ll call it a “brainworm” – appears and reappears throughout the day and I’m finding myself jotting more and more notes and ideas to myself about it. Tomorrow I’ll have time blocked out specifically for it and I’m excited to see how it all plays out!

Presence:

Due to scheduling challenges I had two weightlifting workouts planned for today. I hit a solid push workout this morning and then a pull workout after work. I am feeling completely spent now and I still have a leg lift and cardio workout ahead of me tomorrow. Honestly, the reason I am putting this in the presence section is because the workouts helped me be present throughout most of my work day. In the morning I had more energy from working fresh off my workout. In the afternoon I was able to push through some things knowing that I had heavy stuff to throw around after work. All in all, more presence today as a result of lifting!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for the Most Important Step of Problem Solving, Adding to the Dream List, & Deadlifting

Day 3,005

Growth:

It is easy to start throwing out solutions and trying to fix things. The most difficult part of the problem solving process? Figuring out the exact problem that needs to be solved. This can be more difficult as I tend to want to skip steps, make assumptions, and sometimes don’t take the time to fully understand the problem in advance. 

Today contained a wonderful reminder to pause and be sure to define the problem clearly before attempting to solve it. Pause, dig deeper into the issue. Find as much detail into the root cause of it as possible. Be sure to understand the timeframe we need to work within. Ask more questions than seems necessary, and then ask at least a few more. Frame the challenge as a question. Validate the definition with others involved. Attain agreement on the issue. Then, and only then, take action to solve the problem.

Appreciation:

What I’m most grateful for today are the ongoing additions to my dream list. The most recent addition came today as I telling Becky about a story from the book I’m currently reading – The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. Throughout the book the author shares several vignettes from around the world talking through everything from hunting to talking with spiritual leaders and scientists about happiness to crazy exercise tactics. One in particular got me all types of excited and I’ve added it to my list.

The Paro Taktsang Monastery in Bhutan will be a travel destination for me at some point before I die. You can check out more about it here: https://www.breathebhutan.com/attractions/paro-taktsang-monastery/

How epic would this be to see in real life? The country of Bhutan is one I would love to visit for a variety of reasons (including being one of the happiest nations on Earth) and this would be the crown jewel of the trip for sure!

My dream list keeps on growing and each time it leads to more dreaming and more smiles!

Presence:

There are a handful of paths I could take on this topic today, but the one that really sticks out the most is during my lifting workout this evening. My trainer has added many new exercises and lifts to my practice and it has kept me very much on my toes. Up until a week and a half ago I’d never done a deadlift. Today I worked on a different variation of it, the sumo deadlift. 

While on the platform I situated my feet much wider than normal, only inches from the plates on the barbell. My hands grasped the bar in a much closer grip than I’ve become accustomed to. Without turning my toes in and while keeping my entire foot in contact with the floor with even pressure I bent my knees to get my butt as low as possible. With a very straight back I slowly lifted the barbell until I was able to lock out my hips. I then slowly reversed the position and settled the weight to the ground before doing it again.

This process of making sure I had everything in the right place and moving at the right time took all of my mental focus. Time almost seemed to slow as I thought through each portion of the movement, part of me walking through the checklist, another part of me feeling my body in space, and then another part of me watching my form in the mirror to adjust as needed to get the form right. All focus was in that one lift, one after another, until the set was completed. As I cycled through the remaining sets I duplicated the experience.

What a moment to stay so present, focused, and in a state of flow!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Body Awareness, Scarcity Creating Abundance, & Gavin’s Trumpet Solo

Day 2,996

Growth:

Awareness of my body and how it responds to different stimuli can be a very powerful tool when I pause to be attentive to it.

  • Which foods cause me to not feel well and in which ways?
  • What happens when I have a very sedentary day like yesterday versus a very active day like Friday?
  • How is my sleep impacted by eating after 6pm as opposed to eating later?
  • What happens to my resting heart rate when I get less than 7 hours of sleep?

So many little nuggets of info my body attempts to share with me. Easy to ignore, profoundly impactful when heeded.

Pause and listen to your body, it is trying to tell you everything you need to know.

Appreciation:

Nothing quite like a restriction to help us appreciate what we have but not quite as abundantly as we would like. When there is a limit or a clear definition of the finite-ness of something our minds seem to focus on it with more clarity. In many ways the shortage or scarcity causes us to pause and be more attentive. What a gift! It often seems as if we want infinite this and unlimited that, but when we have that – or, more accurately, we PERCEIVE we have that – it becomes so easy to take it all for granted!

That mindset was on full display today as I did my best to soak in and appreciate each of the limited moments we had with Dominic while he was home from school. Between lunch, our hike, and our dinner I did my best to be focused in each moment shared together. While I would of course like to have more time with him it was the restriction of how much time we had together that helped me make the most of the time we had together.

Not only did this mean I was more present with him, but I was also more present with my entire family and even with myself when I was alone with my thoughts. The clarity of scarcity kept me more focused in the moment for longer today than I would have been without it.

Scarcity created abundance. Such a beautifully simple yet complex paradigm. How can I create a sense of scarcity more often to help me better stay in the moment? Finding a way to harness the benefits of scarcity in a positive way like this would significantly improve my ability to be more fully in the moment more often.

Presence:

I was going to go in a different direction in this post as I was writing most of it while waiting for Gavin’s band concert this evening. In an effort to get a clear spot to shoot video of his duet and solo I arrived quite early and utilized the bonus quiet time I’d created for myself. When I heard his solo it changed the topic of this section.

Listening to him perform his solo was awesome on so many levels. The hair on the back of my neck stood up as he knocked out the notes on his trumpet. It was amazing! To have the courage to play all by himself for a brief moment in front of a crowd, to have worked hard to earn the opportunity to do so, and then to execute in the moment were all reasons I was so proud of him in that moment. While Gavin played I was enraptured. Such an awesome moment!

Thanks!!!