Common Denominator

Circumstances sometimes overwhelm our ability to see our part. Look for patterns in your life. Are you always out of money? Are you always “mad” at someone else? Does your health slow you down?

Some things we control and some things we don’t. Separate the two and remember the common denominator… YOU.

Brain Picker

If you know an expert or someone who is well accomplished, never ask...

“Can I pick your brain?”

This person likely doesn’t want to have his mind pecked by a vulture. Buzzards are takers and you’re not the first person with this type of request.

A more useful way is to say something like:

“I’ve been inspired by the trajectory of your path over the years building __________….I have a few questions I’d love to ask. I’d love to get a better understanding of the hard work it took.”

Get prepared for the meeting and write your questions out. Let them see you’ve put thought into it. Take notes.

Successful people are wary of throwing pearls before swine. Swine that are looking for a shortcut.

If you aren’t a vulture and you execute...they’ll be shocked and send a constant stream of pearls your way.

Your Personal Brand

How do you develop your personal brand?

It’s a question no one was asking 20 years ago. The ability to amplify your message and the ease at which people can find out about you validates the question.

The bad news is you already have a personal brand whether you like it or not. It’s bad news because we don’t want to be misunderstood. We don’t want others to think one thing when we intend another.

The age of integrity has arrived. As Bob Marly says “you can fool some people some time but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” Your brand already exists. The cat is out of the bag.

So then...we curate. How do we want to be perceived? What do we want people to think of us?

Posturing is a slippery slope but authenticity has gription. It has gription because it’s you. Yet it’s easy to see when you’re “trying” to be authentic. Curated authenticity is a messy first step because it’s forced.

Being YOU is a full-time job...why work overtime?

Mastermind?

The think tank concept is so attractive.

Having a bunch of super talented people put their brains together to solve problems seems like a good idea.

They usually, however, meet a few times then fizzle. They fizzle because it’s virtually impossible to give equal value to everyone.

If you’re the smartest guy in at the table it’s a time suck albeit ego-stroking. If you are the “pledge” you’ll likely feel a bit lost or behind. So what do you do? Perhaps a long-term mastermind is a fantasy.

An alternative worth considering:

1. Curate 1-1 relationships with people that want your success and are happy to teach you.

2. Create a digital tribe of smart people that will awaken your inner awesome.

My guess is the alternative is more effective than trying to herd a bunch of wise cats.

Alexa... Sell My House!

Amazon announced they bought a Real Estate Brokerage (Reology) The amount of money sellers are willing to pay to sell their house is falling and the complex process is being automated.

There is always room for humans to make money in an automated world for one primary reason...Emotion.

My heart has never raced while ordering a phone charger or booking a flight. Most people, however, are a little on edge about buying or selling a house. It will be a minute before AI can detect fear and the nuances of our complex emotions.

There inlies your value.

The web has stripped the need for 90% of what needs to be done by an “expert.” You don’t hear your uber driver asking for more money because he can get to the destination without a gps. No one cares.

Doing long division in your head or knowing all the state capitals is a parlor trick that has no real practical use.

Your value is in that remaining 10%. The question is...what is that worth? Distill the human value of what you do and double down on that ability. People won’t pay much for searchable knowledge in an automated world.

Sell your emotional intelligence...your ability to “see” the humanness is where the gold is.

Cowlike

I have so many mixed feelings about my school experience. I mostly hated it. I hated the compliance part.

Here...memorize this…

Why?

Because it’s on the test…

If you got straight A’s you were seen as smart (might be true.) Get bad grades you probably got a diagnosis of some sort for not following the school model.

I was one of those kids who hated being a cow in the herd. Waiting in a cattle pen to get my branding, a number in my ear, or a few shots...so "they" could keep tabs.  

I’ve always despised hoops...and despised the game of school where the cards were stacked against my true talents.  

If I complied I would get rewarded with an A. But...for what...for who?

The poor teachers have to play too. Your students do crappy on a standardized test and suddenly you get ushered off to slaughter as a "bad teacher."

Pro Tip: Break the rules "they" set and....

Go make your mark!

Clunky Flow

As a mountain biker, I can tell you that some days I flow on the trail and other days I feel clunky. Recently I found myself in a crazy good flow state...hitting all the turns with ease and speed.

Then...my front tire suddenly washed out and I was laying in the dirt in an instant. I hopped up uninjured (thanks yoga), found my water bottle in the weeds and rolled away in less than 20 sec.

In a moment I went from flow to clunky. My rhythm was gone, my confidence rattled, and I began to doubt.

Doubt is dangerous when you’re moving fast. Doubt gives birth to more doubt. Doubt changes what you expect. Expecting to hit the next turn with the perfect line and speed is now in question.

The next time you crash...notice the doubt that comes up. No need to run it off...dance with it. It doesn’t rule you when you call it what it is.

Go make your mark!

Social Media Is A Waste

That was the tape in my head. I resented it because it would suck me in and the dopamine hits would keep me there. Good job Zuck.

A few years ago I changed my mind.

Imagine having access to what your great great granddad was thinking. What was he feeling? What were his passions...What was important to him? What were his struggles?

100 years from now posterity will be checking. They will have it all…

Are you digitally silent? That might be okay but what will the next few generations wish they had from you? Anything you want to say to them?

Start documenting now...somewhere...they’ll find it.

Behind The Bananas

Imagine a good friend invites you to the lake. You love the lake almost as much as your friendship.

He likes having you along because you know how to back a trailer. Launching the boat is a choreographed dance of precise actions. Everyone will be watching in awe.

As the weekend approaches, the text convo about the perfect weather and the new wakeboard is bolstering anticipation. You’re both pumped. As your pulling out your swim trunks your wife reminds you about brunch with her mother. The blood drops out of our head.

What will you say? You panic and tell him you have the flu.

The disappointment and guilt is palpable. Your wife sends you on a grocery run to grab some veggies for the casserole and there...HE...is.

You dive behind the bananas before he sees you and you stay there for a few minutes regretting your fake flu.

Owning your mistakes is hard but people pleasing is harder.

"You Didn't Build That..."

I’ll never forget the feelings of anger come over me when Obama said that about small business owners. It felt like an attack on hard work.

But was it?

Perhaps he was pointing out all the things that cleared the path so that my hard work would pay off. It would be pretty hard to make our businesses thrive in Ethiopia.

Seeing the opportunity, taking the risk, and executing is hard work. Take time to notice the support you do have.

The platform you build your legacy on didn’t just appear out of thin air.

Your circumstances can rule you or fuel you. Your choice.

Comission Breath

People can feel "agenda" from a mile away.

Agenda isn’t bad...it’s just obvious. Being subjected to someone else’s agenda can feel yucky.

As soon as someone is feeling convinced, they default to “no.” This is the marketer’s conundrum.

The honest agenda is to sell you something. If the agenda is to close the deal for the deal’s sake...it becomes convincing. All the “yucky” dissolves when the agenda is to help instead of take.

Lottery Mindset

Why are we so attracted to the idea of a shortcut, a hack, or a hot tip?

The human brain defaults to preserving bandwidth, so anytime it can avoid pain or seek pleasure...it will. Doing hard things requires us to disagree with our hardwiring and burn mental calories to solve, create, and connect.

Going the extra mile and having a good work ethic isn’t natural. Money generally follows smart effort.

5.6 Billion was spent on Lotto tickets last year and the state pocketed 1.4 Billion. It seems like a tax for people who want a quick fix to their financial situation.

Ever notice what happens to the short cutters who win big?

Pro Tip: Don’t search for the “hack”...it’s mostly fools gold.

Y2K

The nation was on edge. The popularized web was less than a decade old. Most computers weren't programmed with 1/1/2000 as a date.

What did it mean?

Would Wall Street glitch? Would we lose power for an hour? A week? What was going to meltdown?

How do we prepare?

Do you ever think about survival? Imagine all things electronic frying at once. No cars, phones, or lights. What do you stock up on?

Maybe that’s the wrong question.

The world would instantly become a barter system. What assets do you have? What would be valuable that you can specialize in?

Maybe you don’t really need to “stock up.” Instead of hoarding spam, you might think about what value you can add to the masses. The resources between your ears can help you stay alive.

Survival of the fittest is helpful only when a bear is chasing you and you’re slightly faster than your friend.

News Flash

Don’t spend time listening to the major news sources.

Your time is far too valuable. You likely have trusted friends who will condense it into bite-sized data points so you don’t have to wade through what “they” deem newsworthy.

Ask yourself...what is the currency of news?

The answer: Outrage

They sell the ads to the highest bidder. Outrage can hold your attention and your attention is being sold. Sports commentators work the same way.

Say inflammatory things and watch the fans take the bait. Don’t let “them” distract you from making your mark.

No Problem

No Problem

When someone sends good vibes your way, don’t bounce.

Pause, and allow the vibe to transact. Deflecting a thank you with a “no problem” flattens the vibe.

“You’re welcome” opens the gate, it says “I heard you” and “I needed that.”

Look Outside

Look Outside.

Gratitude disrupts sadness.

Tricking yourself by acting happy when you’re sad is just a trick.

Asking yourself “Who can I be thankful for?” lights the fuse to consider the answer. Over time it will re-frame the internal narrative.

Gratitude tends to dissolve depression. Circumstances are worth noting but noticing “awesome” in people is more useful.

Pro Tip: Let them know…

1k/Year

Get 1000 hours of "deep work" done every year.  

Deep work is new, durable, and perhaps eliminates a pocket of toil.

It’s truly creative work that improves the world around you.

No deep creative work includes maintenance or reaction. The deep work is where your rare abilities are living.

Go make your mark!

No

Say “no” to almost everything unless you are just getting started.

Create the margin to say yes so resentment doesn’t build against the things you should’ve said “no” to.

If it’s not Hell YES...then it’s “no”

This way...when a cool thing comes up, there is no pause.

Solve In Your Sleep

Make the first hour of the day about output only.

The previous day, your conscious mind was filled with endless problems to solve. If you slept well the night before, your unconscious mind was solving.

Journal these solutions first thing...before you respond to anything.

Responding is a THIEF.

Your creative value to the world is too important to get lost in the shadows of response.Give yourself 60 minutes.

Pro Tip: Try writing yourself a question on a post-it before you get in bed.

Let the solving begin!