I never thought I would be starting over at 60. My kids are grown and out of the nest. I’m staring “retirement” in the face. And my doctor knows me a bit better than I had hoped at this age. Probably due to COVID and it’s many lingering surprises. Spending too much time looking backwards,…
Are deadlines helpful?
I’m building a garage. On a deadline. And it’s kicking by butt. The average garage is 400-500 square feet. Mine is 1,920. Most garages have 2-5 electrical circuits. Mine has 28 31. And plumbing? Yep. A bathroom, shower, kitchenette, washer, dryer, and two hot and cold hose bibs. What was I thinking? It’s not “average.”…
What I’m Doing Now
In Shane Parrish’s “What I’m Thinking About” section of his weekly Brain Food email, he said this: We’ve all spent time with someone who talks about all of these amazing things they plan to do. And yet they never seem to do them. They aren’t lying to you, they’re lying to themselves. Don’t speak about…
The Cost of Watching TV
As I look out at my unfinished garage, it’s obvious that more time is needed to complete the project sooner. And that’s something I want. Where do I find the extra time? Watch less TV. Period. A three season show on Netflix, for example, may have 20 shows per season at about 43 minutes each.…
Write Every Day
In his blog post today, Seth Godin encouraged readers to develop a habit of daily blogging, because it is “clarifying, motivating and (eventually) fun.” I’ve been blogging for 10 years, and since 2011 on this blog. It has definitely not been a daily habit. The results? Lack of clarity Low motivation No fun Those seem…
Life Is An Adventure
If you make it so. When more than half of your life is over, what comes next? What makes life worth living? Adventure: “engage in hazardous and exciting activity, especially the exploration of unknown territory.” Adventure is a verb. An action. Exploring unknown territory is something few people do. It’s what makes life interesting, challenging…
Addendums Are Encouraged
Today I submitted an addendum to our County building department asking them to approve a few changes to my garage building plans. Although my plans were approved months ago, and I have a building permit, it wasn’t until after I started moving forward with the project that I saw the need for changes. Life addendums…
Get 1 Percent Better
Many have spoken and written about the power of getting 1 percent better every day. Why is it so powerful? First, personal improvement is within reach. By focusing on small daily gains instead of huge leaps, long term improvement is available to almost anyone. Second, small gains compound over time. Much like compound interest in…
Am I Any Further On?
That’s a good question to ask at the end of your day. If you know what you’re trying to achieve, it’s a good daily practice to evaluate if you are any closer to your destination. Striving towards a goal does not necessarily bring you happiness. The things you do each day to get you closer…
Trade Up
The concept is to take something of little value, like a paper clip, and “trade up” from one item to the next to see what is possible. One red paper clip for a house in one year? It’s possible. What if you could take one aspect of your life, like your job, or health, or…