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Category: Problem Solving

Can’t Talk

Published on June 21, 2023

I lost my voice yesterday.

And while it was fun “retracing my steps” and “looking all over the school” with some of my young students who were trying to help me “find” it—losing your voice isn’t fun business.

Especially not when your voice is such an integral part of your business. Which is why today, I’m thankful for it. It really is funny how you don’t think to appreciate a thing until it’s gone. I’m fairly confident this wouldn’t have made it to my 15 day list if this hadn’t happened.

None-the-less, here we are. And here I am, bracing myself for an upcoming series of Martial Arts graduation ceremonies, classes, and coaching sessions that require a functioning voice box (and a damn loud one at that). And a question I’ve been reflecting on that has guided me in many challenging situations before is, “What good can come from this?”

…And you know what’s funny about reflecting on that question? You tend to find good things buried inside even crappy situations. Because the reality is—I’m not getting it back today. No sense dwelling on that. But, letting my mind dwell in the realm of creative solutions can be helpful for sure.

And what I’m now seeing are excellent opportunities for team members and students to step up—not only to help me out, but to help themselves out by building skills inside higher pressure situations that they don’t normally get to step into.

So you know what I’m going to do today?

…Let those who are willing step into them.

Custom Fit

Published on March 4, 2023

No such thing as a problem-free life.

Only a life with problems that we enjoy solving more than others.

Those who understand this stop trying to curate a utopian lifestyle and start doing the important work of exchanging/ upgrading problems for a custom-fit lifestyle instead.

P.s. This was inspired by a Mark Manson quote you’ll find on this list.

Self-Fortification

Published on November 17, 2022

Worrying about tomorrow isn’t all that helpful.

Fortifying yourself today, is.

  • Reading might not solve any problems in your life right now…
  • Writing might not make your mind magically more clear today…
  • Meditating might not teach you how to have an overall more calm demeanor after one session…

But, each of those will be a helluva lot more helpful for tomorrow than worrying ever will be.

…And after doing them for weeks? …Months? …Years? …The benefit is undeniable.

So, the next time you find yourself in a moment of worry/ anxiety: try replacing the time you spend playing out worst-case scenarios with self-fortifying activities.

Channel the energy you normally would spend on self-depleting thoughts and funnel it into a self-fortifying task so you can meet your challenges tomorrow when they arrive—better than you are now.

…Better that than trying to meet your challenges in every single mind-numbing moment leading up to them, leaving you more drained and exhausted than there’s any reason for.

P.s. In case you missed it, I had a great conversation with Jeanne Torre and Emily Leahy about going from Burnout to Balanced in life. You can listen to the replay here.

How Would You Coach You?

Published on October 15, 2022

A question I’ve been chewing on lately:

“If I was coaching me what uncomfortable questions would I ask myself and (the important part) push myself to answer?”

Because ultimately, this is what many of the best coaches do. Why? Because we’re much more likely to believe the things we tell ourselves over the things others tell us.

And a good coach knows, if they can get you to say to yourself what they were just going to straight up tell you… their message will be far more likely to stick.

And how does one do this? By asking the right questions.

So, why not sit yourself down, get yourself a cup of coffee, put on some noise-cancelling headphones, and give it a shot yourself?

Even 15 minutes can completely alter the direction of your life.

Or… you could pay someone thousands and they could do it for you? Or… you could just not do it at all?

As always… growth in life will always be a personal choice.

The point I want to make is: the choice to grow is closer (and less expensive) than you might think.

P.s. Got any good questions that have led to noteworthy personal growth? Send a reply. I’d love to hear them.

Head And Heart

Published on September 29, 2022

Sometimes our head moves fast and our heart moves slow.

Sometimes our heart moves fast and our head moves slow.

In each case, we should facilitate a compromise and have them meet somewhere in the middle.

Because both the heart and the head should be honored for what they know.

P.s. Today, I hosted a LIVE space on writing and how it can help you live a better life. Here’s the replay. Conversation starts at around the 6 minute mark. Enjoy.

The Usefulness Of Short Sprints

Published on August 20, 2022

What do you do when you reach a ditch in the road that you can’t quite step over?

You back up; get a good running start; and jump it.

So does it work in life.

Staring at a ditch? …Staring doesn’t help.

Take a couple steps back, elevate your thinking, get a running start, and jump it.

Sometimes the way forward is backward. Sometimes we need to temporarily commit to an elevated pace to finally clear the ditch we’ve been staring at in its face. Sometimes what’s needed… is a short sprint.

P.s. “Backwards” doesn’t mean more hustle. “Backwards” has much more to do with the opposite.