Success

I think I may have found a formula for success.

x = W(a^p)

I'm going to ponder it a bit longer and then write an explanation if I still think it adds up.

2011 in review

I was looking back at my 2011 “New Year’s” post where I said one of my resolutions was to read less and do more. If 2011 embodied anything, it was this resolution. I mostly kept my word and only read 14 books (about half what I normally read in a year). Some were really short, some were long, some were re-reads, and most of them were fiction (which I’m going to be reading more of from now on). In the end though, it wasn’t really the number of books read that I’m proud of, but what I was able to do with the time I found cutting out things that weren't important to me.

I mentioned in last year’s post that I wanted to spend more time learning music theory and playing piano, and I tried, but it just didn’t stick. I haven’t been playing music all that much lately, and frankly, I don’t really miss it. I tend to go through seasons in my life, and I’m sure I’ll swing back around to music eventually, but right now there are things that are more important to me. If I took just one thing away from 2011, it would be to focus on what’s important and not to bother with the rest. From here it was just a matter of finding what was important.

I realized towards the end of 2010 that a big reason I was unhappy was that I was getting fat. I left for college 10 years earlier at about 175, and hit about 185 after my first year. Ever since my weight has been gradually increasing.On January 9th, the day of my 29th birthday, I was at 210.5 pounds. I realized that day that this is not how I pictured myself at 30, and I knew I only had a year to get myself up to par. I ended up finding “The Four Hour Body” and followed its lessons exactly. Thanks to the book, I lost 30 pounds in 6 weeks.



That was only the beginning of the journey though. Once I was skinny again, I realized I still wasn’t in shape, so I started going back to the gym. Unfortunately, the gym I was going to sucked, and I wasn’t getting anywhere. On the advice of a friend I signed up for 10 training sessions at a kickboxing gym called “Mick Doyle’s,” and that’s where things got really interesting. I signed up simply because I was told it would be the hardest workout I’d ever have. What I got was a whole lot more. I soon found out that paying for my training sessions got me full access to any of the martial arts classes taught there. After a couple sessions with my trainer I was brave enough to venture into both the Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu classes. The classes were great and I soon found myself obsessing about Jiu Jitsu (and coming home covered with bruises in the body hardening phase). With help from my trainer I started following another nutrition plan and adding prescribed weight lifting programs to my regimen. The results have been great. I turned 30 a week ago and I’ve never been in such great shape.



Getting stuff done didn’t stop with fitness though. After some remodeling work in the basement of my house I realized that made financial sense to finish the work with renters in mind rather than myself in mind, and this lead me to start looking for other houses. We found one in October and moved over New Year’s weekend 2011/2012. Now we just need to get renters lined up… (New house pictures in the post below this one.)

I also realized towards the end of the year that I wasn’t happy with my current position at work and switched to something that I’m much more satisfied with.

2011 also had a couple firsts for me.

We went to my first NFL game.



I competed in my first Jiu Jitsu competition and took home a bronze metal.



We went to Vegas for the first time.



I got my first real black eye.




I would say that overall, I’m pretty satisfied with 2011. I took some big steps in the right direction, took some risks, had some fun, and I’m looking forward to it again this year. 2011 obviously wasn’t without it’s mistakes, but if you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying. I’m not afraid of mistakes and look forward to learning from many more of them in 2012.

I’ve set some new goals for myself this year in several areas of my life. Some are big and some are small. I actually achieved one goal already this week at the gym by going 1000 feet non-stop on the versa climber, another thing I’d never done before (but in all honestly have never tried). Apparently I could have set that one a bit steeper. Regardless, here’s to 2012.

Focus on what’s important. Forget the rest.

We bought a house.

We found a great foreclosure at a great price. We'll be moving in December and then renting out our current home :)

Steve Jobs

"For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something… almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."

Read Fewer Books

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to read fewer books.

I love reading. I've read an average of 25 books a year for the last 3 years. I really enjoy waking up early in the morning, putting on a pot of coffee and reading until it's time to get around for work. The only thing that could make it better is if I had a fireplace to sit in front of (and also if I didn't have to go to work). The problem is that I find myself reading much and doing little.

Part of my problem is that I'm a trophy collector. I love finishing a book so I can add it to my list. I like watching the list get longer and longer, knowing that I'm reading 10 times as many books as the average person. But one thing I'm starting to notice is that there is quite a bit of overlap between books. I read a lot on business, entrepreneurship, and finance and it's very rare to run across an idea I haven't already heard. If I were to assess the reading I've done, I would say about 20% has been enlightening while the other 80% has just passed the time. It's a far better use of time than watching TV, but I'm beginning to realize there's an even better use of my time than reading.

Let's say I read an average of 30 minutes a day last year. That's 182.5 hours of total reading. Let's say instead of adding books to my trophy case this year, I take a single text book on music theory and study it an average of 30 minutes a day. How strong will my understanding of music theory be by the end of the year? What if instead of reading, I write for 30 minutes a day or practice piano?

This idea excites me. I've dabbled in music theory for the last several years but have never made any significant advances in my understanding. I've always felt that my brain wasn't designed to understand it, but I think a better answer is that you can't dabble in music theory, you have to immerse yourself in it. The same goes for writing and piano.

The challenge is that reading is relaxing for my brain, while studying/writing/practicing is taxing on my brain. Waking up in the morning knowing that I'm going to relax for an hour or two is easy. Waking up knowing that I'm going to immediately put myself to work is not.

I read a quote today. It's from Dean Karnazes and goes "Life is a not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: "WOW!! What a ride!"

For those who don't know, Dean Karnazes is the man who ran 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. So with his example in mind, here are my guidelines for 2011 reading.

1. I will only read 13 books this year
2. My 13 books will be chosen based on 2 criteria.
a) Book was recommended by 2 or more separate, trusted sources.
b) Book was written by an author I know and enjoy.
3. Mornings are primarily for music theory study, writing, and piano practice.
4. The only way I'm allowed to read more than 13 books this year is if the reading takes the place of TV time in the evening.

This should be interesting...

20 Minutes that could change your life.

With the passing of the New Year as well as my 29th birthday, I've realized I'm not quite where I thought I would be when I turned 30. Now I've only got 1 year to change that.

I've got a friend who is very interested in Centurions. I've never really entertained the thought that I would live to be 100. I'm a taller guy and we don't usually make it that long.

On the other hand, I know that the way I've been living isn't really conducive to living 75 or beyond, and that's a goal I'd like to try an achieve. Obviously, it's not completely in my control, but there are some things I can change to give me better chances.

I asked my friend where he got the info about the Centurions we had discussed and he pointed me to this video. It's 20 minutes long, but it's very much worth watching, especially if you've got a reason or two to stick around on earth a bit longer than average.

"Derailed" by Tim Irwin

“Derailed” by Tim Irwin, is a great read for anyone interested in business and leadership and shines a bright light on the pride and greed that seems to have defined much of Corporate America. Irwin takes a microscope to several recent CEO catastrophes as well as their glaring causes and his insight is very valuable, especially for those pursuing leadership. One of the more poignant profiles for me was that of Carly Fiorina and her epic failure at HP, especially considering her current bid for a seat on the Senate. While the book is not political in nature, I couldn’t help but laugh a little harder at her recent on-camera gaffe not to mention question how effective she may be in Government.

The CEOs who Irwin profiled were all very talented, intelligent, and charismatic people, but the book proves that without the proper motivation, morals, and focus, even those with the strongest outward characteristics can fail miserably.

In summary, the lessons taught in “Derailed” can be applied not only in our pursuit of personal betterment and leadership but also in guiding us in the selection of those who we put in leadership.