Why You Aren’t More Productive, And What To Do About It

September 11, 2012 By deacon 6 Comments

Do you know someone who always seems to be taking things to the next level? Somehow, year after year they manage to make amazing progress and leave everyone else in the dust?

They’ve managed to start a successful business they love, run some projects on the side, have plenty of time for recreation, and somehow seem to be in great shape too. It’s enough to make you think that maybe you aren’t cut from the same cloth. Maybe you just didn’t get the butt-kicking jean. Maybe you can’t hack it at that level.

It’s not that they have more hours in the day, and it’s not that they have an army of people doing busywork. These are regular people just like you and me. They put their pants on one leg at a time… only once they put their pants on, they get eye-popping results!

The secret to taking things up a notch or two

I know what you’re thinking, “How can you possibly expect me to do any more than I’m doing already?!” I know you’re completely maxed out. I understand that adding one more task, even a tiny one, will send the whole stack toppling over.

So what do you do when all the energy and hours are accounted for? How do you take things to the next level?

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What Olympians Overcome To Win

June 26, 2012 By deacon 6 Comments

The last couple of weeks I’ve watched a number of athletes achieve long term dreams. I watched Lebron James battle to his first NBA championship. I watched LoLo Jones make the olympic team in the 100m hurdles. I saw Amy Hastings win the 10K at the Olympic Trials.

I watched dozens of others overcome by emotion when they finally broke through to success. And I noticed something.

They never talked about their overwhelming confidence that they’d make it. They didn’t look back on a perfectly orchestrated ascent to success. They didn’t recount the advantages that took them to where they stood.

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How to go farther than you did last time

June 6, 2012 By deacon 2 Comments

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Each month I do a benchmark workout to measure my fitness. This month it was a 5k. Over the course of 30 days with zero specific running training (CrossFit 3 days a week only) I managed to take 90 seconds off my time!

It wasn’t just luck though. It was skill and strategy. And what I demonstrated in that second 5K is applicable to anything you want to take to the next level.

The Foundation of a Life Stoked

May 1, 2012 By deacon 8 Comments

Where do you start when you want to build an awesome life? What’s the first thing you should do? What’s the key to building a solid launch pad? I could argue a number of different starting points, but one in particular sticks out as crucial to me. One thing in particular is the linchpin of your future.

Money. It’s simple. It’s measurable. And whether you like it or not, money touches every aspect of your life. Manage it poorly and you’ll be a slave to it (or lack of it). Learn to manage it wisely and it will take you anywhere you desire.

And as you start to look around you’ll notice that people who are good at managing money are also good at managing their lives. It’s not a coincidence.

So how do you make the most of your money? One simple philosophy: live debt-free*.

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What If Success Seems Too Far?

April 24, 2012 By deacon 4 Comments

I was watching TV recently and there was a show on called Million Dollar Outdoor Spaces. It was basically a tour of millionaires who have turned their homes into some sort of awesome resort. One guy had 4 separate pools complete with a lazy river, swim up bar, and 40′ water slide. Another had a full size basketball court flanked by a two story fitness center. These spaces were incredible!

I can’t help but imagine what my dream resort home would be like (it would definitely include a lazy river by the way). It’s a fun thing to daydream about.

But sooner or later my daydreams start to turn back to reality.

How could I ever afford this? How could I ever create that much income? I’m so very far away from that it’s absurd to even consider.

I know I always tell myself that I can do anything, but that just seems crazy. The gap between where I am now and where I want to be is just so great – it’s disheartening at times.

I think most of us get this far. We’ve all felt like this.

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The Real Crisis In America

March 20, 2012 By deacon 30 Comments

Listen up, this is important. I want to share something with you that illustrates the most fundamental difference between winners and losers – and I want you to be a WINNER!

Last week a petition began circulating to support the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012. Here’s an excerpt:

Total outstanding student loan debt in America is expected to exceed $1 TRILLION this year. Millions of hardworking, taxpaying, educated Americans are being crushed under the weight of the educational debts, while the economy continues to sputter. Support a REAL economic stimulus and jobs plan. Support the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 (H.R. 4170).

Do you hear it? That high pitched, squealing noise emanating from the words of that paragraph?

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The Secret To More Time… NOW!

February 28, 2012 By deacon 9 Comments

If you’ve read this blog before you probably know that I can’t stand average. In everything I do I try to break free of the typical and become extraordinary.

This week I was listening to a time management seminar from Robin Sharma and he said something directly to me. He said, “Deacon, in everything you do strive to be unique. Strive to be extraordinary.” (Okay, I added the “Deacon” part, but the rest is true)

Maybe it’s not the most revolutionary advice you’ve ever heard. After all, I’ve worked to craft Life Stoked into something unique. I’ve worked to build it into something that no one else is doing.

But Robin went on to challenge me to be unique in other areas of my life because “that’s what successful people do.”

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How You CAN Afford It

February 14, 2012 By deacon 12 Comments

If there was one activity in the world I could spend every single day doing and not get tired of it, it’s skiing. I love bombing down long, fast runs. I love the technical descents of more challenging terrain. I love the obstacles of the terrain parks.

It’s the vacation I look forward to the most all year every year.

But this year was different.

This year I couldn’t afford to go skiing. Lift tickets, skis, boots, it all adds up to a lot more than we can cash flow right now.

Facing that reality was a tough one for me. And while I knew in my heart this was ultimately where we wanted to be as a family, the pain of missing a year skiing was crushing.

Yeah, yeah, I know what you’re thinking. “Boo-hoo. My wallet’s too small for my fifties, and my diamond shoes are too tight!”

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7 Little Known Ways To Be More Productive At Work

November 21, 2011 By deacon 5 Comments

We’ve all got work to do, and these days the people who can do more work, better than anyone else rise to the top. The only problem is most of us go about productivity all wrong. Our multi-tasking, always-on culture may feel like we’re getting things done, but it’s contrary to the way our brains function.

These seven principles will help you maximize your productive capacity and work better, faster, and more effectively than you have in years:

1. Prioritize Early

Surely you’ve heard it before, but here’s some science to back it up. The human brain requires massive amounts of energy to think through complex ideas. Ever wonder why you feel physically drained after trying to get your head around a big problem?

Prioritizing tasks is one of the most intensive activities for your brain because of the number of complex ideas it must keep top of mind. You have to understand how working late on a project could impact your kids practice, as well as the long term implications of shorting one or the other.

If your mind isn’t fresh it’s harder to make these decisions efficiently.

To make the most of your day prioritize your days tasks in the morning when you’re fresh.

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A Notification on Productivity

October 13, 2011 By deacon 13 Comments

Hey did you get my email?

No, When did you send it?

Just now. Did you get it yet?

Beats me.

Weird response I know. I could tell by the look on the guys face that it didn’t make any sense. You either got the email or you didn’t, how could you not know? If you received it then you likely saw the pop-up message or saw the alert on your phone, and if you didn’t then you must not have it yet. It’s a simple question.

But you see, I live in a very different world than you. Sure I use email constantly, and you can find me actively participating on Twitter, Facebook, and even Google+. I chat with my friends as much as anyone, and I read plenty of newsletters.

The difference is I choose when to do it. [Read more…]