4100weeks

The fastest way to achieve your goals? . . . Don't give a shit.

Sometimes our goals don't align with who we are, and we are so focused on achieving them that we don't see it. Studying who we really are, where we have already been, what we have already done and comparing that with our goals can be an eye opening experience. George Carlin did this, and it changed his career . . . 

Music in Austin, TX

One of the great things about Austin is that you have the opportunity to listen to great local music all over the city. Check out Vallejo . . . 

A challenge for you

 

artwork by Hugh MacLeod - gapingvoid.com

Simplify your life

I just rediscovered an old article from Fast Company magazine (1998) that I feel is still very applicable, and a must read. Titled Keep it Simple, the article has some great steps you can follow to simplify your life and make more time to do the things you most enjoy doing. Here is an outline of the steps to simplifying your life . . . 

1. It's about time - creating more time, on the job and at home, to do the things you want to do.
2. Less is more - the less you take on, the more time you create.
3. Just say no - No one can maintain more than three priorities . . . so if you have a career that you care about, and a family, that leaves one more priority. 
4. Possessions are nine-tenths of the problem - we all have lots of stuff, and we work to pay for the stuff. 
5. What really matters is . . . what really matters - many people don't know what they want to do. It's often easier to keep doing what we know we don't want to do, or don't mind doing. Simplifying your life frees up time for you to figure out what really matters.

Climb the Highest Peak in Every State.

Be the first on your block to climb the fifty tallest peaks in all fifty states.  Aw, come on, someone has to do it and you have 4100 weeks or more to get it done. You can start with the toughest challenge at Mount Mckinley aka Denali in Alaska with a 20,320 foot technical climb or you may want to consider a stroll up Driskell Mountain in Louisiana at 535 feet.  Aren't there basketball players that are taller than that and can you really call a 535 foot bump a mountain? 

Regardless of your choice it's a great way to see the USA and a rocking bucket list item that few have accomplished.  Got to www.state50.net to organize your road trip and then do your homework to hone your technical climbing skills because several of these peaks are not a cake walk like Ebright Azimuth in Delaware at 451 feet.  Send pictures and stories!

Why I sit on a cushion, trying to concentrate on my breath

I just finished a five-week course in meditation, one of several I’ve taken over the past ten years, since I first got introduced to one of those ironic practices that seems so simple and yet is so very, very difficult.

Try it. Right now. Close your eyes, and concentrate on just your breath. Any thoughts that come up—say about what you’re having for lunch, or that fight you had with your girlfriend last night, or who’s going to win the big football game this Sunday—just let them pass by like clouds, and return to your breath.

Not so easy, right?

Well, after you master that “basic” technique, it gets even harder. That’s when you start to see some of the ugly stuff you’ve been hiding from yourself. Here’s my beginner’s understanding of it: All that continuous chatter about future plans or ruminations about the past--they kept your mind busy running in circles so that you can hide from things you don’t want to think about. For example, maybe you’re not ready to think about your part in the fight with your girlfriend, or how lonely you feel since your best friend moved.

But when we don’t even know about our ugly stuff, we certainly can’t deal with it, even though it’s coloring a lot of our behaviors.

Here’s a personal example: The day after my final meditation class, I got an email from a higher up at work asking me to do a task I knew I couldn’t do in the time frame outlined because I had two other projects with even tighter deadlines, and I was leaving for vacation in three days. 

I hate saying no. To anyone. But especially to a higher ups at work.  

In this instance, though, I knew I had to send the email, so I did, and then I left for the day. As I walked to catch my train, I could feel my heart beating with anxiety, and I knew it was because of the stupid email. On the train, I closed my eyes, and took a few deep breaths. Then I thought about whether or not I felt I acted correctly in the situation. I did. I took a few more deep breaths, and decided to let it go, at least until I knew if there was something to even fret about.

If I hadn’t just come off of taking that meditation class? I would have fretted for a long time about whether I could fit the project in, even though I really knew I couldn’t. When I finally sent the email saying so, I would have then stared at my computer, anxiously hitting refresh, waiting for the scathing reply I just knew was coming.

Then I would have gone home, using the time on the train to worry about the response. I wouldn’t really have known what I was anxious about, exactly—so I would have been angry at the guy for making demands I couldn’t live up to, instead of realizing that I needed to learn to be OK with saying no sometimes. I also might not have kept my anxiety focused solely on work—my husband might have got caught up in the hurricane of worry, as might anyone else in my path. My whole weekend might have been ruined by worry, anger, and confusion about what exactly I was worried and mad about.

So, clearly, option #1 is much more pleasant for everyone involved. And it takes daily, 15-minute periods of sitting on a meditation cushion for that scenario to be a reality for me. 

So I signed up for the second part of that meditation class, in hopes it will keep my butt on the cushion, and my worries in check.

(Oh, and that work thing? The message I got in return basically said, “Don’t worry about it.” Glad I didn’t spend much time doing so!) 

 

Twenty Five things you must do before you become fertilizer?

 The intro usually reads something like this:

 25 Adventures you can complete for $200 or less?

17 Perfect Weekends? 

20 Vacations you must take?

15 Best Outdoor Towns (you must live in)?

45 Expeditions that will challenge your body and soul?

99 ways to build perfect abs (avoiding McDonalds not listed)

Are "Bucket Lists" Overrated? I don't know but they always inspire me to "shed my protective shell" and find new horizons. This really good link from Outside Magazine will give you 50 new ways to make the most of your 4100 weeks.  Remember to always consult your doctor if you are under age 79.5 and wear a helmet to avoid becoming premature fertilizer.

http://outsideonline.com/adventure/lifelist-index-sp.html

Committed or Involved?

  

I heard it something like this:

“The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'.”   Is your life and career more like the chicken or the pig?

A college friend was an all conference quarterback for our University.  He was also a scratch golfer, great student and a good looking guy,  the original "chick magnet."  Everything he touched turned out well - he was a natural.  I played varsity tennis and had played every day since I was 12, one day he asked to hit a few balls with me.  An hour later I was convinced that with and 6 months practice,  he would be a competitive match for me.  He had the commitment of the  pig and a DNA birth gift from his parents.

Most of us aren't both that lucky and naturally gifted.  Our success comes from steely eyed, fire-in-the-gut, objective setting commitment to a goal.

Joggers are involved and marathoners are committed.  It's easy to become a jogger with a pair of running shoes and the incentive that comes from an invitation to an upcoming high school reunion or maybe a tactless comment from a friend.  You don't jog far, you walk some, jog some, and maybe you make it a regular habit for the purpose of showing up at the reunion looking buff. 

Jogging takes some discipline but completing a marathon is an example of real commitment.

Marathoning usually starts with a challenge or as  a social event.  "Let's run a 5K says the neighbor."  "OK, you respond," with all the bravado  a former undistinguished 5"8" 230 pound point guard  can muster.  "I am in!"  Three months later with 30 pounds of gut shrinkage and the inspiration of the "free" macho  "T" shirt you jump at the chance to become a local hero by running the Any Town Marathon.

Commitment to achieve lofty goals takes planning, goal setting, learning, sweat, discipline and the ability to bounce back from failure and to forge ahead.   Success in business, family, fitness, a cause or having a well-rounded life all depend on your level of commitment. 

Are you committed, involved or just a armchair quarterback?  The ball's in your court for 4100 weeks.....