Streamline Your Mind

From successful businessmen to politicians and entrepreneurs to investors, a penchant for reading seems to be a common trait existent in many of the world's top leaders.  From President Obama to former NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton, many start their days scouring the local and national newspapers and favorite blogs. 

"The Week" published a wonderful article in 2013 describing Warren Buffett's and Charlie Munger's reading habits.  Here's an excerpt:

Warren Buffett says, "I just sit in my office and read all day." 

What does that mean? He estimates that he spends 80 percent of his working day reading and thinking. 

"You could hardly find a partnership in which two people settle on reading more hours of the day than in ours," Charlie Munger commented. 

When asked how to get smarter, Buffett once held up stacks of paper and said he "read 500 pages like this every day. That's how knowledge builds up, like compound interest."

The article goes on to describe how possible Buffett successor, Todd Combs, has heeded his bosses advice and reads up to a thousand pages on some days! 

"Waiting for the Universe to Respond to What You've Been Manifesting"

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon this picture on Instagram:

 

 

It was so ridiculous and pointless - just like most brain-drain social media posts, I suppose - but it was also one of those images that became stuck in my head.  How often do you feel like this?  I mean, REALLY feel like this?  I've felt this way more lately than I can ever remember - and it's tough.  Anxiety has got to be one of the most difficult emotions to suppress.  If you're like me - and I'm assuming if you're reading this then we likely share number of similar characteristics - it is not in your nature to sit back and watch the world go by.  You need to be doing something; you need to be planting some seed or nurturing one that you've previously sown.  Sitting and watching is next to impossible. 

Deliberate Practice in Pursuit of Goals

For years now, I've been enthused and passionate about investigating the role of talent in shaping the person we become in our lives.  Books like "Talent is Overrated" by Geoff Colvin, "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell, and "Mindset" by Carol Dweck had huge impacts on shaping my perspective about innate abilities and showing evidence that we all truly have much more control over our lives than we initially assume.  I have recently read "Bounce" by Matthew Syed, who was an Olympic table tennis player for Great Britain.  He had won numerous European table tennis championships as well as Commonwealth Championships - but readily admits to choking in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.  At that point, he began to investigate the intricacies of success, why some experts choke, and the role of genetics in shaping our talent.  The book was phenomenal (I hope to do a write up on it soon).  Syed knows a thing or two about success in athletics at the highest levels, which gives the book some validity over the others, who were written by psychologists and journalists.  "Bounc" is like "Talent is Overrated", "Outliers", and "Mindset" on steroids (in fact, Syed even talks about steroid use in sports!).

Anyway, it was another eye opener into what we are truly capable of accomplishing with, as Colvin defines it, "deliberate practice".  Deliberate practice can be thought of as hours of focused practice - not going to the driving range to hit golf balls, but going to the driving range, focusing on the grip for hundreds of swings, then focusing on the backswing for hundreds of swings, etc.  Ideally, you'd be able to film yourself or receive immediate feedback so you can make minor adjustments.  Watch this talk from Colvin.  While this task is much different than perfecting a golf swing, the message remains unchanged:

Beer Economics: To Brew or not to Brew . . .

We all have our "thing".  The "thing" . . . you know, the one that you, savor extraordinaire, just won't budge on.  It goes against every principle you try to uphold on a daily basis.  It's material, it's expensive, it's unnecessary, but it's sooooooo good!  Maybe it's coffee?  No, you would never frequent Starbucks each morning for a $5 Pumpkin Spice Latte with your name spelled incorrectly down the side - that would be asinine.  But there are still ways to get your fix, to feed that craving, and conquer that one weakness for a reasonable price.  Maybe when you're at the grocery store staring at that wall of Folgers and Maxwell House, maybe you can't help yourself but reach for a bag of Peet's for only $1 more per bag, or 15 cents more per pot.

Mine?  Mine is craft beer.  My dad had been brewing beer long before it was hip.  I sidestepped the Icehouse college phase.  I never "moved up" to the expensive Coors Light.  Nope, my first "bad" beer was Sam Adam's.  At that point, I was doomed.  It's a one way track.  A guy can move from Iowa to California and he'll understand what he had been missing, but you can't expect a Californian to relocate from San Diego to Des Moines and survive.  It's a step backwards, in his eyes.  After my dad's craft beer, there was no turning back. 

But craft beer exploded.  Now, a six pack of Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Extra ale will set you back $9.99, if you're lucky, and that's before taxes.  You want to buy Ballast Point Sculpin in Chicago?  How about $13 minimum?!

Utility - In Another Sense

Utility, in an economic sense, is defined in Investopedia as:

"Utility is an abstract concept rather than a concrete, observable quantity. The units to which we assign an "amount" of utility, therefore, are arbitrary, representing a relative value. Total utility is the aggregate sum of satisfaction or benefit that an individual gains from consuming a given amount of goods or services in an economy."

I became familiar with the term "utility" in this regard from Jordan Ellenberg's "How Not To Be Wrong" and it intrigued me.  Business Insider and Smithsonian give nice summaries of its use in the book here and here respectively.  The gist of it is that everything comes with a cost and you need to ask yourself what cost are you willing to pay for a level of comfort.  It is an "inconvenience factor" and Ellenberg measures it in utils.

Financial Freedom - July 2015

I recently (better late than never!) came across a couple of blogs that I really enjoyed on personal finance:  Root of Good and Mr. Money Mustache.  Both blogs focus on early retirement and different techniques to become financially independent - my goal numero uno.  Mr. Money Mustache has a way of conveying to readers the proper mindset one needs to go down this path and the differences between those who achieve this goal and those who do not.  My favorite part of Root of Good is the financial update and transparency he provides into his family's financials with monthly updates. 

After being inspired by these two blogs of men who have successfully obtained financial freedom, it occurred to me that, while it is extremely beneficial to read about the reflections of those who have succeeded, it may be even more beneficial to document the journey as it unfolds.

Personal Goals - Ultimate, Tangible, and Intangible

My Goals:

SUCCESS = FREEDOM

1)  No regrets
2)  Maximize time with family and ensure happiness
3)  Financial Freedom by 1/1/2020
4)  Relocate family and purchase home in Chicago area.  Accomplished 3/31/2015
5)  Purchase/Open Business
6)  Travel as much as possible

*Doing all of this with integrity in a way that would make God proud and with the end result of leaving this world a better place than when I entered it.

As you can see, some of these are more tangible than others.  No regrets?  Maximize time with family?  It is difficult to quantify whether or not these are accomplished.  I'll tell you that I KNOW when I'm NOT spending enough time with family, but how do you really know if you have maximized it? 

Overcoming Weakness

How can you expect to improve in your area of expertise, your chosen field, or as a person in general by focusing solely on your strengths?  Everyone has a weakness; what differentiates those who succeed from those who do not is how those weaknesses are dealt with. 

In "The Art of Learning", Josh Waitzkin discusses the necessity to identify your weaknesses and work on improving them until they no longer hold you back.  In case you are not aware, Josh is the subject of the book and movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer". 

The Power of Silence

-"Brevity is the soul of wit.  If you've got something to say, say it and stop talking.  If you don't have anything to say, you're doing yourself and others a favor by keeping quiet.  If you can't make a contribution, don't slow down the people who can."  -Craig Newmark, Craigslist Founder, "Getting There"

Listen more, talk less.  Try it.  As with any exercise in discipline, it is difficult at first, becomes easier with practice, and, once accomplished, is EXTREMELY empowering and fulfilling.  So many people feel they have to make a statement about all topics that come up in casual conversation.  Why? 

What it boils down to is protection of ego. 

The Problem with Self-Help

It seems everywhere you turn these days, someone is trying to help you help yourself - with either rah-rah infomercials or "You Can Do It" blogs. Here are a few problems I see with these:

How much time and money are you spending on these products?

Think about what you could accomplish in the time you expended constantly reading self-help blogs and ebooks online? Think about what you could do with the money you spent on purchasing products from these gurus. You could save it up and buy some weights, if your goal is go become more fit.

8 Minor Adjustments to Maximize Productivity Towards Your Ultimate Goal

I don't think an entire blog needs to be dedicated to changing your daily life.  I think you can get the point across in a single post or two.  Once you have a handle on it, you should be able to assess your own life and optimize your actions - no further blog reading or research necessary on how to maximize the time in your day.  So . . .

Each morning offers the opportunity to start fresh . . . a new beginning, a clean slate.  Many people wake up and immediately begin to stress and dread about what they have to do that day.  That mentality sets the stage for an unorganized, unproductive day.  Others use the morning to plan out tasks they intend to accomplish that day to help them reach their ultimate goal.  That small difference can have an extraordinary compounding effect and create a drastic advantage for that person over others.  For a quick analysis of how little changes can make a big difference, check out a previous post comparing Al and Joe and the differences in their routines.

Making slight adjustments each day can create the foundation for a healthier, more productive life, set you up to ultimately achieve your goal, and pay dividends in your future.  Below are 8 suggestions for maximizing your time each day:

1. Workout in the morning

Planning to workout in the morning can mean an improved chance that you actually do workout that day.