Get Out. Get Moving. Start.

Action always beats intention.

A dream you don’t have to fight for isn’t a dream—it’s a nap. One changes your afternoon. The other changes your world. Keep fighting.

#4 in 2011: How to be humble.

Leadership December 27, 2011 • Comments

Someone once told me that the secret to being humble is remembering that it’s not all about you.

“It’s” meaning the world, the day, the conversation at a coffee shop, the traffic jam you’re stuck in, etc.

My friend said that in order to really believe it’s not all about you, you have to believe that everyone is more interesting than you. The person who cleans your room at a hotel, the guy next to you in traffic, the businessman who sits next to you on a plane. Everyone.

I thought this was an impossible feat. And honestly, kind of dumb advice.

Keep Reading —›

#5 in 2011: Make sure you disappoint the right people.

Leadership December 26, 2011 • Comments

(As I wrote recently, I’m going to end the year with the top 5 posts from 2011. Today kicks off with number #5. See you on Sunday, January 1 for Finish Year!)

A few weeks ago, I was supposed to run in an event called “The Warrior Dash.” It’s a 5K obstacle course that involves mud, fire, water and Viking helmets. I’d signed up for it months ago. But 24 hours before the event, I decided not to go.

Why?

Keep Reading —›

What are you going to finish in 2012?

Quitter December 23, 2011 • Comments

Today is the day we all share the goals we’re committing to for FinishYear!

Why are we doing FinishYear?
Because completed dreams change the world.

What are we going to do?
Tweet, Facebook post or comment on this blog every day in January with the hashtag #FinishYear to share our progress, roadblocks and encouragement.

Why are we doing it together?
Because fear always tries to isolate you when you go on a new adventure, and dreaming is best played as a team sport.

When and where does it start?
On Sunday, January 1, 2012 right here on this blog.

That said, here is what I am committing to finishing this year.

Keep Reading —›

Fuzzy goals fail. Here’s how to fix yours.

Quitter December 22, 2011 • Comments

Tomorrow is the day we all share our goals for FinishYear! I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got planned for 2012. As you work on your list of goals, I want to remind you of something. If your goals aren’t measurable or tangible, you won’t actually finish them. Every great book on goal setting will tell you that.

But how do you take a goal from fuzzy and undefined to crystal clear and actionable?

Here’s what I’m doing for one of my goals this year:

Keep Reading —›

Don’t overkill your resolutions.

Quitter December 21, 2011 • Comments

When I was a kid, my grandmother had a simple rule about taking us out to dinner: She’d pay for your meal if you ate the whole thing.

What I learned early on was that my eyes were often bigger than my stomach. Especially at cafeteria-style restaurants where I could grab plates of food as I walked down the aisle. Spaghetti? Yes. Hamburger? Yes. Bread sticks? Yes. Cake? Yes. Pie? Yes. I grabbed and grabbed and grabbed until I could barely carry my tray. It was too much, and trying to eat everything I had access to just to finish it usually made me sick.

Keep Reading —›

How to build a “Finish List.”

Quitter December 20, 2011 • Comments

Yesterday, I challenged you to finish something this year. I dared you to jump into Finish Year with me. But how do you pick something to “finish?” What does that even mean? If you’ve got a book you’ve always wanted to write, it’s easy to say “I’ll finish my manuscript this year,” but what if you don’t have a goal like that?

Those are great questions to ask, and the hardest part of Finish Year might be figuring out something worthy to finish.

Here are a few ways to build your Finish List:

Keep Reading —›

The worst thing about worst-case scenarios.

Leadership/ Quitter December 16, 2011 • Comments

Sometimes, I like to pretend I am confident, but that’s not entirely true.

How do I know?

Well, for the last 12 years, if someone closed a door at work in an office or a conference room, I thought I was getting fired.

My assumption was that they shut the door so that they could talk about firing me. Even if I didn’t know the team members having a meeting, my first thought was that I should go ahead and pack up my stuff.

I don’t think that makes me a “glass is half empty” kind of guy. I think that makes me a “glass is half empty and the half that is there is scorpions” kind of guy.

My philosophy with life was this:

Keep Reading —›

5 reasons to hit pause on your blog this Christmas.

Blogging December 14, 2011 • Comments

Last Christmas, I saw blogger Tony Morgan do something on his blog that was brilliant. I swore in that moment that I would copy it next year and do the same exact thing.

Which brings us to today.

Last year, Tony hit pause on his blog for the last ten days of December. Instead of creating new content, he reposted the top ten most popular posts from the year.

Why am I doing that and why should you too? I can think of 5 great reasons:

Keep Reading —›