Your mood when you wake up. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed is your choice. You alone decide how you’ll approach each new day.
Your morning routine. What’s included or excluded? How much time are you providing for yourself in the morning? Are you rushing, or welcoming the day at the pace of your choosing?
The tone of interactions you have with others. Are you smiling when you’re talking (whether in person or by phone)? Are you looking for faults in others, or the good in others? The energy you bring is your choice.
Your career choice. Unhappy at work? What are you doing to change it? Are you changing your situation, or just complaining. Not sure if you should work in your chosen profession? What are you doing to figure it out? If this profession isn’t for you, what concrete steps are you taking to prepare to work in another profession? You decide all of it.
Whether you choose to manage your day, or let it manage you.
The places you visit and frequent.
Your hobbies. Do you even have a hobby, or are you too “busy” for anything that brings you joy or peace outside of work?
Your friends. Are they lifting you up or bringing you down? Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Choose wisely.
The organizations you choose to join or support.
This list only scratches the surface.
It’s easiest to let someone, or something, else make the decisions for you. But remember—choosing not to decide is a decision, and you own it.
So, what kind of day will you have? What kind of life will you live?
I always encourage strong leadership. I extol the value of leaders who take bold action, make decisions, who are prepared to fail, learn, and try again…all in the pursuit of excellence.
The President of the United States is often called “the leader of the free world.”
Maybe that’s why the moment I heard that President Biden is ending his reelection campaign today, and endorsing Kamala Harris for the job, I immediately started thinking of the things a strong leader would do with this opportunity.
So, here’s my short list of what Kamala Harris should do over the next 10 days:
She must take bold and decisive steps to show that she is presidential material; that she is the leader the country needs. This will mean stripping away the layers of spokespeople, surrogates, and others who often represent our political leaders. This effort is 100% on her and her alone, as the strong leader she wants voters to see.
She should immediately schedule 30-minute live interviews with anchors of each network (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, MSNBC, CNN, OANN, etc.), and 30-minute interviews with the top 10 podcasts (both liberal and conservative).
Making these interviews “live” events does two things:
Shows that she doesn’t need teleprompters, jump-cuts, or any other gimmicks to handle questions from news anchors or podcasters.
Shows that she can energetically express and articulate her vision for the next four years, and competently address questions from all sides of the political spectrum.
She should travel to 7-10 of the most contentious (“battleground”) states, visiting multiple cities in each of the states to hold campaign events. She should invite each of her potential VP hopefuls to attend as well so she and the nation can see what they have to offer in this “new” post-Biden environment.
When reporters ask her about the 25th Amendment and why she hasn’t attempted to invoke it over the past year, she should state that while she hasn’t seen the need up to this point, she will be evaluating that need considering what’s taken place over the past 30 days.
This will put the nation and the President on notice that she may take action between now and January 20, 2025, if necessary. It will also allow her to step further outside of his shadow and stand on her own.
Does Kamala Harris have what it takes to show this type of strong and bold leadership? Does she have the energy and drive to pull this off?
We shall see.
She often says we should focus on “what can be, unburdened by what has been.”
I’m working on an autobiography of sorts. It’s a compilation of my answers to a series of questions. There are about 75 of them that act as prompts. Here are some examples:
Tell me about your childhood home.
What were your school days like?
What was your favorite fashion trend when you were a kid?
How did you meet your spouse?
The idea is that my kids and grandkids and anyone else who’s interested can learn more about my life as they read through my answers to these questions. It’s been a fun project that I’ve been working on over the past 3-4 months.
I just finished answering this question and thought I’d share my answer here:
Can you share a favorite quote or saying of yours?
Life is a journey, not a destination.
I’m not sure who said this first. It’s something I said for years before learning that it was a famous quote from someone else. Turns out there are posters and artwork that you can buy that highlight this quote. Maybe I saw the quote decades ago and it lived in my subconscious mind until later in life.
I don’t have anything against goal setting or visualizing a future and going after it. But it’s important to avoid having tunnel vision in your pursuit of goal achievement since you may miss other opportunities and experiences that introduce themselves along the way.
I’m reminded of a drawing of a stickperson on a ladder. They are locked in on their goal: reaching the top of that ladder before anyone else. This person even jumps over someone and kicks another person off the ladder in their effort to reach the top first. When this person finally reaches the top, they find that the ladder doesn’t actually lead anywhere. Their ladder is standing in the air and not leaning against anything.
The lesson is to make sure the ladder you’re climbing is going somewhere you really want to go.
When you reach your goal, no matter how lofty and difficult it was to achieve, you are merely at a new starting point or more accurately, you’ve made it to one of an infinite number of stops in your life-long journey.
The real goal should be to maximize your enjoyment of the journey itself. To appreciate the small things that happen, the surprises, the diversions, the successes and the failures, the people you meet, and the places you get to experience along the way.
Life is that thing that happens while you’re busy making other plans.
This one is closely related to the first quote. Life is a series of “nows” that are happening in real-time. You can make plans, point yourself in a particular direction, and even tell yourself that you’re in control of all the things that are happening in your life (spoiler alert – you’re not in control of all the things, you only control your response to all the things).
The time to start something new or something that will improve your life is always six months ago. While you’re busy talking about your future, it’s already happening. That thing you’re thinking about doing today but procrastinating while you do more planning will become that thing you should have done six months ago.
Plans are valuable, and you should have a broad plan with some key pillars that you can stand on throughout your life. It’s equally important to avoid hiding behind the planning phases of your life and forgetting to live your life purposely. It turns out that life’s happening anyway, so you might as well live it proactively and not reactively.
These are the good times.
The shortened version of this among friends is, “Good times.” Meaning these are the good times we’ll look back on fondly when we get older. No matter how screwed up something is, or how hard the thing you’re doing right now is, or how much you just failed… all of it will be lumped into your mind and memory as “good times” from your past.
In fact, some of your worst life experiences or life failures might even become the fondest memories you share in the future. You might reflect on how great something was, or how it was good that you had that failure or that heartbreak so you could apply what you learned later in life.
It’s unfortunate that we usually don’t realize this when these things are happening to us in the present.
Living next to a farm with about forty sheep has given me a front-row seat to their daily lives. Over the past year, I’ve seen them at all hours and noticed some interesting patterns that remind me of a lot of human behavior.
Sticking Together
Sheep love being in groups. They usually form smaller sub-groups of 5-7 sheep within the larger herd. Reminds me of people having their close-knit circles within bigger communities, generally preferring company over solitude.
Group Dynamics and Hierarchy
Within these small groups, there’s occasional head-butting and shoving, but mostly they’re focused on grazing, lounging around, or scratching against trees. Similar to humans at work or in social settings, where there’s a bit of jockeying for position, but everyone hopefully gets on with their day.
Follow the Leader
One of the funniest things I’ve seen is how a couple of sheep will suddenly start trotting off for no apparent reason. The rest of their group will follow, clearly not knowing why they’re running. The “leaders” that start the trotting vary from day to day. How often have you seen this type of “herd mentality,” where people follow trends or actions without really knowing why.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
If a sub-group that has decided to run catches the attention of another sub-group, the two sub-groups might quickly merge. The sheep don’t know why they’re running, or where they’re going…but they don’t want to miss out. FOMO is a big deal for sheep…much like humans.
The Scramble for Resources
When the farmer’s family arrives with grain, the entire herd rushes to the troughs, leading to a chaotic scramble. Despite having abundant grass resources in the pasture, each sheep’s behavior reflects their drive to secure for themselves what they perceive as limited (before any of the other sheep can do the same). Humans, too, often scramble for limited resources or opportunities, even when there are other alternatives.
Jostling for Position
Despite having lots of shade and pasture available, sheep still push each other around to control certain spots. This behavior shows their competitive nature and a focus on what others have, reflecting human tendencies to compete for the best spots or the latest trends, even when they’re not necessary.
Sheeple?
Watching sheep has given me some surprising insights into human behavior. Their actions highlight our social nature, competitive streak, and tendency to follow others for fear of missing out. Next time you find yourself in a crowd or following the latest trend, ask yourself: are you leading, following, or just trying to keep up with the flock?
It’s surprising how much we have in common with our woolly friends—even if we’d rather not admit it.
Emotional energy is the most important personal resource for a leader. Leadership is demanding. Leading is a verb and that action requires a tremendous amount of energy, emotional energy.
If your emotional energy reserves are low, your leadership will suffer.
What is Emotional Energy?
Emotional energy is your internal fuel tank. It’s what keeps you motivated, resilient, and mentally strong. For leaders, high emotional energy is essential. It fuels your ability to inspire and guide your team. When you’re full of energy, you’re more positive, proactive, and effective.
Emotional Energy Drains
Several things can sap your emotional energy:
Troubles at Home: Personal issues and family conflicts can weigh heavily on your mind, leaving you drained.
Doing Too Much at Once: Multitasking and overcommitting can lead to burnout.
Feeling Like a Failure: Constant self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy can deplete your energy.
Worrying About Small Stuff: Focusing too much on minor details that don’t matter will waste your energy.
Emotional Energy Boosters
To keep your emotional energy high, think and act strategically:
Prioritize energizing activities: Engage in things that make you happy and relaxed, like hobbies, exercise, and spending time with loved ones.
Eliminate Energy Drains: Identify tasks and responsibilities that drain you and find ways to reduce or eliminate them. Delegate when possible and don’t be afraid to say no.
Practice self-care in your daily habits: Make time to get enough sleep, eat well, and have quiet time for your brain to relax. Purposely practice gratitude, take breaks, and prioritize good boundaries around your work-life schedule (this last one will take some effort, but the payback is huge).
Create a supportive environment: Surround yourself with positive people both at work and home. Foster open communication and a culture of mutual respect and understanding. Recognize and celebrate achievements…when was the last time you wrote a personal email or sent a handwritten card to someone congratulating them on an achievement or milestone?
Emotional Energy and Leadership
When your emotional energy is high, you’ll handle challenges better, inspire your team more, and maintain a positive outlook. Your positive energy will ripple across your team and multiply the potential for the entire organization.
What will you do today to protect and recharge your emotional energy?
More importantly, how will you use it to transform your leadership approach tomorrow?
p/c – yours truly at a small lake in Hillsdale, Michigan. An energizing place for some quiet time.
The Hawthorne Effect refers to a psychological phenomenon where humans modify their behavior in response to being observed or studied. This effect was first observed in the 1920s and 30s during a series of studies conducted at the Western Electric Hawthorne Works in Chicago, hence the name.
The studies were designed to investigate the relationship between lighting conditions and worker productivity. But researchers found that regardless of changes in lighting, workers’ productivity improved when they knew they were being observed. This meant that the mere act of being the subject of an experiment or receiving attention could influence individuals to perform better.
It also means this powerful personal growth tool is available to you. It turns out that you are the observer you’ve been waiting for, the catalyst for your own transformation.
“You can’t learn to swim by reading a book about swimming. You have to get in the water.” – Unknown
The Burpee Quest
Funny thing about burpees: watching someone do a burpee makes it look super easy (barely an inconvenience). If a Crossfit guy tells you that a good warmup is 10 burpees per minute for 10 minutes, you might think that’s totally doable…until you try it. You’ll learn about muscles you haven’t used in years. You’ll be reminded that gravity is not your friend, and that you’re not as coordinated as you thought.
What if you start by doing 10? Not 10 per minute for 10 minutes. Just 10. Each day.
That’s a tangible and doable goal to start. You can observe (there’s that word) your progress and set incremental milestones for more. Maybe you move up to 20 per day the second week, 40 per day the third week.
A great way to keep track of your progress is to track your progress. Sounds simple…but most people skip the tracking. Tracking is your way to observe (there’s it is) your progress, and lets you become your own motivating force. Write the date and burpee count down on a piece of paper, in your favorite journaling app, or maybe in an Excel spreadsheet.
You are incrementally moving toward 100 burpees in a day. You’re tracking your progress and will start to see the significance of each step toward your goal.
There’s something else you can observe (that word again). Your body’s responses while you’re doing the exercise. It will get easier as you go. Easy? No, just easier. Your body (and mind) will begin to move to a higher level of performance. Your baseline capability will increase. Gravity still isn’t your friend, but you’re starting to learn how to partner with gravity to do the next burpee.
“Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous.” – Confucius
It’s been 4 or 5 weeks since you started this quest. You’re now able to do 3 sets of 25 burpees each day. You haven’t reached 100 burpees yet, but you’re well on your way. If you’re like most people, you might observe (there it is) that you can lighten up a bit at this point. You’ve totally got this. You don’t need to push as hard to improve from here. Your goal is in sight. Don’t fall into this trap!
This is the moment to refocus your goal…push it out a bit…extend the finish line. You’ve already mastered the movements, now you need to apply discipline and blow past your original goal of 100 burpees per day. Parlay this achievement into the next goal?
Maybe actually using the 100 burpees as the warmup that Crossfit guy described. You’ve been working on just getting to 100 burpees in a day, but what’s the next exercise you can do after your burpee warmup?
Same process. Take it in increments, track your progress, celebrate your milestones, welcome to another new baseline, continue to improve, set the next goal.
How can you apply this to your profession?
Actively seek opportunities to acquire new skills. Embrace the awkwardness of not knowing exactly how to do something…and do it anyway. Remember that the satisfaction of learning and growth is uniquely yours. You, as the observer, choose the path of continuous learning. It’s the best way (the only way) to adapt to the evolving demands of your profession.
Improve your value in increments, track your progress, establish new baselines, continue to improve. Sound familiar?
Solicit constructive feedback from colleagues and mentors, appreciating external input as valuable guidance. However, remember that you are the only one who can internalize and implement these insights. Nobody will do it for you.
“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.” – Vernon Law
Your Keys to Self-Improvement
Consistently integrate self-observation and improvement into your routine, recognizing that only you can chart the course of your personal growth.
Reflect on your experiences, setbacks, and successes, understanding that the satisfaction of improvement is a personal journey. You are the sole interpreter of your progress.
Remain flexible and open-minded, adjusting your methods based on feedback and new insights. As the observer, you continually determine refinements to your approach.
Embrace setbacks as opportunities for growth, understanding that the satisfaction derived from overcoming challenges is a deeply personal experience. Stay committed to your objectives, recognizing that only you can appreciate the significance of your efforts.
The Hawthorne Effect is your friend (unlike gravity). Use it and always remember that you are the observer, the driver, and the one who benefits most from your continuous improvement journey.
True renewal is a deliberate act of self-reclamation…
p/c: a recent sunset at our little homestead
Prayer to Saint Joseph the Worker
O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor,
obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins;
to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations;
to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God;
to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials;
to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death. Amen. – Pope St. Pius X
In life’s journey, we may find ourselves off course or losing track of our original path. We may even fail ourselves or those we love. It is in these moments that we are being called to profound self-discovery and renewal.
Renewal is not a passive occurrence. As the prayer to Saint Joseph states, it requires us “to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above [our] natural inclinations.” True renewal is a deliberate act of self-reclamation. We have a duty to ourselves and those we love to put in the work that leads to our self-transformation.
It isn’t easy (nothing worthwhile ever is). It involves adapting, finding new ways, and being intentional about embracing change.
When we realize that ours is always a season of renewal, that we can “work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of [our] many sins,” then we will be able “to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from [the] weariness and trials” of our self-improvement.
May the spirit of renewal be our guide, not diverting us from our journey but enhancing it. May we find the resilience within us to adapt, renew, and move forward with a fresh sense of purpose and determination.
Procrastination initiates a cascade of preventable urgencies, turning manageable tasks into overwhelming burdens and sowing seeds of chaos in our future.
Few things strike fear into the hearts of students quite like the term paper.
The teacher lays out the assignment – a substantial research paper requiring thorough analysis and a minimum of 5000 words. Oh yeah…and half of your grade in the class will be based on how well you do on the term paper. You have until the last week of the semester to get it done.
You think about the topic. You might even jot down some notes on your phone about how you’ll approach it. But there’s no need to rush on this assignment. You have plenty of time. Besides, your friends are heading out to get some tacos and margaritas at your favorite Mexican restaurant. This term paper can wait another day.
As the weeks go by, a creeping feeling of impending doom grips your subconscious. You haven’t started work on that term paper. Growing anxiety and stress become unwelcome companions as the deadline looms closer, and you realize the gravity of the task at hand.
Unfortunately, you have other things on your plate that need more attention. Ironically, many of these more-urgent items are other long-term projects that you had chosen to delay…until now.
The urgency of the term paper magnifies as the deadline inches closer. The once-manageable project becomes an overwhelming burden.
You start to question the fairness of the assignment. How can this teacher expect me to write 5000 words on this topic when I have all these other classes to manage and so little time to get it done?
A cascade of preventable urgencies engulfs your life, leaving you in a world of self-inflicted chaos.
Sound familiar?
The term paper saga is a small-scale reflection of the self-inflicted busyness and chaos in our lives.
Only a disciplined and methodical approach to our tasks can break the grip of procrastination. Our bias must be toward thoughtful and immediate action, not mindless delays to another day.
The time to start work on that long-term project is now, not tomorrow. The time to continue work on that long-term project is tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day after that.
Procrastination is a choice. Each delay we accept sows seeds of chaos in our future. Every task we postpone adds to the burden our future selves must bear.
Tim Ferriss asks a question of most of his podcast guests:
“If you had a billboard that millions of people would see every day, what would you put on that billboard?”
Tim’s guests have given answers ranging from the comedic to the serious. Some have talked about a cause that is their passion, or an inspirational passage they’d like people to see.
Each time I hear the question, I come up with the same three words:
Serve others first.
Serving others first means:
taking others’ needs and desires into account before our own
looking out for their best interest first
our decisions are more thoroughly considered because we’ll be taking time to think about how our decisions impact others
trying to make someone else’s job easier and more rewarding
showing someone gratitude for the work they’re doing
minding our manners (as my mom used to say when I was a kid)
listening to, and respecting others (even if we disagree with them)
looking for ways to improve a situation rather than making things worse
being the first to forgive.
It’s easy to focus on our own interests and challenges first. It’s easy to think everything happening in the world is directed toward us, personally. This “me first” mindset is hard-wired into our DNA…our DNA is selfish about 99.99% of the time.
The tougher path?
It’s the one that leads to serving others first. It goes against our wiring, which takes significant effort.
None of us will be perfect on this path. We’ll stumble, and we may even wander a bit. But, we can be a blessing for others along our journey, and that’s what we should be seeking.
The good news is that following this path gets easier with practice.
Grandpa Bob Encouraging Leadership 
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