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Month: January 2022

  • Its’s Working: Mostly Whole 30

    I’m past the halfway point for the Whole30 (or, in my case, the mostly Whole30) and i’m pretty sure I can make it the rest of the way. More importantly, I’m not sure if I will go back to the pre-Whole30 days. It’s working for me on a couple different levels.

    I’m doing the Whole30 for a couple reasons. First, to support my wife who wanted to do it as a reset after the holidays and all the things that come with the Holidays in a covid-driven time. I’m interested in experiencing how my body performs without all the grains, the alcohol, and (mostly) without dairy. And, like a lot of folks, I’m trying to re-evaluate the role food and alcohol plays in my life, overall, and how I use food when it’s not simply fueling a workout. More on that later.

    In general, though, I feel much better. Lighter and less puffy, since I’m not having a beer or two each night. Sleep is solid, consistent, restful for the first time in years. I’m no longer waking up at 1 AM and staying awake for 2 hours, wondering why. I haven’t weighed myself (the point isn’t about weight loss), but I think I’m losing a little weight.

    I’m going to keep going. I feel so much better, why wouldn’t I?

  • Create More, Consume Less

    Has there ever been a better time in human history to be a curious person? Everything you could ever want to learn is right at your fingertips, a click away. It’s amazing to have the resources to find, learn, understand and connect to experts, especially when you really need them. And, of course, our brains love the stimulation and the spark that comes when we lock into a new concept.

    So much to learn, so little time. Getting smarter every day.

    But, we need balance in our lives. In all things. The risk in all the stuff out there – videos, apps, stories, tweets, reels, snaps, etc – is that “learning”, “research” turns into consumption, pure and simple. We can fill our heads with ideas and mental models and theories, but unless we’re doing something with the knowledge, we’re just letting it wash over us. “Learning” turns into distraction.

    The flipside of consumption is creation. Making something new out of the materials we’ve found is a generative act that, when done adequately, results in a helpful contribution.

    We have to put that knowledge into action, put it to work. Certainly, we can apply it in our daily jobs to sharpen our own abilities and improve the quality of the work we do. Better is to share the insights and ideas to make things better, easier, smarter, more rewarding for the folks around us. Ideally, we’re adding to the knowledge base by contributing insights, new methods and genuinely new ideas.

    2022 is still just getting started. This year, I want to create more than I consume. Making music and art at home will keep me creative and engaged in the world. Creating for work – writing, podcasts, webinars, coaching – will give us a chance to push the ball of knowledge forward, and, hopefully, put us in touch with others who are trying to do the same thing.

  • Time is of the Essence

    Tempus fugit. Every knows that in their head, but for some of us it creates a distinct, deep feeling. It’s January 1, 2022. Another year. Another clean slate, in a lot of ways. I can feel it in my body and in my gut that I’m not getting younger, that time is slipping away. I’m proud of what i’ve done with the time I’ve been given, but I want to make sure I make the most of the time I have left.

    2021 was a shitshow in a lot of ways. People I love who died way too early, people i know and admire dealing with significant mental health issues, planetary crisis, democracy in peril, etc. I don’t have to list it out. We all experienced it.

    I’ve got no new insight into time, but I do have a newfound sense of urgency, a new mindfulness about potential distractions.

    Resolution #1 for 2021: Avoid distractions that take my time away from me.