http://www.alifeinfull.org/
IdentityandPersonal Transformation-LifeLists,Audits andResumes
Dr.ChrisStout
LinkedInTopVoice|BestSellingAuthor|Adventurer|Startup Whisperer|(Accidental)Humanitarian|APA's"Rockstar"…
January3,2022
Thismaynowofficiallyhavebecomeanannualtraditionasthisisthethird timeIhavedoneaNewYear’spieceontools,experimentsandapproaches thatIhaveusedordoneintheyearprior.OnJanuary1st2019,I devotedanepisodeofmypodcastasaone-person-showandrevieweda prior,long-formInfluencerpost,WhatYouNeedtoKnowtohavean OptimizedHealthspan:Bio-hackingforBeginners.Thatarticlewasborn fromanexperienceIhadconcerningsomeone’scuriosityaboutmydietary choicesandtheresults.Thatepisodegarneredalotofkindsupport,and soI’mnowexperimentingwitheachNewYearassimilarapproachof explorationandsharing.
InJanuary2020,IwroteEpicIdeasfor2020:RevolutionoverResolutions andthefollowingJanuary2021,IwroteLivingaLifeinFull:Revolution overResolutions2.0.Likethefirsttwoyears,thiswillbeanupdate/followup.(Thisyear,however,Iwillnotbedoingacompanionpodcastaudio version,asthenumberofguestshasincreasedsomuch.Also,sincethere willnotbeacompanionaudionarrativetothiswrittenversion,Iwillbe lesswordyandmore“bulleted”and,ofcourse,everythingwillhavelinks galoresoyoucaneasilylearnmoreaboutwhateverisofinterest.And worrynot,noaffiliatelinks—Ihavenoeconomicincentivesnoradvertising relationshipswithanythirdpartiesnotedherein.Ihavenotbeenprovided withanypaidendorsements,kickbacksorcommercialpayments–Ihave personallyboughtandpaidforallproductsandservicesdiscussed.)
Inmakingthispublicandbeingtransparent,Ihopetoperhapsinform(or inspire)youtothinkaboutyourlifeandwhatexperiencesyoumaywantto add.Byinvolvingothers,ithelpstonotonlymotivateme,butalsoholds meaccountable.
Doingthisisalittlescary—toputoneselfoutthereinaprettytransparent way.Beingmindfulthatitishardtogiveadvice.Wearealldifferentandin amyriadofways.Therearealotofinterveningvariablesinourownlives.I don’talwayskeepdoingthesamethingsorinthesamewayasIageor circumstanceschange.Ifyoutryanyofwhatfollows,pleasedosoasan experiment.Labcoatonandclipboardoptional.Kickthetires,testdrive, andkeepinmindyourmileagemayvary.Please,pleasedoyourresearch ofthelinksanddeterminewhat'sgoodforyou—testandretest—rinseand-repeat.MygoalistoexposeyoutowhatIhaveexperienced,perhaps saveyousometimeandhasslebydoingso,andprovideyouwithsources soyoucandecideforyourself.
This post is for general information uses only, and it does not constitute the practice of psychology, medicine, nutrition, or any other professional health care service, including the giving of medical or psychological advice. No doctor-patient relationship is formed. And as a warning label for readers, do not try to recreate or re-intact any of the activities that have any risk to your health or wellbeing without proper training or medical clearance. If you are dealing with a serious medical condition, please consult with a healthcare professional before engaging in any of the health and athletic activities discussed in this episode. Don’t be a knucklehead.
WhileIcontinuetodoabitofcontext-settingreprisingofsomeareas,I’m nottryingtoplagiarizemyselfwhenIcoversomeaspectsagain.I encourageinterestedreaderstoclickandgototheoriginalposts(and thoseattheendofthispieceaswell).Ihopeyouenjoythemandfind themtobeofuseinyourNewYear.
Ihaveusedthefollowingcategoriestoorganize whatfollows:
Professional Lifestyle Healthspan
Athleticism
IntellectualandCreative
AdviceandInspirationfromOthers
Tools
Quicknote,asIwasorganizingthevariousareasforthispiece,Icameto realizethatmayofthetopicsoverlap.Forexample,Lifestyleismadeupof wherewechosetolive,howweinteractwiththeenvironment(including wastemanagement,plantingsaplingsaswellasourownvegetables), buyinglocallyaswellasorganically(thussupportingcommunity businessesalongwithourpersonalhealthandwellnessorHealthspan). IntellectualandCreativeoverlapwiththeresearchandreadingthatgoes intothequestionsandconversationsinmypodcast.Pointistherewillbe manyareasthatoverlapandarenotdiscrete,sopleasescanthroughall thetopicsandpick-and-choosewhat’sofinterestormaybeacuriosity.
Oneofthekeyareasofmyworkthispastyearhasbeentoworkonthe developmentofmynon-profit,theCenterforGlobalInitiatives. Wehave continuedagainin2021tobeatoprankedhealthcarenonprofit andPlatinumRankedbyGuideStar.
ToolsforChange-LinkedInNewsletterWelaunchedaweeklynewsletter onLinkedIncalledToolsforChange.Itisalongformcurated/edited publicationthatwasbornfromtheneedtoprovideatrustedsourcefor pandemic,globalhealth,mentalhealthandhumanitarianinformationand news.AsIhaveopinedinpastarticleslikeHowtoProtectYourselffrom FadScienceandmythreepartseries,TheReproducibilityProblem—Can SciencebeTrusted?,—Shameonus?,and—What’saScientisttodo? Thisisanear-and-deartopicandconcernofmineandthisnewsletterisin serviceofthat.
ItisanexperimenttohelpwiththereachoftheCenterinitsopensourcingofhumanitarianworkbycuratingandsharingvetted,verified sources.Isuspectitwillevolveasthepandemicwains,sostaytuned. Pleasetakealookandsubscribe(free,ofcourse)andjoinover128,000 readerswhostaycurrentviaourdigest.
CourseWorks–FellowshipandCertificateProgramsWelaunched CourseWorksandfellowshipandcertificateprograms.Westartedby workingwithpartnersacrosstheglobeandwesoonfoundoutthatwith
anall-volunteerorganizationthat1:1workwasnotscalable. So,wethen "pivoted"anddevelopedanapproachwerefertoas"Open-Source HumanitarianIntervention,"inthatwefreelyprovidetoolsandresources tohelpotherswiththeirworkinthehumanitarianspace.Weworkto reducethefrictionandhasslesoftenassociated intheprocessofhelping andworkingwithothers.
Now,wehavetakentheopen-sourceapproachandappliedittoproviding instructionandlearninginthatallofthematerialsthatareusedinour Certificate Programsarefree;allthetime,toanyone,everywhere.All tuitiongoes tofundtheworkoftheCenteranditsprojects.NoCore Facultyarepaid,includingtheProgramChair.
Whatwehavedoneissourceandcuratematerials--articles,chapters, videos,talks,lectures,webinars,podcasts,books,websites,apps,andany otherhelpfulmedia--intoasyllabus,andthatsyllabusispartofa structuredcurriculumthatwhensuccessfullycompletedwillyielda Certification intheareaofspecialization fromtheCenter.Studentsreceive specificfeedbackandcritiqueoneachcomponentoftheirsubmitted courseworkforgrading. Oncethereisasuccessfulcompletionofthe course,thestudentreceivesatranscriptthatmaybesubmittedtotheir programoruniversityifneedbeasconfirmationofsuccessfulcompletion oftheCertificateProgramtheywereenrolledin.Theexpectation,however, isthatmoststudentsparticipatingintheCertificateProgramwillbepostgraduateorpost-doctoralstudents,andtheCertificationisanadditional credentialtoapplythelearningintheirworkandtobeabletolistontheir resume,bio,and/orCV.
ConsortiumforHumanitarianIntervention-TheCenterhasdeveloped aneducationandresearchConsortiumandcontractedwithtop Universities,MedicalSchools,andInternationalNGOs.
Wehavebuiltaworldclassfacultyandresourcesinordertoprovidethe tools,network,contacts,andsupportforCenterScholarstomakea differenceintheworldandadvancetheircareers. Werelyonour ConsortiumcolleaguestohelpwithaspectsoftheFellowship,Certification, andCenterprojects.
FacebookGroup-Wecurateandprovideneardaily,vettedinformation onCovid-19,thepandemic,publichealth, mentalhealth,psychology, globalhealthandmore,aswellasfosteraworldwidecommunityoflikemindedindividualshere
TheCenter’sWebsite -Wehavecompletedamajorwebsiterevampand expansionofCenterForGlobalInitiatives.orgwhereyoucanlearn aboutourprojectsandpartnersaswellashaveaccesstoamyriad ofTalksandvariousTools,allfreelyavailableinourcontinuingeffortsto Open-SourceHumanitarianIntervention.Wehavenopaywalls.
MasterClassinGettingPublished-Asameansofraisingfundingforthe Center’sworkaswellashelpingstudentspublishtheirwork,wedeveloped avideowebinarcourseentitled“How Publish in the New Millennium: From Scientific Journals to Best Sellers.” It’sbasedon8videolessonswithalmost threehoursofmaterialprovidingcountlessnewconcepts,storiesand examples!(Includingseveralattemptsathumor.)
Wecover:
Scientificandprofessionalpublishing
Bookpublishing-Traditional Contracts
Bookpublishing-Non-Traditional Tools
MarketingandSales Blogging Tutors,andmore
LearningObjectives–Studentswilllearnaboutthebestwaystoapproach submittingamanuscriptforscientificpublicationinpeerreviewed journals,themechanicsofbookcontracting(e.g.,howtosubmitanidea, whatpublishersarelookingfor,howtoevaluate(andnegotiate)a contract,royalties,advancesandcopyright,whytoNEVERfirstsubmita manuscripttoapublisher,differencesbetweenpublishers,whenyouneed anagent(andwhenyoudon’t),alongwithamyriadofadditional considerationsandadvice.
ThecoursecoverseBooks,Print-On-Demand,Amazon’sCreateSpaceand KDP,andothernon-traditionalapproachestopublishing,andhowtotellif platformisofhighqualityornot.Studentswilllearnaboutmarketing, mediakits,howtocreateanAmazonAuthorPage,booksignings,library talks,speakingandpromotionaltours,andbeingapodcastguestand otherpublicityaspects.
Thisisarich,fun,fact-and-experience-filledcoursethatcoverseverything youneedtoknow,fromapracticalandactionableperspective.
Podcast:LivingaLifeinFull
IwillcontinuetoserveasExecutiveProducerandHostofthesyndicated podcast,LivingaLifeinFull.Weareheadingintoourfifthseason,andto borrowfrompastguestandfriend,GuySpier,itismywayto“learnin public.”Theshowisinthetop5%accordingtoListenNotesandthesocial mediaaudiencereachisnowoverthreemillion
Thisshowisfortheintellectuallycurious.Youwanttonotjustknowmore abouttheinterestingandtheinnovative,butalsowhatmakesthemtick, andmaybeevenwhatmakesthemlaugh.
It’sgraduate-levelconversationswiththosemakingadifferenceinthe worldandthelivesofothers.LivingaLifeinFullprovidesdurableinsights andactionableknowledge,alongwithadashoffun. Thisshowbringsyou newideasandapproachessoyoucanlivealifeinfull.Guestsareawho’s whoofacademics,bestsellingauthors,high-caliberleaders,world changinghumanitarians,innovativeresearchers,paradigmbusting thought-leadersandglobalinnovators—allwithaunitingthreadofgiving back.Clickheretosubscribeforafreemonthlyupdate.
Hereisourguestlisttodate:
It'slikeagymmembershipforyourbrain.
Writing-IverymuchenjoywritingandmyLinkedInInfluencerpostson globalhealth,technology,andhumanitarianactivismisagreatvenue.I’m thrilledtobenearingahalf-millionfollowers.AndIwillbeworking togrowmyaudienceonMediumaswell.
Advisory-Iwillcontinuetoserveatvaryinglevelsincorporateadvising, consultingtoprivateequityandlaunchedcompanies,andcontinuetobe a“StartupWhisperer”asitwere.InthisprocessoverthelastyearIhave personallyfoundittobeastimulatingchallengeandlearningprocessto beinvolvedasaPrincipalInvestigatoronaNationalScienceFoundation SmallBusinessInnovationResearchgrantsubmission,aUSpatent, NIMH/SAMHSAgrants,andwiththeFDAintheareaofprescriptiondigital therapeutics(PDTx),510(k)predicateddeviceapplications,andsoftwareas amedicaldevice(SaMD)application.Ihavealsohadsomeinteresting experienceswithaSPAC/IPOandthesaleofanotherstartup.
AndIhaveoperationalizedthismoresoaswellandcurateavastsetof resources:
I'vealsofoundthatin2021startupsdidnotseemtohavea decrease.In fact,I'vebecomemuchmoreactiveinthestartupsthatIwasalreadyapart ofandIhavebeengettingotherinvitationsandrequestsforadvisoryor consultativerolestohelppromising,nascentcompanies.I'vecontinuedto developmyadvisortool-kitandIlookforwardtodoingmore
TalksandInterviews-Inspiteofthepandemic,Ihavebeenkindlyinvited tospeakanddointerviewsthispastyearasaratenottoodifferentthan prepandemictimes.
Work>Retire
Thusfar,Ihavesharedsomeofmy“Professional”activities.Ichosetostart offwiththemasIhaveshiftedintowhatsomewouldcall“early retirement.”RetirementcanbeviatheFIRE(FinanciallyIndependent,Retire Early)route,forothersperhapssomethingmoretraditional,orevenanIPO orsaleofabusiness.Howonegotorgetsthereisnotmypoint,butfor somereason,itreallychaffsmewhensomeonereferstomeasretired (obviouslyhavingnotyetreadthepreceding).Idonotthinkit’sbecause ofmyidentitybeingpredicatedonmytitleorjob,asIdonotreallyfitinto oneprofessionorcategory.
OthershavebeenbetterabletosaywhatitisIfeel:
Ireadasimplelittlenoteinacalloutboxinthe March/April2020issue of Inc. magazineabout“ReturnonLife”ratherthanthefamiliar“Returnon Investment”(ROI).Theynoteditisanounanddefinedas“thenovelidea thatthevalueofwealthliesintherichlifewecancreatewithit,notinthe statusthatthatcomeswithexorbitantdisplaysofit.”
ItremindedmeoftheoverarchingphilosophyofMorganHousel’snew bookthatIhavesoenjoyed(andhavebeengifting),ThePsychologyof Money.
Infact,thisexcerptfromTheMadFientistpodcastofaninterviewwith MorgannailshowIfeelaboutretirementbeingafour-letterwordasfaras Iamconcerned,andfinancialfreedom,atwhateverage,iswhatis important(emphasisadded):
“Tome,thelevelthatreallymattersiswhenyoucan,forvariousreasons, justwakeupandvirtually,anyday,say,‘IcandowhateverIwanttoday.’ Youcanworkreallyhardataworkthatyou’rereallypassionateaboutif youwanttodothat.Butifyouwantedtotaketimeoff,youcandothat too.Youwanttohangoutwithyourfamily,youcandothattoo.It’sjust maintainingcontroloveryourschedule.Andthere’salotofdifferentways todothat.ThatroughlyfallsintotheFIREframework—financial independenceretireearly—whichissomethingthatIlikeinthesenseof financialindependence.But‘retireearly’isalmostthisideathatyouare committingyourselftonotworkingagain,whichiswhereitgetsalittle roughformebecause,mostpeople,eveniftheyhavefullcontrolover whattheydo,mostable-bodied,smartpeoplewhoareunderage65 wouldsayaregoingtowakeupmostdaysandsay,‘Iwanttodogood worktoday.Iwanttogotowork.Iwanttoputmybraintowork,putmy musclestoworkandbeproductiveinsociety.’That’swhatmostpeople wanttodo.ButIthinkjustaslongasyoucandothatonyourownterms, doingtheprojectsthatyoulike,whenyouwanttodothem,whoyouwant todothemwith,foraslongasyouwanttodothem,andthenyoucan stopwheneveryouwant,thattomeisthehighestdividendthatmoney paid.
“…controllingyourtimeissomethingthatgivesmostpeopleanenduring levelofhappiness.Andeverydaythatyoucanwakeupeverymorningand
say,‘IcandowhateverIwanttoday.Icangotowork,butIcouldquit.I canretire.Icandosomethingelse,’everydaythatyouhavethatisgoing togiveyoualastinglevelofhappiness.Ittendstobeenduringovertime. Andtheoppositeofthat—wakingupeverymorningandrealizingthat youareonsomeoneelse’sschedule,thatsomeoneisgoingtotellyou whentogotowork,wheretogotowork,whattodoatwork,whenyou caneatlunch,whenyoucangohome,thattendstobejustalevelof dependenceonotherpeoplethatbringsalastinglevelofangstand unhappinessandstress.So,that’sallIcareaboutwithfinancial independence,isthatmycareermovesmoretowardsthisideawhereI candowhateverIwant.AndwhatIwanttodoiswrite—whichiswhat I’vealwaysdoneforwork.AslongasIcanmoveandmovetowardthis ideaof“Look,I’mgoingtowritewhenIwantto.I’mgoingtowrite aboutwheneverIwantto."Hear–hear!Myfeelingsexactly,thanks Morgan.
HereareSixImportantReasonsNottoRetireEarly
WorkingontheWeekendDependsonHowYouDefineWorkBrad Stulbergnailedit:“Areyouworkingontheweekendbecauseitfeelslike a compulsion—eitherexternal(someoneismakingyou)orinternal(likean addiction;youdon’treallywanttobutyoucan’tnot)?Or,areyouworking ontheweekend becauseyouare choosing tofromaplaceoffreedomand love?Theformerneverendswell.Thelattercanbeawonderfulsourceof nourishmentandenergy.
“Also,howdoyoudefinework?Ifyoudefineitbroadly,asacontribution totheworld,perse,thendoesn’tjustabouteverythingconnotework?For example,thispastweekendItookmykidanddogona4-hourhike.I camebackveryrefreshed(atleastintellectually;mylegs,notsomuch)and betterabletoseeandthinkclearly.Wasthat4-hourhike“work”?
“Ifyouareworkingfromaplaceoffreedomandlove,orifyouare restingandrecoveringasapartofyourwork—becauseyoudefinework broadly;maybeevenasbroadlyalifewell-lived—thenyes,sure,workon theweekends.ButI’venevermetsomeonewhogoesaboutworkthisway thatfeelstheneedtoboastaboutitonsocialmediaortotheirfriendsor colleagues.
Generally,ifyouhavetoboastaboutsomethingitisnotcomingfroma placeofself-confidenceandsecurity(i.e., freedomandlove)butmoreso formaplaceofdoubtandinsecurity(i.e., compulsion).Atitsworst, workingontheweekendbecomesasortofheroicindividualism:agame ofone-upmanshipagainstselfandothers;araceandcompetitiontosee whocangrindthehardest.Theseracesallleadinonedirection:to burnout.Perhapsthegrindtakesyoutotopofyourfriendgroupor corporateladderorwhateverforaperiodoftime,buteventually,itends badly.
“Inthefinalanalysis,workprobablyshouldnotbeamoralthingatall. Workingmoreisnotbetter.Workinglessisnotbetter.Gettingaheadisa lousygoal.Beingwhereyouareandfreelypursuingwhatenergizesyouis greatone.”
ChipConley
Part2:TheDifferenceBetweenWisdomandKnowledge
Part3:OptimizingYourCareerPath
Part4:CuriosityvsJudgment
Part5:RepottingYourselfandOfferingtheWorldYourMastery
WilliamGreenandItalkedaboutthe“freedomtoworkuntilyouare106” fromhisbook, Richer,Wiser,Happier.
IJustRetired.WhyAmIUnhappy?Tomaintainyourwell-beingafter retirement,ithelpstodevelopaplan
Self-developmenttakesalifetime—andthat’sokay
Achievementandourchildren-ThisisagreatinterviewbetweenPeter AttiaandHughJackmanonone’sdriveandachievementandtheeffectit canhaveourchildren--whendoesitcometothepointthatitcanbe comedisruptiveratherthanproductive.(This link starts at that point in their conversation, but I recommend listening to the entire episode.)
Forme,IgettodotheworkthewayIwantto.Thereis anhonorinbeingabletodo
so.
AllthisalsomakesmethinkaboutthepieceIwroteaboutStewart Brand’sperspectiveabout5-yeartimelinesforprojectsandtofirstdothe mathastohowmanymoreprojectsyouhavetimefor,andthenchoose carefully.Alongtheselines,I'vebeenintouchwithDerekSiversregarding hiscomingontheshow,andhisphilosophyofrespondingtorequests shouldeitherbe“hellyes!”oracourteous“no.”Thisisparticularlyhelpful inthecontextthatforevery“yes”yougive,thereneedstobea counterbalancing“nothankyou”aswedonothaveinfiniteavailabilityof time.
Andspeakingoftime,work,andthusproductivity,Ihavebeenveryproud ofusingsystemstogetthroughandorganizeabacklogof16,000emails andnowbeclosetoinbox-zero.Hereismyproductivitytoolkit.
Andspeakingofworkandproductivity-Iwasinvitedtowriteapaperon careerapproachesanddevelopmentinpsychology.
But,aftermyinitialdraft,Irealizedthereareanumberofaspectsthatcan generalizeoutsideoftheprofessionofpsychology.So,Irevisedit,addeda numberoflinksandinsteadpublisheditinLinkedInonthetopicof havingaportfoliocareer
Relatedtothisarea,Iwasrecentlyinterviewedbyoneofmyalmamaters astopost-graduatecareerandwork Thishasleadtoaninvitationto periodicallyreturnandmeetwithstudentsasamentorofsorts,andIam overthemoon.
Notdeadyet-ThispastsummerIenjoyedspecialhonorofhavingmy papers,books,andotherflotsamandjetsamofmybodyofworkbecome partoftheSmithsonian’scollectioninthe“Dr.ChrisE.StoutArchive” housedatTheCenterfortheHistoryofPsychology,UniversityofAkron.
AndwhileIwasinthearchivalstateofmind,Idonatedthegenealogical papersIhadtotheCountyArchivewheretheStoutfamilylinehailsfrom.
Lifestyle
Location-It’sararegifttobeabletolivewhereyouchoose,ifyou’renot thereyet,considerwhat’simportant,andaddasbestyoucan.Oncewe wereableto,here’swherewechoseandwhy:
ArtandNature
TheNiagaraEscarpmentisanenvironmentallitsown.It’saworldinside-a-world,anaturalplayground,anoutdoorlaboratory,andan expansive,multi-statebiosystemcompletewithitsownforests, plantlife,wildlife,andweatherpatterns.Butmorethananything,it’sa stunninglybeautifulrockformationthatoffersendlesspossibilities foreducation,exploration,andadventure.
TheDoorCountycommunityisonamissiontoprotect,preserve, andcareforthelocalenvironmentandculture.
DoorCountycreatedtheDoorCountyLeaveNoTrace7Principles andacompanionthevideocollectionandofcourseaFamily-Time SustainabilityBucketList
SustainableFoodandDining-orchard-to-tableandfield-to-table stylesofeatinghavelongbeenwaysoflifehere.Buyingtonight’s saladvegetablesortomorrow’spiefillingfromaneighborisnothing new,and,untilrecently,wasn’tsomethinglocalchefsand restaurateursnecessarilythoughtofasremarkableorworth announcingtovisitors.
CommunitySustainabilityEffortsHereisasamplerofhowtheselocal communitiesareleadingthechargetowardagreenerandmore
BaileysHarborSustainabilityInitiatives
EggHarborSustainabilityInitiatives(our“new”hometown)
LibertyGroveSustainabilityInitiatives
SturgeonBaySustainabilityInitiatives
JacksonportSustainabilityInitiatives
IamnotthemayorofDoorCounty,butquitethefan.
Conservation-Conservationhasbecomeimportanttousforanumberof reasons.Oureffortstohelplendahandare:
Puttingsomeskininthegame,weboughtanearbylotandplanto keepitvacantasconservancy.Thusfarwehaveplanted6saplings andsewnaboatloadofpollinatingflowerandplantseeds.
Wetaggedbutterfliesthissummertohelpwithmigrationresearch andmadeadonationaswell.
Wesupportlocalhoneyproducers(myonlynon-veganedible)
Wehelpedtoplant500mangrovetrees,whichiscalculatedtooffset ourcarbonfootprintforthenext10orsoyears.
WhenIamnotbuyinglocal,andwhenavailable,IuseShopPay whichsupportsplantingtreesatnoextracost
Wealsostartedourowngardenandevengrewmushrooms.
Iparticipatedinanumberofthechallengesandgamifiedactivities viatheAWorldappinconjunctionwithActNow,supportingthe UnitedNationscampaignforindividualactiononclimatechange andsustainability.Pleasedosignup,it’sfreeandisaseducationalas itisengaging.
Stillnotdead-Recentlyhadavisitbymybrother-in-lawandmywife’s sister,andhenotedthey’dboughtacemeteryplot.Itgotmetothinking why?Siblingsdisperse.Childrengenerallyareplantedwiththeirsignificant others.Manyofusliveinplacesnotnearwherealovedoneisburied.My wifeandIhavelongpresumedcremation.(I’mnowconsideringmore carbonneutraloptionsbutwithoutthewoo-woo.)Itseemsanold tradition,nowencumberedwithshowytombstonesorworse.I’mhoping mylegacywillbeinmyfamily,myrelationships,mybooks,mypatients, mystudents,andhopefullyanydifferenceIhavemadeinpeople’slivesvia myworkandwhatIhavecreated.
Healthspan
Eatingnotjustwhat,butperhapsmoreimportantly,when:18:6time restrictedeating
Forme,somedietarytweaksareveryeasyliketime-restrictedeating.Iam currently“fasting”for18hours,andrestrictmyeatingtoa6-hourwindow. Asformornings,IneverhaveanykindofappetiteandIdomyworkoutsin themorning,soit'saneasywaytodelayeatingandnotfeelhungry.Also,I trytodoatleasta24-hourfastonedayaweek,andthat'smoreofa challenge.Ireallyhavetoplanthataroundwhatelseisgoingontopull thoseoff.Andrelated,Iseemtobeoftenquiteableandsatisfiedtohave justOneMealADay(OMAD).Andhere’sagoodpieceontime-restricted eatingefficacyversuseffectivenessifyoureallywanttonerdoutonit.
IhavefoundKevinRose’sZeroApptobeabigmotivator,helpfulmetrics tracker,anddigitalaccountabilitybuddy.Iusethefreeversionandfindit tobeplenty.
Hydration-LastyearIdidthegallonadaychallenge,andthathelpedto boostmyhabitofincreasedwaterconsumption,andgenerallyIgetclose toaconsistentnear-gallon-a-daystill.I'malsoabigfanoflemonwater andIfindthatitisverysatisfyingintheevening,especiallyifIgethungry orjustsimplythirsty.Somefolksswearbystartingtheirdaywithaglassof lemonwater,butyoushouldknowtheprosandconsofdoingsobefore adoptingit.
Protein--type,timing,andcost-Aftermyworkout,Ibreakmyfastwitha shotoftartcherryjuice(forinflammationfightingandjointhealth), vitamins,vinegarcapswithmother,andaveganproteinshake—anda variedlunchmenu.Quicknotevis-à-visvinegar.Itransitionedfrom drinkingshots(outofconcernfortoothenamelerosionanddigestive systemirritation).Inowtake12xPotentUltraHighStrengthNon-GMO AppleCiderVinegarCapsuleswithMother-2,010mgFormulaPillswith CayennePepper-20%AceticAcid,andIamafan.Theyareeasiertotake thanpronounce.
Asfortheconstants,conventionalwisdomisthatadoseofproteinaftera workoutisbeneficialtoyourmuscledevelopmentandrecovery.Theidea beingthatdoingsodecreasesmuscleproteinbreakdown,increases muscleproteinsynthesis(growth),restoresglycogenstores,andenhances recovery.
I’msomewhatnerdyastomyproteinconsumption.AsIamplant-based, latelyI'vebeenexperimentingwithsoy.My“formula,”perserving,istotry togetatleast20gramsofproteinatlessthan200caloriesandaprice pointlessthanadollar.MysonrecentlyintroducedmetoTrueNutrition protein,theyalsohaveotherproducts.
Theirdifferentiatoristheyallowyoutocustomblendvarioustypesof proteinpowders,fromavarietyofvegansources,tocrickets,toavariety ofcarnivoresources.Theyhaveaprettyslickinterface,too.Youcanselect flavors,sweeteners,andsizes,andmix-and-matchshouldyousodesire.I alsolikethatthepowdercomesinabagtominimizewaste. Properdosing canbeconfusing,sothebrain-trustatExamine.comdeveloped anOptimalProteinIntakeGuidethatmaybeofhelpifthisisa conundrumforyou,too.
Oneofmybiggoalshasbeentominimizeeatinganykindofaddedsugar. IntheeveningsthattendstobeharderbutaspartofmyroutineItake onetablespoonofinulin,juststraightasapowder,andthatverymuch
satisfiesmysweettooth.Plus,it'sgoodformy microbiome.Acurious phenomenonIhavenoticedismycravingsfordessertshavediminisheda greatdeal.Idon'tknowifit'sthecombinationoftimerestrictedeating andtheinulin,butI’mhopingitwillcontinue.
Sugar,fructose,high-fructosecornsyrup,andartificialsweeteners-This isanamazingepisodewithDr.PeterAttiaandRickJohnson,professorof nephrologyattheUniversityofColorado.Heexplainshowhisresearch intothecausesofbloodpressureresultedinachangeofresearch directiontofocusmoreonhowfructosehassuchprofoundmetabolic effects.Rickbeginsbytalkingabouttherelationshipbetweensaltand highbloodpressure,thenprovidesamasterclassintouricacid,andthen expertlyrevealsthemechanismsandpathwaysbywhichsugar(specifically fructose)canprofoundlyimpactmetabolichealth.Fromthere,heexplains howheappliesthisinformationtoreallifepatientsaswellastoucheson someofthemostpromisingideasaroundpharmacotherapythatarebeing developedinresponsetotheepidemicsoffattyliver,insulinresistance, diabetes,andobesity.Furthermore,Rickgiveshistakeonartificial sweetenerscomparedtorealsugar,discussescancer’saffinityforfructose, andmuchmore.Whatagreatepisode.
Plant-BasedEating-Iwillremainplant-basedastomydiet.It’snotfor everyone.Iamnotanevangelist,butIamafan.IenjoyDr.Michael Greger’swork,hisbook"HowNotToDie"andhere’sagreatGoogleTalk onthetopicasaprimer.
I’mdoingaprettygoodjobwitheatingcleaner,lessprocessedfood,and therearemorefarm-to-tableoptionswherewenowlive.
Also,forcannedgoods,likevariousbeans,Ionlybuytheminnon-BPA coatedcans.Andherearesomeofmyfavoriteveganresourcesand myfirst,integrativearticleonHealthspan.Frommyexperience,inspite ofallmyworkoutsandphysicalchallenges,Ihavenottakenibuprofen (whatIusedtocall“VitaminI”)inyears.I’mthinkingthismayberesultant frommoreyoga,eatingplant-based,turmeric,andimprovedhydration.
Breathing-Thereareanumberofbreath-workexercises,fromathleticsto meditation.Hereisasampleroftwoofmyfavorites.
4-7-8-The4-7-8breathingtechniquehasbeencreditedasbeingatool fortransformativerelaxation.Youcandoitinthecar,atwork,ina meeting,inthemiddleofthenight,anytimeandplace,basicallywithno risk.Dr.AndrewWeill,abigadvocateforthisexercise,advisesdoingit twiceadayeverydayforcumulativeoverallhealthbenefit.Goherefora demo.
WimHofMethod-IhadWimHofasaguestonanepisodeofmy podcastin2021,sobesuretotuneinifyou’dliketolearnmore.Youmay alsoenjoyhisnewbookandveryhelpfulwebsiteandapp.HisMethodis notsomethingyoushoulddowhileactiveorinwater.Wimisalsoa proponentofhormesisandcoldexposureincombinationwithhis breathingapproach.Ifinishoffallmyshowerswiththefaucetturnedto fullblastcold.Thethinkingisthatcoldwaterexposurecanhelpyour body’simmune,lymphatic,circulatoryanddigestivesystemsaswellas helpintheweight-lossdepartmentpresumablybecauseitseemstoboost yourmetabolism.
HeatExposure-Mygym’ssaunaisopenagain!Itrytodo2–3timesa week(for50minutesat185-ishdegrees)asatreat.Saunaisgreatfor somanyreasons.However,onereallyneedstohaveaphysician’s clearancebeforeexperimentingwithheatasitseemsthatlongerduration athighertemperaturesisthesecretsauceinitseffectiveness,butthereare obviouslyrisksmoresoforsomefolks.Besafeandsmart.Itrackmy heartrateviamytrustyandversatileSuunto9Limethewholetime.Ilisten topodcasts,aplaylist,orbinauraltones.Geekheaven.
BinauralTones-IntheMarch2020issueof Men’sHealthmagazineIread apieceontheclaimsofvariousapplicationsandbenefitsofbinauralbeats atdifferentwavelengthstohelprelax,meditate,sleep,oreven concentrate.IhaveusedtheBinauralappfor“PureBinauralBeats” designedbyGiorgioCalderollaonmyphone,butitwasnotforme.What Ifoundabetterfit,andamuchmoreenjoyableexperienceis using/listeningtoGentleSleepMusic(ASMRSleepSounds)Binaural DeltaWavesor"LavenderHill"BinauralBeatsSleepMusicthatI stumbledupononYouTube.Therearemanyothersatdiffering wavelengths.CurrentlyI’mtryingout3HZand4HZto6HZforrelaxing, luciddreaming,creativethinkingonaproject,andsleep.
Alittlehack—astheYouTubevideosrun6to8hoursinlength,Idon’t wantmyphoneplayingthemthatlongifI’musingthemforsleep,soI haveplayedthemonmycomputeroveranexternalJBLspeaker,and recorded45-and60-minuteversionsviathememorecorderonmy phone.ThenIdonotneedtorelyonWi-FiconnectivityonmyphoneifI wanttolistenwhileinasaunaorwhirlpoolwithmywaterand sweatproofJaybirdVistaearbuds.NordoIneedtoworryaboutatimerif I’mlayingdownathomeusingBose35wirelessheadphonesasthe playbacksimplystopsaftertherecordingfinishesplaying.
HormesisandHormeticStress-WhenIhadWimHofonmyshowthis pastyear,wediscussed“becomingalkaline”andthepromisingvalueof hormesisandhormeticstressinnotonlyhealthspan,butalsoathletic performanceandlongevity.Thebodyoflegitscienceisbuilding.Manyof theaspectsnotedhereincanbecategorizedinthisarea.
Sleep-Seeaboveonthebinauralmusic.Ialsotaketwomagnesium tabletsdaily,oneattheendofmyfastandtheotherbeforebed,to increasesleepqualityanddecreasecrampingrisks.Onanasneedbe basis,whichhasgottentobeprettyepisodicthesedays,ItakeNatural Calm.MywifeandIcontinuetobebigfansofourChiliPad.
Asformynightstand,Ialsowillreadbeforebed,reviewnotesIwantto thinkaboutbeforedriftingoff,keepwatereasilyavailable,andhavemy
Forthemajorityofmytrackedmetrics,allisworkingforthevastmajority ofnights.Bonusiswakingupwithoutanalarmclock—everyday.
Onemorethingonsleep(thanksTimFerriss)-Dr.AndrewHuberman— ANeurobiologistonOptimizingSleep,EnhancingPerformance, ReducingAnxiety,IncreasingTestosterone,andUsingtheBodyto ControltheMind(#521),inparticular(1)visualconsiderationsfor optimizingsleepquality[15:11];(2)asimplenewroutinethat’sbeen elevatingmymoodinthemornings,andwhatAndrewrecommendsfor timingcircadianbiologyto,aswisebardsofyorehaveproclaimed, accentuatethepositiveandeliminatethenegative[18:25],and(3)whenis theidealtimetogetmorninglightexposure,andhowcanweusean understandingofourbodytemperatureminimumtoshiftourcircadian clockifwewanttoavoidjetlagandtheimpactofworkingatoddhours? [23:55]tonamebutafew.
NatureBaths-SinceourmoveupnorthI'vehadanopportunitytostart visitinganumberofnaturepreserves,forestpreserves,andstateand countyparks.Somehikesareledbyanaturalistwhichhasbeenreally enlighteningtobetterunderstandwhatitisthatI'mseeingbiologically, ecologically,geologically,historicallyandclimatically.MywifeandI actuallyhadtheopportunitytoparticipateinanarchaeologicaldigatone ofthepreserves,anditwasfascinating.Thesealsoallowforopportunities fortrailruns,hikesandmybelovednaturebaths.Researchshows thattimespentinnaturecanimproveourmentalhealthandsharpen ourcognition.Dr.SamZizziexplainshowgettingoutsideisespecially importantduringtheheightenedstressandanxietyofthepandemic.Itisa treattoseethesunsetoverthebayeveryeveningthatIamverygrateful for.Bonus:The'20-5-3'RulePrescribesHowMuchTimetoSpend Outside
Meditation—Sorta-Ihadafreesubscriptiontothepremiumversion ofCalmviaabenefitfrommyAmericanExpresscardpaidmembership. I'vebeenapassiveuserofitwiththefreeversionforawhileonanasneed bebasis.Iverymuchenjoyedsomespecificofferingsandperiodically woulduseoneoftheirapproacheswhenIwashavingaroughtime.I experimentedwithsomeoftheadditionalfeatures,butactuallyfoundthat Ididn'tneedtouseitasmuchinresponsetoanxietyandstress,becauseit seemedlikethosestressesandanxietieshadbeendiminishing.Ofcourse,I thinkthatisaresultofavarietyofdifferentkindsofthings,notone specificapproachortechnique.Again,thisistheinherentproblemwith givingadviceastheresomanyadditionalinterveningandextraneous variablesthatmayormaynothaveacausalinfluenceonoutcome.
QuickTakes
Ihaverattledonaboutmostofthefollowing ad infinitum herein withlinksgalore,sohereisasummaryandhighlightreel,withafew linksaswell,ofcourse:
Ihavestoppedsittingformorethan15minutes,unlessIwasinthe middleofasentence,orpodcast.IjusttellAlexatoremindme.
Anice,peerreviewedpieceonfoodasmedicine.
Dietchangescanhelptoalleviateheartburn,indigestion,gutand bowelissues,cardiovascularanddiabetesrelatedconcerns,decrease theadventofsomecancers.
Dietandlifestylechoiceshavebeenestimatedtoaccountforover 90%ofthecausesofallillnessesespeciallylaterinlife.
Decreasingmyalcoholconsumptionvianon-alcoholicwhiskylikeDrinkMonday(surprisinglyrealisticfinish),andlow-alcoholwine ofDryFarms(alsoorganic/biodynamic,vegan,<12.5%alcohol, sugarfree,freeoftoxicadditives,andlowersulfites).
Coffeeisreally,reallygoodforyou.Here’satonofevidence.(Thank you,BillMurphy,Jr.)
PS: What I’m doing now seems to be working as I’m at a BMI of 21.2 (170# and 6’2”). In terms of biometrics and measuring the results of the above, it’s working well. I just had my annual labs done and all is A-Okay
Athleticism
StairClimbs-Ithoughtmydaysofstair-climbingeventswerepastsince movingtoDoorCounty,butinhonorofthe20thanniversaryof9/11,the SturgeonBayFireDepartmenthostedtheirfirstMemorialStairClimbat theMaritimeMuseum.Itwas10timesupanddownthe11-storybuilding equaling110floorsintotal.I*think*Iwasfirstinmygeriatricagerangeat 44:28,andinthetopthreeoverall.Itwasamovingexperience.Much respect.
VirtualEvents–LastyearIdidtheEverestChallenge(whichgotmeinto hillrunning,andtomysurprise,Iverymuchenjoyedandhavenowadded ittomyroutine).Thisyear,IlearnedaboutVirtualRunners,whodevelopa numberofcreativerunningchallenges,worldwide.Iparticipatedintheir SeptemberGuinnessWorldRecordattemptforthelargestvirtual10K.
WereceivedwordthatGuinnessofficiallyconfirmedit.Intotal,therewere about40,000successfulparticipants.Duetothestricttechnical requirements,GuinnessWorldRecordsconfirmed25,523.
So,theseareanice,pandemic-proofwaytohaveabitofcommunity,a challenge,andoftenagoodcausetodrum-updonationsfor.Thebuzzof atraditionalracehasitsmerits,butImustsayIdoliketheself-supported aspectandtheinner-workthatthesecanprovideaswell.
Murph–IsuspectmanyofyoumayknowofTheMurph,inparticular, thoseCrossFitfolksintheaudience.Bywayofbackgroundforthosenot familiar,pleasereadthearticleHowMurphBecametheMostLegendary FitnessChallengeEver,anditisnamedinhonorofthelateNavySEAL LieutenantMichaelP.Murphy'spersonalworkout.ThereisnowtheMurph Challenge.Thetraditional/originalconsistsof:
Ifyouarelikeme,that’sprettyintimidating,sothankfullytherearesome alternativesandhereisatacticstoplantoprepareforyourpersonal Murphandincreaseyourchancesofsuccess.IknowI’llbedialingmine backabit.
1.Commit-WhenyousignupatTheMurphChallenge.com,yourfeegoes totheLTMichaelP.MurphyMemorialScholarshipFoundation.Ordonate totheLTMichaelP.MurphyNavySEALMuseum,underconstructionin WestSayville,NewYork(murphsealmuseum.org).
2.ChooseYourMurph
3.ScaletheMoves-Noteveryonecandohundredsofrepsofthe exercises,soscaleyourMurphwiththesesubstitutes.
4.OptimizeYourMurph-StrengthandconditioningcoachIanCreighton hashelpedmanypeopletrainforMurphanddoitfast.It’snevereasy,but thesetipswillhelp.
►Startslowish:Youwon’twinMurphinthefirstmile.Runapacethat’sa minuteslowerthanyourpacefora5K.
►Carrytheload:Aswayingvestcanmakeyourrunawkwardandslow. Hookyourthumbsjustabovethearmpitsofthevestandpullitoutin frontofyou,whichwillsecuretheweightandreduceitsmovement.
►Playtoyourweakness:“Mostpeoplerunintoproblemsonthepullups orpushups,”Creightonsays.First,stayfarfromfailureoneveryrep.Ifyou cando,say,10pullupsand20pushups,you’llwanttoperformsetsof,say, 3pullups,6pushups,and9squats.Whenyoustarttoburnout,chopup yourweakestsetsevenfurther.Forexample,ifyou’rehittingsnagsonthe pullups,youcoulddo2pullups,6pushups,1pullup,and9squats.
►Dropthehammer:Leanintothesufferingandgoforbrokeonthefinal 1-milerun.
Thisisexcerptedfromthe May2021issueofMen'sHealth withthe headline TheLegendofMurphandit’samustread.
Fitness- Ifyouknowme,youknowfitnessisanimportantfactoras obesityandearlychildhoodphysicalissuesconspiredtomakeforsome misery.Mygeneralprotocolisarotationofexercisesthatinvolvestrength training(body-weightandfree-weights)onMondays,Wednesdaysand Fridays.Tuesdays,ThursdaysandSaturdaysarerunningand/orcycling (roadandgravel)onhills,trails,etc.Sundaysarekettlebells,andhikeswith mywifearesprinkledliberallythroughouteachweek.DailyIdoyoga, planks,core,andWimHofbreathing.
IhavewhatIneedathomeformostallofmyneeds—trailstorunand ride,easyaccesstonatureandforestpreservesandparks,chin-upbar, dumbbells,adjustablebench,kettlebells,yogamatandblock,Bosuball, balanceboard,barbellplateswithhandgrips,andaspinbike.Thus,the pandemicdidnotreallyimpactmyroutine.
Ifoundhillrunningwasbotheasieronjointswhilegettingahigher aerobic/cardiobenefitratherthanrunningflatsforthesamedistance.I foundthatIcoulddoitandlistentoapodcast,which,formeislesslikely todoonmytypicalrunningroute.Thatsimpleadditiongaveme somethingtolookforwardtoaswell.Itwasalsoawonderfulwaytodo mynaturebathingaswell.Itisthiskindofactivitystackingthatcanbe synergisticformind,bodyandspirit—andveryefficient.
Herearesomeofmybestfitnesstipsandfindings:
IntellectualandCreative
Go-I’mlearningtoplayGo.Ihaveanapponmyphonethat’svery helpfuland(kindly)coachesme.Ifthisisaninterest,takealookseeforone thatfitsyourlearningstylethebest.
PodcastHostingandProducing–Asabitofanoverlapfromtheabove points,Icontinuetobeveryproudandengagedwithdoingmy monthlypodcast,LivingaLifeinFull.Itgivesmeachancetolearnabout anewareaorgodeeperintoafamiliararea.Beingaffordedthe opportunitytoreadaguest’snewestbookortolearnmoreabouttheir workorhowitistheydowhattheydoisexciting,albeitalittle intimidating.Gettingtospendtimeandconversewithsuchamazing peopleisalsoahumblinghonor.
Thejournalisticaspectofdoingbackgroundresearch,scriptingthe questions,etcetera,isalsoverystimulating,andyieldstheside-effectofan enjoyablecreativeprocessthatgoesintodevelopinganepisodeas well. Thispastyeartherehasbeenanincreaseinthenumberofsharp folksrequestingtobeontheshow.I'mtakingthatasevidenceofthe show’spopularity,alongwithgrowthofouraudience.Producingtheshow isalsoanopportunityformetolearnnewtechnicaltoolsandplatforms— whichthenerdinmeverymuchenjoys.
Lyrics-Myattemptatbeingalyricisthasbeenfitsandstarts.Ihavetoget myheadinamuchdifferentplaceeventhanwhenI'mwritinggenerally.I believeIhavearoughdraftofthelyrics,butI'mnotconvinced,andI haven'tyetpaireditproperlywiththeinstrumentalmusic.Iwillbe continuingtoworkonthisagainin2022.
Photography–Iwant(need)toimprovemycomfortandskillswithmy GoProandmyNikonDSLRforshootingvideosaswellasstills.Iplanon takingsomein-personcourseswhichshouldbeabighelp.
StoutEngineering-IrecentlyauctionedmyDucatishowbikethattook forevertobuild.Iwasveryproudoftheresult.
I’mtoyingwiththeideaofa“Ronan”buildandhavediscussedmydesign ideaswithalocalengineguy.WhatwouldbedifferentisthatIplanon onlydoingconsignment,bespokebuilds.Ireallyhatethefeelingof“my” bikebeingfinishedandsoldoff.IthinkthatifIbeginwithmydesign,but builtforaspecificsomeoneelse,thatitwillbeeasierformetoletit go.ClickherearemypastworksandideasfortheRonan
Art–Iwanttogetbackintopencilsketchingandwatercolor.
AndIhavemadethegoaltofamiliarizemyselfwiththeworksofthese artistsforideas,techniqueandinspiration.
Reading-Ialsoreadothernonfictionthatisnotshowrelated.And,of course,Ikeepalist.Herearethepastfewyears’worth.
AdviceandInspirationfromOthers
ThisisasamplerofsomeofwhatcomestomyinboxthatIhavefound particularlyresonant.Pleasevisitthesitesandsourcesandsignupifyou findthemhelpfulaswell.
RyanHoliday-"It’samazinghowoftenwefindourselvesusingthese words.Wordslike“unfair,”“unlucky,”“frustrating,”“unfortunate,” “annoying,”“inconvenient.”TotheStoicstherewasawordforthesekinds ofwords: Opinion. Thingsdon’tupsetup,Epictetussaid,ourjudgement aboutthemdoes.Eventsarenotfairorunfair, they just are. Wemakeup thatthestockmarketisgoodorbad,abearorabull.Intruth,it’sjust doingwhatitdoes.It’sjustareflectionofperceivedvaluesatthat particularmoment.Themorewecancatchourselvesfromapplyingthese labels,thehappierwewillbe.Themoreoptionswe’llhavetoo. But that’s so hard!, yousay.Ofcourseitis,itgoesagainsteveryimpulse.Still,we alwayshavetheabilitytohavenoopinion,Marcussays.Wecancatch ourselvesandthink,“It’snotwhatIwanted,butthatdoesn’tmeanIwas unlucky.”“It’snothowIwouldhavetreatedsomeone,butthatdoesn’t meanthisisunfair. Itjustis It’sthesituationwe’rein.Thehandwe’ve beendealt.Andifwespentlesstimecallingitnames,we’dhavemore energyandtimetoplaythehandwell,to respond tothesituation. Rememberthis.Adjustyourvocabularyaccordingly."Source:RyanHoliday
AdrienneBankert:HowEveryHighAchieverShouldApproachTheir Careers - Adrienne Bankert, an Emmy award-winning journalist and author of YourHiddenSuperpower 3 Pieces of Career Advice for High Achievers.
1. Besurethatyourwillingnesstobeteachableisnever diminished.Oneofmymentorssentanemail:“Whenyou’retruly teachable,you’lllistenandremainopenlikeyou’rehearingthe lessonfortheveryfirsttimeevenifyou’veheardit7,000times.”Mic dropmoment!!Wetendtothink,“I’vegotit,”whenthetruthswe needforourlivesneedtoberememberedandrehearsed.Wedon’t evergettothepointwherewestopworkingout,evenifwe’ve exercisedathousandtimes!
2. Stayhungry,notgreedy.It’sgreattobehighachievingandgoafter successbuttoooftenwegetsoexcitedformore,wemightbeless sensitivetothelovedoneswhoneedtimewithusorareless consciousofourtone.Wemightbeinsuchahurrytowinthatwe stopcaringaboutanyoneoranythingotherthanourprogress.I’ve learned nottoallowempathytobeeclipsedbyambition.
3. Knowwhat‘havingfun,”means!Workhard.Playhard.We’veall heardsomeonesayit.Butplaying“hard,”mightnotmeanwhatyou thinkitmeans,orbewhatyouneed.Funforyoumightmean relaxing.Getregularmassagesorfacials,meetafriendandwalkyour dogstogether.Haveanighttoyourselfanddecompresswithmovies andfavoritesnacks.Funisn’talwayspartyingataneventwhereyou’ll endupnetworkingandturnitintoa“work”anyway.
JerrySaltz-HowtobeanArtist-“Onewaytothinkaboutartisthatit’sa visuallanguage--usuallynonverbalarguably,pre-verbal--withthepower totellusmoreintheblinkofaneyethenwemightlearnanhoursof listeningorreading.Itisameansofexpressionthatconveysthemost primalemotions:lonesomeness,silence,pain,thewholevastarrayof humansensation.Asanywritereverfoundthewordstocapturethe internalsufferingandexternallamentationofRogiervander Weydan’s Descent from the Cross,1435?
“Artisalsoasurvivalstrategy.Formanyartists,makingtheirworkisas important,spiritually,asbreathingoreating.Eachdaypresentsartistswith newideasandoldbeliefs,continuancesandbrutalbreaks.Enduring beautyanddecay.Revelationspresentthemselves,thenslipaway.Atleast
onceinawhile,allartistsmustfeellikePenelopefromHomersOdyssey-spendingeachdayweavingtapestriesfromtheirownbankofstories, myths,fears,suppositions,dread,andpersonaltruths,onlytoawakenthe nextmorningandunweavethemall,changing,mixing,improving, purposefullydismantling.Theartistisonacontinuallyevolvingpath, accumulatingexperiencebutalwaysstartingover.
“IhavemyownsortofSchoolofAthensinmyhead.Ateamofrivals, friends,famouspeople,influencers,deadandalive.They’realllookingover myshoulderasIwork.Theyallmakeobservations,recommendations, suggestions.Noneofthemaremean.Iusemusicalot.Ithink, OK, let’s begin this piece with a real pow! LikeBeethoven.OrIlistentotheBarbara Kruegerinmyhead,whosays Make this in short, punchy, declarative, aggressive.Onceinawhile,LedZeppelinchimesin: Try a hairy experiment here. Let it all show, let it be weird, messy, overblown, absurd. AlltheSienese paintingsI’veeverseenbegme, Make it beautiful, indulge the products of looking. D.H.Lawrencepoundsonthetable,demanding voice;Alexander Popetellsmetogetagrip;Whitmanpushesmeontomergemywork withanything;Melvillegetsgrandiose;Proustdrivesmetoextendmy sentencestilltheyalmostbreakandmyeditorstepintocutthemdown.
“Thinkaboutthevoicesinyourprivatepsychicpantheon.Gettoknow themthey’llalwaysbetherewhenthingsgettough.”Page47
RamitSethiTheAntidotetoBoring-“MyfriendNickGraywenttoa conferenceonautomatingyourlifeandwroteuphisnotesonwhatmade oneofthepresentersgreat.ThemostinterestingpeopleIknowallshare thisskill—theylovetolearnnewthingsandsharethemwiththepeople aroundthem. ThethingIlovedmostaboutNick'spostisthatNickdidn’t needtobecomeaprofessionalspeakertowritethispost.Hejusttried somethingnewandthensharedwhathelearned.Awesome.
Infact,Ivaluedthispostsomuchmorethansomeonecreatinga“bucket list”ofhowtheywanttobecomeabetterspeakersomeday.Nickshowed usthatyoudon’tneedaPh.D.or10,000hourstolearnsomethingnew— youcandoitinjustacouplehours.
Ifyoudeeplyabsorbthis,itcanchangeyourlife.It’stheantidoteto boring.Thisweek,today,rightnow—youcanlearnsomethingnew,fun, andinteresting.Toproveit,hereisalistofthingsyoucanlearninjusta fewhours,orminutes,withtutorials.There'ssomethinghereforeveryone. Pickoneandgiveitatry:
Howtopickalockwithpaperclips
Gmailkeyboardshortcuts
Howtosay"Iloveyou"in10differentlanguages
10tipsfortakingbetteriPhonephotos
Howtochopanonion(withoutcrying)
Howtoaskforaraise(couldbeworthover$1.3Minyourlifetime)
Howtomoonwalk
Learnhowtobackflipin6hours
Howtopitanavocado
HowtoperformCPR
Personalityquiz:Wouldyouratherlearntoyodelorbeatbox?
Howtodocalligraphy(withanormalpen)
Howtotieabowtie
Howtochecktheoilinyourcarorchangeaflattire
Howtoplay10songsonyourguitarwithjust4chords
Penspins#1and#2
Learntojugglein3hoursand44minutes
Tools
MetricsTracking-Istartedkeepingadailyaccountingofvariousphysical goalsthatareimportanttome.IhaveadedicatedMoleskinforthis,and whileitstaredasareminder,itsevolvedintoanaccountabilitytool,andit alsoprovidesdataforcluesofwhathappenswhenIdo(ordon’tdowhatI shouldbe).
SundayBreakfastClub-YoumayalsoliketheALifeinFullFacebook GroupanditsSundayBreakfastClubposts.
IfounddoingthiscanbeverymotivatingforthetimesinwhichIprefer nottodomyplanksorothergoodhabitsIamworkingonestablishing. ThethingsIkeeptrackofarevariousnutritionalandphysicalactivities, suchasyoga,planks,corework,trackingqualityofsleep,fullworkouts, saunause,weight,proteinshakes,timefasting,OMADdays,etc.
LifeAudit-AliciaAdamczykwroteabouttheconceptofalifeauditfrom itoriginator,XimenaVengoechea,ina2014Mediumpost. Vengoechea wassaidtohavecreatedtheprocessinordertotuneoutthemundane distractionsofeverydaylifeandremindherselfofthebiggerpicture. Alicia notesthatdoingsocanatleastofferyousomeclarityandcontrolofyour life.
SoconsidergivingitagoasarevolutionoverresolutionsasIusedtosay. HereisVengoechea’sapproachalongwithAlicia’s.
Andtoclosewithatip-of-the-hattoourStoicpal,RyanHolidayandhis pointsastothewhathabitstheStoicssayweoughttoceaseandwhat vicesshouldweavoid?hereareafewtoconsider:
Don’tbeoverheardcomplaining…eventoyourself(Marcus)
Don’tputonairsaboutyour self-improvement(Epictetus)
Don’toverindulgeineatingordrinking(Musonius)
Don’tspeakmorethanyoulisten(Zeno)
Don’tavoiddifficulty(Seneca)
Don’ttieyouridentitytotheclothesyouwear,thingsyouown (Cato)
Don’tconcealwhatyoutrulybelieve(AriusDidymus)
Don’tgoalongjusttogetalong(Agrippinus)
Don’tbeallaboutbusiness(Marcus)
Don’tputofftotomorrowwhatcanbefinishedtoday(Seneca)
Don’tshunpeopleyoudisagreewith(Seneca)
Don’tsleepthedayaway(Marcus)
Don’tneglectyourfriendships(Seneca)
Don’twastetimethinkingyouaregoingtoliveforever(all)
LifeList/Resume-SinceIwasateenagerIhavebeencooking-upand doingabunchofchallengingorinterestingthings,ofwhichIkeepa runningtallythatcombinestheto-dowiththe-done.IcallmineTheList orLifeResume.TakealooktoseewhatImean,andconsiderhowyou woulddesignyours.
I’mstillworkingonmanyofthem,andwillcontinuetoevolveTheListand addtoit.Ilovetheexperienceofaccomplishingalistedgoalandthe subsequenttreatofcheckingitoffandhavingthememoryofthe experience.
Inclosing,andtorepeat,weareverycomplexbeings—biologicallyand psychologically.Inmanagingourlives,webeginatapointintimeandwe havesomeoptionsandchoices.Isimplyrecommendthatweall experiment,thatwetrythingsoutandonforsize.Keepwhatworks, discardwhatdoesn’t.Tweak,iterate,experiment,andhaveabitoffun.Our bodiesandpsycheschangeovertimeandsituations,sowewillalways needtomonitorandcourse-correctasneedbe.
Considerthesetting(andreaching)ofgoalsasmoreso“checkpoints” ratherthan“endpoints,”andtoenjoyandbemindfuloftheassociated processandjourney.
Pleaseconsiderthisisanopeninvitationtojoinmeinanyofmyyettobe accomplishedactivities.ManyofyouhavealreadydonethemsoIwould warmlywelcomeanytips,tools,methods,recommendations,leads,hacks, contactsand/orsharingofyourexperienceandadvice.
Andofcourse,pleasefeeltoreachouttomewithanyquestionsthatI maybeofhelpwith.
###
If you'd like to learn more or connect, please do, just clickhere. You can join myemail list to keep in touch. Tools and my podcast are available via http://ALifeInFull.org. If you enjoyed this piece, you may also enjoy:
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WhatYouNeedtoKnowtohaveanOptimizedHealthspan:Bio-hacking forBeginners
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DearGraduates,NowIstheTimetoMessUp
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CathyFaye •1st
MargaretClarkMorganExecutiveDirector@CummingsCenter|Ph.D,Ps 3y
Somuchthoughtfulworkandjoyallinoneplace.Ithinkmyfavoritething isthatyouarelearningtoplay"Go!"Gladyouarebecomingstrong membersofyournewcommunity.
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RobinRundell•1st
LicensedClinicalPsychologistatDr.RobinRundell
Youcontinuetoamazeme.Chris.Thisisistrulylivingalifeinfull.
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Dr.ChrisStout
LinkedInTopVoice|BestSellingAuthor|Adventurer|StartupWhisperer|(Accidental) Humanitarian|APA's"Rockstar"Psychologist|ÉminenceGrise