Five new life lessons from last year (2017)

31 Dec

2017

2017 turned out different than expected – full of twists and turns. It included some fun, several changes, many challenges, some success, and a few failures. Each year I learn new lessons – a mix of good, bad, and ugly. In this blog post, I will share with you boys top 5 lessons I learned during the past year, 2017.

1. It is okay to be hungry. In a previous blog post, I shared one method I use to manage my weight.  I experimented with intermittent fasting. It worked really well for me. I lost 20 pounds this year and feel a lot better. The main challenge with implementing intermittent fasting is that you get hungry. Not a big deal. The hunger pains go away when I eat. I learned that it is okay to be hungry. Most of the world’s population is hungry at some point in the day.

   

2. Seek expert advice. In a previous blog post, I described the process I recommend for changing your approach to a problem. This year I totally changed my approach to running. I like to run but was experiencing a lot of pain to include multiple injuries. I sought out expert advice. I read the book Train Smart, Run Forever. It is written by two running experts. It totally changed my perspective. Nowadays I only run a few times a week. It works and I feel much better. If you do not know how to solve a problem seek expert advice.

   

3. Routines create results. I am a fan of Tim Ferriss. His podcast, books, and blog are brilliant. Tim interviews high performers to discover what they do differently than the rest of us. Many high performers rely heavily on routines to create habits to get stuff done, especially in the morning. I decided to experiment with my morning routine this year. It is still a work in progress, but I am already seeing results. Examine your own life and see if there are some routines or habits you need to put in place. Routines create results.

   

4. Don’t wait too long to launch. I decided to start my own business this year. I spent a lot of time thinking about it and planning the path forward. As the year progressed I began to wonder if the launch would ever happen. The months started to pass by without any visible progress. I was forgetting a lesson I passed along to you boys in a previous blog post – move out and draw fire. In November the new blog was finally launched. There is still a lot of work to do. But I will figure it out one way or another now that it is launched.

   

5. The obstacle is the way. Last year I read an awesome book by Ryan Holliday called The Obstacle is the Way. In the book, Ryan argues that how we respond to obstacles is what defines us. We should welcome challenges. I agree with him. This year I ended up having to move two times. The first move was planned the second one was not. I decided to deal with the second move swiftly rather than complain about the situation. Did the second move suck – sure it did. All moves do. But, I am in a better place. The path was different than what I expected, but it is the better one. The obstacle is the way.