Comfort 2 Growth

When the shit hits the fan, how do you handle the situation?

In my brief time here on this earth, I have learned that most people panic. They lose control of their minds and bodies. They make poor decisions based on limited logic and high emotion. The end result is usually disastrous.

Great leaders and heroes through history are generally known to be calm, cool and collected under pressure. Their ability to size up a situation, regardless of its circumstances, and then make a logical decision is very powerful and practical. Read more…

Have you ever written someone’s achievements off as good luck or coincidence? Do you think it’s possible that some people are luckier than others?

This idea of luck is a comfortable excuse to explain away another person’s triumph. Luck is mostly a matter of preparation, skill and hard work.

If you really think about it, the idea that there is a magical force randomly granting some people luck or favor, while damning others, is outrageous. It all boils doing to statistics and probability. Fortunately for us, these chances can be influenced. Read more…

Becoming highly effective at any skill requires two things;  an understanding of the material concepts (science), and an ability to creatively apply them in abstract form (art).

Generally, poor decisions and failure occur  because of two controllable variables:

1. Over analysis
2. Emotional complication

Over Analysis

We often slow or halt our learning process by over analysis. In other words, we do not allow our creative  side to grow through abstract trial and error. The time spent researching and analyzing different technical aspects of the goal take away from the time that should be dedicated to practice… Read more…

An old adage states: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

Building and maintaining a strong social network is a major key to success.

This C2G Challenge aims to rekindle old friendships and strengthen bonds that have been worn down by time and neglect… Read more…

If you know me or have read some of my past writing, you will know I advocate living in the now or in the moment.

The ability to be fully aware of your surroundings and what is happening in your mind is very important to your well being. It promotes relaxation, mental focus and increases your ability to connect with others.

It has been found that the ability to delay gratification, as opposed to succumbing to instant gratification, directly correlates with success, intelligence and general health.

Marshmallow Experiments Read more…

Redwoods don’t reach their heights over night. Mountains take millions of years to reach their peaks. The grand canyon had its beginnings as a small stream. These examples from nature prove to us the power of progression.

Many people are perfectionists. They spend too much time obsessing over minor details.  If you focus on petty flaws, it’s easy to become stressed or discouraged.

Expecting perfection prematurely is a sure fire way to sabotage your goals. The key to growing is progression over time; trying to make each day better than your last. With each step forward you are closer to achieving your dreams. You will get there, as long as you keep moving forward.

Crawl, Walk, Run

There is a learning curve to practically everything in life. Becoming acquainted with a new endeavor is challenging, you must learn the basics. A metaphor of crawling can be used. Like a baby, you begin your journey of growth slowly.

Once you get a grip on the idea, progression becomes easier. You start gaining momentum. You begin walking towards your goal, stretching your legs out.  Creativity begins to strike and you start incorporating your own style.

After you’ve got your legs under you, your skill begins to rapidly increase. You begin running towards your goal. The days of crawling forward are distant moments of your past.

How do you eat an elephant?

Our dreams and goals often seem intimidating. We look at where we are, then imagine where we want to be. The road to that place seems long and arduous. We question our ability to achieve what we aim for.

If you want to eat an elephant, how would do possibly do it? One bite at a time. This is how you achieve your dreams.

Set your sights high. Where do you want to be?

Next, break down that dream in to mile stones. What series of event must take place to put you where you want to be?

Continue breaking down these milestones until you come to where you are today. What is the absolutely next tangible step to put yourself in the direction of where you want to be?

Is it to research schools or certifications? Is it to pick up the phone and schedule an interview? Figure out the smallest, first step to put yourself on the path of progression.

Ready, Fire, Aim

We are often scared to take that initial step. Sometimes we have to leap before we look. It’s a ready, fire, aim mentality.

You point yourself in the right direction, take that first shot, then evaluate what you need to do to improve. If you repeat this process over and over again, you will grow every time. You can truly discover where your passion lies.

Don’t let the Negative Nancys or the Naysaying Neds of the world discourage you from your goals. It is better to risk today, because tomorrow you can always try again.

Breaking the law is a pretty serious thing. When was your last time?

You may have broken it and not even noticed…

If you drive above the speed limit, even by a couple MPH, you are breaking the law. If you J-walk, you are breaking the law. If you text while driving, at least in NC, you are breaking the law. There are even laws that have been passed that restrict what sexual positions you can enjoy.

It is a comfortable thought that law enforcement and the government have our best interests in mind. Unfortunately, this complacent thinking could land you in jail. Learn to flex your rights! Read more…

In the past, I have focused my writing on productivity and efficiency. On getting more done with less time.

Today, I will discuss anti-productivity and getting less done. More importantly, enjoying your (limited) time…. Read more…

We all know that physical fitness is important to our health. It allows us to burn fat, become stronger, increase our endurance and look good naked. The human body is designed (evolved) to thrive under physical stress and functions better when we work out.

The physical and aesthetic benefits of weightlifting and cardio training are obvious. However, the psychological and cognitive effects of exercise are often over looked… Read more…

How do you decide to spend your time, money or other resources?

People tend to be loss averse. Meaning that we do not want to waste our resources, or feel like we are.

We often form emotional attachments to our decisions and commitments. For example, if you spend a significant amount of time on a project, an emotional attachment to this project will begin to form. This isn’t a bad thing, it just happens. We tend to form bonds with the things that we spend our resources on.

We feel compelled to recover our investment, even if it requires spending MORE money, time or happiness.

From an economists point of view, this emotional attachment to a past cost can be irrational, illogical and negatively affect our future. This has been coined as the Sunk Cost Fallacy.

The idea is that the past, or previous investment, should not be considered when making a decision. It is a sunk cost, it has already been incurred. Since it can not be recovered, it should not factor in to the decision.

There are only two things that should be considered. Current and future costs and benefits.

For example, Imagine you are half way through watching a movie and realize it is terrible.  If you force yourself to continue and finish the movie because you had already spent time/money on it, you would be committing the sunk cost fallacy. You could be investing your time on something better.

Trent at The Simple Dollar, explains it better than I do in this article.

This emotion based fallacy can often be seen in dysfunctional relationships. When an unhappy couple stays together longer because they’ve been together for so long already. They allow their fear of feeling like they’ve waste their time to make them waste even more time.

Moral of this story: Make now-based decisions. Ask yourself: Is this the best decision to make now? Will the next course of action or investment required worth the risk and subsequent benefit?