Archive for April, 2012

The Big Ask

Posted: 19 April, 2012 in Business, Leadership
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You walk up to the stranger’s door… pause for a moment to think about what you’re going to say… check your zipper one last time… and then… knock.

What awaits you behind that door is the person to whom you are going to make “The Big Ask”. Maybe you’re selling girl scout cookies, vacuums, or magazines. Maybe you are collecting signatures for a petition or inviting people to a local event. No matter what you’ve been involved in, almost all of us have had to make “The Big Ask” at one point or another.

While the concept of door-to-door sales is familiar to most of us, this post is about how that type of courage, preparation, and perseverance applies to pitching your great idea to a friend, mentor, or venture capitalist. In order to get someone to buy into your idea, it takes:

1. COURAGE.

Before you can make “The Big Ask,” you must first get past the idea that you might be rejected. When I went door-to-door selling trinkets for my school as a kid, it didn’t take me long to realize that rejection was a big part of the task. Once I got more used to it, I got past the fear of rejection and came to the realization that I needed more deliberate preparation.

2. PREPARATION

Michael Hyatt wrote a brilliant blog entitled “The Four Components of a Compelling Elevator Pitch” in which he explained that we generally have about 30 seconds to pitch our idea to a stranger before they a) lose interest, or b) get distracted. Because this time is so short, it is imperative that you nail down, write out, and rehearse your “Big Ask” long before you plan to make it.

3. PERSEVERANCE

As the old saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed… don’t try skydiving… I mean…try, try again. Not giving up on your dream or idea is absolutely critical to its success! I won’t even begin to site examples because almost anyone on the planet who has ever achieved something has spent a reasonable amount of time failing and getting rejected.

Good luck on your “Big Ask.” If you need somebody to practice on, I’m all ears..

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Image: graur codrin via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Don’t forget the “DO’s”!

Posted: 16 April, 2012 in Christian, Faith, Leadership
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I think people often live according to what I have dubbed “The Silver Rule”:

“Do NOT do to others as you would NOT have them do to you.”

This seems to be the underlying ethic of the American Christian. Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Don’t steal. Don’t sleep around. Don’t drink. Don’t smoke. Don’t chew. Don’t date girls who do. Etc.

Doesn’t sound too exciting does it?

In contrast, the Bible teaches the Golden Rule we claim to abide by: ”Do to others as you would have them do to you.” The first word, “DO”, is an action! The Bible says, “Do. Love. Go. Preach. Give. Share. Forgive. Seek.”

Maybe we should DO first and DON’T later. Jesus teaches us to live a life of action… not simply a life of restraint.

Image: Vicki & Chuck Rogers under Creative Commons

How to grow a little blog and have fun doing it!

Posted: 14 April, 2012 in Blogging, Fitness and Health, Leadership, Writing
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Starting a blog can be intimidating. While there are virtually zero barriers to entry in a physical sense, the psychological barriers are significant. If you look up “blog” or “blogging” on google, you will immediately be whisked away into the high-end of the blogosphere with bloggers that are making six-figure incomes and have tens of thousands of loyal readers, subscribers, and fans. They have hundreds of comments on every post and some have even hired moderators to help readers navigate their complex, multi-level comment discussions.

BUT… you overcame your fear and started your blog anyway. You created your first post, clicked submit, and then waited. And waited. You checked your stat page every half hour, hoping that someone, anyone would read your blog. And then you got a HIT! But upon further investigation, you found out it was your mom… the only person who noticed your NEW BLOG post on Facebook… :(

So you write another post, hoping for better luck, and the same thing happens. You write for weeks with a maximum of 4 hits per day when you begged your Facebook and Twitter friends to read it.

So, what next? Is it time to throw in the towel?

NO! DON’T QUIT!

What you need to do is: stop engaging in a one-way conversation!

The narrative above is not completely fictional. I’ve been there. But then I stumbled onto a little secret: blogging is a conversation. It’s a series of relationships with other bloggers, readers, learners and internet surfers. And in order to get them to read your blog, you have to engage with them.

So, I started stalking the mega-blogs and commenting my little heart out in hopes that I would hit the jackpot and one of them would notice me. They never did. I didn’t even get any traffic from my fellow commenters. So much for conversation. No one even reads my comments!

A few weeks later, another WordPress blogger named Gen Y Girl “liked” one of my posts. Now I wanted to know… who was she and why did she visit? I stopped by her blog and noticed a few hundred folks regularly visiting her blog and engaging with her content. She’s not a blog giant, but she definitely posts solid content and has a decent-sized tribe. That’s when it clicked! The only reason I knew about her blog is because she “liked” one of my posts. She initiated the conversation and I reciprocated.

Here’s the discovery: if you’re a little fish, first get comfortable in the little pond. Get to know other little fish and learn the ropes of blogging before venturing into the big ocean. As you grow and develop your blog by investing in a blogging community, you’ll slowly develop a readership of your own.

The first time someone took the next step and subscribed to my blog, I was ecstatic! I quickly realized that my excitement was not unique and returned the favor. I’ve found some amazing blogs this way!

Katie Raspberry, The House Husband, the view from here, Turn Around and Swim, and Mastermind Century Group are great “little fish” blogs I’ve found recently, just to name a few!

My next step: guest blogging. I think trading guest posts with other little fish seems like a great way to expand your reach and find other readers who may be interested in your content.

Is anyone interested in a guest post?

Image: Nick Chill Photography under Creative Commons

Is it really “all about the Benjamins”?

Posted: 13 April, 2012 in Parenting
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I’ve been contemplating a question my kids ask me almost every day – why do I work?
 

Since they’re still little (5, 4 & 3) , I started off by answering the question by saying I work to make money.  A week later they asked, “why do you need to make money?”  I told I had to make money to pay for the house we live in and the car we drive.  These answers were acceptable to them… for a little while.

A few weeks later when I was leaving for work, they asked me why I had to go.  I told them if I didn’t work, they wouldn’t have the toys that they like so much, or the iPad they are enthralled with.  I wanted to make it more personal for them so they could understand the complexities of adult life.

After thinking about it for awhile, I just realized I have it all wrong.  Why didn’t I tell them I work because I love what I do?  Why didn’t I take the opportunity to talk about providing for my family because I love them?

By emphasizing money and possessions, I pre-conditioned them to the notion that work=money, and money=happiness.  By avoiding the explanation of why work is truly important, I missed an opportunity and unintentionally started them on a path that often leads to selfishness and materialism.

We must be good stewards of the teachable moments we have with our children.  They will soon grow up and those fleeting moments will vanish… leaving in their wake a foundation they will stand on for the rest of their lives.

Image(1):  Truthout.org under Creative Commons
Image(2):  agitprop under Creative Commons

My experience with INSANITY

Posted: 12 April, 2012 in Fitness and Health
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Since I posted about going through Insanity yesterday, I had a few people ask me about the experience.  Last fall, I was tracking my progress on Tumblr, but since I’m hanging out on WordPress these days, I thought I would post a summary of my experience.

Enjoy!

The Beginning

the BEFORE pic…<br /> Just finished Week 1 of INSANITY (the DVD-based workout program by BeachBody).  It’s been 6 days straight of intense cardio.  Doing such an intense program with my wife has been amazing!  She’s been incredibly motivating.<br /> My saving grace this week was the “recovery day” on Thursday where Shaun T hammers you on squats and lunges to give your lungs a break.  <br /> The bad… I stumbled down the stairs on Friday.  <br /> The good… I could breathe on Friday.  <br /> It’s all about choices :)<br /> Today is our day off.  Game on again tomorrow!” /></a></p> <p>the BEFORE pic…</p> <p>Just finished Week 1 of <a href=INSANITY (the DVD-based workout program by BeachBody).  It’s been 6 days straight of intense cardio.  Doing such an intense program with my wife has been amazing!  She’s been incredibly motivating.

My saving grace this week was the “recovery day” on Thursday where Shaun T hammers you on squats and lunges to give your lungs a break.

The bad… I stumbled down the stairs on Friday.

The good… I could breathe on Friday.

It’s all about choices :)

Today is our day off.  Game on again tomorrow!

Week 6

INSANITY CONTINUED…

Today was “Day 36” of my INSANITY journey…

- it was hard
- they shouldn’t have stacked the Fit Test with the Max Interval Circuit
- the 2nd series of workouts are much more difficult and longer than the first
- my body is slowly getting stronger
- my diet continues to improve to keep the pace
- my first skipped workouts were last week during my Recovery Week…life just got in the way
- doing it by myself is difficult

More to come including pics and Fit Test results…

Week 7

INSANITY UPDATE…

Alright, I haven’t given an INSANITY update in awhile.  It’s been going pretty well.  Had some tough days and some midnight workouts during the holidays to stay on track, but overall it’s been a successful journey so far.

My strength and endurance have increased substantially and my recovery times have drastically decreased.  Fortunately, I’ve been able to maintain my weight and even gain a few pounds by consistently drinking my protein shakes and eating multiple meals every day with healthy snacks in between.

My diet has been one of the most significant results of INSANITY.  In order to finish the workouts, I can’t eat junk… so, I’ve all but weaned myself off of soda, fast food, and desserts altogether.  I still enjoy them, but it is rare; and my only food dependancies at this point are a lot of healthy calories so I don’t start losing weight.

From a workout stats perspective, here are the results of my first 4 Fit Tests (one every 2 weeks)…

1. Switch Kicks – 56/63/60/64

2. Power Jacks – 47/58/62/63

3. Power Knees – 85/100/106/113

4. Power Jumps – 33/40/42/43

5. Globe Jumps –  8/11/12/11

6. Suicide Jumps – 14/17/18/19

7. Pushup Jacks – 20/27/30/33

8. Low Plank Obliques – 46/54/60/64

I’ve been showing pretty consistent improvement and I only have one test left at the end of the program!

My next update, pending any physical disasters, will be complete with final results and before/after pics.

Embrace the journey,

Curtis

Week 9 – Done!

INSANITY COMPLETE!

Here are the Before and After pics from my journey with INSANITY…

I could go on and on about my experience, but suffice it to say for now that it was more challenging than I expected and more rewarding than I could have imagined.  I won’t be doing it again anytime soon, but I will be adding a few of the exercises to my regular regimen.

I have a developed a newfound passion for health and nutrition that has changed the way I eat, drink, sleep, and live.  Those habits, along with my increased confidence that I can conquer the seemingly impossible,  are the greatest gifts that INSANITY gave me.

Now that I’ve taken a week off to let my body recover, I’m ready to start my next journey.

More to come…

4 ways fitness can destroy your life

Posted: 11 April, 2012 in Fitness and Health, Leadership, Personal Development
Tags: , , , ,
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I’ve recently become very interested in fitness and health. A couple months ago, I finished the BeachBody workout Insanity. As a result, I started to place much more of an emphasis on exercise, diet, and my physical appearance. During Insanity, I got stronger, faster and definitely more ripped. I started walking a bit taller and feeling more confident. By themselves, these were all positive. But while I was reading health books, wellness blogs and fitness magazines, I started to notice a trend in my thinking — it’s all about me.

To be fair, I think that health and fitness are extremely important in living a well-balanced life. But I think the key word here is “balance.” In weight lifting, a lack of balance can cause injuries. In life, a lack of balance can cause frustration, stress and isolation. How?

1. Misplaced Priorities. The more I worked out, the more I found myself prioritizing my workout over other more important things in life. While the dedication and commitment I discovered was noteworthy, the slope that I found myself on was a slippery one that could have ended in disaster.

2. Idolatry. This could have been named vanity, arrogance, or pride, but I chose Idolatry because it more clearly frames the idea in a biblical context. By placing myself and my own priorities above God’s, I am bowing down to the idol of me!  How easy it is to forget that life isn’t about me. The greatest commandments are to love God and love others. I’m not even a distant 3rd!  If I choose my health over the health of my family, I’ve failed.  If I choose building my muscles over building God’s kingdom, I’ve completely missed the mark.

3. Comparison. We live in a society where comparing ourselves to others is practically an olympic sport… we compare houses, cars, clothes, and our bodies. We often find our self-worth simply by being ‘better’ than the person next to us. If your last rep or your last mile is motivated by comparison, you may want to reconsider.

4. Time and Money. From a practical standpoint, fitness and health can take a considerable amount of time and cost a significant amount of money. The scripture says that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. My greatest earthly ‘treasures’ are time and money. The way I spend my time and money is a direct reflection of the real priorities in my life. This prompts me to take a closer look at how I’m investing my treasure.

For those that might think I am anti-fitness, please read my posts here, here and here. I love living a healthy lifestyle, and I think it one of the most important disciplines a person can have – strong body, strong mind, strong spirit. But I think that it must be placed in perspective. It must be in balance with the truly important things in life.

Image: Joel Bedford under CC BY-ND 2.0

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Epic Fail: New Year’s Resolutions in April

Posted: 9 April, 2012 in Leadership, Personal Development
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I know I’m not supposed to be talking about New Year’s Resolutions right now, but since we just finished celebrating Easter, I thought the timing was about right to address all of the new-year’s-resolution failures that have probably already occurred at this point.

Lose 10 pounds – already lost it and gained it back… twice
Read the Bible in a year – got stuck in Leviticus and gave up
Workout 5x per week – gym membership has been collecting dust on the dresser for a month
Ask out that cute guy/girl you’ve been interested in – already engaged… to someone else.

Sound familiar?

Why do our annual resolutions fail?
 

1. We fail to plan. No matter how great our intentions are, our human nature requires us to implement a specific step-by-step process if we expect to make a notable change in our habits. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail.

2. We bite off more than we can chew. Our culture regularly overestimates what can be accomplished in a day and underestimates what can be accomplished in a year. Therefore, each day when we fail to meet our own expectations, we get discouraged and come one step closer to quitting. Set a single monthly goal with weekly benchmarks to determine whether you are on track or not . Seriously, do it! A single month’s success will inspire you for the rest of the year!

3. We don’t have any accountability. Whom have you told about your goal? Your dog or cat doesn’t count! If nobody knows what you’re trying to accomplish, how can they give you a swift kick in the pants when you need it? I challenge you to find someone who doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to criticism, tell them what you plan to do, and then give them free reign to call you out.

4. We don’t create rewards. If the goal is the only reward, it can sometimes be difficult to stay motivated. By adding incremental rewards, I find myself more excited about small victories.

This is one I’m experimenting with right now…

April’s goal: 500 hits/week on this blog for 2 weeks in a row.
Reward: $100 financial investment in this blog.
Current Status: 344 hits last week.

Thanks for reading the post. If you’re a subscriber, I’ll keep you updated. :)

Image: iwolkow.de under CC BY-SA 2.0

Don’t worry, Sunday is coming

Posted: 7 April, 2012 in Christian, Personal Development
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This is a non-standard post, but it’s what’s on my heart right now.

Christ died on Friday. He was placed in a tomb of little consequence and then he just laid there, dead. Once he took the sins of the world, He exited the world like the res of us are destined to do. His followers couldn’t believe what had just happened. They didn’t understand the prophecies that said the Savior must die. They believed Jesus was the Messiah, but if the Messiah was dead, what was the point?

It’s Saturday, our Redeemer is dead… now what?

How many of us feel like we’re trapped in ‘Saturday’? We know the promises of God. We believe He will come through for us, but ‘Saturday’ just won’t end.

I know the feeling…

But there is hope.

Jesus rose on the third day and was seen by hundreds!

Tomorrow we celebrate Easter, and I hope the holiday celebrations reminds you our God is not dead! He’s alive and well, and He’s willing to help you through your ‘Saturday’.

Whatever you’re going through… Sunday is coming.

Image: wakalani under Creative Commons

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The Snooze Button: I hate it, I love it.

Posted: 7 April, 2012 in Fitness and Health, Leadership, Personal Development
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When I’m rushing out the door in the morning on the verge of being late, my snooze button is my greatest enemy. I hate what it does to my masterfully planned morning strategy. But at 515am when my alarm goes off, the snooze button is my best friend. It lets me sleep just a little bit longer without fear of oversleeping and showing up late for work.

Image: MacUK under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

My ability to think rationally in those moments between sleeping and waking is unbelievably inadequate. The best laid plans that I developed the night before that included going for a run, eating breakfast, reading my Bible, etc are thrown out the window in a moment of hurried insanity as I run around the house looking for my keys and trying to make sure I don’t forget my lunch.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

If there is such a thing as anti-discipline, I think the snooze button is it. I HATE IT! and I love it. I hate discipline too, but I love what it does to shape my character. I hate the way it causes pain and discomfort, but I love the way it molds me into a better man.

The truth is, as I thought about the snooze button on my alarm clock, I began to think about other aspects of my life I’ve decided to put on ‘snooze’. I haven’t given up on them altogether, but I am subconsciously impeding any significant progress. They seem a little too scary right now, and bit too painful. I’d rather relax in my comfortable, warm life instead of facing the realities of a new day.

Well, I’m tired of snoozing. This blog is the first of several steps I’ll be making in the near future as I attempt to break the pattern of putting off life until…

I’m waking up,
Curtis

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Image: Sprengben [why not get a friend] under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


Driven by Difficulty

Posted: 6 April, 2012 in Christian, Leadership, Personal Development
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From Curtis: This is a my first guest post by one of my best friends, Bruce Pagano. Bruce is a MSgt in the USAF and an up-and-coming church planter. He blogs regularly at New Directions, and you can find him on Twitter or Facebook.
 

I recently attended the Preach Better Sermons video conference with some of the pastors from my church. Among the list of amazing speakers was Dr. Charles Stanley. By far my favorite speaker at the conference; he is so full of anointing and wisdom. While he was talking he said something that caught my attention over all the other great stuff he shared.

He said, “Burden is compulsion from the Holy Spirit within you.”

Now, he was speaking about your motives to preach and was making the point that the Holy Spirit burdens you with specific things as a means to compel you. But for me it sank deeper than just preaching. I started looking into that sentence. I needed to define it; to develop a working definition which I could contextualize. Here’s what I came up with:

The Holy Spirit uses that which is born with difficulty to drive you to a course of action.

Often we use burden as a foul word. We shy away from anything difficult and seek the wider road. We assume difficulty and struggle is bad. Grant it, no one likes to struggle, but where would we be without it? The early church was born with difficulty. The protestant reformation was born with difficulty. Women’s suffrage was born with difficulty. The civil rights movement was born with difficulty. Everyone involved with these movements were driven to a course of action because of the difficulties they faced. It’s about purpose. There may not be a reason why certain things happen; why we experience difficulty, but everything can be purposed.

I know so many people, and I used to be one of them, who have allowed difficulty to stop them in their tracks. It halted any forward motion they, or I, may have had. If we’re honest, that’s the easy way, to stop. It gives us excuses. Allows us to sit in our pity filled pit and produce nothing. No purpose, no benefit, no understanding, nothing. But what if we allowed it to drive us? What could change if we allowed the Holy Spirit to use that which is born out of difficulty, to move us to action? What would change? Would we lead better? Would we be better spouses, or parents, or children, or employees, or friends? What movements would be started? Whose life would be impacted? How would you change?

-Bruce

Image: Ali Elan under Creative Commons

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