Sometimes, even video games become a grind. But that doesn't mean we stop playing. In fact, for some of us, that's the goal. Grinding is a term used in gaming (especially for on-going games where you build a character) when you repeat the same actions over and over to increase your experience/in-game cash/equipment or something else. It could mean that you play the same level over and over, or the same mini-game countless times. I have run through the same missions in Destiny more times than I'd like to admit in my quest to have a top-tier character... What makes it a grind is that you aren't doing anything new, you aren't … [Read more...]
You Get Great at What You Repeatedly Do
I'm not a great drummer. I'm good. I'm competent. I'm solid. And even though I'm not actively playing right now, if I practiced consistently for a few weeks I'd be gig-ready again. But still, I'm not great, and it's for a simple reason. I just haven't played enough. Now, I'm a great public speaker. I'm a great writer. And it's for a similarly simple reason: I've done those activities a lot. Someone was asking me how I've written 7 books in the past few years. Easy. I just write and write and write. Since drumming didn't stay a part of my life on a daily basis, I never got great at it. I still love playing, but I'll admit … [Read more...]
5 Secrets for Creating Lasting Personal Growth
updated December 2020 I want to learn to speak Spanish fluently. And after 3 years of almost daily Duolingo lessons, I'm getting there. I'd had it on my list of New Year’s Resolutions for almost a decade. Have you realized that New Year’s Resolution is a short-hand way of saying this part of my life that I’ve been trying to change for the last ten years? But when I think about it, I realize that my Spanish, while not fluent, is actually not horrible. I can read esta bien, but my conversational skills need some work still. That’s not great, but considering I took 4 years of Latin in high school, it isn’t bad either. So maybe I … [Read more...]
Progress Isn’t a Straight Line
There's a meme that's been around for a while about reality vs. perception when considering the path to success. It compares the over-simplified straight line that most external observers see with the crazy squiggled line of what progress actually looks like for those working towards a worthy goal. I think this meme resonates with a truth that most of us get. It's easy to understand how an external observer won't grasp the blood, sweat, and tears that go into being successful at an endeavor. All they usually see is the end result. But I think we actually miss the way that this understanding can help us on a daily basis. Instead of … [Read more...]
The 5 Backstage Lessons I Learned in a Band that Will Make You A RockStar Speaker
A version of this article appeared on Orbit Media a while back. The truths in it are as relevant as ever and I wanted to share it. You can find the original here. Before my career took me to the stage as a professional speaker, I spent years behind a drumkit for a ska/funk band in Chicago. What started as a college band would be a big part of my life for almost a decade, and I'm still pulling ideas and concepts from the experience that I use to this day. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was also learning a perspective that would profoundly influence how I approached being a speaker. When people ask me for advice on how to … [Read more...]
