Life Hacks

Monday Mentions 11.23.20

A Helpful Book for Thinking about Money – Rich Dad Poor Dad

This book is an international best seller. I read it a few years ago. Some of the principles have really helped me navigate some practical financial decisions.

If you’re looking to increase your financial IQ, I’d recommend checking it out.

Something to Help You Wake Up and Navigate SAD – Light Therapy Lamp

Light therapy has been shown to help people who experience SAD – seasonal affected disorder. I try to use this lamp when I get up in the morning, while I have my quiet time. Being exposed to light first thing helps regulate your circadian rhythm which has the benefit of sleeping better at night.

A Fantastic Donut – Duck Donuts

Imagine warm, delicious, made-to-order donuts. I recently tried these donuts while traveling and they are amazing. Whether you order a traditional donut, something funky, or your own twist, these are prepared while you wait. It’s the freshest donut I’ve ever eaten! Click the link for location info.

A Quote from I’m Thinking About

I believe the truth is only offensive when we’re lying.” ― Matthew McConaughey, Greenlights

Monday Mentions 11.16.20

A Workshop I’m Leading – Hero on a Mission

Living a meaningful life doesn’t happen by accident. We rarely drift towards a desired destination.

What if you could design you life and get out of the drift?

One tool that has greatly changed my life is developing a life plan. This tool has been so helpful that I will be leading a workshop that will help you write you own life plan. I will offer both in-person and online options. The workshop is called Hero on a Mission.

What that means practically:
You will know what to focus on
You will know what to do, despite how you feel
You will make progress every day on your life goals
You will get enough done every day that you don’t feel like you are wasting your life
Your life will make sense to yourself and others
You will be living a story that makes sense.

You will no longer wake up in a fog. Everyday you go through your routine, you will feel that your life has a purpose, because it will.

You will know where your life is going
You will know why your life matters
You will know what you are supposed to do next
You will feel a deep sense of meaning

When we are done, you will see a massive return on the time you have invested. The learning you do will be fun and entertaining, and it will teach you to live your life in a way that makes you a Hero on a Mission. Get ready for the most productive season of your life.

Interested in getting more information? Click here.

A Helpful House Tool – BLACK+DECKER Handheld Vacuum

I’ve put off getting one of these for a while, but once I got one, I am glad I did. This cordless vacuum makes it easy to clean those little crevices in your home or your car. It’s light and easy to clean.

A Fun Resturant Experience – Iron Age Korean Steak House

We recently went on a double date with some dear friends. We wanted something fun and a little different. Iron Age did not disappoint.

Iron Age serves traditional Korean BBQ in an all-you-can-eat setting. You get to pick all the dishes you would like to try and they cook it in front of you. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very cool.

If you are looking for something a little different, bring a good appetite and give Iron Age a try.

A Quote from I’m Thinking About

Big thoughts go nowhere without bold action.” — Gary Keller

Monday Mentions 11.9.20

A Book for Struggling Couples – Before You Split

Stats show that this has been an especially hard year for couples. Stats also show that in a “normal” year, divorces typically happen in the early months of the year — after trying to navigate the stress and strain of the holidays. And, of course, this has been far from a normal year.

As pastor, I’d love for every couple that is navigating a tough season to read this book by Toni Nieuwhof. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone. Your marriage doesn’t have to be over and it’s not too late. This book released in January 2021. I’d encourage you to pre-order it now.

From Amazon:

What would it take to leave your unhappiness behind instead of your spouse? A former divorce attorney lays out the hidden benefits of staying together in an age when separation and divorce are common.

If you’ve ever said, “I can’t do this anymore!” out of frustration with your marriage, you’re definitely not alone.

In this practical and insightful guide, former divorce attorney Toni Nieuwhof shows that even if you feel disconnected or stuck in your troubled marriage – and worry about its impact on your kids – there is a way forward.

Before You Split helps you find what you really want from your marriage and how to move forward by:

Seeing yourself and your spouse more clearly
Dealing with unrealistic expectations
Empowering you with constructive ways to respond to difficult emotions
Engaging the power of forgiveness
Increasing your peacemaking skills
Advancing your journey of personal growth

Even when it feels like it’s over, it’s not too late. Change takes place one step at a time. Before You Split will help you make choices with your eyes wide open.

A Great Protein Bar – FITCRUNCH Protein Bars

I’ve tried sever of Robert Irvine’s protein bars. These are easy to grab and eat on the go and they are pretty tasty. I am currently working my way through a box of the birthday cake bars.

A Great Burger – Over the Top Burger Bar

This place has some seriously good burgers! It is located in Buford, Ga and definitely worth checking out. They have some outrageous burgers and ginormous shakes. I order the “unoriginal” and add bacon. Their bacon is candied … need I say more?

A Quote from I’m Thinking About

You are you inside your marriage, and you are you when you leave the marriage. So you can’t leave you.” – Toni Nieuwhof

Monday Mentions 11.2.20

A Book I’m Re-reading – The One Thing

Our leadership team is working with Dr. Rick Forbus of Trove. Rick has coached several of us individually as well as our entire leadership team. He has helped our team and our church immensely! Rick recently challenged our team to read The One Thing as we fine-tune our 2021 strategic plans.

I read this book a few years ago but am looking forward to re-reading it with fresh eyes. It is a simple idea with powerful results. Have you read it?

From Amazon:

People are using this simple, powerful concept to focus on what matters most in their personal and work lives. Companies are helping their employees be more productive with study groups, training, and coaching. Sales teams are boosting sales. Churches are conducting classes and recommending for their members.

By focusing their energy on one thing at a time people are living more rewarding lives by building their careers, strengthening their finances, losing weight and getting in shape, deepening their faith, and nurturing stronger marriages and personal relationships.

YOU WANT LESS. You want fewer distractions and less on your plate. The daily barrage of e-mails, texts, tweets, messages, and meetings distract you and stress you out. The simultaneous demands of work and family are taking a toll. And what’s the cost? Second-rate work, missed deadlines, smaller paychecks, fewer promotions–and lots of stress.

AND YOU WANT MORE. You want more productivity from your work. More income for a better lifestyle. You want more satisfaction from life, and more time for yourself, your family, and your friends.

NOW YOU CAN HAVE BOTH ― LESS AND MORE. In The ONE Thing, you’ll learn to * cut through the clutter * achieve better results in less time * build momentum toward your goal* dial down the stress * overcome that overwhelmed feeling * revive your energy * stay on track * master what matters to you The ONE Thing delivers extraordinary results in every area of your life–work, personal, family, and spiritual. WHAT’S YOUR ONE THING?

A Miracle Medicine for Migraine Suffers – Ajovy

I’ve suffered from chronic migraines for 25+ years. I have tried everything I know to do to cut them out. They can be debilitating. At the very least, they are frustrating and have robbed me days and weeks (and years?) of being able to show-up as my best self.

My doctor introduced me to Ajovy last year. Ajovy is a self-administered injection that you can give yourself monthly or quarterly and has been shown to reduce migraine days for its users.

It took a couple of months to build up in my system, but once it did, it has been a game-changer. I rarely have migraines now. The ones I do have are less frequent and less painful.

If you suffer from migraines, it is worth asking your doctor about Ajovy. Since it is a newer treatment, it can be quite expensive. Fortunately, the manufacturer offers a coupon that has made it nearly free for me to take it.

There are at least two other drug companies that have similar products. To my knowledge, Ajovy is the only one that allows you to use it quarterly.

A Great Knee Wrap – Knee Ice Pack

I have a small tear in my patellar tendon — I’m getting old! This knee wrap comes with two ice packs that are easy to insert in the wrap. It makes it easy to ice my knee and help reduce the inflammation.

A Quote from I’m Thinking About

“The people who achieve extraordinary results don’t achieve them by working more hours … They achieve them by getting more done in the hours they work.” – Gary Keller in The One Thing

Monday Mentions 10.26.20

A Book that has Me Hooked – Personality Isn’t Permanent

One of the most liberating truths is that your life can change for the better. It really can. Your past is not a prelude. You have the power to choose to create the kind of person you want to be.

This book is reminding me that a far better indicator of your potential is not your past performance, but the future goal you are focused on. I have allowed elements of my past to sabotage my present and future opportunities. I have found this Book really helpful and freeing.

From Amazon:

Psychologist and bestselling author Benjamin Hardy, PhD, debunks the pervasive myths about personality that prevent us from learning—and provides bold strategies for personal transformation

In Personality Isn’t Permanent, Dr. Benjamin Hardy draws on psychological research to demolish the popular misconception that personality—a person’s consistent attitudes and behaviors—is innate and unchanging. Hardy liberates us from the limiting belief that our “true selves” are to be discovered, and shows how we can intentionally create our desired selves and achieve amazing goals instead. He offers practical, science-based advice to for personal-reinvention, including:

   • Why personality tests such as Myers-Briggs and Enneagram are not only psychologically destructive but are no more scientific than horoscopes
   • Why you should never be the “former” anything–because defining yourself by your past successes is just as damaging to growth as being haunted by past failures
   • How to design your current identity based on your desired future self and make decisions here-and-now through your new identity
   • How to reframe traumatic and painful experiences into a fresh narrative supporting your future success
   • How to become confident enough to define your own life’s purpose
   • How to create a network of “empathetic witnesses” who actively encourage you through the highs and lows of extreme growth
   • How to enhance your subconscious to overcome addictions and limiting patterns
   • How redesign your environment to pull you toward your future, rather than keep you stuck in the past
   • How to tap into what psychologists call “pull motivation” by narrowing your focus on a single, definable, and compelling outcome

The book includes true stories of intentional self-transformation—such as Vanessa O’Brien, who quit her corporate job and set the Guinness World Record for a woman climbing the highest peak on every continent in the fastest time; Andre Norman, who became a Harvard fellow after serving a fourteen-year prison sentence; Ken Arlen, who instantly quit smoking by changing his identity narrative; and Hardy himself, who transcended his childhood in a broken home, surrounded by issues of addiction and mental illness, to earn his PhD and build a happy family.

Filled with strategies for reframing your past and designing your future, Personality Isn’t Permanent is a guide to breaking free from the past and becoming the person you want to be.

A Good Supplement for Better Sleep – Amazon Elements Melatonin

Melatonin is something he produces naturally to help you sleep. I found the supplement helpful and sleeping more soundly. Amazon has good quality supplements for a good price.

My Favorite Phone Case – Peel Super Thin Case

Peel is the creator of the original super thin case design. They case maintains the original look of my iPhone while still protecting it. It looks perfect and is branding free.

A Quote from I’m Thinking About

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – An Abraham Lincoln Paraphrase

Let’s change the world together!