Welcome back brew nation! It’s “The Friday Coffee Guy” coming to you with a new edition The Champion’s Brew, a weekly assembly of material I am reading, listening to, watching, or thinking about that is designed to equip and call you to uncommon leadership. I often add my own little spin based on my takeaways and would love your input as well. Any of the points especially impact you? Drop me a note at [email protected], or comment on the blog to keep the conversation going! I believe you will discover that the format is not only useful, but also that you can consume it within the time it takes you to enjoy your daily ‘brew’! Become a member of the Champions Brew Nation by subscribing here!!
Here is your weekly sip of what I have been reading, listening to or watching to equip me to:
- Read More – I gotta tell you, I am really enjoying The Power of One More – The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and Success . by Ed Mylett. Over the past week, there have so many takeaways. Here are just a few of the things I have highlighted:
- Worthy goals and corresponding standards (intentional, positive habits you create to meet your goals) are not supposed to be easy to reach
- Contrary to what you believe and what you may have been told, the biggest separator in life is not motivation or inspiration. It is the habits you create to get you through those days when you really don’t feel like doing the things you need to do to be successful.
- Intentionally look for habits that don’t serve you well.
- Inconvenience – I really like his use of this word in the book. He says that convenience and greatness cannot co-exist. There is a significant difference between inconvenience and problems. Robert Fulghum, in his book All I really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten, explained in this way: “Life is lumpy. And a lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat and a lump in the breast are not the same lump.” Learn to recognize the difference between a problem and an inconvenience.
- Equanimity – When I saw this word, I had to look it up online. I thought that Ed was making this word up! I had heard him use it in a couple of his podcasts as well. Nope, I am humbled again. Equanimity is “the ability to achieve mental calmness, composure, and control, especially in a difficult situation”. That is a great quality to have.
- Big Dreams – As a leader you need to have a big enough dream so that the dreams of everyone you lead can fit inside the one you have created. Wow. Whether you lead a family, a youth baseball team, or a large corporation. You must be able to create and sell a big dream.
- Everybody you lead does not have to believe WHAT you’re saying. They only need to believe that YOU believe what you’re saying.
The important part about these takeaways for me thus far is that they pierced me. I saw my own personal flaws in reading some of these statements and I have some dreaming to do! You may want to pick up a copy of this book!!
- Work hard – How about a few habits you could experiment with to help you get more done in Less Time – These are from Win by Noon:
- Block out your time – The best way to get nothing done is to multi-task. Instead, assign blocks of time to your calendar for specific tasks.
- Set a timer and get started – Be intentional about the habits you create. For example, if the standard is read 20 minutes a day, then start a timer and GO for 20 minutes!
- Eliminate distractions – Silence notifications until the work block and your timer are both finished!
Some basic but effective habits
- Eat Healthy – Are you a fan of breakfast food? I really am a fan of breakfast food. As a time-restricted eater, I rarely eat breakfast, but I have been known to have “breakfast for dinner” because I really love bacon and eggs and grits and pancakes and hash browns. So, any time I can pick up some new ways to enjoy breakfast food, I like to share. Here is an article from Eating Well magazine that outlines 14 high-protein Mediterranean breakfast recipes that look yummy. I especially enjoy the first 2: Bell Pepper cheese and egg cups and Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce – add some spicy sausage and hot sauce and get “Eggs in Hades”. Any of the ones on this list especially make your mouth water?
- Quote – “There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you only do it when it is convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept to excuses, only results.” – Ken Blanchard
What you need to do:
Call to Action: What habit do you need to put in place this week that is going to move you toward your goal of uncommon? Start small. Maybe it’s committing to walking 20 minutes a day this week. No excuses! Need someone to hold you accountable? Let me know… I’ll be your wingman!! (Shout out to the new Top Gun Maverick movie… WOW!!! I Loved it!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Champions Brew. If you did, I would appreciate it if you would share it with someone who might enjoy it as well and ask them to subscribe! I will make sure they automatically get this email every week.
Until next time, go and Grow Champions!
P.S. – Are you a podcast fan? Maybe the Uncommon Leader podcast is for you. I recently interviewed the friend who suggested the Ruthless Elimination of Hurry for an upcoming podcast. You won’t want to miss that one so you may want to subscribe so it comes to you directly. Are you interested in being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast? Do you have a story to tell? Email me [email protected] and let’s have a chat and set something up!!
