Intentionality, Nutrition, and Listening: A Comprehensive Approach to Personal Transformation – Your Champions Brew

Who are you listening to?

Happy Friday, Brew Nation! 

Grab your favorite coffee cup, sit back, relax, and get ready to sip on some enriching and thought-provoking content that will equip you to thrive in all areas of your life:

• Uncommon Leader Insights – In a recent podcast episode I did with the insightful Bernie and Tammy Miller, affectionately known as Bammy, I crisscrossed a landscape of wisdom that’s essential for every leader and spouse to map. Episode 98 of The Uncommon Leader Podcast unearthed principles so robust and actionable that they deserve to be mulled over time and again. Here are three insights that emerged for me:

1. Prioritization is so important – Throughout our conversation, Bernie and Tammy championed the significance of defining clear priorities. They shared their philosophy of not just setting goals but tending to a selective few with the utmost attention and perseverance. I couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Whether it’s as a couple, or as a business leader, you can do anything you want.  You just can’t do everything you want!!  This teaches us that to succeed, we must be ruthless in prioritizing our time.  If we don’t schedule it, someone else will!
2. Be intentional – The Miller’s endorsed time blocking as more than an organizational tactic; it’s a life-enriching strategy. Integrating such rhythms and rejuvenating existing threads can transform relationships.  Often times, I hear leaders say that time blocking is too restrictive, but on the contrary, I belied that discipline facilitates freedom.  Want to have more time do to the things you want with people you want to do?  Schedule it!
3. Practice Purposeful Reflection – Purposeful reflection yields purposeful action.  Our discussion revealed the potent role of weekly retrospection in sustaining momentum and ensuring growth. Through assessing what went well, identifying what could be better, and recognizing what we must Keep, Start or Stop doing, leaders can craft their course with passion.

In every episode, I seek to distill not only knowledge but also the very ethos that our guests live by. Bammy’s shared strategies resonate with the core of what The Uncommon Leader Podcast stands for. So as we step forward, let’s reflect on how the remarkable synthesis of these ideas can ignite our paths to marital bliss and intrinsic leadership. Remember, prioritization, intentionality, and purposeful reflection are cornerstones of uncommon leadership and a thriving business and life.

•  Live Forever –

As I journey through life, health has become an increasingly important core value for me. With each passing year, I find myself taking my well-being more seriously, seeking ways to extend my longevity and overall feeling of wellness. Today, I want to share with you some insights into my personal supplementation routine and the steps I’m taking to prioritize my health in the hopes of maybe helping you, but also hearing back from you what you do! While I can’t guarantee the effectiveness of every supplement, my goal of reaching a healthy age of 85 motivates and inspires me to explore available avenues to help!

When it comes to supplementation, I rely on the expertise of a select few individuals whose knowledge I have come to find valuable. These individuals include Jeremy Scott (Jeremy Scott Fitness owner), Dr. Anthony Balduzzi (Fit Father Project), and the insightful Jim Kwik(Author of Limitless), who sheds light on brain-boosting foods to enhance memory. In an age of information overload, I believe it’s crucial to limit the number of inputs and focus on the wisdom of these trusted sources.

Here’s a peek at my daily supplemental routine:

1. Athletic Greens (AG1):  For the past 4 to 5 years, I’ve incorporated Athletic Greens into my daily routine. Although its taste may not be the most appealing(what greens really are?!), I’ve experienced an overall sense of improved well-being and faster recovery from common colds. To give it a try, you can use this link (affiliate link) to order your first subscription and receive five free travel packs and a year’s supply of Vitamin D.
2. Vitamin D:  To ensure sufficient Vitamin D levels, especially when sunlight exposure is limited, I rely on a Vitamin D supplement (5,000 IU)
3. Fish Oil:  To obtain Omega 3 fatty acids, essential for optimal health, I take a daily fish oil tablet.
4. Collagen Peptides:  A large scoop of collagen peptides added to my daily coffee not only provides nearly 20g of protein but also aims to support skin elasticity, helping slow down the aging process.
5. Electrolyte Mix:  At the recommendation of the experts I mentioned earlier, I’ve recently started incorporating an electrolyte mix into my morning routine for better hydration after a night’s sleep. Currently, I’m using Re-Lyte, but I’ve also tried LMNT in the past. The taste, which includes a hint of salt, has been easy for me to adapt to.
6. Exploring Better Sleep:  Another aspect of my health journey in 2024 involves improving my sleep quality. While I haven’t yet incorporated these supplements into my routine, I’m reading about their potential benefits for sleep: Magnesium citrate, Glycine, and Inositol. I’m curious to hear from you, my readers, if any of you have had success with supplements to enhance sleep.

Let me emphasize that I’m not a doctor, but I am committed to exploring all avenues that can contribute to my well-being. I’m grateful for each additional day of life that God blesses me with, and I believe that adopting good behaviors and incorporating beneficial supplements can play a significant role in extending and enhancing our lives.

Now, it’s your turn! I’d love to hear about your go-to supplements for health. Let’s continue this conversation and support each other on our individual health journeys.

• Read More – We are working our way through The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, another John Maxwell classic sure to equip you and inspire you to uncommon leadership! Have you gotten a copy to read along with me?

Quality #11 – Listening

To Connect With Their Hearts, Use Your Ears

In Chapter 11, Maxwell outlined the subject of listening.

In the world of leadership, an unwillingness to listen is all too common among poor leaders. However, as Coach John always emphasizes, listening plays a vital role in effective leadership. It serves two essential purposes: connecting with people and learning from them. As the Cherokee saying wisely reminds us, “Listen to the whispers and you won’t have to hear the screams.”

As leaders, we shouldn’t base our actions solely on what others are doing. However, we should still cultivate a willingness to listen and learn, as it is a powerful tool for self-improvement. As business leaders, our listening should extend to multiple fronts – our team, customers, competitors, and mentors.

To enhance your listening skills, it’s crucial to be intentional. If you desire to listen more to your team, take a moment to evaluate your schedule over the next 30 days. How much time have you allocated for actively listening to your team members? Challenge yourself to carve out dedicated time to engage with them genuinely.  During your interactions, discipline yourself to ask a few questions about the person you’re speaking with. Show genuine interest in their experiences, aspirations, and challenges.

And, If you haven’t yet found a mentor to listen to, now may be the time to seek one out. But don’t fret if you haven’t found a physical mentor just yet. There are abundant resources available to you. Start by diving into a good book, such as “The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader,” or tune into a podcast like the “Uncommon Leader Podcast.” Don’t let the absence of a physical mentor be an excuse for missing out on the wealth of knowledge and insights waiting to be discovered.

Listening is not a passive act but an active skill that can be honed and developed. Embrace the power of listening, and watch as it transforms your leadership journey, strengthens your connections, and opens doors to new possibilities. 

Next week:  Passion

Quote of the week:    “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily.” John Maxwell

What You Need to Do:

Call to Action:  My challenge to you this week is to engage.  Share your thoughts, learnings, and experiences in the comments section. Who is a  friend who you know would appreciate these articles and invite them to join the Brew Nation. Together, let’s cultivate Brew Nation into a community of inspiration, encouragement, and equipping more Champions!!

It’s an honor to be your trusted “Friday Coffee Guy”.  Each week, I’m excited to provide yet another round of curated content that I’ve been reading, listening to, watching, or thinking over. The purpose of the Champions Brew is to inspire, equip and encourage you to become the uncommon leader you were designed to be. I am so grateful for your decision to invest a few moments with me! 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.    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!!