The Keystone Habit That Changes Everything: Why One Good Habit Can Transform Your Life For anyone that has trained on the mat for any extended period of time, they've learned that what they do off of the mat matters as much, if not more, than what they do on the mat. One reason why I advocate for martial arts training is because it turned my life around. I was a "functioning" alcoholic—"only" drinking Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays. But boy, did I drink on those days, so much so that it...
1 day ago • 12 min read
The Iron Triangle: Why You Have Less Time Than You Think Life is short. We all know that but very few of us live in a way where we don't waste our most precious resource, time. Once gone, we can never get it back. Money will come and go; and you can always make more of it but for whatever reason, we seem to value money more than time, chasing one and wasting the other away. In construction I learned there's an Iron Triangle of time, money, and quality. You can only pick two at the expense of...
3 days ago • 13 min read
Stop Being the Deer in the Headlights: Why You Must Prepare for the Worst When you get down and think about it, martial arts training is nothing more than practicing and dealing with the worst things we imagined happening to us as kids—namely, getting punched, kicked, and thrown down to the ground. But that's exactly what makes it so powerful. It's what the Stoics called "premeditatio malorum" or, as we say today, negative visualization. It's why our military plays wargames and trains for...
4 days ago • 12 min read
It's Never Been Easier to Be Successful— That's Why Fewer People Are It's never been easier to be successful. Think about it: We have access to more information than at any point in human history. You can learn anything—absolutely anything—for free or nearly free. Want to start a business? There are thousands of courses, books, and YouTube videos. Want to get in shape? The best trainers in the world share their knowledge freely. Want to learn a skill? The masters are teaching online. So why...
5 days ago • 13 min read
When Good Enough Is Good Enough: The Perfectionist's Paradox When I was single, life was simple. I worked and worked out— going to the job site every morning, plying my skill as an electrician and working toward being a skilled craftsman (not just a journeyman). Then after work, after a quick shit, shower and shave, and a quick bite, I'd head to the dojang to get there around 3pm and have the place to myself to work on strikes (against the heavy bag and makiwara), techniques and breakfalls....
6 days ago • 14 min read
Stop Saying "Sorry": Why Apologies Without Action Are BS I learned this the hard way on the construction site and on the mat and I'm hoping by sharing this, you will avoid the pain I went through. People use the word "sorry" as a way to absolve themselves of responsibility. Sorry doesn't mean anything unless it creates a new set of behaviors and eliminates the need to apologize for the same error again. Do you know people who keep saying sorry for the same stuff? It's because you've given...
7 days ago • 13 min read
Choosing the Right Game: Why Finite Thinking Destroys Infinite Relationships Not too long ago, I wrote about the differences between jutsu, sport, and do martial arts schools and how you need to find the right school for your needs and goals at your stage of life—athlete, warrior, leader, sage. Here's the framework: Jutsu schools focus on combat effectiveness—techniques designed to incapacitate or kill. The goal is survival. The mindset is life or death. Win or die. Sport schools focus on...
8 days ago • 13 min read
Surround Yourself With Success: The Marcus Aurelius Lesson I Missed for Years Meditations by Marcus Aurelius As is my habit, I start the New Year with my annual re-exploration of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. The great thing about revisiting great books regularly and learning new things from them is not that the book has changed and somehow shown you something new—it's that you've changed and can now take in something that was there the whole time, but you have evolved and can "see" it now....
9 days ago • 13 min read
The One Skill That Makes Everything Easier: Why Everyone Needs to Learn Marketing I have to be honest—I really don't know how I got and "kept" my wife Amy 25 years ago. I was so emotionally-retarded (and yes, I know that's not PC, but I'm still blue-collar at heart, LOL) and had poor communication and connection skills. I'm better now, but still have so much to learn. One thing that has helped me more than I could have ever imagined was when I started taking classes and reading books to help...
10 days ago • 14 min read