Blog
When I was in Global Mining at Caterpillar, our mining customers placed significant time and energy managing their TUM – Time Utilization Model. The focus was to get as much effective utilization out of every hour of every day throughout the year. They all had 8,760 hours per year, as do we. Their teams leveraged […]
These last few weeks I found myself in a familiar position – lying on my back, on the floor, raising my right leg and holding for five seconds. “One, two, three, four, five,” I count in my head. I then let my leg rest for a second and then repeat, “Up – one, two, three, […]
Have you ever wondered why many of us stop dreaming – why we have given up pursuing what’s possible for our lives? What happened? The contrast is stark when compared to our childhood selves. As children, our imaginations ran wild, dreaming about life’s possibilities – what we would be when we grew up, special experiences […]
Thanks to my injury (no sarcasm intended), I have had plenty of extra time to reflect on important life lessons from the past. Accepting generosity was the focus this week as I continue to be the benefactor of others’ generosity. What has been interesting is, while I know this lesson well, actually living it out […]
This week I found myself (again) reflecting on a life lesson that bears repeating – or at least I need to hear myself write it again. Major in the majors What was the triggering event this year? My wife and I were working through expectations for our children around their responsibility to pay for certain […]
As I shared this time last year – I love checking items off my list! The feeling of accomplishment is embarrassingly addictive. Maybe you can relate. Have you ever added an item to your to-do list, after you already completed the task, for the satisfaction you feel when you put a checkmark next to it? […]
As I hunched forward over another wonderful meal Nikki had prepared, my elbows rested on our kitchen island. While I was hungry after a full day, all I could do was sit and stare at the floor. “Are you going to eat?” “Do you have very much pain?” Those were the questions Nikki was asking, […]
Have you ever had the thought, “I don’t feel like doing that?” Or maybe, “I will do it when I feel like it?” One of the most impactful lessons I learned early in my career was you don’t feel your way to an ‘action’; you ‘act’ your way to a feeling. At the time, the […]
This statement was one of the many ‘ranch-isms’ I learned while attending JH Ranch’s Father/Daughter Camp with Ava, earlier this month. As I reflect on the truth of the statement in my own life, I remember moments worthy of sharing, and others I am not particularly proud of. Did I step up to the challenge, […]
This week my daughter, Ava, and I will be attending a Father/Daughter Camp in northern California that will include white water rafting, horseback riding, and a high ropes course. My guess is at some point we will each have a moment where we each either face our fear or back away – but hopefully nothing […]
Treat the soil, not the plant. A few months ago, I found myself in a conversation with a fellow WFG team member, Chris Robinson, on the topic of lawn care. Having previously noted my obsession for a perfectly manicured lawn in a prior message, it is likely no surprise to you, the reader, that I […]
The Bible states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 This week, I am once again reminded of the power of vision, as Nikki and I make our way to Milwaukee for Northwestern Mutual’s (NM) Annual Meeting. Attending this meeting has been a tradition since I began my career as an intern […]
Father’s Day– a day to honor and celebrate our fathers for the impact they have had on our lives. I hope all you fathers had a wonderful day. While my day was filled with much love, surrounded by my Nikki and the kids, it also was bittersweet, as my mind was gripped by the reminder […]