A guy from my old Toastmasters club wished me happy birthday by calling me the other Tony Robbins. I smiled. Then I had to sit with the fact that I've spent this whole year running from exactly that.
Tag: motivation
Thirty Copies
Around 2013 I was very good at Excel, and Excel was slowly ruining me. The job needed SQL. I had built SQL up in my head into a wall — I'm a business person, I'd say, not a technical person, and they've got me doing technical things. It'll take too long. It's too hard. I'm … Continue reading Thirty Copies
The Room That Knew What I Knew
I found an old Toastmasters competition video of myself the other night. Watching old video of myself is its own small torture — you're looking at a former version, and you can see everything he doesn't know yet. It's like watching a younger sibling do the thing. But I'll say it plainly: it was a … Continue reading The Room That Knew What I Knew
Was It Always This Simple? Day 33 and the Truth About Starting
Day 33 of the 7-40 ChallengeMonday, February 2, 2026 Welcome to Day 33. I'm still here. Still going. And today, I accomplished all seven of my daily goals. My hand is finally starting to feel better. My head's in the right frame of mind. And I'm looking forward to getting after my goals even harder … Continue reading Was It Always This Simple? Day 33 and the Truth About Starting
Day 12: More Than Just Checking Boxes (Why This Challenge Is Emotional)
I'm in the Emotional chapter of "Made to Stick" this morning, and something caught my attention. The Heath brothers tell a story about a soldier cook. He had retired, but when offered an opportunity to cook for soldiers in Iraq, he jumped at the post. When asked about his job, he didn't say "I prepare … Continue reading Day 12: More Than Just Checking Boxes (Why This Challenge Is Emotional)
