People Will Find You

Do you know what your customers are saying about you?

Or maybe your fans?

Or perhaps your students?

Don't care? Or don't think you have time to care?

You may want to reconsider.  And soon.

On the first day of class this semester, one of my students matter-of-factly said that she selected MY section of Principles of Accounting I based on a recommendation.

I asked her who the kind person was who recommended me to her.

It wasn't a person who made the recommendation.

It was a website.

The student casually informed me that finding everything she needed to know about my performance as an instructor was as easy as typing my name into Google and the school that I teach at.

A few keystrokes and...Voila'.  A website called http://blog.ratemyprofessors.com/ provided her with all the information she needed.

Fortunately for me, I received a 4.5 rating out of a possible 5.  I received a 5 for "clarity" and "helpfulness", but only a 3 for "easiness."

Guess I'm nice.

But not cheap.

I think this story is instructive.

It says THESE ARE THE RULES OF THE INTERNET AGE:

THE RULES:  If you are good.  Really good. And consistently good.

People will find you.

However....

If you are poor.  Really poor.  And consistently poor.

People will find you...AND....

They will tell OTHERS.

But....here is the cool part:

IF you are up to the challenge.

And have the courage to be good at what you do.  Really good at what you do.  And consistently good at what you do....

These new rules provide you a BIG OPPORTUNITY and...

...are the BEST RULES EVER to be playing by.

AMJ

Eat As Though You Were A Poor Person

Coach Joe Vigil is one of the most successful cross country coaches in American history.  He taught and coached at Adams State College for nearly 30 years.

One of Vigil's most famous athletes was Olympic medalist Deena Kastor. He was credited for coaching her to dominate in the marathon after winning the bronze medal in Athens.

In Christopher McDougall's bestseller "Born to Run," the author describes how Coach Vigil's coaching of Kastor included some unorthodox methods. In addition to putting her through the typical drills of intervals, hill work, and track sessions, Vigil introduced many non-physical, esoteric elements to her training--elements that seemed to have nothing to do with training.

Mc Dougall describes how the walls in Vigil's office were posted with mantras like "practice abundance by giving back," and "show integrity to your value system."  And my favorite:  "eat as though you were a poor person."

In other words,  keep it simple.  

As my running improves, I find coach Vigil's advice to ring true.  I find I need LESS, not MORE. 

No more PowerBars, PowerGels, PowerShakes or PowerVitamins.

This became abundantly clear during the Leadville Marathon last summer.  Unlike the typical city race aid stations equipped with colorful gu's, gels, bars and funky colored "recovery drinks," the various aid stations at the Leadville race (all over 10,000 ft elevation) were equipped with flat Coca-Cola, watermelon and my personal favorite:  PBJ sandwiches--on white bread.

The best food I ever had on a race.

And the most effective.

I think the Coach Vigil's metaphor of "eating as though you were a poor person," applies off the track.

We don't need as much as we THINK we need to accomplish what we want to accomplish.

I just read how many of the titans of tech in Silicon Valley send their kids to schools WITHOUT COMPUTERS.  That's right--WITHOUT computers.  As they see that test results for digital classroom students are BELOW their classmates in the non-digital, pen and pencil schools.

My family and I are going to take the kids out to a fancy Thai restaurant this weekend.  One of those places where the plate presentation is a mini-work of art. To be sure,  I will enjoy watching the kids experience a cuisine that broadens their palettes beyond mac n cheese and hot dogs.  But I have to admit, while I consider panang curry or chicken pad thai, I will be thinking...

I wonder how the PBJ is...

AMJ

A Movie Worth Watching

I have a challenge for you.

Write down the top five things you worried were going to happen to you last year.  Then, circle the things that actually DID happen to you.

How many did you circle?

Better question...do you even remember the top five things you worried about?

I don't either.

I just remember worrying.

About anything. And about everything.  The big things, the small things.  From paying the mortgage to forgetting to apply deodorant. 

Before every marathon, I fear I am going to either  1) not finish or  2)  finish last.  I have run over one dozen marathons.  I have  1) always finished and  2) never finished last.

Yet I continue to worry.

Worry about future events that never happen.

Last year I tried something new to boost my marathon time.  So I could finish in under four hours.  It's a process used by professional athletes called creative visualization.  Creative visualization is the process of forming a vivid picture in one's mind of a preferred outcome--a successful new business, an "A" on an exam, a new personal best in a race.

I think of it as replacing the bad DVD running in my mind with a good DVD.  Replacing Apocalypse Now with Rocky so to speak.  Replacing fear with victory.

I know.  Sounds too Oprah-ish.

Guess what my time was at my last marathon?  A 3:56.  Under four hours.  Just like it appeared in my brain's new DVD.

What if we could apply this process to everything we do?  Choose to take out the old tape we have been playing day after day and put in a new tape? A tape with a good day in the classroom, a good day with our kids, a good day with our co-workers, a good score on the exam. 

In other words...watching the outcome we WANT, instead of the outcome we FEAR. 

Now that would be a movie worth watching.


AMJ

You Can't Eat Chili With Chopsticks

I used to believe that humility was a sign of weakness.

I was wrong.

I now believe that humility is the foundation of CONFIDENCE.  Yes, confidence.

Confidence to admit that I don't know the answer--and gain wisdom.

Confidence to question my premises--and consider alternatives.

Confidence to ask for help--and not waste more time.

Humility--in it's purest form--recognizes that others have come before me and have traveled similar roads as I.  Roads full of danger that often lure one to meaningless side-roads resulting in lost years or decades in time and fortune.

I was recently at a potluck and overheard a mother exclaim to her toddler: "you can't eat chili with chopsticks!"  After a brief chuckle, it occurred to me that this is exactly what we adults foolishly attempt every day--to  eat chili with chopsticks! Instead of humbling ourselves and seeking the road well-traveled, we arrogantly set out on journeys to nowhere thinking we are conquering new territory or creating new standards. 

It is easy to mistake arrogance for confidence.

So how about this:  when we decide to train for that first marathon, or begin inking the business plan for that  proposed new business, or resolve to raise grateful children, perhaps the first step should be a change of heart.  A heart of humility.

Humility that creates confidence.  And wisdom.  To keep us from our own foolishness.  And trying to eat chili with chopsticks.

AMJ

Going Long

In my twenties, all I cared about was going fast.

A faster 5k, a faster 10k.

I applied this "need for speed" to my non-running life as well at the time.  Faster job promotions.  Faster accumulation of cars, homes, 401(k) contributions.

As I approach my 43rd birthday, I try and focus more on going LONG.

I was humbled when I ran the Leadville Marathon last Summer--26.2 miles--all over 10,000 feet--including a 6-mile jaunt up Mosquito Pass.  Humbled because many of my fellow runners were 20 years older than me--that's right--20 years or more.  I ran the last 7 miles with a 60-year old retired school teacher who was running the race as a  TRAINING RUN!  A training run for the Leadville 100 (a 100 mile race on foot)the next month!

Finishing that race with those hearty souls 20 years my elder spoke volumes not just about TRAINING as we get older.  But about LIVING as we get older.

What I found in Leadville that day was that what we lose in going fast, we gain in going long.

In other, words...what we lose in youth, we gain in experience.

I have found the axiom of GOING LONG to apply to many areas of life.  Taking the LONG view in building one's career, in raising kids, in building a business, in strengthening the body has profound implications for the decisions we make today.  Going LONG instead of FAST implies we are seeking to create something of lasting value, something bigger than us.

Giving our kids a TV and XBOX in their room may be a FAST solution to occupy their time and provide immediate daycare relief so we can work our pet projects or finish laundry.  Or spending the $2000 for the tummy-tuck may provide the temporary pass to avoid the pain of exercise.

But going LONG means that we forsake the fast solution.  The shortcut.  It means we ignore the silly gimmicks that promise fast health and fast wealth.  And focus on building the things that we will be glad we built when the kids are grown and we are surveying our lives from the finish line.  The things that can't be built overnight or with our checkbook.

Going long is not easy.  Truth be told, it can be downright exhausting as the temptation to take the FAST solution  is always lurking. But I am confident it can be done as others have forged the path.

People like that retired schoolteacher I met on Mosquito Pass. Who have not only gained the wisdom from going long, but possess the goodness to share this wisdom, and direct us and encourage us to remain on the path.

As race season approaches, I keep thinking of that schoolteacher. I would love to run a few miles with him again and gleen some more nuggets of wisdom. 

I hear there are a few slots open for the Leadville 50 Race this July.  Maybe he'll be there.  I better get training....50 miles is long way.

AMJ

You Can't Do Homework When You're Horny!

I had a Philosophy teacher in college tell us, "it's impossible to do math homework when you're horny." A catchy, and humorous way of  reminding us that some endeavors--like studying philosophy--demand PURE FOCUS.

I think this notion applies to anger.

You can't "do" running when you're angry!

Anger makes for lousy running.  And lousy living.  It's a distraction.  And it's corrosive.

Perhaps if we can't stop being horny (who would want to anyway, right?), maybe we CAN decide stop being angry--even if we have a right to be angry.

Angry at our boss.  Angry at our spouse.  Our ex-spouse.  Our kids, our parents, the teacher at school...the driver who forgot his turn signal.  All the little "slivers" of anger that slowly bleed us of our energy and focus on the track---and in our daily lives.

I have a friend whose son nearly set the family home aflame by burning ants on the back yard deck with a magnifying glass---a magnifying glass!  The energy of PURE FOCUS.

Instead of looking outward for the next super-vitamin or protein shake to boost our performance at work, at  home or on the track, perhaps we should consider looking INWARD.

And make a choice.

A choice to heal the "slivers."  A choice to let go of the anger and become that magnifying glass.  And regain the energy and pure focus.  In our running.  And in our lives.

AMJ 

Run Your OWN Race

In life, as in running, I say run YOUR OWN race--not SOMEONE ELSE'S race.

Instead of comparing yourself to others, I say compare yourself (e.g. your performance at work, your health, your training) to how you were yesterday.  Are YOU better than you were yesterday?

There is always someone ahead, and there is always someone behind.  

Be yourself always.

AMJ