I recently saw an update on LinkedIn about one of my contacts touting the fact that she had reached 5000 connections on LinkedIn. It is an impressive number, for sure. But I am concerned that the number is more quantity than quality. Like the full library of Pauly Shore movies.
I have a rule when it comes to accepting or requesting LinkedIn connections. We have to actually have some connection. We have to have had an encounter or experience together. Or when you contact me, we have to develop a relationship based on something or someone we know in common. In other words, when I file you away in the card catalog in my head, there has to be something meaningful to write on the card besides your Dewey Decimal System number.
By applying these rules I maintain the value of my network. If someone contacts me and says, “I see you know Morris Day. What can you tell me about him?’ or ‘I see we both know Nikki! How do you know her?’ I like to have a great answer and provide value to others in my network. For example:
Yes, I know Morris Day! We met in a jungle. Morris LOVES jungles. And birds.
or
Of course I know Nikki! She’s darling. I met her in a hotel lobby. It’s kind of a crazy story…
When I don’t know someone, but let them into my network, it dilutes the value of my network. And in a small way, it dilutes me as a valuable resource to others.
I currently have 2,939 connections on LinkedIn. I have 1,565 friends on Facebook. But if you asked me about any of them I can tell you how we know each other. And I can tell you a bit about who they are. (And if they are a pirate I can even tell you how they Arrrgh.) So if you notice that I know someone that you want to know, or want to know more about, let me know. #rare4knowsentence
Key Takeaway
If you’re just collecting people, places or things then anything goes. There is no discernment. But if you want to add real value you must curate. You must care for your collection. Criteria must be set, and met. It is true at work, in your network, and in your principles and values. It is true in your personal life. It applies to your social media and the people you vouch for. Remember, the more challenging your criteria, the more value you create.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
Here we are at the beginning of a new year. Just as each new day presents an opportunity for improvement, each new year presents an opportunity to write a great new chapter in the story of your life. You get to decide if this year brings rising action, a plot twist, the climax, falling action, or if pages are missing and the story doesn’t make any sense.
Remember, Life is Short and Precious.
Last Thursday night I received the type of call you never want to get. My brother-in-law, John Scufsa’s mom, Pat Marsnik, was killed in a terrible car accident. She was out with her husband Ray and brother Bob celebrating Pat and Ray’s wedding anniversary when another driver crossed into their lane near Ely, Minnesota. The accident put a final period on an outstanding story. Pat was in her early 70s and still full of twinkles. She had been an important member of my family for over 25 years. She was a wonderful, warm, friendly, funny woman who no one here on Earth was ready to part with it.
But let Pat Marsnik’s unexpected passing be a reminder that our time here is limited. You never know when your final page will be written. You have to take advantage of the time you have been given. Just like Pat did.
My Mantra for 2022.
There is a phrase that has been pinging in my brain the last few days: Be More You in 2022.
It is a reminder to do more of the things that your ideal you would do. Take on the great challenges. Grow. Go. Improve yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Develop more and better relationships. Mend fences. Heal wounds. Build bridges. Read. Learn. Travel. Go snipe hunting. Try the Rocky Mountain oyster BOGO special.
In 2022 you have to do things on your bucket list. Take initiative. Take on greater challenges. Do things that scare you. Make the year an amazing part of your story.
Get going. Live your life as if you don’t have a lot of time left to become who you always wanted to be. Pick a couple of big things to focus on this year. Add some small, easy wins. Get a little bit better every day. And be more you in 2022.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
I had a really great Christmas Day. In fact, it was nearly perfect. I say nearly perfect because it would have been perfect-perfect if we had seen more family. Or if we had snow. Or if Jesus had stopped by to do an Instagram Live from our house. But given the current conditions, I was happy to celebrate with my wife and 3 kids at home. For this category of celebration, I give my day a full 5 out of 5 Bethlehem stars.
Contributing Factors
This was an exciting holiday because it was the first Christmas in our new home. We moved into the house in September. It is the 5th house my wife Dawn and I have owned. And by Christmas Day not only did it feel like home, it felt like THE home we have been looking for the past 19 years. Which is a great reminder to keep looking for the places in life that make you feel most at home
The home was a great stage for a great day, but we still had to put on a great play. And we did. Our morning began with opening presents, like most Christmas Day celebrations. Then we enjoyed a donut and candy breakfast. We had coffee, cocoa and eggnog to help wash down the sugar with more sugar, Buddy Elf-style. I was a little afraid Wolford Brimley was going to show up to talk to me about diabetes.
Then came the most important part of what made yesterday so great. After breakfast, I asked Dawn, our kids Ava, Johann, Magnus a simple question:
‘What would we have to do today to make this a really great Christmas day?
The answers came quickly:
Play Games
Watch a Christmas movie
Take a nap
Enjoy some free time
Go for a family walk
Enjoy a nice family dinner (#HamNight)
Go for a drive to look at Christmas lights
We had a good list. So we ordered the events, baked in some flexibility for the napping and free time, and then we started knocking off the things on our Christmas list.
The Recipe For A Great Day
We had literally written a recipe for a great day. Then one by one, we stirred in each of the ingredients. We spent the day enjoying a few of our favorite things, like Julie Andrews. Only we weren’t wearing our curtains.
The day ended with a great Christmas dinner, followed by a Christmas lights drive, and a family movie. The day was fun, funny and relaxing. We laughed a lot, even for us. We created new memories. And there was a very satisfying and enjoyable feeling of recreational productivity. Which is the feeling of making the most of your free time.
The Bonus
As a fun Christmas bonus, I had friends and family members from across the country share that they had received the new book I just published with Ripples Media called What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? I received really exciting feedback and photos of my book in homes from New England to Los Angeles, and from Atlanta to Oregon. So far no one has asked for a refund.
I went to bed about 11:30 pm feeling as if I had had the greatest day. Because we had envisioned a great day, designed it, and brought it to life. We made the most of our free time and enjoyed it together. As result, we finished the day feeling both happy and accomplished.
The Thing I Didn’t Do
As an interesting aside, there is one traditional Christmas activity I didn’t do yesterday. I didn’t open any presents. Not one. Dawn and I usually exchange our gifts after the kids have opened all of theirs. But our plan for the perfect day didn’t include our gift exchange. Oops. And by the evening we agreed to push our present opening to tomorrow, like Little Orphan Annie.
The Greatest Gift
My wonderful giftless Christmas was a great reminder that time spent together, making memories, doing our favorite free things, is the greatest gift of all. Well, that and the birth of tiny little 8-pound baby Jesus, who came for our eternal salvation. But you put those two things together and you have one heck of a holiday gift pack.
Key Takeaway
A great holiday doesn’t happen on its own. You have to make it happen. The same holds true of any workday, schoolday, or Saturday. To make the most of your days plan them. Envision your perfect day, then bring it to life. Do this day after day, and you will live the life you imagined.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
I have always wanted to write a book. In fact, I have envisioned myself writing a whole shelf of books. But I could never seem to find the time to make it a priority. My other responsibilities as a business owner and parent seemed to keep getting in the way. (But based on the headline you read that drew you into this story something must have changed, right? Indeed it did.)
On March 16, 2020, the world went into lockdown mode. There was almost nothing to do outside the home but shop for groceries, hunt for toilet paper, and resanitize your hands, again. During that strange time, I started pulling together ideas for 3 different book concepts I considered writing.
Then, in April of 2020, the Governor announced that the state of Wisconsin would be locked at home until May 26th. My first reaction was that this was a real load of lemons. Then, like Hulk Hogan refusing to remain on the mat, I recognized that it was Country Time! Time to make some good old fashion lemonade!*
Within minutes of learning of the extended lockdown, I recognized the gift I had been given. It was the perfect time to focus on writing the first draft of my first book. Then I gave myself a false deadline. Because that is how I get myself to do big things I am not required to do.
My self-imposed deadline: Deliver a full first draft of my first book by May 25th, 2020. (Which is also my birthday.)
On my birthday I gave myself an epic gift. I had a 50,000-word rough draft finished. By December 30, 2020, I had a second draft written. I spent 2021 learning the publishing process.
Today, I am thrilled to say that my first book is fully baked, birthed, bound, and buyable. Even better, I really love the book.
I was tracking the delivery driver on Sunday and greeted him in my driveway like a long last relative. #BrothersGottaHug
The first time I held my paper baby in my hand.
What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say?
My goal in writing this book was to make sure that everyone who reads What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say learns a little, laughs a little, and lifts a little. It’s a very positive and optimistic book that offers 80 life lessons that have the power to contribute significantly to your happiness and success. These are all things that have really worked for me. And I wanted to share them because I believe they will work for anyone who applies them.
But I also wanted to write a book that was fun and easy to read. The chapters are quick and enjoyable, punctuated with humor. The book contains several made-up words that spellcheck and my proofreader didn’t know how to process. Which was fun for me.
It is smooth like a baby book’s butt.
My friend Jeff Hilimire told me that when he read the book he laughed out loud every other chapter. I found that to be far more rewarding feedback than winning a Pulitzer or a Newberry. In fact, I think we should have a Giggler BookAward for good books that make us laugh. We could put a gold foil laughing-till-you-cry emoji on our book covers. I would buy all of those Giggler books.
Showing my boys my book. Seeing this picture I am reminded of the great influence we have on our children. And that I really need to get us all haircuts.
The Details
Title:What does your fortune cookie say?
Subhead: 80 Life lessons the universe is trying to share with you.
Also: I have bulk-ordered both paperback and hardcover copies for promotional activities, for those who want signed copies, for book talks, speaking engagements, and for bribing librarians to drop my late fees.
My wife Dawn, reading my thank you to her in the back of the book. Although she is a fast reader, she may have skipped a few pages to get to the end.
What’s Next:
Now I’ve finished running the writing marathon. Which means I start running the book promotion marathon. I expect to learn a ton along the way. I plan to share my learnings so that everyone can benefit from my experience. Because I want you to be smarter and better prepared when you’re ready to write and publish your book. Everyone has a book in them. Including you.
The front cover. Thanks to my teammate at The Weaponry, Joe Kayse for the design. And thanks to everyone who voted on the cover design. This was the runaway winner. Like Julie Roberts in that movie where she wouldn’t get married.
Some nice things people are saying about the book. You can scan that QR code and it will take you to a website about the book. Or visit fortunecookiebook.com.
Key Takeaway
Set big goals for yourself. Then create false deadlines to help you achieve those goals. Keep taking small actions. Those actions keep adding up. And before you know it your words turn into sentences. Sentences turn into paragraphs. Paragraphs turn into chapters. And chapters turn into a book worth reading. The story of your life works the same way. So write a little more of it every day.
*For younger readers, this is a pop culture reference to an ad campaign for Country Time Lemonade from my childhood. Country Time was what we drank when we weren’t drinking Kool-Aid. We didn’t have your fancy Capri Suns and juice boxes.
Last night was game night at our house. We played a card game that my children had never played before. To begin, I read them the instructions on how to play the game, how the game is scored, and how to win. After reading the last of the instructions, I looked up to find my kids staring at me as if I had just read them the instructions in gibberish. Or Swahili. Or Swahili gibberish. Which is extra hard for native English speakers to understand.
I’ve seen that look before. In fact, it feels as if I’ve seen that WTF-ish look every time I’ve ever played a new game with anyone, ever.
The simple fact is that games are complicated. It’s very difficult to absorb the complexities of a new game as the rules of the game are read to you. And if you take a moment to step back, you quickly realize is that everything in life is a game. Not just sports, or things that Milton Bradley and those good-timing Parker Brothers dreamed up. EVERYTHING is a game. Including:
business
investing
real estate
relationship building
entrepreneurship
test taking
sales
technology
surfing
riding a bike
coaching
cooking
gardening
driving
flying
writing
art
mechanics
parenting
That thing couples do that turns them into parents
Learn By Playing
To learn a new game you simply have to play it. There is no way around it. You have to learn the rules as you go. You learn through the process of playing. Not by absorbing an overview of the rules of the game before you start.
Far too often we delay playing the most interesting games (entrepreneurship, investing, writing, pickleball) until we have studied it completely. But studying the games of life is largely procrastination. Learn 10% ahead of time, and then start. You’ll learn the rest on the chutes and ladders.
Key Takeaway
You don’t learn how to play the games of life by reading the instructions. You learn by actually playing the games. The details reveal themselves as you go. The games you will play are far too complicated to comprehend through simply reading. So start playing. Clarity will come quickly when you are rubbing against the rules rather than reading them.
It’s your turn.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
It’s remarkable what you can do with just 10 minutes. In fact, it only takes 10 minutes to kickstart your biggest, wildest ambitions. You can sketch out an initial plan for anything. And in doing so, you perform the most important work of the entire process.
Things You Can Do With Just 10 Minutes:
Outline a vision for that business you want to start.
Begin researching a career change.
Start writing a book, blog, or screenplay. (Or get crazy and write a screenless play.)
Book travel to that destination you’ve always dreamed of visiting.
Create your bucket list.
Hit Zillow to look for a new home.
Find a class you want to take to expand your skillz. (Remember what Napoleon Dynamite said about skillz.)
Start reading that book you’ve always meant to read.
Sign up to volunteer your time.
Introduce yourself to someone you want to meet.
Listen to 5 Minutes of Funk by Whodini, twice. (That’s my jam!)
Book tickets to an experience.
Start learning an instrument.
Complete 8 Minute Abs. Then watch a Chuck Woolery commercial break.
Key Takeaway
You can always find 10 minutes. And in those 10 minutes, you can do the most important work of all. You can begin. You can plan. You can sketch. You can outline the process. You can unfold the roadmap and detail the journey. And once you do, you’re sure to find 10 more minutes to take the next step.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message please share it with them.
When I was in 4th grade I was in a tense floor hockey game in gym class. Yes, we’re talking about floor hockey. In gym class. (Cue the Allen Iverson incredulous stink face.)
In the last game of the 4th-grade gym class floor hockey season, my team was down by 2 goals with under 2-minutes remaining on the clock.
With 1 minute and 45 seconds to go in the game, I scored a goal on a slap shot from 30 feet out. Suddenly, my team was down by just 1 point. And in my head, I started singing ‘Bring out your best, Budweiser Light…’ which was a popular ad campaign jingle from my youth. (Good job appealing to the 10-year olds Budweiser!)
Then, with just 30 seconds left in the game, I assisted on a goal to tie the game up.
We then rotated positions and I played goalie for the final 30 seconds. Suddenly, the DJ in my head faded down the Budweiser jingle and pushed play on Eye Of The Tiger.
With under 10 seconds left in the game, I stopped a shot on goal from one of the 5 Ryans in my class. With a MacGyver-like awareness of the ticking clock, I instantly gathered the puck and shot it from my own goal, across the entire gym floor, past all the defenders, and into the opposing goal to win the game. And I lost my little 4th-grade mind.
Over the next 13 years of my athletic career, I participated in 2 high school state final four football games, 4 high school state track meets, 2 New England high school track championships, 3 Big 10 Conference track and field championships and several track meets with 30,000 to 40,000 spectators. But to this day, that floor hockey game, with that ending, and my role in it, remains one of my favorite and most confidence-inspiring memories of my entire life.
Key Takeaway
It is never too late. There is always a chance. Keep believing. Keep going. Keep trying. Find the soundtrack in your head that ignites you. And believe in miracles. I do. Because I feel like I have helped make them happen. And you can too.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
I have recognized an interesting habit among many of the most highly successful people I know. These high performers carry a notebook with them at all times. (Well, maybe not in the shower or scuba diving.) The notebook offers a place to capture great ideas whenever and wherever they are found.
There is a certain type of person who carries such a notebook. It is someone who recognizes that inspiration is everywhere. That you never know where ideas will hit you. And that a busy life has a way of making you forget your great thoughts moments after they arrive if you don’t write them down.
But there is another reality at work. You don’t have to be a genius, highly motivated, or accomplished to carry a notebook. There is no background check or grace period required either. In fact, you don’t even need to have an active project to pack a notebook.
The fascinating reality is that when you carry a notebook and a pen with you at all times, you are more likely to attract ideas and inspiration. You are more likely to notice interesting things around you. You are quicker to recognize the good ideas and the wows of the world.
You will constantly find things to add to your notebook. The ahas. The intelligent. The nearly undetected. The acorns. The inklings. The profound. The hilarious. And the motivational quotes. In fact, this entire post could have been written in a notebook. And maybe it was.
Key Takeaway
Carry a notebook and pen at all times. They are like dream catchers and lightbulb detectors. Convert the empty pages into collections of the valuable and inspiring. Fill your notebook with ideas. Then buy more. They push you to see the world through a notebook carrier’s eyes. Which is the best way to see life.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
When you were little you started dreaming of all of the great things you would do in your lifetime. You thought of the great jobs you would have. You imagined the feats that would make you famous. You pictured the amazing things you would someday own. Like the pony, the monster truck, and the free candy vending machine in your bedroom closet that was also encrusted in candy. Because you were extra.
The Reality
As an adult, you have these ideas too. But you also have the ability to make these ideas a reality. You can start that business, take that epic trip, buy that vacation home, or create your own Hamilton. (By this I mean your own Lin-Manuel Miranda-type masterpiece. Not your own ill-fated duel to the death on the Jersey shore, Snooki.)
Dreaming Vs. Doing
My list of imagined successes is long like Duk Dong, and growing every day. The dreaming is easy. The doing is the hard part. But it’s not as hard as you might think.
To make progress towards your life goals approach them the way I approach writing this blog.
Blog Jam
Throughout each day I accumulate ideas to write about and I add them to my list of posts to create. Today, there are several hundred topics on the list.
Pick One
However, when I sit down each morning to write I have to pick one idea to focus on. That idea is in the spotlight. It gets all of my time and attention.
I do all of the work I need to do in order to transform that idea into a real post. I invest my time and my energy. I mind all the details.
I create a headline, write the body copy, and add a key takeaway. I tag the post, list a category, then add a cover photo. I proofread it. Then I hit the publish button. (Fun Fact: When proofreading this post I found that the word ‘proofread’ was misspelled.)
Another One (#DJKhaled)
Through this process, I convert ideas into real posts, one at a time. In fact, this will be my 657th post. Tomorrow morning at 6:10 am I will be writing number 658.
Key Takeaway
You can make each of your hopes, dreams, and wishes a reality by concentrating on them one at a time. Give one idea your total focus and energy. Sweat the details. Take it all the way to completion. Then take on the next idea. Don’t take on more than one thing at a time. But make sure you always have one of your goals in the spotlight. That way you are always making progress. And you are transforming the things you want to do into the things you did.
If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
Over the weekend I listened to a podcast with Dr. Phil. It was full of great advice, insights and guidance. Which was not surprising. Since Dr. Phil McGraw has made a career of offering great advice, insights, and guidance. That, and world-class mustaching.
The part of the podcast I found most interesting was when he talked about Oprah Winfrey. Dr. Phil and Oprah first met when his consulting business helped Oprah with a Mad Cow disease court case she was involved with, involving some mad humans in Texas.
Oprah later invited Dr. Phil to be a guest on her talk show. He was a great guest, and soon he was invited back once a week to do his own segment. A segment on the most popular tv show in daytime history.
What can you do?
This story inspired me to think about how we can all use our platforms, access, careers, businesses, and relationships to be a transformative influence on another person’s life.
Things To Consider
Think about who you can help through your social, business, networking, or technological assets.
When you set someone else up for success, it will inevitably be paid forward. Over time your efforts will likely multiply many times over. Potentially for generations. It can have a transformative effect on a life, a family, a community or even the world. Yet it’s easy to do. You simply have to share what you already have.
Key Takeaway
Recognize when good people could benefit from your resources. Then set them up for success. Offer your assets to help others build their own momentum. Jumpstart or fast-track their success. It’s easy to do, yet extremely rewarding. And there is no limit to how far your help will ultimately go.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
Adam Albrecht Blog 