Category: inspiration

Why September 3rd is the new New Year’s Day.

Happy New Year! That’s right, Tuesday September 3, 2024, is the new New Year’s Day. I know you’re wondering, what the Dick Clark is this guy talking about!?!

Allow me to explain.

January Ain’t Even Right

Americans traditionally celebrate the new year at the worst possible time. In January you are stumbling out of the most hectic and stressful time of the year. Which makes it a poor time to set new goals, quit bad habits and reinvent yourself.

new year s eve ceremony champagne sparkling wine
New Year’s is a great time for drinking. Not for resolving.

Think Fall Once And For All

The simple fact is that the fall, not spring, and certainly not January 1, is the best time for new beginnings.

It’s Grow Time!

If you were a tree, today is when your next ring would start to grow. Preschool starts in the fall. So does kindergarten, middle school, high school and college. Which means fall is the start of the next chapter for kids, parents and teachers alike. In fact, the day after Labor Day is the first day schools everywhere are back in session and fully engaged.

photo of four girls wearing school uniform doing hand signs
We’re all back to school now like Rodney Dangerfield.

Back To Full Strength

When summer break is over for kids, summer vacations are over for adults. Which means that starting today, we are all back to work. Our businesses are operating at full strength for the first time in 3 months. Factories are humming. Offices are buzzing. And farms are farmy.

white laptop
Let’s do it, do it, do it.

Can I get An Amen?

Churches now begin their regularly scheduled programs. So if you see a church, and see a steeple, open it up and you’ll see all the people.

altar arches architecture art
Take me to church.

The new television season starts now. (Remember television?)

Both NCAA and NFL football kickoff now too.

This is a great time of year.

100% Battery Life

For those of you who used your summer vacation days well, you are hitting September 3rd fully recharged. Not only did you take the last three months to fill up on Vitamin D, travel, relaxation and inspiration, you got a three-day weekend to top it all off. #noexcuses

This is where we are right now.

Go Team Go!

At The Weaponry, the advertising and idea agency that I help lead, we are fully engaged. We’re all primed, rested and ready. Your team should be too. Let’s push hard. Have fun. And make this the best year ever. And here you thought today was just another Tuesday.

Key Takeaway

Fall is the very best time of year for growth and development. Now that your tanks are full and you are refocused, it is time to treat this like the new beginning you almost missed. Set new goals. Drop a bad habit. Pick a new challenge. Plan your next chapter. Grab that next rung. Or build your own ladder.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.\


+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

When you feel the heat of inspiration it’s go time!

I have heard countless times that time is our most valuable commodity. I believe this. After all, you can’t buy it. It constantly running out. And despite what Mick Jagger said, it’s not really on your side. (No it’s not.)

But right up there alongside time on the Mt. Rushmore of Most Valuable Commodities are inspiration and motivation.

They light your fire. Like Jim Morrison.

They lead to growth and improvement.

They create the empire state of mind that builds empires. Like JAY-Z and Alicia Keys.

They change the world.

Yet to be effective, both inspiration and motivation require you to act. To move. To do! Do! Do! (Not da-da-da.)

Unfortunately, both forces burn bright for a moment, then the moment’s gone. Like dust in the wind.

Which means when you feel the powerful heat of inspiration and motivation you have to go.

You have to cook while the heat is on, Glenn Frey.

You have to jump on the action you feel inspired to take.

Take steps to start that business.

Start writing that book.

Plan that remodel.

Create that art.

Build the prototype.

Plan that travel.

Create that event.

Get to the gym.

Enroll in that class.

Reach out to that person that could change your day. Or your life.

Acting on the heat of inspiration is how I started The Weaponry.

It’s how I wrote What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say?

And it is how I worked out last night at 10 pm after a 15-hour work day.

Key Takeaway

Take advantage of those precious sparks of inspiration and motivation. They don’t last long. But if you take action while your mind is in the red, the impact can be felt long after your time is up.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

Why you should watch The Perseids meteor shower tonight.

Tonight is one of my favorite nights of the year! It is the peak of The Perseids Northern Hemisphere Meteor Tour. Every year at this time the Earth passes through a cloud of space rocks. We Earthlings see this as streaks of light slashing across the sky. We call this a meteor shower. Which is better than both the baby and bridal variety. Tonight you could see 60 meteors an hour. If you are a math genius you might be able to figure out how many that is per minute.

How to see it:  

  1. Find a place with as little light pollution as possible.  Times Square and The Vegas Strip are terrible meteor viewing spots. If you are there, watch the people instead. For best results try a more rural location. Like Vermont. Or the Mountain Time Zone.
  2. Go outside. You probably knew this, but I don’t want any confusion.
  3. Look up:  The sky, especially the eastern sky is where the fun is. But don’t stare at a single spot, Mama. The streaks can happen all over the place.
  4. Wait until after the moonset. Once you stop getting mooned the sky will be darker, making the meteors meatier, and easier to see. Check your local listings to see when the moonshine stops in your area.
  5. Keep off your phone. Checking your little device of digital addictions will mess up your eyeballs. You want your pupils fully dilated and dialed into the light show from far, far away.

My family and I watched the meteors last night. Which is kind of like watching the Homerun Derby or the Slam Dunk Contest before the All-Star game. In fact, The Perseids can actually be seen from July into September. Last night I was reminded why watching The Perseids is one of my favorite things to do. (I smell a list coming on.)

7 Reasons I love watching The Perseids meteor shower.

  1. It happens in August. It’s an amazing time to be outside looking up at the sky. There are other major meteor showers that happen in the winter, but I don’t love a cold shower. And this one you can watch with no shirt, no shoes and no problems.
  2. Stop, Hammock Time! I watch the meteors just taking it easy, laying in my hammock where it’s nice and breezy. I have a free-standing hammock. Which means it is not tied to trees which would block the sky. Watching meteors streaking the quad from a hammock is a heavenly experience. Blankets and chairs also work.
  3. The Wow! When you go outside tonight and check out the stars you are going to be wowed by just how many stars there really are. The view is spectacular, even before you start seeing the streakers. If the sky full of stars doesn’t inspire your creativity and sense of wonder you can ask Coldplay for your money back.
  4. Recalibration: Staring up at the stars at night is like stopping to smell the roses. Most of us don’t take nearly enough time to do such things. While you’re watching the wonders of the night sky I hope you regain perspective. We are all lucky to be here. Those big things you are stressing about are really tiny in the the scale of the universe.
  5. Thinking Time. As you stare at the night sky you can’t help but think. The stars will make you wonder how far away they are, and who else is out there, and do they have their own hammocks? Then there are the planes. Where are they going? What is their view like? And the satellites, in my eyes, like a diamond in the sky. They are crazy to see. Oh, you didn’t know you could see satellites? You can! Up to 100 each night. And they will make you think about how they got there and what they are doing.
  6. The Meteors While in theory, these are what you will go outside to look for, they are the icing on the cake. But these shooting stars are absolutely magical. They surprise. They delight. And they will make your mind sparkle. There is a Disneyesque magic to them. And if you were alive during the ‘The more you know” era the shooting stars are also nostalgic.
  7. Time with Family Watching with family or friends makes it all even better. Watching last night with my wife Dawn and my kids Ava, Johann and Magnus was one of the highlights of 2024. We’ll watch again tonight.

Key Takeaway

Get outside tonight and watch the meteor shower. These shooting stars are better than anything on TV or your phone. Watching the night sky will remind you how amazing our world really is. It will make you think and ideate. It will make your problems feel smaller. It is a great experience to share with your family and friends. And it’s free. As are most of the best things in life.

*If you know someone who would enjoy seeing some shooting stars, please share this with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

Baby, you are a firework!

You are a firework.

Like Katy Perry said.

You are packed full of potential.

Potential to soar.

To shine.

To blow up in the best way possible.

You have the potential to create a big bang, Sheldon.

To turn heads like The Exorcist.

To make people ooh and ahh.

You have the ability to fill others with wonder.

To make people smile.

To grab the attention of those near and far.

Yes, the ability to glow, sparkle and light up the world is all inside you. Even if you are not a natural-born arsonist.

But like the firework, your potential requires a spark to ignite.

Your potential must be directed upward so that it soars instead of skids.

And it requires patience, like Axl Rose said.

It takes time to reach the height you are after.

It requires a steady stream of energy to prepare, propel and position yourself for your time to really shine.

But keep going.

Keep burning.

Keep climbing.

It will be worth the work.

And worth the wait.

Happy 4th of July.

Seek out inspiration that makes you dream differently.

I recently stopped into an REI in Medford, Oregon. My 13-year-old son Magnus has been growing like a legal weed. Which meant he needed a new pair of hiking boots as we began a family hiking adventure on the West Coast. Although a trip to REI is like a Costco run. You always buy things that weren’t on your shopping list. And those Darn Tough socks are darn tough to keep out of your shopping basket.

As we paid for the boots and socks for our party of 5, we also requested a National Parks annual pass. The cashier helping us inquired about our travel plans. We shared that we were hitting several great hiking spots, including nearby Mt. Shasta (which even sounds refreshing), Lake Tahoe (where they invented the large SUV) and Yosemite National Park (home of Sam the red mustached gunslinger).

When we mentioned Yosemite the woman’s eyes lit up and she swooned. She shared that both Mt. Shasta and Lake Tahoe are beautiful and great places to hike. Then she added:

“But Yosemite will change the way you dream.” -Swoony REI Associate in Medford, Oregon.

I loved that.

I had a lot of time to think about that statement during my 11 hours behind the wheel between Medford and Yosemite. I reflected on the things I have encountered throughout my life that changed the way I dream. They were special and varied. They are some of the greatest gifts of my life. They inspired me to explore the world and become an author and entrepreneur. They include:

  • Epic National Parks like Glacier, The Grand Canyon and The Rocky Mountain National Park
  • Entrepreneurs Ted Turner, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Steve Jobs
  • Artists Walt Disney, Christoph Niemann and Gary Larson
  • Adventurers Lewis and Clark, Shackleton, and Red Bull
  • Writers Anne Lamott, Annie Proulx, Erik Larson, Stephen King, Daniel Pink and Ryan Holliday (which I say like Madonna)

Key Takeaway

Seek out places, experiences and people that change the way you dream. Discover influences that change your sense of what’s possible. That expand your belief in your own capabilities. Those sources provide tangible examples of what your world can look like. They move or remove boundaries, allowing your mind to travel farther than ever before. Once you’ve been exposed to enough possibilities you start to wonder if there actually are impossibilities. Which is when your dreams become biggest. Aim for that. There is nothing better.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

It’s halftime of 2024. Time to evaluate your progress and make adjustments.

Today marks the midpoint of 2024.

We have completed 6 months. We have 6 months left. And because this is a leap year, you can actually divide the year into neat 183-day halves. Today is like that point in the song I’m Gonna Be where the singer had walked 500 miles, and he still has to walk 500 more just to be the man who walks 1000 miles to fall down at your door, having crushed his daily step goal.

This is an important day to check in with yourself and evaluate how your 2024 is going.

At Halftime 2024 are you winning? Are you losing? Do you know the score? Do you even know how to keep score?

Whether you wrote down specific goals or just had a general sense of how you wanted the year to go, it’s time to reflect and compare your 2024 to the 2024 in your head.

If you have no idea how to evaluate your 2024, because it didn’t come with a simple Yahtzee-like scorecard, here’s a sample checklist of mine you can use.

In 2024 How Am I Doing?

  • Physical Health
  • Finances
  • Personal Growth
  • Personal Life
  • Career
  • Business
  • Life Goals
  • Travel
  • Spiritually
  • Core Relationships
  • Mental Health
  • Community
  • Presidential Election Decision (Oy…)

If you are where you want to be in those areas, congratulations! You are having a great 2024. You will start the second half of the year in a strong position. Carry that momentum into next year. Or better yet, build on it. And give yourself a headstart on a great 2025. (And if you are feeling great about your vote for president right now I would love to see your decision tree.)

If you are behind where you want to be in 2024, the good news is the year is only half over. There is plenty of time to create a great year. But the best way to make that happen is to use halftime as an inflection point. Which means it is time to Reflect, Refocus, Recommit and Re-energize yourself for a strong second half.

3 books to consider ordering today as part of your 2024 game plan:

  1. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
  2. The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan 
  3. What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say?: 80 Important Life Lessons The Universe Is Trying To Share With You by Adam Albrecht

Key Takeaway

Midpoints are a great time to evaluate progress. Take a few minutes today to compare the year you are having to the year you want to have in key areas of your life. If you are not having the year you want, now is the time to make changes. Remember, time is your most valuable asset. Don’t waste it. Take advantage of the next 183 days. And make this your best year ever.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

My two-word formula for success at anything.

I have spent my whole life alphabetically advantaged. Adam Albrecht appears near the top of every list whether you decide to organize people by first name, last name, or the more rarely-used, 3rd letter of the first name.

I love my initials. AA. I sign my emails and notes with -AA. It’s symmetrical and primary. It would work well as a name for a ranch. (The kind with cattle, not the kind that Paul Newman makes.)

My favorite batteries are AA. My favorite company swag comes from American Airlines. And if I ever become ambitious enough to start drinking alcohol, and then ambitious enough to stop drinking alcohol, I am going to join AA, and wear all of their swag. I’ll be the most non-anonymous AA member of all time.

But AA is not just my initials. It is also shorthand for my formula for success.

That simple yet powerful formula is Action & Analysis.

To be successful you have to take Action. You have to verb. You have to do. You have to try. Action is the fuel that creates results.

But once you have taken Action, you have to perform an Analysis. You need to study the results. You need to evaluate the outcome. You need to learn what worked and what didn’t. You have to learn which jokes landed, and which ones were only funny in your head. (It was the 3rd- letter-of-the-first-name thing wasn’t it?)

Then you adjust your aim, reload, and fire more action at your target. Then analyze again. And repeat.

Action & Analysis is a simple formula for success. It has been proven in action, and through analysis. And it never fails.

Key Takeaway

To become the best version of yourself you need Action and Analysis. Do what you think you should do. Then analyze the outcome. Adjust according to your learnings. Then take action again. Success leaves clues. Failure steers us. Reflecting on experience leads to wisdom. Repeat the process over and over and over. All the way to success. -AA

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

Remember that even your small steps move you forward.

There are days when you can put massive effort towards your goals.

You have time.

You have energy.

You have inspiration.

You ate your Wheaties for breakfast.

You’re cranking the Rocky theme song on repeat on your Airpods, headphones or boombox.

Those are days that you feel like you are taking one giant leap forward for you-kind.

But…

On other days you don’t have the same resources.

Your schedule is challenging

Your energy is low.

You can’t find your Airpods. And your boombox is out of batteries.

Your motivation has secretly been replaced with slowtivation or notivation.

On those days, lower the bar.

Do something small.

Invest a few minutes instead of hours.

Move forward a few inches instead of miles.

Read a page, not a book.

Spend a few quality minutes not the full day.

Remember, small steps save the day.

And they set you up for bigger, better steps forward tomorrow.

Key Takeaway

Don’t be an all-or-nothing person. All-or-something keeps you moving forward. Do what you can. Support your habits. Maintain your momentum. Tomorrow, you will be glad you did.


*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

What gets you high?

A couple of months ago I was at the airport in Atlanta, along with a few hundred thousand travel buddies, when one young man’s sweatshirt caught my attention. It was a simple black hoodie. On the front of the shirt, it said:

Music Gets Me High.

I loved the shirt. Not because music gets me high. But because the young man wearing it knew that music gets him high. And while I haven’t consulted with the Food and Drug Administration or Nancy Reagan, I expect that music provides a fairly safe way to get high. And somebody should tell that to Willie Nelson.

The shirt, and the young man wearing it, made me think that everyone should know what gets them high.

So the question of the day is:

What activities make you feel heightened and alive? Or euphoric? Or in flow?

This is a far more valuable question to ask yourself if the answer is not related to drugs or alcohol. In fact, the point of this prompt is to find the activities that make you feel great without the chemicals. This is particularly interesting to me because I have never drank or done drugs. But I engage in activities that make me feel great. But because my activities are positive and healthy, unlike Amy Winehouse, they are not trying to make me go to rehab.

So what gets you high?

Discover your most highly rewarding activities.

Find ways to do them more often.

And you will live a highly enjoyable life.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

If you really want to be inspired look for these amazing people.

When you don’t perform well there are always excuses available. Something about the situation or the conditions can be called on to explain away your subpar results. And often times those excuses sound really good. Like Zooey Deschanel singing in the shower in Elf.

But there will also be people who could have used the same excuse but didn’t. People who could blame the weather, the short prep time, lack of sleep, the economy, or their plantar fasciitis. But the people in question didn’t need to use any of the available excuses. Because they performed at or above the expected standard anyway.

One of the best habits you can create is to surround yourself with the people who perform anyway.

The people who perform anyway are those who experienced challenges and setbacks, were thrown curveballs, had additional constraints, or deficiencies. They had all the same excuses that the excuse-makers had. Yet they performed anyway. They achieved anyway. They succeeded anyway. They finished the job. Even if they weren’t Finnish.

When you train yourself to see the people who performed anyway, you will find a winner’s mindset. You’ll discover people who rise to the occasion, not sink to the condition. These people are found in every area of life. In every corner of the globe, in every sport, business and school. They are found in every economic class. And they will inspire you to perform at your best despite the challenges you face.

Key Takeaway

Excuses are always available. But never necessary. Rise to the occasion. Don’t settle for the situation. Do what you set out to do, regardless of the challenges you face. You will not always be a person who performs anyway. But by looking for those who succeed despite their challenges you will change your view of what’s possible. It will raise your expectations. And you will dramatically increase the percentage of times you perform anyway. That shift will transform your life.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.