Because the foolproof cure for boredom is to have big goals.
And I am the fool with the proof.
Big goals, and many of them, help fill your days with purpose.
I have so many goals that they govern my days. (In a non-political governing kind of way.)
From the moment I wake up, my routine is constructed to help me achieve my goals.
Because when you have a strong vision for your future, it shapes your now.
And you see time as a tool for you to use to achieve your goals.
Fitness goals inspire you to exercise. Even when you would rather TexMexercise.
Travel goals squash boredom with planning, adventure, reflection and memories.
Career goals inspire you to work harder, more focused, and with more zeal. (Or a more contemporary word for zeal.)
Financial goals drive you to save and invest. Even when you have the urge to splurge, Virg.
And your financial goals will inspire you to explore and discover smarter things to do with your money, honey.
Entrepreneurial goals mean you are never bored. Ever. Like ever, ever.
Reading goals mean that you always have a good reason to log off of electronics and fill your time with something that adds value to your life. (And increases your vocabularium.)
Writing goals drive you to sit down and write every day. And it is hard to be bored when you are creating. Just ask God. Or Tyler Perry.
Domestic goals around improving your home, and yard keep you busy and productive. Not bored.
Relationship goals influence the way you invest your time, the way you treat the important people in your life, and the hashtags you use on social media.
Your goals help you make decisions all day long about the things you should and shouldn’t do with your time. Which means that goals enhance productivity, decision making, time management, and relationships. Not to mention the positive impact they have on your happiness, adventurousness, and good old-fashioned usefulness. (Basically all the nesses.)
Key Takeaway
The next time you find yourself bored, think about the goals that you could be working towards. If you find that you don’t have any, set new ones that you can work towards right now. Boredom is a signal that you need more meaningful activity in your life. And goals are the greatest way to make that happen.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
This past weekend I joined 17 athletes and 5 other coaches from Homestead High School in Mequon, Wisconsin, as we competed at the 130th edition of the Wisconsin State Track & Field Championships in La Crosse. As we left for the meet last Thursday, I could not have possibly predicted how the story was going to unfold over the next two days. At least not without a DeLorean and a flux capacitor.
We knew we were going into the competition with a strong team. While most teams at this level have a few star athletes, typically in similar events, we rolled into La Crosse with a wide load of talent. We had athletes competing in the 110-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 300-meter hurdles, 800-meter run, long jump, high jump, shot put, and discus. Plus, we had elite teams in the 400, 800, and 3200-meter relays. (I also just set a personal record for most times I have written the word ‘meter’ in a single sentence.)
So, How Did Homestead Do?
It all depends on which lens you use.
Our relays were top shelf. We won the 400-meter and 3200-meter relays with blisteringly fast times. We grabbed second place in the 800-meter relay, behind a team that broke the state record. In fact, believe we also broke the previous state record in that race, but in the name of speed, I am not double-checking that fact so that I can finish this post quickly. #IWannaGoFast
Our hurdler, Jeridon ‘It’s a Beaut’ Clark, finished 6th in the 110-meter hurdles and narrowly missed the finals in the long jump.
Senior sprint star Sean ‘OMG’ O’Byrne took 8th in the 100-meter dash.
And Senior Terron ‘The Terror’ McCall, whom I coach, took 6th place in the shot put.
Terron on the podium for the shot put.
Together, those remarkable results helped the Homestead Highlanders boys’ team grab the State Runner-Up Title. And those were all great reasons to celebrate and be very proud of our team achievement.
A Second Perspective
However, through another lens, the meet was less satisfying.
You see, we lost the state championship by just 1 point.
Boo.
While the relays went great, the 6 races in 2 days demanded a toll on our top two all-star sprinters Sean O’Byrne and Lucas ‘Show No’ Mersky. Their selfless performances in the relays helped score valuable team points, but impacted their ability to rack up individual points and personal accolades. Sean was just .03 seconds from picking up an additional point, and .05 from picking up 3 more points. And Lucas’ specialty, the 200-meter dash, came at the end of the meet. And like The Giving Tree, Mersky had already given all he could for his team.
The Squad in the parking lot at Homestead High School, just before we left on our 3-hour drive to the other side of the state.
Now, we find ourselves looking through the results at what might have been…
We were just one height away from scoring in the high jump.
We were just 5 inches from scoring 1 point in the long jump.
The Throws
And then there were the throws. These are the events that I coached along with Jake Kroll.
I was extremely proud that Homestead was the only team with 2 throwers in the shot put finals. Junior Luka ‘The Big Red Machine’ Ivancevic finished 9th, just 9 inches from 8th and that valuable additional point. But Luka had been sick all week and gave all he had. In fact, he was the highest-placing non-senior and will come storming back for a great showing next year.
Then there was Terron McCall. Terron had been nursing a strained right pec muscle all week. In fact, he didn’t throw any actual implements last week until Thursday morning to help his injury heel.
On his first attempt, he had a big throw that landed foul, just left of the sector line, and smashed into the 59-foot marker box. For context, had that throw landed fair, it would likely have earned him a top 3 finish. (Even though he isn’t Finnish)
On his second throw, he hit 55 feet even, good enough for 6th place. Unfortunately, the throw re-aggravated the pec injury. And despite a run to the medical tent and an attempt to tape the shoulder to protect the injury, the 3rd attempt confirmed he could no longer continue in the competition.
Just before the finals began, I had to inform the judges that Terron, who was sitting in 4th place at the time of his injury, would have to drop out of the competition. I don’t ever remember having to pull the plug on an athlete in competition. And I hope I never have to do it again.
When the competition was finished, Terron’s best throw sat just 7 inches off the extra point we needed to win the meet.
We’re happy to leave La Crosse with La Hardware.
Luka and Terron both qualified for the discus on Saturday, too. Luka went hard to try to make finals, but in his go-big-or-go-home mode, he fouled 2 throws and missed making the finals.
Terron showed up like a champ. Despite the injury to the muscle most vulnerable in the discus, he attempted 2 ultra-light warm-up throws, which clearly bothered him.
But rather than withdraw from the competition, Terron decided he had to take one attempt in the competition. His competitors, teammates and many of the coaches and fans in attendance knew his situation. The crowd held their collective breath as Terron stepped into the circle, and launched into a full force attempt at a miracle ending. But it was not to be. The pain was to much to complete the mission. The discus fluttered out of his hand and Terron immediately grabbed his right pec in pain. And his senior track season came to an end.
Terron’s best throw of the season of 184’3″ broke the 15-year old Homestead High School Discus Record. And anything within about 20 feet of his best mark would have won us the state meet.
Through this lens, the meet felt as if we missed a golden opportunity.
Me, Terron, and Luka fueling up for the meet.
However, There Is A Third Lens.
While we lost to De Pere by just one point to finish second, we also beat another team by just 1 point. Yes, the top 3 teams in the state scored 46, 45 and 44 points. Arrowhead Union High School, the defending state champ and a perennial top finisher, came in 3rd place. While the winning team and the runner-up both get trophies and recognition on the podium at the end of the meet, 3rd place simply gets a long, quiet bus ride home.
So through the ‘At Least’ lens, every point mattered. Every point by every athlete earned us a very special and memorable award experience that provided a cap to a fantastic season. Through that lens, we were thankful for all of the effort and didn’t take a single point for granted.
Key Takeaway
There are several different ways to look at everything in life. Each lens tells a different story. Use each lens as needed. Some perspectives will instill confidence, some provide satisfaction, and some sting and drive you to improve. They all have their time and place. Remember, the human is the most complicated of all machines, requiring highly nuanced tools to perform at its best. Always tell yourself the story you need to hear in the moment.
Thanks to the 2025 Homestead Boys Track Team and coaches for a remarkable season. I was proud to play a small part in this great season. And I can’t wait to see what we can do next year.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
You have a lot of amazing things you could do in life.
Adventurous travel.
Creating your own business.
Writing that award-winning thing that only you could write.
Doing things so interesting that you find yourself rubbing elbows with people who have really nice elbows.
But are you doing any of these amazing things?
Are you ticking things off Your Big Life List of amazing things that add to your life resume and make your enemies mad that they envy your experiences, accomplishments and elbows?
If so, you probably feel happy, fulfilled and purposeful.
If not, it’s time to jump on it, Kemosabe.
You are not getting any younger. (And after seeing how The Substance ends, you won’t want to try.)
Remember, you don’t know how much time you have.
Start Today
Consider the things you would regret not doing if tomorrow your ability to do was done.
Make a list. (Check it twice. Find out who is naughty and nice.)
Start with the biggest, most important activities.
Set self-imposed deadlines.
They are amazing tools to help you accomplish more.
Reflection
On a recent flight, my seatmate and I were talking about our lives and experiences. She commented on the number of impressive life-listy things I had accomplished. I told her that a Big Bertha-sized drive for me was that on the eve of my 40th birthday, I reflected and wrote a list of all the things I was proud to have accomplished. Then, I turned to consider all the things I had not yet done, seen or experienced.
That list of Things Undone has been a great driver for me ever since. Today, I am keenly aware of the many things I still want to do. So I keep a list. And I set deadlines. And I keep ticking them off.
You can too.
Key Takeaway
I encourage you to write your regret list this week. Find some time when you can reflect on what you would regret not having done, accomplished, tried, seen, tasted, explored, or created if you were to die this year. Then get going. It will lead to a more interesting and adventurous life. A life that you can be very proud of. And it will help you finish your time here with no regrets.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
When I was in college I had a summer job setting up large party tents in Vermont. I loved pitching a tent. It was hard. But looking back, that’s what I loved about it.
The hardest part of the erection process was driving the 4-foot-long steel stakes into the ground. The stakes create the foundation for the tent. You tie the tent ropes to the stakes to help hold the tent upright and sturdy.
To drive the stakes into the ground we used sledgehammers that were 8, 12 or 16-pounds. Size mattered. Because if you swung a bigger hammer you could get the job done in fewer swings.
Sometimes, when the ground was soft, the stakes would go in smoothly. But in Vermont and New Hampshire where I drove most of my stakes, the ground was very hard. They don’t call New Hampshire The Granite State for nothing. (And they don’t call Vermont the Granite State at all, but that’s just because New Hampshire already took it, for granite.)
But during those college years, I learned a valuable lesson about how to do hard things. Because the only way to get those 4-foot stakes in the ground was to keep pounding away until the job was done. More often than not the stakes went in an inch or less at a time. And sinking a 4-foot shaft neck-deep at that rate can be exhausting. But it was the only way to finish the job.
I applied that just-keep-swinging-till-it’s-done lesson in my athletic career as a track and field athlete at the University of Wisconsin. Today, I apply the same lesson to building the advertising and ideas agency, The Weaponry, writing my blog posts, newsletters and books. And simply not stopping until the work is done has never failed to produce results. Even when things get really, really hard.
Key Takeaway
The only way to get a job done is to just keep pounding until you are finished. Hit the task again and again and again. This is true when you are driving stakes in the ground in Vermont, building a company, advancing your career, trying to meet your fitness goals, or getting your education. Focus your efforts. Pound away. And just don’t stop until the job is done.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
On Saturday morning I was sitting at home when Lola, my Border Collie, started barking like there was an intruder. A moment later my doorbell rang, and I understood why Lola was going off. I got up and walked to the front door. I could see through the glass there there were two pleasant-looking middle-aged women standing on my front porch, with what looked like ‘materials’.
I unlocked my front door, while Lola lost her canine mind. Then i opened the door just enough to slip out onto the front porch without Lola following me. I pulled the door shut, then turned to face the two strangers on my steps.
What the ladies at my door didn’t know was that I just returned home from coaching a football game that morning and was still in full Coach Albrecht mode.
I boomed in my energetic youth football coach voice,‘GOOD MORNING LADIES!!!HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?’
The women were clearly surprised, and delighted by the enthusiastic, greeting they received.
They both smiled and inquired, ‘Are you a coach?’ Clearly, the women picked up on the fact that I was still wearing my team cap and polo, both of which featured our team’s Cardinal mascot.
I boomed, ‘YES I AM! AND I JUST GOT HOME FROM COACHING OUR GAME THIS MORNING! WHICH WE WON!!! BETTER YET, I AM THE DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, AND WE WON OUR FOOTBALL GAME 2-0! AND MY SON MAGNUS SCORED THE SAFETY!’
The women, Ruth and Chris, both smiled broadly and offered warm congratulations. (I may have just thought those were their names because I was hungry for steak.)
Then I clapped my hands loudly, dropped into a linebacker-stance and said, ‘HOW CAN I HELP YOU, LADIES?’
The women revealed that they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. And they were there to invite me to study the bible with them.
I responded like Matt Foley giving his van down by the river speech, ‘LADIES, I ALREADY HAVE A BIBLE! AND I AM GOING TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY (this month)! YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ME! NOW I WANT YOU TO GET OUT THERE, LADIES! AND GET EVERYONE ELSE ON THE TEAM! CAN YOU DO THAT FOR ME?!?’
The women lit up and laughed at my over the top response to their sales pitch. They thanked me for sharing my energy with them that morning. Which I am sure is a welcomed departure from the typical response the JWs get on their Ding-Dong-Divinitiy Tours.
As they waved and wished me a good day, I shouted out one last bit of coaching, ‘NOW MAKE SURE YOU GO TO CHURCH TOMORROW! YOU’VE TO GOT TO PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH, LADIES!‘
And with that, they left with big bright smiles on their faces.
Key Takeaway
When you feel happy, energetic, or optimistic, share it with others. Brighten the day of those around you. We can all use a little more of the good stuff. So when you having a great day, break off a little piece and pass it around. You never know who might need what you have.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It is one of the most interesting battles in the human experience.
We have an innate drive to seek comfort. To find safety. To avoid suffering, pain and awkwardness. Which is why we keep those pictures taken during puberty tucked safely away, only to resurface in wedding reception videos.
But if we give in to our desires for comfort our world shrinks. Our growth stops. And we squander our time on a couch, in bed, or on a lounger at the beach attempting to explain away our shrinkage.
But there is another epic force within all humans. The desire for growth. The yearning for self-improvement. The hunger for badassery. (Which science has proven to be even greater than the hunger for whatever you gave up for Lent. #peanutM&Ms)
The Power of Discomfort
Human growth is stimulated by discomfort.
That discomfort comes in many forms.
Putting yourself in new and novel situations.
Pushing your body physically to the bounds of your strength or stamina.
Trying new unnatural behaviors and responses.
Attempting techniques that feel foreign.
Applying the non-intuitive.
To become the best version of yourself, abandon the safe and face the threatening.
Because each time you do, you grow. You learn. You expand. You strengthen. You improve. And you increase in valuable ways.
Helen Keller, one of the greatest growth artists in human history (but a terrible driver) put it this way:
‘Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.’ -Helen Keller
Question for you:
How much time, energy and thought do you put into making yourself comfortable? Compare that to how much you focus on creating personal discomfort. As you change that ratio you will change your life.
Key Takeaway
To become the best version of yourself it is important to get comfortable with discomfort. Seek it out. Create it. Embrace it. Because discomfort is the condition that precedes all growth and improvement.
*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
Earlier this week I started two new books. The physical book I cracked is Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. At The Weaponry, we know that excellent customer service is one of the 3 key ingredients of our success. (Along with great creative ideas and a fun experience for everyone involved.) So a book about the extremities of hospitality is a valuable, insightful and motivating read for me. Especially once I realized it wasn’t about being hospitalized for no reason.
The other book I began this week as an audiobook is The Obstacle Is The Way, by Ryan Holiday. The basic premise of this book is that the obstacles you face are the keys to your own greatness. They are motivating, instructional and strengthening stimuli. Like dumbells, barbells and unloading groceries from Costco.
My Book Buzz
With these two new books stimulating my brain this week, I found my internal fire burning hotter than usual. My energy and enthusiasm for my work, life and personal projects are elevated. Which is exciting for someone with a high baseline of enthusiasm.
Just as the world reaches for mugs of coffee, cups of tea and cans of Red Bull in the morning to kickstart the day, diving into a good book can elevate your energy for life. Reading the right books, articles and blog posts is like filling your car with fuel, charging your phone with electricity, and filling your body with good food. Reading can provide a great rush. Yet it’s much better for you than cocaine, heroin or ecstasy. Which is why librarians live so long.
Slam A Book When You Need A Boost
If you could use a kick of motivation, inspiration, or any other -ation, grab a book. It’s amazing how energizing they can be.
Biographies offer insights into the habits, actions and mindsets of highly successful people. They are like sitting down with successful people and having them share their secrets with you. What you’ll often find is that these people are much more like you than you thought. They just took more action, bigger risks or worked longer at their objective. Reading biographies inspires you to live a life that should be biographized. Or is it biographisized? (Or does that mean you are living a life that is the size of a bio graph?)
Business books offer insights into the processes, cultures, values and philosophies of great companies. These books are loaded with things you and your organization can adopt. Which is exciting and motivating. Because while it takes a lot of effort to be Apple, it’s easy to apply new ideas that help your business stop operating like a rotten tomato.
Self Improvement books share valuable techniques, mindsets and reminders that you can apply to your own life.Self-emprovement books are highly valuable because they help you become a better person today than you were yesterday. Which is the greatest aim in life. Plus, these books provide inspiring examples of those who have improved themselves and achieved great things using the golden advice found in the book. #Midas #Rumpelstiltskin #RayKroc
History books share the greatest success stories of humankind. They share how greatness was accomplished, how oppression was overcome, how ingenuity led to innovations and inventions that changed the world. Because humans are amazing creatures. So read your history. Or herstory. Or theirstory.
Fictional literature is full of inspirational stories of people who faced challenges, setbacks and difficult situations and overcame them. From boy wizards to old men and the sea, we can learn something empowering from them all. Plus, these books usually have a lot more dirty words and often contain descriptions of naughty acts. Both of which are more fun to read about than Six Sigma methodology.
Key Takeaway
Reading is a powerful and underrated source of inspiration, motivation and enthusiasm. Reading reminds you of the power of action. It reminds you that there are solutions to challenging problems. Books introduce you to mentors, coaches and cheerleaders in written form. So if you want to attack the day tomorrow with more zeal, read something great today.
If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.
Adam Albrecht Blog 