Tag: Life

When Was The Last Time You Revised Your History?

One of life’s great secrets is that you can rewrite your past to serve you better today. In fact, your past is simply a tool for you to use to empower today. Like a Sawzall. Or a squeegee  

Too often, we cling to the pain, shortcomings, or embarrassments of past events, which will do nothing to help you today. So let it go, like that girl from Frozen.

We all have successes and failures. You can build your story using either, just as The 3 Little Pigs had their choice of building materials. But if you want to protect yourself and keep the wolves at bay, choose wisely.

Your backstory and the identity it creates for you are two of your greatest assets. And as you modify and update your history, it will change both what you believe you are prepared for and what you deserve.

That crafting and re-crafting of your own history will shape your future. Because your story becomes more valuable through your own interpretation.

Nobody likes a sob story.

But they love a comeback story.

Or an ugly-duckling-transformed-into-a-beautiful-swan story.

Or an ain’t-nothing-gonna-break-my-stride story.

I have been working on a major writing project in which I set up a string of my life events that lead to what seems like a pre-destined outcome. I am using specific pieces of my history that, when linked together, create a compelling and convincing narrative. I am not fabricating anything. I am simply editing my own history to create a clear and compelling story built on real events. But I also eliminate anything that detracts from the story. Like any good writer would do. (I’m finally figuring some things out.)

Today, when I am discussing potential business deals or speaking opportunities, I share an edited version of my personal or professional story that aligns with the opportunity. The stories are always true. But they can create very different historical records of my past. I focus on sharing only my experiences that qualify me for the work in question. In fact, when discussing these projects, I could also create real stories that build a case for why I am not qualified for the same opportunities. I won’t. Because that would be stupid. But I could. And people do it all the time.

How To Create A More Valuable History

Tell yourself a great story about how your past is empowering you today. You can do this by simply dropping the bad stuff from your personal narrative. (Did you even know you could do that? You can! And you should.) #DropItLikeItsHot

You can also leverage your challenging past. Tell yourself and everyone else how you have used the tough things you have experienced to get you where you are. Or you can tell the story of how you are using your difficult past to propel you forward on your current path. Or the path you are about to embark on. (Come aboard. We’re expecting you…)

Key Takeaway

Your history exists to serve you. Not to hold you back. Magnify the positives. Minimize or drop anything that doesn’t help. Craft great stories. Apply lenses that improve the optics on events, accomplishments, experiences, and setbacks. And use your history as a springboard to set you up for even greater success tomorrow.

*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. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

Team USA Won Olympic Gold. And I Experienced POMO.

The talk of the sports world over the past 48 hours has been the USA hockey team’s epic gold medal win. And for good reason. The win came in overtime of the freakin Olympics, to beat border-rival Canada. It was the greatest of games with a storybook ending. It was a moment the whole country can remember and enjoy forever.

But I missed it.

I didn’t see a second of the game.

The reason I missed it is not because I don’t care. Or because I slept in. Or I forgot to tune in to the rare Sunday morning sporting showdown.

I missed it all because I was at church.

I admit that I was checking my phone throughout the service. (I asked the Big Guy for forgiveness right away.)

By the end of the prelude, I knew the USA was up 1-0 at the end of the first period. (Praise The Lord!)

Right before the sermon, I knew that it was 1-1 at the end of the 2nd period. (Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thy stick and thy puck, they comfort me.)

I checked the ESPN app on my iPhone (tucked inside my bulletin) again during the offering (when I gave a little extra…), after the Lord’s Prayer (give us this day our winning goal…), and before the Benediction (may thy shot rise to meet the back of thy opponent’s net…)

I saw the 3rd period evaporate without a score. And I knew we were headed to overtime before I hit the narthex.

My family and I gave a hurried hello to the Pastor, then skirted by the donuts on our way to the parking lot. We piled into our SUV, turned on the radio, and before we hit the highway to heaven, we heard the breaking news that Jack Hughes hit the Golden Goal, and the USA won a battle for the ages. (Hallelujah!)

But here’s the thing: I don’t regret missing the game. Sure, I would have enjoyed watching it live with the rest of northern North America. But I have always taken pleasure in missing out on big things because I was doing something else important.

It’s what I call POMO. Or Proud Of Missing Out. It’s the feeling you get when you miss out on something big because you are proud to be doing something important to you instead.

I like to go to church as often as I can. And I put special emphasis on church attendance during both Advent (the month leading up to Christmas) and Lent (the month-ish leading up to Easter).

I love the sacrifices and tradeoffs that a highly valued life of accomplishment, dedication and success requires. I appreciate that I have things that I value even more than the highly valued things that the rest of the world highly values.

I like being up when the rest of the world has permission to sleep in. I enjoy the work I have to do on vacation because of an exciting time-bound opportunity. I enjoy RSVPing No to things I would like to say Yes to, because I have another thing I want to say Yes to even more. I relish the times I don’t attend a mandatory event, because I have something even more mandatory to me. (Like the time I missed my college graduation from the University of Wisconsin because I was competing in the Big Ten Track & Field Championships at Penn State. Which we won!)

While I still remember watching The Miracle On Ice as a small boy back in 1980, and feeling as if it was the biggest, most important sporting event win of all time, I will remember the 2026 Hockey Gold Medal game for being in church on Sunday morning, with my family, at the beginning of Lent, and getting updates through my little telephonic buddy. And I was proud to be there.

Key Takeaway

Enjoy your moments of POMO. Embrace the things that you can’t do because you have other priorities. Take pride in the sacrifices you make to maintain the habits you have built. Enjoy your commitments and values, and the things they sometimes cost you. These are the things that set you apart. And the things that set you up for long-term success, happiness and fulfillment.

*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. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

How to create more urgency to get more done.

One of the most powerful forces on human life is urgency.

Urgency, quite simply put, is importance that requires swift action.

But too often we take swift action on the unimportant things in our lives. Like social media, and the other things dinging and blinging on our phones.

Or we take swift action on other people’s important issues. (If you have kids or an underprepared boss, you know what I’m talk’n bout, Willis.)

However, we fail to take swift action on the things most important to our lives, our success and our most valued projects.

I bet that you have big dreams, goals and ideas that, if completed, would make a massive impact on your life.

Maybe you want to start a business, travel to amazing places, organize a fun event, get together with family or friends you haven’t seen in a long time, or create that art thingie that only you understand. Maybe you have something big you want to take on at work that would change your organization in a major, positive way.

But I am also willing to bet that you took no steps towards making that a reality yesterday. Or in the last week. Or in the last year. Or maybe ever. Like ever, ever.

The problem is that you have ideas, visions and goals, but you don’t have a motivating deadline.

Remember: It is the deadline that creates urgency.

It is the deadline that requires swift action.

But not just any old deadline will do, Buckaroo.

Most self-selected deadlines are far too far off.

Short deadlines drive action.

There is a very simple test for the effectiveness of your deadline.

Your deadline must require you to do something today to stay on pace.

If your deadline doesn’t require anything of you today, your deadline is too long, Duk Dong.

If your deadline doesn’t create a feeling of discomfort for work undone today, it is not effective.

If your deadline doesn’t influence your actions or your schedule today, there is too much slack in it.

Your deadline has to create constraint. It must create a friction that prevents you from letting important activities keep on slippin, slippin, slippin, into the future.

Key Takeaway

To force dreams, goals and great ideas to life, you need shorter deadlines. A loose deadline has no power. Create deadlines that demand action today. Tighten your deadlines to force yourself into action. The tighter the better. Unreasonable deadlines can drive remarkable results. So trade in someday for this year, this week or this afternoon. And you will discover just how much you are capable of accomplishing.

*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. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

26 Rules For A Great 2026

As I start each year, I like to take a moment to remind myself what leads to a great year and ultimately a great life. Here are some of the most important rules I live by, in a particular order. I hope you find some value in them, too. If not, I encourage you to create your own list and share it with me. God knows I can use all the help I can get.

26 Rules For How To Have A Great 2026.

  1. Nothing works if you don’t. Success is a result of action.
  2. Your habits are your most important asset. You form your habits and then your habits form you.
  3. Add value before you try to extract value. Never forget the order of operations. Your value is directly related to your contribution.
  4. Your best energy is early in the day. Do the big stuff in the morning. But not the Double Stuf. Save that for dessert.
  5. In the end, the only thing that matters is the impact we have on each other. Put people first, and be a positive force in their lives. This is how you get people to show up at your funeral. (This and the all-you-can-eat ham sandwiches.)
  6. Don’t be a jerk. We have enough of them. People need allies and compassion. Not jerkitude.
  7. Get good sleep. Know your ideal amount of sleep and get it as often as you can. Sleep is nature’s power-up.
  8. This too shall pass. Even the really tough stuff will soon be in the rear-view mirror. Just keep swimming.
  9. Exercise is the best medicine. It’s better than an apple at keeping the doctor away. (But speaking of doctors…)
  10. See your doctor and dentist every year. Your scans, blood tests, ograms, and oscopies help find things when they are small and treatable. This can add years or even decades to your life. Do it for your loved ones.
  11. Do hard things. Nothing is better for building confidence and a repertoire of great stories.
  12. Always do what you know is right. This rule has never failed me. Listen to your inner voice. It knows what to do.
  13. When you are right, don’t act in a way that makes you have to apologize.
  14. Invest as much and as early as you can. Let compound interest work its magic, Johnson.
  15. Don’t put your hands in your pockets as you walk up or down stairs. If you trip, you’re going to need those hands to protect your face from the floor.
  16. Travel as much as you can. It provides knowledge, experience, understanding, stories and ideas that last a lifetime. When you are old and can no longer travel, you can always go back in your mind.
  17. Put a case and a screen protector on your phone. It will save you a lot of money.
  18. Burn more calories every day than you take in. That’s the simple formula to maintain a healthy weight.
  19. Don’t worry about how much milk you spill as long as you don’t lose your cow. There will be unfortunate things that cost you money. It’s ok. Just make sure to hold onto the thing that helps you make more money, honey.
  20. A happy marriage is the best thing in the world. I expect the opposite is also true. Prioritize your spouse. Even above your kids. It sets a great example for them.
  21. Reading books is like weight lifting for your brain. Read as much as you can. If you need to you can always buy a bigger hat.
  22. Don’t stick your tongue out when you are in a moving car. Because if you are in an accident, you will bite your tongue off.
  23. Think long term. Don’t try to make or save money today that will cost you money over the years to come.
  24. Take the red eye home from the West Coast. It’s like stealing time.
  25. Spend time with your people in real life. People are better in person. It’s one of the best things you can do for your happiness and well-being.
  26. Capacity is a state of mind. You will do more when you believe you can do more.
  27. (Bonus) Yesterday is the most important day. What you did yesterday enables everything you can do today.

Key Takeaway

The best way to have a great year is to put your accumulated experiences and resulting wisdom to work for you. You’re wiser than you were a year ago. Take advantage of it. Let’s have a great 2026! I hope we get to see each other in real 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. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

How some people do so much more with their time.

We all know people who do more than everyone else.

They do the family things and the home things.

They do the friends things, the travel things, the work things, and the wild things.

And miraculously, they seem to be enjoying it all.

Like cyborgs. Or Stepford Wives.

They are creating things that interest them.

They are volunteering for causes they care about.

They are having success in their career, running their own business or leading their family.

They do the networking activities you would like to do.

They exercise.

And they get to worship, too, God bless them.

Plus, they coach or chaperone or team parent for the activities their kids do.

You wonder How do they do it all?

How are they involved in so many things? How do they fit it all in? And how do they not Chernobyl like it’s 1986?

The answer is simple.

Capacity is a state of mind.

You decide how much you can handle, how much you can take on, how much you can fit in.

You decide how much you can do with your hours, days and weeks.

When you decide you are full and overwhelmed, you stop. (Presumably in the name of love.)

People who do more believe they have a capacity to do more.

They see spaces to add things.

They find time in their schedule to make things happen.

They see opportunities that are worth their time and their energy.

And they recognize that at some point, they will run out of time, energy and opportunity.

So they go now.

The scarcity of time is precisely what drives them to see more capacity in their everyday.

Now is the time.

Now is the opportunity.

Now is the alternative to never.

Key Takeaway

If you want to fill your life with meaning, action and contribution, adjust your mindset to create capacity. Because when you want to find the time for more, you will find it. Or you will optimize, prioritize, reduce or eliminate things to make room. There is more space and time in your continuum for the things you really want to do. Find it. Enjoy it. Do more with it. And make others wonder how you do it all.

*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. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

The Power Of Enthusiasm And Teamwork.

Last week I had a fun and unique opportunity. Some of the coaches and parents of my son Magnus’s freshman football team asked me if I would come speak to the team at their Wednesday night team dinner before their final game of the season on Thursday. I jumped at the chance, nearly pulling a hamstring in the process.

The team had a frustrating season and hadn’t lived up to their own expectations. Despite good coaching and plenty of talent, they were going into their 8th game with a 2-4-1 record. They were just 5 points away from being 4-3. Which is like the difference between being cute and having a nice personality.

So on Wednesday night, I talked to them about two things that could have a major impact on their final game.

First, I talked about the energy and enthusiasm they brought to the field. The psychological force you bring to the game offers a major advantage. I noticed that they weren’t bringing their full allotment of energetic horsepower to their games, and that hurt their play. (It was like their 10-gallon hat was feeling 10-gallons flat, and they hankered for a hunk of cheese.)

Then I talked about the importance of playing as a team. Even when you make mistakes, and everyone makes mistakes, you have to support each other and move forward. You have to include everyone in the team huddle, treat each other like a band of brothers, because you are stronger when you play together. Otherwise, you’ll all end up living in a van down by the river.

I also shared that when I played football and the other team started pointing fingers and fighting with each other, we knew we had won. Because when teammates fight each other, they beat themselves.

To add color, I told the team that my freshman football teammates were still many of my closest friends. We stood up in each other’s weddings. We helped each other start businesses. And even though we are scattered from New England to California, we still have a group chat, do team Zoom calls, and get together back home every few years. And we have more inside jokes than most people have outside jokes.

This group of 14 and 15-year-old boys listened intently as I encouraged them to bring their best energy and enthusiasm to the field on Thursday. They paid attention as I urged them to end the season on a high note, with the right trajectory going into the offseason, their next sports, and the next football season. I encouraged them to play like a team, feed off each other’s energy, and good things would happen.

So what happened?

From the moment the boys took the field, I could see the difference in their attitude, energy and team dynamics. They were fired up, they were connecting with each other, and ready to bring the heat. (And maybe da noize, and da funk.)

And they did.

On the opening drive, the Homestead Highlanders’ freshman team was hitting on all 11 cylinders. The boys marched down the field with attitude and scored a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to go up 8-0.

On their following defensive series, they bent, but they didn’t break. They played united as a team. Then, cornerback Markey Walker intercepted the opponent’s pass at the 3-yard line. With a key block from my son Magnus and an escort of teammates, Markey returned the interception 97 yards for a touchdown. Boom!

That play fanned the flames of their team spirit. (Not Teen Spirit.) And they just kept rolling. The score at halftime was 20-0.

They came out sharp and aggressive in the second half. Like aged Wisconsin cheddar. In fact, when the opponent fumbled the opening kickoff, our boys jumped on it. A minute later, we punched the ball in for another touchdown.

At that point, the opponent began fighting with themselves and blaming each other. And our boys knew they had won.

Our team scored again. Everyone got significant playing time. The sideline was spirited and the play on the field was inspired. The camaraderie was palpable. And the boys were a force to be reckoned with. The coaches were pumped up. The parents were proud. And when the final whistle blew, the scoreboard accurately summarized the story of the game with the final score of 33-8.

After shaking hands with the opponent, a fired-up group of young men rushed to gather in the endzone, as a team, one last time. The team energy was palpable. The pride and togetherness hung like a halo over the huddled players and their coaches. It was the perfect ending to an imperfect season. A great step in the right direction. And proof of what happens when you play together, with energy.

I am thankful for the opportunity to talk to the boys the night before their last game. I was extremely proud of the way they took full ownership of their mental approach to the game. And I am delighted to see this group finish on such a high note. I hope that over the course of their high school careers they create deep and lasting relationships with each other that last a lifetime. Like the relationships I have with my high school football teammates. And I hope that they learn the most important lesson of all. And that is that the same things that make you successful in sports, make you successful in life. Which is why youth sports are so important.

*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. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

Act As If.

Go through life as if all of your dreams have come true.

Or are coming true.

Act as if you are the you that you imagined you would be.*

Do the things that the person you want to be would do.

Make the decisions your ideal you would make.

Act as if you have the role you want. And maybe the roll you want. (Kaiser, Lobster, Tootsie)

Act as if you are the person who does what you want to do.

Talk the talk.

Walk the walk.

Think the way you want to be.

And you will become the person you think you are.

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. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

*The quadruple-you sentence. The Triple Lindy of sentences.

Why You Should Embrace Last Minute Opportunities.

I have some friends who produce and host a TV show. They call me when a planned guest cancels and they need a replacement on short notice. (And no, the show is not Cops.)

There is a teacher in my kids’ school district who has me on speed dial when they need a last-minute classroom speaker. Even though my kids are not in their class and I can’t barter favors for grades.

I was once asked if I could speak for 15 minutes to a company meeting of 1,000 people, just an hour before I was supposed to be on stage. I had nothing prepared. But I did it anyway. I figured that even if I crashed and burned, it would make for a good story. But if I crushed it, I imagined there was an outside chance that I would earn a lifetime supply of ham.

Recently, a woman who has hired me 3 times to speak recommended me to a colleague who had a speaker cancel a week before her big event. I had never given a talk on the topic they were looking for. (But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.)

And over the course of my advertising career, I have had too many last-minute requests from clients for even Count Dracula to count.

Be At The Top Of The Go-To List.

I step up and say yes to last-minute requests all the time.

Because I am a problem solver.

Because, like a firefighter, I can be ready for action on short notice.

Because I am prepared.

Because I stay ready.

Because I figure it out.

I have a process that allows me to deliver on short notice. Or nearly no notice.

Being the go-to backup plan when things go wrong is an honor.

People don’t forget those who helped them out when they were in a tight spot.

Throughout your life, you will have many opportunities to save the day.

Save it for others whenever you can.

Plus, more repetitions make you better at what you do.

So you improve through the process, too.

It bolsters your brand reputation.

And I have heard there are better accommodations in Heaven for those who help others here.

Key Takeaway

Be at the top of other people’s last-minute list. Save the day whenever you can. Be the person others turn to when they really need help. You will always help yourself in the process.

*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. And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

Take a little time to save yourself a lot of time.

A few months ago, something coo-coo happened with my default search browser on my laptop. This is not something I would typically write about. (Or read about.) But stay with me. There is a valuable lesson at the end of this techno-rainbow.

Instead of defaulting to Google for search, suddenly my computer was defaulting to Yahoo’s search engine, as if it were 1995.

For months, I would type a search into the search bar and it would take me to Yahoo’s results page, which, unlike a Snickers, was not very satisfying.

So I began to simply type Google into the search bar, then click on Google, and then perform my search once I had arrived at the Googler.

This was inefficient. And a waste of time. (But you already knew that.)

So one day I went to Google, and googled how to make Google your default search engine.

I got the answer immediately.

Because Google is good like that.

The process of changing my search engine took about 20 seconds.

And every day since then I have enjoyed a highly efficient search process.

The Bigger Lesson

The experience served as a reminder that we all have unnecessary inefficiencies that are slowing us down, wasting our time, and negatively impacting our productivity or our quality of life.

Recognize those inefficiencies and eliminate the time-wasting workarounds. Look for opportunities to improve your processes to save you time, energy and money over the long haul.

This may include improving your processes. It may include training others to do tasks so that you don’t have to. It may include fixing a broken or worn-out thing you have been working around. It may involve cleaning or organizing so that you can easily find the things you need when you need them. Which is kind of like Google in the physical world.

Key Takeaway

There are unnecessary inefficiencies in your world right now. Addressing them will take a little bit of time now, but save you a lot of time later. Seek out ways to improve your professional and personal productivity by improving your processes, training others, fixing, and organizing. It will eliminate your time-stealing workarounds. And decrease the friction in your work and in 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.  And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.

Let your experiences and adventures change you.

This year, I have had a tall flapjack stack of fun and interesting experiences outside of work.

  • I traveled to Nashville in May to visit colleges and enjoy some live music at the Grand Ole Opry. (Although I still have no idea what an opry is.)
  • I spent our family’s spring break in Arizona, splitting time between Scottsdale and Sedona. (I didn’t have time for standing on the corner in Winslow.)
  • I completed a circle tour of Lake Michigan, seeing many things that are not that far away by the way the crow flys or the salmon swims, but quite far away by the way the car drives.
  • I coached 2 great athletes at the Wisconsin State High School Track Championship on the other side of the state in La Crosse.
  • I attended a family reunion in southern Minnesota, in my mom’s hometown of Elkton, with a whole flock of reuning relatives.

How To Profit From Your Experiences

My goal, when I experience such things, is to come back different.

I don’t want these to be inert experiences.

You want the special experiences of your life to have impact.

You want them to expand your view of the world.

You want them to create new or deeper relationships.

You want new learning.

You want new ideas.

You want to grow through each one of your novel experiences and be better as a result. (Your novel experiences don’t have to include a novel.)

You want to be a different and more capable version of yourself after the experience than you were before. (And you want to maintain all of your limbs and phalanges.)

When you aim to grow, expand and improve through your experiences, you will always find your path to accomplish your aim.

You will spot things you have never seen before.

You will recognize the learning, the lessons and the insights when they arrive.

You will grab the opportunity to meet new people you encounter. And you will find that each new person you meet will change you in some way. Sometimes these changes are large and profound. Other times, they are small and seemingly insignificant. But if you genuinely try to get to know people in a greater way, you will walk away a greater person.

Key Takeaway

Throughout your human experience, always look for ways to grow. Collect and connect dots. Add new humans to your world. Expand your circle of friends. Upgrade your world view. Come back from your experiences and adventures smarter, wiser and more informed. It helps generate excitement and curiosity every time you leave home. And it brings you back better, wiser and more creative than you were when you left.

*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.And consider subscribing to Adam’s Good Newsletter.