Tag: personal development

Are you your own bestie or worstie?

I have been listening to a lot of Parker McCollum lately.

The country singer just released his 5th studio album, titled “Parker McCollum.” I am not sure how you decide to name your 5th album after yourself. Unless you are The Jackson 5.

One of the songs on the album is titled, “My Own Worst Enemy.”

The song is interesting. And entertaining.

But I can’t relate to it.

I realized while listening to the lyrics of the song that I am definitely NOT my own worst enemy. I have other people for that.

I am not self destructive.

I don’t talk smack to myself.

I don’t beat myself up.

I don’t have a cluster of bad habits or vices that I can’t unscrew.

Unfortunately, my relationship with myself will not inspire a classic country song. Or anything blues related.

But acknowledging that I am not my own worst enemy led to an interesting new question in my squishy gray matter.

Who am I to me?

Since the worst enemy title doesn’t fit me, I started wondering if the opposite was true.

So I asked myself:

Am I my own best friend?

I found that I could make a strong case for the affirmative.

The conversations I have with myself are supportive.

I give myself pep talks.

I encourage myself.

I remind myself of the reasons to believe in myself.

I keep a list of examples of success close at hand for regular reference.

I keep a list of examples of success in my Rolodex to call on when needed.

I start each day with an encouraging talk. Sometimes in my head. Sometimes aloud. Sometimes I can’t tell the difference.

I turn to myself in challenging situations.

I don’t suffer from imposter syndrome.

Instead, I always ask, “Why not me?”

And as much as I enjoy spending time with others, I am quite happy in my own company.

When people don’t like me, I typically consider it to be their issue, not mine.

I laugh to myself and at myself a lot. Which also feels a little loony.

I reminisce a lot with myself.

I reflect a lot on myself.

In fact, this writing is a reflection on my reflection. Which is totally metta.

When I was considering starting the advertising and ideas agency The Weaponry, I really believed I could do it. And I sent myself out to talk to people I thought would corroborate that belief.

I trust myself.

And while I know I am not perfect, I forgive myself for my shortcomings. I work on getting better every day and focus on the potential and the progress. Which is a friendly thing to do for yourself.

Key Takeaway

For better or worse, I act like my own best friend. (Which may also be a sign that no one else wanted the job.) I encourage you to strive to be your own best friend. Encourage yourself. Forgive yourself. Believe in yourself. Trust yourself. Be kind to yourself. The rest of the world will throw enough challenges your way. Don’t make your relationship with yourself another obstacle to success. Treat yourself as if you were your own BFF. It will make you happier, more confident and more resilient. And you will find there is no limit to what you can accomplish together.

*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.

Don’t be a fool. Make sure to get all the value you can from your vacation days.

Happy April Fool’s Day! I just returned from a spring break trip with my family. The best thing I came back with was not relaxation or a tan. In fact, my vacations are rarely relaxing. I logged nearly 30 miles worth of desert hikes in Scottsdale and Sedona, Arizona. And my dermatologist would be happy with how much F-ing SPF I used. (Ok, so I don’t actually have a dermatologist. But I do pack a lot of derm, like a pachyderm)

Inspiration

What I came back from vacation with were more memories with my family, new inspiration, and more ideas. None of those things took up any space in my carry- on bag. In fact, the only souvenir I bought on vacation was a single ornament to hang on our Christmas tree. It’s a family tradition. And I’m traditional.

I saw new things. I ate new things. I explored new places that expanded my thinking.

I discovered businesses that made me think about businesses that I could start. And things I could introduce to The Weaponry, the advertising and ideas agency I lead.

People

I met new people at hotels, on planes, and on hiking trails. I also saw my cousins Cher Fesenmaier and Chawn Tipton who live in Phoenix, whom I hadn’t seen since our Grandma Albrecht’s funeral a few years ago. Which was a surprisingly fun funeral. After all, she was 99 and taught us how to have fun. Even at funerals.

Cher, Adam and Chawn in Tempe. Make sure to see your people in real life.

Reading

I finished a book on vacation. (The Splendid and The Vile) I started reading 2 new books. (Barbarian Days and Dave Grohl’s The Storyteller.) Everything you read helps make you more creative. It feeds your brain more material and creates more dots to connect. Vacations would be valuable even if you just stayed at home and read. Your dermatologist would probably like that too.

Appetizers

I got to really dig into some locations that I had only experienced as appetizers in the past. My mom taught me that short visits to new places are like having appetizers. If you enjoy the appetizer, you can come back for more another time.

Memories

Your most valuable possessions are your memories. They are like pieces of art, movies, photos and paintings that you hang in the museum in your mind. The more new experiences you have the more you fill the most valuable gallery in your head. That gallery serves as your perpetual source of inspiration when you need ideas, and as your perpetual source of entertainment and conversation starters when you don’t have the time or money to travel. You get to relive the experiences of your memories over and over in your mind. Even when you are too old, weak, or poor to travel and adventure.

My people in Sedona. 10 out of 10. Can definitely recommend.

Key Takeaway

Make sure to take your vacation time. Use it to do new things. It enhances your creativity in immense ways. You collect new dots to connect to the other dots you already have. This helps you come up with new ideas and combine old ideas in new and novel ways. It expands your world and your thinking. It creates new perspective. It introduces you to new people. It gifts you new stories. And new reasons to laugh. It creates new memories. And sooner or later you realize that your relationships and your memories are your most valuable possessions. Your vacation days help you develop both.

*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 time for your next step to a great 2025.

One great day is just one great day.

But if you can string together 4 to 7 great days you have a great week.

And if you can string together 4 or 5 great weeks you have a great month.

And if you string together 12 great months you have a great year.

And if you string together great year after great year, you create a great life.

And if you string together 6 great strings, you might have a guitar. Or an afghan.

Creating A Great 2025

I am trying to make 2025 my best year ever. I call it Project 2025. (Not to be confused with any other Project 2025s you may have heard about lately.) I hope you are doing the same. And if you haven’t been thinking about creating your own great 2025, now is the time to start. Because no one can make it happen but you. (With a strong assist from God, the world’s all-time assist leader.)

As we wrapped up the first 12th of the year, I spent Friday evening evaluating my January. Here are the bullet points in my self-report:

Adam’s January 2025

  • I went skiing 4 times. (That’s an average of once per week and twice the number of times I have skied between 1990 and 2024.)
  • I read 3 books. (More to come on this. But they were all great. And none of them involved coloring.)
  • I published 10 new blog posts.
  • I published 2 new editions of Adam’s Good Newsletter. (Please sign up if you like positive stuff.)
  • I met major milestones on a special writing project I have been working on. (I assume much of the world calls them kilometerstones.)
  • I worked out 16 times (despite being sick for a week with one of those little Gremlins Americans circulated in January. Which made me appreciate my good health even more.)
  • I booked 3 new speaking engagements. (Does that mean I now have 3 new speaking fiances?)
  • I bought a new set of Rogue dumbbells from 5 to 50 pounds and an additional set of 45-pound Rogue bumper plates. Then, I put them all to good use in my home gym. (I also drove from Milwaukee to Columbus to pick them up and save $300 in shipping costs. Plus, I got to see that huge candle in Indiana. #IYKYK)
  • The Weaponry conducted 2 transformative strategy workshops for new brands.
  • My great team added some cool new clients and we have several more about to come aboard, like the opening to The Love Boat.
  • I visited 5 states. And discovered that the new Salt Lake City airport is amazing. Tom Hanks should have been stuck in that terminal.
  • I visited my great friends Amy and Todd Urowsky at their beautiful home in Park City, Utah, and then skied at Brighton.
  • I spent time with my parents Bob and Jill Albrecht, in Lafayette, Indiana. Having parents is the best. Don’t take it for granted.
  • I planned and booked a spring break trip to Arizona. I’d love to hear your favorite things in Scottsdale and Sedona. (I already know about the tall cans of tea.)
  • I spent a lot of quality time with my wife Dawn, and sons Johann and Magnus. Plus, my daughter Ava was home from college for 3 weeks in January. Which was wonderful. Like George Bailey’s life.
  • I added several great new people to my Great People collection. Great people are the most valuable things you can collect.

I share this list to encourage you to create your own. You have to look back at your wins, both large and small, to recognize the great things in your life. The successes, the adventures, the experiences, the relationships, the learnings, the growth, and the commitments kept. By reflecting on them, you both tally your wins, and you get to enjoy them all again.

Let’s Go February!

Now, it’s time for us all to create a great February. I am excited about it. I hope you are, too. It all starts simply by having a great day today, whatever that looks like to you. And then doing it again tomorrow.

Key Takeaway

A great life, a great marriage, and a great career are built one day at a time. Start by knowing what great means to you. Then, live into that every day. String together great days. They create great weeks, months and years. You have to make it happen. And it is never too late to start.

*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.

25 Lessons to guide you through 2025.

At the beginning of a new year, I attempt to put my accumulated wisdom to good use. I reflect on the important lessons I have learned so I can project a better year ahead. A year that is packed with the things I consider most important. And a year that minimizes or eliminates the things that work against me. Like sweet tea and peanut brittle.

As a part of this process in 2025, I made a list of reminders as I start the new year. You may find some value in this. Or the value may be in deciding to create your own list.

25 Lessons to Remember in 2025

1. Use your time. It’s your most valuable asset. It’s finite. Don’t waste it. Even if you are sitting on the dock of the bay.

2. Do hard things. They are the most rewarding.

3. Do something valuable for yourself first thing every morning. That is your golden time. The filet of the day. It’s even better than a Filet O’ Fish.

4. Don’t overlook the compounding effect. Good habits, exercise, kindness, investing, being trustworthy, writing, brushing your teeth. They help more the more you do them.

5. Surrounding yourself with great people leads to a great life.

6. Weigh yourself every day. It provides a direct link between your actions and the results. Both good and bad.

7. Reach out to others first. The world is full of lonely people afraid to make the first move.

8. Get rid of the things that don’t serve you. It works the same way editing makes your writing better. It helps you move faster and lighter. And frees up space in your brain.

9. Find a passion project. These help make life more fun and enjoyable. Remember, you are the one responsible for putting fun and enjoyment in your life.

10. Discover your purpose. This is your lifelong quest. The sooner you find it the more meaningful your time after it will be.

11. Don’t stay in a job that has you dreading Mondays. Move along. There is a better option for you. (Unless your job is dreading hair. Then, you should probably also dread on Mondays.)

12. Develop and maintain connections across multiple generations. You can learn a lot from those older and younger than you. Like how to turn on the remote. Or what a manual transmission was.

13. Provide value before you try to extract value. This is always the order.

14. Be an imperfectionist. Take action first. Improve as you go. Be comfortable with mistakes. They are approximations that get you to the right answer faster.

15. Always bet on yourself. It’s the safest bet you will ever make. And listen to Kenny Rogers.

16. Call your parents while you still can. If you no longer can, then make sure to recall your parents often.

17. Remember that you are part of a trustee family. You are entrusted with carrying the family legacy forward for all of those who came before and those who will come after you. Recognize what others have done to put you where you are now. And do your part for those yet to come.

18. Make new memories with old friends. This is the best.

19. Set lofty goals and plans to achieve them.

20. At the end of our days, the only thing that will matter is the impact we have on others. If your actions are selfish, your impact dies when you do. (Note: impact is also a leading cause of death.)

21. Exercise is the best medicine. And it’s available without a prescription.

22. Those who laugh the most have the best life.

23. If you can delay your gratification you can achieve anything.

24. Always do what you know is right.

25. If you can’t eat, sleep. If you can’t sleep, eat. (I use this one more than you know.)

Bonus Jonas:

26. Give people more than they expect.

Key Takeaway

Through trial and error, and through your readings, and wrongings, you will discover great lessons. Collect them. Remind yourself of them often. They will serve as reliable guideposts to health, happiness and success. And they make for a great inheritance for you to pass along.

*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 Everyone Needs a Wish List Beyond the Holidays

This holiday season many people have a wish list.

This is a list of things that you would like to have.

Or used to have. But you lost it. Like that loving feeling. Now it’s gone, gone, gone.

You share your wish list with the people who are apt to give you a gift.

Usually this is your family or friends.

But sometimes, it’s a bearded dude in a red suit who leads an army of magical elves.

(And sometimes that works out far better than logic would indicate.)

The wish list does 2 valuable things:

  1. It forces you to think about the things you need and want.
  2. It helps others get you the things you need or want.

But a powerful tool like a wish list shouldn’t be limited to the holidays.

And it shouldn’t just be something you offer other people.

You should create a wish list for yourself.

It should include the things you would like to have. Both needs and wants. Big and small

The things on your wish list could be:

  • Material
  • Psychological
  • Emotional
  • Physical
  • Spiritual
  • Relational
  • Financial
  • Brown paper packages tied up with string

By creating a wish list, you are identifying the things that would improve your life.

Once you know what those things are you can pursue them.

You can attract them.

You can recognize them when you see them.

You can appreciate them when they arrive.

This wish list can be used to improve your personal life.

But it can also improve your professional career.

Or your business.

Or your community.

Or your wardrobe.

Because when you become clear on the things you really want, you create your own gravitational pull.

That’s when the things you really want find a way to find you.

*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.

How to make yourself more important.

How do you make yourself more important? It’s a simple but valuable question to ask. While there may be a million ways to become more important, there is one proven approach that anyone can use, regardless of your current skills and resources. It even works if you are not really, really good-looking, like Zoolander.

Here it is in two simple steps.

  1. In every situation you are in determine who is the most important person.
  2. Make yourself useful to that person.

Some examples:

In school, become useful to your teacher, professor, principal or Dean. Volunteer. Ask questions or provide answers. Make them look good during their annual evaluations. (Definitely do that last one.)

On a team, make yourself useful to your coach. This could be through actions or attitude. Set a great example. Help set up for practice or clean up after. You could also show up every day really tall, fast, strong, or coordinated. Coaches love that.

As an employee, make yourself useful to your boss, Hugo. Get your work done on time, every time. Help improve processes, efficiencies and effectiveness. Help improve revenue or profitability. If your boss is a bumbling idiot, help them hide it. (I always appreciate it when my team does that for me.)

At a party, make yourself useful to the host. Be a quick set of helping hands. Smile and have a good time. Introduce people. Play the games the host wants played. Unless the host is P-Diddy.

At home, there are always opportunities to be useful to your spouse or your parents. And making yourself more useful at home is one of the most important things you can do.

Try It Yourself

Start by evaluating who is the most important person in every room or situation you are in. Most of the time, this is easier than it sounds.

Then look for opportunities to provide value.

It’s a great habit to develop. And you’ll get better at it the more you practice. Soon you’ll recognize how valuable this approach is when you are the most important person in the room and others are going out of their way to be useful to you.

Key Takeaway

People are deemed important because they add value in some way. It may be through their intelligence, leadership, experience, responsibility, or a range of other skills and attributes. When you make yourself valuable to those people, you are adding to the value they bring. Which in turn increases your usefulness. As a result, you stand out from the crowd in the eyes of the person who already stands out from the crowd. Remember, your value is directly related to your contribution. Contribute to the most important person in the room’s success and you will contribute to everyone in the room’s success. That is how you make yourself 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.

What’s far more important than your physical age.

Are you worried about your age? Are you concerned that you are too old for the types of opportunities that now interest you most? Do you feel that you are too old to learn the new thing that is transforming your industry? Do you feel like you are too old for the dream you have been dreaming your whole life? Do you think you are too old to cut the mustard and not realize that mustard no longer needs to be cut?

Or do you think you are too young? That you don’t know enough and that you are not ready for the opportunities that are at your doorstep? Do you feel too young for the next level of responsibility? Do you find yourself singing, I don’t wanta grow up. I’m a Toys R Us kid?

I am currently reading Curtis Jackson’s book Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter. You may know Curtis better by his monetary name, 50 Cent. Fifty talks about how some people have a difficult time transitioning as times change. Then he dropped these 2 cents (which may mean he is now 48 Cents):

“Age isn’t about what year you were born in. It is about how you approach the year you are in right now. “

-Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson

This is a good reminder to face today as if you belong. As if the changes, advances and technologies are coming for your benefit. Not to leave you behind, like Nicolas Cage and Lea Thompson.

Approach this year and every year with a growth mindset. As a learner. As a Curious George, ready to get into new trouble. Or as a Sponge Bob, ready to soak up new ideas and new possibilities, instead of simply becoming a Krabby Patty.

Key Takeaway

Your mindset should be an asset, not a liability. Approach each year with a youthful spirit and you will learn, grow, explore, and take advantage of all the new opportunities available. Recognize the new roles and opportunities afforded to you. Don’t get stuck in the good old days mindset. There are great things in every day. You simply need to adapt to take advantage of them.

*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.

Do you do what you tell yourself you will do?

One of the best things you can do in life is keep your commitments to yourself.

There is no better way to build trust.

There is no better way to build confidence.

There is no better way to build personal momentum.

There is probably no better way to build a skyscraper. (But I have never done that so I’m not really qualified to say.)

Keep Your Commitments

Wake up when you say you will wake up.

Exercise when you say you will exercise.

Show up when you say you will show up. (Especially if you are a pilot, a superhero, or my cable guy.)

And don’t eat what you tell yourself you won’t eat. Even when that thing is a donut sprinkled with bacon and filled with Chick-fil-A nuggets and candy.

Resolve

Resolutions are a great idea.

The bad idea is not doing what you tell yourself you would do.

Which means that the best resolution you can make is to simply keep your commitments.

Getting Started

Start by committing to less.

Do everything you tell yourself you will do.

Because when you do that you will soon realize that you can do anything.

& 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.

Are you in soil that supports your seed?

There are many types of soil.

And there are many types of seeds.

But not all seeds thrive in all soils.

In fact, some seeds get packaged in a bag and sent to a ballpark to be chewed up and spit out before they get their chance to blow, like Eminem said.

The key to growth, happiness and success is to plant your seed in soil that supports you.

Then sink your roots down deep, and bloom baby bloom!

So if you aren’t thriving and blooming, onion, it’s time to find new soil.

& This has been a 7 Sentence Sunday Post. Just 7 sentences. (At least just 7 sentences before the little 3-dot divider thingie.) These are quick thoughts before church. Or after church. Or before football if you don’t mark your Sundays with church. Or, if you don’t do church or football, it’s simply 7 sentences before Monday. (Plus this rambling descriptor of how simple the post was supposed to be before I overcomplicated it.)

+For more of the best 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.