Even More Reason

I ran into a buddy at the gym yesterday, and the first thing he said to me was about yesterday's post: "What if you don't have $50,000?" It was a reference to my story about the pile of cash test, where I challenged a client to withdraw $50,000 from the bank and set it on their kitchen table before officially deciding to put $50,000 toward a vehicle.

"What if you don't have $50,000?" It's a logical and realistic question, as $50,000 is a lot of money and many people simply don't possess $50,000. My answer?

"Even more reason not to do it!!!!"

"What, so if you don't have $50,000 in the bank, you shouldn't buy a car?" my friend asked.

"No, if you don't have $50,000 in the bank, you most certainly shouldn't be spending $50,000 on a car," I replied. His eyes got big, and he looked visibly agitated.

This isn't really about cars, though it's framed through the lens of a car purchase. At the heart of the matter is our modern-day assumption that we all deserve to buy whatever we want, regardless of context or reality. And debt allows that to happen.

I reminded my friend that the most money I've ever spent on a vehicle was $20,000. Why? Because that's how much money I had allocated and saved for said purchase. I suppose I could have pulled the trigger on a $50,000, $60,000, or even $80,000 vehicle had I wanted, but sabotaging my family's finances, freedom, and future with large debt payments isn't on my wish list of life. Instead, we buy what we can afford. That applies to cars, sure, but it's also a blanket statement of life. No debt.....period.

I know this is a weird way to approach life, and for many, it might seem limiting. However, there's something beautiful that happens to our psyche when we live in reality. It's powerful to know what's on the table and what's not. I don't think about buying luxury cars because it's simply not in my family's budget. Thus, I don't want. I don't covet. I don't fantasize. Instead, I try to live a meaningful life and embrace whatever beautiful reality we've created for ourselves. I encourage you to do the same.

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$50K On the Kitchen Table

More than three years ago, I wrote about something I call the "pile of cash test." It's a little behavioral hack that can help us combat the psychological warfare caused by debt. You can read the original piece at the link above.

Well, I've used the pile of cash three times in the past month. Most notably, I have one particular story to share with you. One of my clients wanted to purchase a new vehicle, around $65,000. After accounting for their trade-in, the remaining amount due was $50,000.

I think we can all agree that $50,000 is a lot of money. Therefore, they naturally decided to finance it. Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!! I was walking alongside them while they painfully and frustratingly paid off a ton of debt, and now they want to go back into $50,000 of debt to buy a vehicle?!?!

"I don't care if you buy this vehicle," I told them. "However, if you decide to buy it, use cash. Please don't fall into this trap again."

"I don't think we would feel comfortable taking $50,000 out of savings to do this," they responded.

"I guess you don't want the vehicle that badly, then." That comment didn't go over well.

They were still waffling when we left the room. That's when I gave them the pile of cash test challenge. Go to the bank, withdraw $50,000, set it on the kitchen table, then decide how important that vehicle is.

It wasn't easy for them to withdraw $50,000 from their bank, but they did it!!! They even joked that it felt like they needed to hire armed bodyguards just to have it in their home.

The result? Here's what they wrote back: "It was an eye-opening experience. To be honest I'm not sure we could ever spend $50,000 on a car ever again after doing that. It puts much in perspective. I think we need more contentment or more humility. Maybe both."

The pile of cash test never fails. Put this one in your toolbelt for a rainy day. It just might come in handy if you're ever in need of a fresh perspective.....or a fun behavioral science experience.

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For What?

I received a question from a blog reader after yesterday's post. I don't know this man personally, but based on my handful of e-mail interactions, I respect him a lot. He's very insightful and always brings wisdom to the conversation. I also know by now that his intentions are always honest. Therefore, when he asked me a fairly intense question, I received it with the utmost respect and care.

In short, he asked why I'm so personally interested in my investments. It would appear to be an obvious answer, culturally and financially speaking, but he added some additional context based on my prior content:

• I don't believe in retirement.

• I don't plan to leave my children a large inheritance.

• I believe and practice joyful and sacrificial generosity.

• I'm anti-hoarding

• I don't care to "build wealth."

• Money, stuff, and status don't interest me.

Therefore, his sincere question has so much merit. If all that is true (and I testify that it is), why do I personally care about having investments? He didn't say this, but based on the fact pattern I shared above, it's possible that I'm a liar, a hypocrite, or don't quite follow the principles I teach. Again, this is me saying this (not my friend!). Why, then, do I personally care about investments?

I responded to his message, but after pondering it more, I thought it might make for an interesting blog post. Why do I believe all those things above, yet still have personal investments?

It's a two-part answer:

• A day will come when I'm no longer physically or mentally able to do good work. I hope that time doesn't arrive until my 80s, but it will most certainly arrive at some point. When that happens, I want to ensure we can financially care for ourselves.

• A day might come when I leave this planet before Sarah does. Statistically, men typically die sooner than women. As such, I want to make sure Sarah will be financially cared for after my passing.

Both of these factors lead me to pursue investment assets that can someday achieve one or both of these objectives. Something interesting happens along the way, though, when we perceive retirement investing through this atypical lens. The math looks different, easier. When you won't need retirement funds until later in life, the math says we need to contribute less money for a shorter period of time (since the wonders of compounding have more years to cook).

What that means in my household is that nearly eight years ago, we realized that if we are good stewards and ensure our investments are well managed, we might not need to contribute much more (if any) to meet our two long-term goals stated above. In other words, we're probably going to (eventually) be fine with what we already have invested, so investing more would only serve our own materialism, pride, or selfish endeavors.

Therefore, we made a very odd but definitive decision approximately eight years ago. We will commit to never investing again. No more contributions. No more pushing. No more building. No more more. Enough is enough because enough is enough.

It's a weird journey to follow, and oftentimes difficult given my strong bend toward finance and "winning," but living life with an external focus rewires our souls. It connects us to people unlike anything else I can compare. I'm not necessarily advocating that people try to adopt this way of viewing life, but perhaps it will give you something interesting to ponder today.

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OK, But Where You Gonna Get 9%?

My simplification of investing principles and practices is one of the most heavily criticized topics I write and podcast about. Here, I'll give you the quick elevator speech: Patiently invest in a cheap, broad, total U.S. stock market index fund. Invest early, contribute regularly, never sell, do nothing, remain patient, don't meddle, and let the market take care of the rest. See, simple! I've also written many times about how the 155-year history of the U.S. stock market has delivered a return of over 9% annually (and 10% annually over the last 100 years). Almost every time I discuss this topic, someone snidely asks, "OK, but where you gonna get 9%?"

That would be a fair question, except for the fact that we discuss it regularly! "A cheap, broad, total U.S. stock market index fund." Examples could include VTI, VTSAX, or FSKAX. This isn't a theory. It's not some hypothetical. It's not a case study that looks good on paper but is difficult to put into practice.

Today, I'll open the books of my life. For the past 15 years, my investment accounts have held one thing and one thing only: "A cheap, broad, total U.S. stock market index fund." I've made zero changes. I spend literally no time managing it. I give zero consideration to the ups and downs of the market. I never consider tweaking or meddling. What do I have to show for it? I'll show you.

My investment account updates the annualized return numbers at the end of each month. Given that April just concluded, I jumped into my account to see where they stand, and here's what I found:

Over the past 10 years: 15.0% per year

Over the past 5 years: 11.9% per year

Over the past 3 years: 21.4% per year

Over the past 1 year: 31.7% on the year

I'm not trying to beat the drum of "building wealth" or getting rich, but rather, I want people to understand 1) how real this is, and 2) how simple these principles really are. If we're going to invest, we might as well be good stewards of the resources we're blessed with.

Where you gonna get 9%? Right here. Right in front of us. While we don't know what the future will hold, the last 155 years tell us that, yes, it will be messy, but also yes, it will be rewarding. Stay patient. Stay simple.

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The Line

Yesterday's post drew the ire of many. Well, one excerpt, anyway: "I don't care to sell things that can be shared. Several of these possessions have added value to my life, and now they can add value to someone else's. That's how we're created to live, not peddling our used stuff for cents on the dollar."

That one comment fired up the comment train. I partially saw this coming, as the mere idea of not selling our possessions when parting ways with them is a countercultural approach. Several people applauded this mentality, while many others criticized it. One curious reader asked a really thought-provoking question:

"Where's the line? How far do you take this? At what point would you stop giving something away and sell it instead?"

I haven't thought about this question, specifically, but I do have a very clear answer: a house. For Sarah and me, the line is a house. We will sell a house. Everything below that shall be given away. The last two cars we parted ways with were given, not sold. Well, in the case of Sarah's previous vehicle, the recipient insisted on paying us $500, which we honored. No trade-ins. We have something of value, and it served us well for a season of life. Now, we get to share it with someone else; the cycle continues.

When we sold our four-bedroom house and moved into a small two-bedroom townhome, nearly everything was given away. 2/3 of all our furniture. All the lawn equipment. The patio set. My home office. Most of the decor. Each of those interactions with the excited recipients was a gift. I remember the looks on their faces. The relief in their eyes. The gratitude in their voices. That's worlds better than selling something on Facebook Marketplace for pennies on the dollar.

I get it, this is a weird way to live. It's a stretch. It feels like we're leaving money on the table....because, well, we are. However, it's not about money. It's about carrying a posture of possession, not ownership. I possess objects in my life, but I'm not the ultimate owner. He is. That's what it looks like when we actually live in faith. We are called to give from what we have, and uniquely enough, what we have is what we have. Therefore, give it. Give it freely. Give it joyfully. Give it sacrificially.

I dare you to give it a try. Start small. Find something you value, and give it to someone else. It will mess with you in the best of ways. Then, watch how it changes you.

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The Purge

I recently did something I've been dreaming about for quite some time: I hired a company to drop off a dumpster in my driveway for a week. The last few days have been glorious. I methodically worked through my garage, finding anything and everything that needed to go. Then, I searched my house, room by room. A little of this, a lot of that.

I can't even describe how cleansing this process has been. Years of build-up, melting before my eyes. Figuratively, it feels like I've lost 75 pounds. I'm lighter on my toes. My mind is clearer. The stress is declining.

Maybe this is a good idea, but perhaps we should all practice this ritual from time to time. I've dabbled in this subject on the blog, but minimalism intrigues me. I'm certainly not anywhere close to that, yet, but I aspire to move in that direction.

Pax even made a "free" sign, and we placed a bunch of good stuff on the curb. It was fun watching countless people stop to grab things: a grill, old bikes, tables, and various toys. One of my friends called and said he saw my treasure trove of free stuff. "Why don't you sell that? You could make decent money from it."

I don't care to sell things that can be shared. Several of these possessions have added value to my life, and now they can add value to someone else's. That's how we're created to live, not peddling our used stuff for cents on the dollar.

I gotta tell you, it's been such a refreshing experience purging these last few days. I'm not sure this resonates with you, but if so, perhaps it's something worth trying in your life. In the meantime, I'll be working to fill the rest of this dumpster and finding other items for other families to enjoy.

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Breaking Brains

While I'll probably be a lifelong Michael Jordan GOAT advocate, I've always been a fan of LeBron James. His longevity and consistency will surely be studied someday. Not only should he not even be playing at this point in his life, but to see him be the best player on the court game after game is shocking.

As I watched the first quarter of last night's Lakers vs. Rockets playoff game, something dawned on me: None of the five Rockets starters were even alive when LeBron made his NBA debut. Not babies, not toddlers. Unborn! Not in existence.

It breaks my brain. I've watched this guy play since I was a college kid, and it never ceases to amaze me. What I love most about his story is the fact that he actively and continually does things he's not supposed to do. He takes conventional wisdom and turns it on its head. He and his son are teammates, for goodness sake! He's breaking people's brains, day after day. Even the most staunch Michael Jordan GOAT advocates should be amazed by LeBron's continued journey.

Regardless of the area of life, I love when people do things that break people's brains. I love it when people take the path less traveled. I love it when people make decisions that make others uncomfortable. I love it when people turn their backs on conventional wisdom and seek a better way.

From a personal perspective, I savor the moments when people ask me why I do such dumb things. Or when people ask why I wouldn't do xyz instead, as those things would be far more financially lucrative.

My encouragement is for you to find moments in life that might break people's brains. Not for the sake of shock and awe, but because doing things like that is often a sign that you're on the path toward meaning.

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Something From Everyone

A young guy recently reached out to me, more than twenty years my junior. He was dealing with some heavy stuff, and he asked me to share insights from my experience with similar trials. In other words, he was looking to get something from me. That's how the conversation started, anyway.

Fast forward nearly an hour, and I ultimately felt like I got just as much (or more) from him than he received from me. What he lacked in age and experience, he made up for in perspective and attitude. I was humbled by his approach to these weighty topics, and I found myself leaning into his words.

I've been thinking about that conversation a lot. It's wild that the words of a young man approximately half my age stuck with me and challenged me to think about things differently. That's a wild concept. In some ways, it reminds me of an extraordinarily intense scene from the movie Good Will Hunting. Matt Damon plays a wily young man who's loaded with potential but rife with emotional baggage and anger issues. Robin Williams plays the role of a seasoned counselor, brought in to shepherd Matt Damon's character along the journey in hopes of a better tomorrow.

In an unexpected twist, the troubled young man unexpectedly unlocked something powerful and beautiful in the wise old man. We can get something from everyone. It doesn't matter who we are or who they are. I think we forget that more times than not. Perhaps we would all be better off if we embrace those conversations as two-way streets rather than narrow one-ways.

Grateful for my young friend.

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Oops, Wrong Highway

I recently met with a mid-40s couple who live a great life. By all accounts, they appear to have won the lottery of life. The keyword is "appear." Don't get me wrong, they are sincerely doing very well, and by many people's definition of success, they would get an A+ grade.

However, when I asked them what their dreams are in life, they shared goals that are somewhat (or largely) perpendicular to their current actions, decisions, and direction. In other words, they say they want one thing, but they are actually pursuing another. They are driving on the wrong highway!!!

I visually drew this dynamic on a whiteboard, and their jaws dropped. Not because I said something profound, but because it immediately struck them how obvious it was when a light was shone on it. Their immediate reaction was something along the lines of, "Well, we know what changes we need to make!"

I loved that for them. They are so clear about their dreams and callings, and now, for the first time in nearly two decades, they will start making intentional decisions to drive down the right highway (instead of hoping they accidentally get there someday).

This is a topic my wife and I talk about a handful of times per year. Are our choices (work, money, parenting, relationships, etc.) aligning with our vision for what we want in the future? If yes, amazing. If not, we have some difficult choices to make.

I think these are fantastic questions to ask ourselves:

• What do I want my life to look like in 10, 20, or 30 years?

• Are my current decisions and behaviors leading me toward or away from that desired destination?

• What changes do I need to make to reorient myself to my mission and/or accelerate my progress toward it?

Give it a shot! I hope you find it as enlightening (and humbling) as we do.

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A Little Man Follow-Up

Yesterday, I shared about my recent parenting win when my kid, who doesn't love working, finally decided to connect the dots between working hard and having money. I'm sure it's not the end of his challenge, but it's a great win amidst the journey.

Well, it turns out, something else stemmed from this little happenstance of life. The item he wanted to buy was a gold chain; this kid loves wearing chains and necklaces. What I didn't realize while this was playing out was that after doing his work, he had money, but not quite enough money. Essentially, he was $3 short of his needed balance. That's when his brother decided to step in by gifting his twin the $3 needed to make the purchase.

Considering these two little men go at each other practically non-stop, that small act of generosity and thoughtfulness was such a beautiful win. Maybe they do love each other!!!!! Haha! Sarah and I were both touched by the gesture and by his awareness to spot an opportunity to selflessly bless his brother.

Oddly, that's not the end of the story. The little man actually purchased two chains. After school yesterday, I asked him how he liked his chains. That's when the second bomb was dropped. "It's good. I bought the gold one for myself, and I bought the silver one for my brother."

This whole time, he was scheming to buy his brother one. So cool. One kid blesses the other with a $3 gift to buy something fun, then on the flip side, he's already plotting to buy a gift for his brother, too. Again, we'll have plenty more parenting fails around the area of work, money, materialism, and generosity, but for today, we celebrate a beautiful series of wins.

Don't stop, parents. Just keep creating opportunities for your kids to make progress (and fail). Failing isn't failure, it's just the next step in the journey toward success. Keep your heads up and celebrate the small victories. I know we will.

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Work, Money. No Work, No Money

My kids recently learned a hard lesson. One of them wanted to buy something really, really cool. One problem, though: He didn't have any money. You could literally see the frustration build in him as he realized he couldn't purchase this item. "It's not fair!" he shouted. After all, his brother seemed to have an abundance of funds, while he was empty-handed.

"You can make unlimited money if you want to do some work. I have lots of projects you can do!"

"I don't want to work, though!"

There it is. The tension. The yin and the yang. The juxtaposition between wanting to relax and wanting to have money. He was feeling all the emotions. As a parent, regardless of how painful it can be, we need to teach this lesson to our children. If we work, we have money. If we don't work, we don't have money.

Wanna know what happened next? Well, he whined about it for nearly a week. He played the victim card, the guilt card, and the self-loathing card. Eventually, after realizing none of those strategies would work, he asked me what projects I had in mind. Boom!!!

Connecting the dots isn't always a smooth process. Sometimes, actually, it can feel futile. However, if we stick with it long enough and not sabotage our own principles and boundaries, it WILL work.

Little man did the work, felt pride in the work, got paid, felt the satisfaction at getting paid, and then purchased his fun item. Perfect. The journey was anything but perfect, but the outcome was just what the doctor ordered. Now, we just need to repeat that a thousand more times before he leaves the nest.

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What About the Others?

I've received a lot of fun feedback on yesterday's post about my former youth group kid who is actively living her 15-year-old self's dream. The primary objective of my post was to encourage people to follow through with their callings, regardless of what others (i.e., critics or doubters) may say.

One reader asked the following question via e-mail: "What about the others? What about all the people who tried following your advice and ultimately failed? For every 1 success story, what if there are 3 failure stories?"

I'm not naive to the reality that not every one of our dreams is going to pan out every single time. That's one of the reasons I often phrase it as the "pursuit of meaning or the "pursuit of work that matters." Everything in life worth doing involves the risk of us falling flat on our faces.

I love this blog reader's question, though, as it's so, so relevant to the conversation. I don't think this person was trying to be a pessimist or a Debbie Downer. More of a realist, if you will. In short, here's how I would answer the question: If we fail in the pursuit of the thing we desire most, then at least we know. Failure isn't a poison, but regret is. The regret of not trying. The regret of wondering "what if." The regret of not seizing the moment. The regret of not going for it. The regret of never knowing if we could have achieved it. Regret is one of the biggest toxins we humans can consume, and many of us consume it often.

Let's say my friend is correct in that only 1 out of 4 people actually achieve the goal. Does that mean the other three are losers? I'd argue that, while they didn't achieve what they set out to, at least they can live the rest of their lives without the regret of not knowing. That, in my opinion, is worth a ton!

No regrets. It doesn't mean we won't face pain, suffering, or loss, but it hopefully means we won't spend the rest of our days wondering what could have been. That is so, so important.

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Full-Circle

I recently ran into a former youth group kid. I hadn't seen her since high school graduation seven years ago. She's not on social media, so we more or less lost touch over the years. I asked her what she's up to in life. "I'm an XYZ and work at ABC!!!"

I was shocked at her answer, remembering that when she was just 15 years old, she shared with me that her dream was to one day be an XYZ and work at ABC. It's so rare that we grow up and into the career of our dreams. I was extremely curious at this point, so I asked for more info. How did this happen?!?!

That's when she shared something that caught me totally off guard. I'm going to quote her, but please keep in mind it's my best job at paraphrasing since I don't remember her exact words:

"I remember when I was a sophomore, you told me to pursue my calling no matter what other people said I should do. If I am called to do something, I should give it everything I have. So I did!"

Oh, wow. I don't even remember that conversation, but it sounds like something I would say. Then, I asked her if she received pushback along the way. Everyone, including some of her closest friends and family, told her that her dream career was "dumb" and "unrealistic." People called her naive, citing, "Dreams don't pay the bills."

Then, she did it. She shared stories of challenges, doubts, and failures along the way. She often thought about giving up, remembering all the naysayers' comments. But she persevered, and today, she's living her dream.

I hope she shares that story often. There's so much hope, encouragement, and beauty in hearing those types of stories. Those are the types of stories that can propel us in a weak moment. Those are the types of stories that remind us of why we are doing what we're doing, and what's possible when the world says it's not.

One of the best full-circle moments I've had in a while. Proud of my friend and the life she's living. I hope you feel similar about your own journey. If so, props to you for staying true to the calling. If not, today's a great day to get back on the track you know you're meant to be on.

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10/10 For Michael Keaton

Do you ever have those days when it feels like the world is closing in on you? Yeah, me, too. How do you handle it? What do you do? For me (and Sarah), it always comes back to one principle: back to the basics, simplicity.

If either of us is having one of those days, we have a go-to remedy: takeout and a family movie night. As a parent, there are few things more enjoyable than grabbing a quick, fun meal and snuggling up on the couch to enjoy a good movie together. Our boys are at the age where we are introducing them to more grown-up films that Sarah and I have enjoyed for years. Seeing their reactions, experiencing it for the first time again through their eyes. It's so much fun! Side note: Both boys recently gave each of the Michael Keaton Batman films a 10/10.

In a world that makes everything feel more complicated than it should, going back to the basics is such a beautiful way to approach life. No, it doesn't erase all the problems thrust upon us, but it works wonders in reminding us of what's most important. I need that sometimes (okay, a lot of the time), and perhaps you do, too.

Shooting hoops, throwing around the football, playing video games, or building with Legos. Simple but powerful activities in my house. I'm sure you have your own version in your household. Embrace them. Go to them. Don't take them for granted.

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Playing Us Like a Fiddle

I love watching how the mainstream media and social media talk about the stock market. When the markets are going through a tough spell, people (hysterically) talk about it. The world is ending! The world is ending! You're all screwed!!! Yet, when the market is doing well, crickets.

I recently did a little informal survey on my Instagram account. Here was the question: "Without looking, how do you think the U.S. stock market has performed over the last 12 months?"

70% of respondents said the market was down. 20% said the market was up. 10% said it's about the same. On average, respondents said the market is down by approximately 9% over the past 12 months. How did they do?

At yesterday's market close, the U.S. stock market was up 32% over the past 12 months (up nearly 34% after accounting for dividends). Strange, isn't it? The overall sentiment is that the stock market is burning, while in reality, it's hitting new all-time highs. The stock market has nearly doubled over the past five years, yet we think the world has already collapsed.

They are playing us like a fiddle! From a behavioral science perspective, we see what we want to see. If we have a negative tint to our lens, we'll find the negative. If we have a positive tint to our lens, we'll find the positive. Today, our culture thrives on a negative lens, and the media all around us is more than happy to help us indulge.

One young man who answered my question guessed that the market is up 30%. He practically nailed it! I voiced my surprise that he knew this and shared why I was conducting this little study: "Oh, I don't watch the news or follow social media."

In other words, nobody played him like a fiddle. He was basing his answer on whatever information (you know, facts) he had available. He was able to cut out the noise, remove the biased lenses, and try to answer my question based on practical thought. Somehow, that's a crazy concept in modern-day America. It's a wild world when we can be more in tune with reality by absorbing less content.

One money-related takeaway. Open your investment account. See for yourself. If you're investing well (i.e., broad, low-cost stock market index funds), you should see your balances at an all-time high. Never before in your life have the balances been at this level. Celebrate that. Know it's true. Also know that rough times will, in fact, come. That's okay, though, as it's all part of the journey.

Lastly, and most importantly, try to muffle the noise, live a meaningful life, and don't let the day-to-day craziness of the media or the stock market mess with you. Life's too short to obsess over the things we can't control.  

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Excuses

Fever, migraines, hallucinations. It's been a rough 12 hours in my little corner of the world. I was struck by a sickness that knocked me right off my feet. If you read my blog via e-mail, you were probably wondering why you didn't receive it at the normal time. Well, it was because I was having visions of unicorns riding in Jeeps while blasting Ace of Base on the stereo. Well, I'm not sure that was the exact hallucination, but you get the point.

It's an honor to write this blog each day, and I sincerely apologize for the late delivery. It's one of the greatest honors of my life, and I never take that for granted. It would be so easy for me to skip a day on my writing. It would be my first skip since I started this blog nearly 1,300 days ago. I have all the excuses in the world to skip. Except for one problem: I hate excuses.

Excuses are the gateway drug to more excuses. I know that if I skip today, it will provide my brain with the necessary cover to skip again....and again.....and again.

I don't say this from a position of intelligence and wisdom, but rather self-inflicted, self-sabotaging experience. I've experienced first-hand what it looks like to use excuses. The moment we humans decide to use an excuse, we're giving ourselves an out from our promise to ourselves, from our personal responsibility, from our mission.

It's why I write every single day, no excuses. It's why I take 10,000+ steps every single day, no excuses. It's why I step onto my biometric scale every day, no excuses. It's why I intermittent fast every single day, no excuses. It's why I refuse to take early morning meetings that would prevent me from spending quality time with my kids, no excuses. It's why Sarah and I complete a budget every single month, no excuses.

Excuses are the gateway drug to more excuses. Whatever you're up to this week, no matter how many excuses you have to mail it in, don't allow that to happen. Yes, life is hard. Yes, very real situations arise that can feel like the universe kicking us while we're down. All that is true. But we don't have to let the excuses win. The impact that you're going to make, the meaning that you'll live with, and the mission you're following are far bigger than whatever excuses come your way. Keep going!

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Pallets of Glamour

Yesterday, I spent about two hours unloading and organizing a truckload of coffee supplies in our Northern Vessel warehouse. Pushing around pallet jacks, climbing on ladders, and cleaning up the space. Some of the delivered goods were damaged, some destroyed. It needed a full audit. It’s amazing how much work goes into providing our guests with an excellent finished product.

Sounds glamorous, doesn't it? That's not necessarily what we think of when we idealize and idolize business ownership. Instead, we think about the polished social media highlight reels, attending fun conferences, maintaining a "flexible schedule," and not having a boss.

The truth is, owning businesses is rarely sexy. I recently had a young adult shadow me for a day, excited to see all the amazing things I get to do. Let's just say it didn't live up to his sky-high expectations. He did see some of the cool things I get to do, but, more than anything, I think his key takeaway was how much behind-the-scenes dirty work is required.

This brings to light two ideas for the day. First, don't demean your own job. Your job probably includes some mundane, unsexy, dirty work. All jobs do! However, when we recognize the mundane in our own job and pretend other people's jobs don't have it, it's easy to believe the grass is always greener on the other side.

Second, business ownership and self-employment aren't always what they're cracked up to be. Yes, there are some cool aspects to it, but it's not THE definition of good work. All work has pros and cons, including business ownership. The right work for you is the right work for you, regardless of whether it's W-2 employment, 1099 contract work, or business ownership. All work matters!

Regardless of where we land in our work, we must take the bad with the good, and the good with the bad. It's not always supposed to be fun....that's not the point. However, it should absolutely mean something to each of us. So no, grinding in the warehouse yesterday wasn't my definition of the best time, but considering the overall purpose and context, it mattered. But since nobody else is there to see all my pallets of glamour, it would be so easy for people to assume all my work is fun and games. Now you have photo evidence that nothing is what it seems on the glossy surface!

I hope you enjoy your work today….even the less-than-glamorous parts!

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Always an Off-Ramp

One of my friends recently confided in me that he hates her job. On social media and in conversations, he glamorizes his job, constantly touting how "amazing" it is. Behind the scenes, though, this friend is utterly miserable. He recently asked a simple question: "How do you get out of a job you hate?"

Picture yourself driving down the Interstate. It's an open road, with hardly an end in sight. Yet, along the journey, there are off-ramps every handful of miles. You can always take an off-ramp, but in the absence of intentionally doing so, you'll continue down the Interstate into the horizon. Jobs are much the same way. If we're not careful, we'll perpetually drive into the horizon, with no end in sight. However, there's always an off-ramp.

Here's the problem in our culture. Granted, it's getting better as younger generations move into the workforce. We've largely been indoctrinated into an ideology that a safe and secure, terrible job is better than the risk of change. Get a job, hold on for dear life, then someday retire so you can "finally enjoy your life." That's the messaging.

So, to my friend who is suffering in silence: There's always an off-ramp! All that's required of us is to switch on our turn signal and veer onto the off-ramp with intentionality. Find something better! Think there's nothing better out there for you? That would require a reality in which you're currently in the perfect job in the world. But since the question is even being raised, we know that's not true. Therefore, by definition, there's something better out there.

Take the off-ramp! Don't run from something, though. It's not about running away, avoiding responsibility. Instead, seek out something to run toward. Again, it's out there, and it's probably way cooler than you can ever imagine!

As I draw today's post to a close, please don't hear me advocating for everyone to leave their jobs. I'm talking to a specific group of people: those who wake up every day with some degree of dread about what's about to happen. The Sunday scaries. The lump in the throat. The always-craving-a-vacation feeling. You know what I'm talking about. If so, today's message is for you. There's always an off-ramp.

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Obsess About the Inputs

One of the primary principles I teach to families and businesses is counter-cultural. As a society, we're obsessed with outputs. How much profit a company makes. How many clients we can attain. How much we'll make on the other side of that next promotion. The grade we get on our report card. If our team won. Regardless of the arena of life, we're obsessed with the outputs.

I hate obsessing over outputs. Instead, I suggest we ought to obsess about the inputs and measure the outputs. The outputs are the outputs, which we often cannot control. However, we can absolutely control (or at least influence) the inputs. In fact, this is one of the primary drivers of Northern Vessel. When we first started the company, TJ mentioned that one of his desired outputs was to someday sell 400 cups in a day. As he explained, most coffee shops sell 100-200 cups per day. If we could ever find a way to get to 400 cups, that would be massive.

Rather than trying to sell 400 cups in a day (the output), we put 100% of our time, resources, and energy into the inputs:

• Creating an excellent product.

• Developing systems to ensure consistency.

• Cultivating a team culture that would allow that to happen.

• Building the means to scale volume efficiently.

• Practicing world-class hospitality.

• Curating a brand that people can recognize and relate to.

It took more than two years, but after obsessing about the inputs day in and day out, we finally hit 400 cups in a day! It was such a fun accomplishment. We measured it....and celebrated.

Then, something happened. We averaged 400 for a week. Then 400 for a month. Then, in a wild turn of events, we averaged 400 for a year. We even had a day we served 500 cups! In January, we sold 600 cups in a day! A week later, we sold 700 cups in a day! Then, just a few weeks ago, we sold 800 cups in a day! Our brains are melting....

We dreamed of someday serving 400 cups in a single day, and now live in a reality where 800 cups are on the table. We NEVER obsessed about selling 400 (never mind 800) cups. We obsessed over the inputs.

The same goes for all areas of life. My kids had lacrosse and football games this weekend. Frankly, I don't care whether they win or lose. I don't even care about what individual accomplishments they achieve during the games. I obsess about four inputs:

• Play hard.

• Practice good sportsmanship.

• Listen and obey.

• Have fun.

If they control those four inputs, they won (regardless of the scoreboard). Obsess about the inputs, measure the outputs.

This principle is about as counter-cultural as anything I talk about here, but I believe in it so much. Control what we can control, and let the cards fall as they may. Words to live by. Therefore, no matter the outcomes you experienced today or this week, focus your energies on the inputs that go into it, not the eventual outcome. If you do that long enough, you just might like the outcomes.

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Ignore the Bar

“The bar has never been lower.” It’s a saying my friend TJ and I talk about often. We live in a society where the bar, the standard, the excellence, continues to diminish by the day. We settle for mediocrity because, well, mediocrity is often one of the few choices available.

Frankly, I don't care what the bar is. The bar sucks. The bar is a fraud. "Industry standards" and “best practices” are buzzwords to justify complacency and apathy.

I live in a town with 197 restaurants, according to Google. Competition is high, and businesses are fighting for attention, yet the bar remains low. Restaurants regularly offer a medioce product, inconsistent results, bad service, and virtually no hospitality, nonsensical pricing, and then play the victim card when they eventually close their doors. There are definitely some solid places in my town, but so many are missing the mark. The bar has never been lower.

That's why what happened to my family yesterday stands out even more. We were out of town for a lacrosse game. After the frigid game concluded, Sarah suggested we find a restaurant to celebrate. Problem: There were virtually no restaurants between the game and our city. I pulled up Google Maps to see what I could find. Interestingly, there was a town of 1,000 people nearby, and the only restaurant in the town was rated a 4.7 (which is typically a pretty high mark for a restaurant).

We were hungry, so why not?!?! From the moment we walked in, we had a stellar experience. The building was old, but clean. The parking lot was full. Our server was beyond friendly. The drinks and food came out quickly. Drinks were refilled like clockwork. The prices were good. The food was perfectly executed. The staff had a posture of gratitude for us stopping in. In other words, they crushed it!

In a town with 197 restaurants, steep competition, and nearly endless options, the bar is low. Yet, in a town of 1,000, with ZERO competition, the bar is high. This little restaurant ignored the bar and decided "good enough" isn't good enough. This is exactly how small business should be done. I don't know anything about this business other than what I experienced yesterday, but I wish I could shake that owner's hand. Well done!

We (you, me, and everyone we have some level of influence on) need to ignore the bar. We shouldn't care what everyone else is doing. We shouldn't care what's good enough. Instead, we should reestablish the bar. Set a new standard. Raise expectations to a new level. There are two modes by which to live life: Follow along or carve a different path. When it comes to excellence, I suggest we carve a new path. Following the crowd is like discovering a chunk of fool's gold. It looks valuable at first glance, but once you look a bit closer, you realize you lost.

Provide excellence. Demand excellence. Force a higher bar.

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