It said:
Five minutes early is on time. On time is late. And late is unacceptable.
The grammar might not be perfect. The logic may not be completely sound. But when football coaches write, it’s worth reading.
Might be useful advice someday, right?
Monthly Archives: August 2013
You’re Welcome
If you’re in Chicago, San Francisco, or any city covered by Lyft, you’re in luck.
Lyft is the best thing ever. Lyft is:
- Cheaper than a cab.
- Cool people, good drivers.
- Clean, odor-free cars.
- Pain-free: When the ride’s over, you leave. No fiddle-fucking with cash or a credit card. The app takes care of the payment automatically.
- Two-way paper trail, ladies.
- Pick your driver; only ones you want.
No affiliate links. No compensation for this post.
Just me saying this thing, Lyft, is awesome.
Good talk.
A Night with the King
Pay it forward sucked. The movie, that is.
Kevin spacey was obnoxious. Haley Joel Osment was creepy. And for a movie that was supposed to inspire, it didn’t.
But the concept of Pay it Forward is pretty cool. Especially when it’s instead of paying it back to yourself.
NOTE: A short story by Michelle Stimpson about a night with the King inspired this post.
Dreaming, humming, stacking
Ask any traveling consultant about their work. Quickly you’ll hear, “Just living the dream.”
Ask any commodities trader about their work. Quickly you’ll hear, “Just humming along.”
Ask any blue-collar worker about their work. Quickly you’ll hear, “Another day, another dollar.”
Following up with “What’s your dream?”, or “Where you humming to?” or “How many dollars do you need?” is interesting. They’re usually not so quick to respond.
But shouldn’t they be?
Painless Tattoos
Tattoos are great. Get something permanent; have a story to tell.
Or, you could do it backwards. Do something worth telling a story about. Then, get some thing permanent in return. Like some photos, or memories, or even a scar.
Aren’t those just as permanent?
Assuming the best is right
Restaurant servers usually start with one question. “Is this your first time?”
Either way, it’s an awful question to be asked. The answer is irrelevant. It’s like being asked the same question after a 3rd (really good) date. Just awful.
Instead, isn’t it always better to hear, “You’ve been here before, right?”
Same info is gathered. But this way, if your answer is, “This is my first time,” you don’t feel like such a idiot outsider.
Know what I’m saying, right?
An Einstein Theory You Have Never Read
This one is for people who like to read. Are you a news junkie? A bookworm? A self taught Mr. Know-it-all?
If so, you might know something about Albert Einstein. He had many theories, one of which is less read.
“Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.” -Albert Einstein
Still want to keep reading?
Low Fat, Free, SHOCKING: Ironically
In business, it’s tempting to win through trickery. But who are you appealing to? The less intelligent? The less educated? The less fortunate? What, Average Americans?
Big food tricks Average Americans into thinking their products are healthy. Take the “Low Fat!” bait and what do you get? Diabetes.
Free Credit Report dot com makes tricks people into thinking their products are free. Take the “Free” bait, and what do you get? Monthly charges on your credit card.
Some email marketers use ALL CAPS in parts of the subject lines. Take the “SHOCKING” bait and what do you get? A stinking pile of garbage. Plus, a link to click, probably leading you to another stinking pile of garbage.
But aren’t we all getting smarter? More educated. More exposed. Less likely to be tricked?
Statisticians may challenge the notion of Average Americans being ever-present. Yes, average is a relative term. But Average Americans are becoming Above Average Americans, compared to the past. And isn’t figuring new ways to trick them a lot tougher, in the long run, than earning their trust and treating them with respect in the short term?
One thing I don’t tout as much as I should
On my lifeisnoyoke email list, I tout a lot of things. Small victories, taking breaks and Vitamix. But there’s one thing I don’t tout as much as I should: Long walks.
I take a long walk every day at noon. My dog Lucy comes with me.
Couple that with all the quinoa I eat, and what do you get?
Looks like a recipe for longevity.
The anecdote
What’s on your calendar today? Don’t keep a calendar? What’s on your task list today? Don’t keep a task list?
Well.
Put it on your to-do list. Your productivity tomorrow will soar.