Methodology

Oprah gets to tell everyone what her favorite things are, so I thought I’d do the same. These are the things that I keep coming back to, buying in bulk (where applicable), and heartily recommend after lots of wear and tear. Darn Tough Socks At some point in a man’s life, he realizes that holes in socks are inevitable and so continuing to pay for socks that are going to get holes in them is a bit of an endless cycle of disappointment. That is, until that man discovers Darn Tough Socks. These merino wool socks aren’t cheap (around $20 a pair), but they have a lifetime warranty. I’ve gotten holes in a few pairs, I ship them back to Darn Tough and they give me a credit to get new replacement socks. You’d think you’d save money with this system, but I’ve found it’s hard to stop buying these socks because they’re just that good. They feel and look great and the merino wool keeps your feet dryer and significantly less funky smelling. ...

Want to read more in 2016? Me too. One of my favorite bloggers, Tim Challies, created the 2016 Reading Challenge to give direction to people who want to tackle more books this year. Here’s a link to the 2016 Reading Challenge. He’s got plans for 13, 26, 52, and 104 books. You can click the image below for a larger view. I’m currently tackling the 52 book challenge, aiming for a book a week to keep pace. ...

The AeroPress was my first love when it came to moving beyond the automatic drip coffee maker. It’s still my favorite way to make coffee when I’m traveling. But there’s a new brew method in my life, and we’ve been going steady for nearly two years. Meet the Chemex. If we were judging brewers by their covers, there’s no doubt the Chemex could win a beauty contest. But beyond that pretty hour-glass figure is a simple way to brew the cleanest, most delicious coffee you’ve (likely) every had at home. ...

As I reflected on the year in 2014 and 2015, the two things I said I wanted to improve the most was my focus. I still have a long way to go, but I’m convinced in an increasingly distracting world, focus is what separates those who make an impact and those who get lost in the shuffle. I want to focus on not being distracted by social media and giving my full attention to the people around me. ...

Don’t read the comments. It’s the first rule of using the Internet. Nothing good happens there, and there’s a 99.9% chance you’ll be wishing you could get those precious few moments back that the comment section ripped from your fingers. Now you’re fuming because KoolGuy2596 said all (gender, faith, race, and / or nationality that describes you) are idiots. It’s not the Internet alone that makes people say terrible things, but it sure helps. And why is that? Because it’s anonymous. [footnote]Ok, not really 100% anonymous, but anonymous enough to be the righthand man of foolishness.[/footnote] It’s the same reason that we wish the most horrible kinds of evil on that person who cut us off in traffic. We lose sight of reality. The reality that crazy commentators and wild drivers are humans. We have no personal connection with them–only an emotional reaction to something they said or did. ...

Of the things we do each day, the majority are things we’ve done before–hundreds or thousands of times before. Our subconscious is constantly processing things for us so we don’t have to think about how to brush our teeth or shower or the way to drive to work. Or how to be impatient with people who frustrate us or how to sit on the couch and watch Netflix instead of exercising or how to waste money on frivolous purchases. For the last year and a half, I’ve been thinking a lot about habits. I’ve written about developing new ones and recorded a podcast on habits, and I’ve encountered a number of books focusing on these tiny building blocks that dictate so much of what we do. I’m convinced that habits are one of the most important things we can focus on if we want to live a life of purpose, because they are a powerful force that are constantly moving us further and further in a direction and becoming more deeply ingrained with each passing day. Just think about the things you do each day. How many of them are truly new things? You likely eat similar foods for breakfast, take a shower at a similar time, hang out with some of the same people, ask the same questions, do repetitive tasks at work. And we don’t seek out novel ways to do things when we already have a way. I’m not trying to find a unique route to commute to work–I’m going the way I always go because it’s the easiest. The classic quote, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” emphasizes our habit for habits. Good or bad, the more we do something the easier it is to do it again. So how do we start making changes? ...

This list is more for me than it is for you. I’m a chronic checker of email and social media, and though these things can be beneficial, they can also be an absolutely ridiculous waste of time. So I came up with a list of things I can do instead of checking my email or Twitter or Facebook. I hope it’ll be helpful. It’s hard to flat out stop something, so let that checky urge be a cue for you to do something different. Also, it can’t be too hard of a thing or you won’t do it instead. ...

Time is the great equalizer. Rich or poor, man or woman, black or white–24 hours is exactly what we get each day. We all have the same amount of hours in the day, but we will all have a different number of days. In the end, however, all of our clocks will eventually strike midnight. The carriage becomes a pumpkin, the spirit leaves the body, and that’s that. For now. [footnote]Because one day, for Christians, our empty, decaying body on earth will become a glorified body–a better, fuller, more beautiful carriage than ever before.[/footnote] Day to day we are all equal, but how we spend our days is where the difference lies. A woman who dies at 60, who spent her days wisely, surely had a fuller life than a man who lives to 100 and squandered the majority of his days. In The Focus Course, Shawn Blanc reminds us of the reality that everyone is using their time somehow. Next time you go to the store, look around at everyone you see. Each one of those people has been spending all 168 hours of their week ever since they were born. I’ve been spending all 168 hours of my week, every week, since I was born. And so have you. You don’t get to not spend your time doing anything while you wait to decide what it is you want to spend your time on. Those moments will be spent, one way or another. Everyone spends all of their time–every day. That’s a simple observation, but it struck me. No human is exempt from using their time. ...

I’ve never been a faithful journaler. For a season, I did a good job of writing down prayer requests, what I was learning, and the occasional event. That season was short lived. But for nearly the last month, I’ve written down something in the form of a journal every single day. Not bad for an unfaithful journaler. Here’s why and how I picked journaing back up. Why Should We Journal? The benefits abound, and it’s amazing how journaling can benefit us in relation to the past, present, and future. ...

I’ll never be a great woman. Fortunately I’m married to one, so my first-hand experience is enough to know what it takes. I can’t tell my wife often enough how much better (and better off) I am because of her influence on my life. Today she’s celebrating 27 years of living on this planet, and I wanted to share the significant lessons she’s helped me learn and ways she’s still helping me grow. Acting Wisely At times I have the sinful urge to give someone a piece of my mind (GSAPOMM), which, if it was a spiritual gift, I would be gladly exercising regularly. Unfortunately, GSAPOMM isn’t exactly a loving or encouraging thing to do. So instead I just tell Niki I would like to GSAPOMM and she says something wise like, “Is that a loving thing to do?” or “Do you think Jesus would give that person a piece of his mind?” Sometimes I say, “I think in this situation Jesus just might do that,” but since I can’t be sure, I default to keeping that comment to myself. Her helping me act wisely extends beyond stopping me from being an unloving jerk. She helps me make wise financial decisions, health decisions, and overall increases my wise decisions tenfold. ...