Methodology

It’s remarkable with what ease I’m able to conjure up lies when I’m in a situation of uncertainty. When I’m no longer in control, I generate untruths as fast as Jesus turned five loaves and two fish into enough food to feed 5,000. Those lies normally stem from a single fact followed by a false assumption. He didn’t call me back. He’s probably mad at me. God isn’t answering this prayer. It’s probably because I don’t have enough faith. My boss wants to talk to me later this week. I bet I’m in trouble. No one commented on my blog. I should probably stop wasting my time writing because it’s not making an impact. We are fantastic storytellers when it comes to writing an unhappy ending in the midst of foggy circumstances. Here’s what I’ve found most of the time: he’s not mad, it’s not your lack of faith, you’re not in trouble, and you are making an impact. The human mind is a terrible thing to let frolic in the swamp of falsified bad news. We quickly dive into the worst-case-scenario end of the pool, which is rarely (if ever) what’s actually happening. How do we stop believing these lies? How do we stop over-analyzing limited data and turning it into a murder-mystery instead of a chance for a good opportunity? There are five things you can do. ...

Recently, some of my favorite apps got “upgrades.” First, Apple updated all of its iWork applications—Keynote for presentations, Pages for word processing and Numbers for spreadsheets. Apple added the ability to collaborate online via a web browser. As a result, to keep features consistent across all platforms, they removed features power users often relied on to make it accessible for more people on more platforms (as Seth Godin noted), ubiquity trumped power.) Another favorite app, Tweetbot for iPhone, received a full revamp and joined the iOS 7 club, but it ditched a few features that I used frequently. I’d guess the majority of Tweetbot users are power users (read: nerds who are particular about things), because no one pays $3 for a Twitter client when they can download a functional (albeit barely, and certainly far less delightful) 1st-party app for free. If you look at the @Tweetbot Twitter feed, you’ll see support responses to the same feature requests over and over. Users (for the most part) are gracious, but it’s very clear how heavily some relied on a myriad of different tools that aren’t currently available in this version (or they requires a different approach or an extra tap). A few thoughts: ...

Friction. the resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another. When you are trying to go somewhere faster, friction is bad because it slows you down. But when you’re trying to stop yourself from crashing into a building, friction is good. I’ve realized that friction applies in ways beyond the physical. For example, I like to think of friction as effort in the emotional sense. Asking others to do things or responding to requests from anyone involves friction–you or someone else remembering to follow through or follow up in order to accomplish a task. Friction is bad when it keeps people from following through and simultaneously a good thing when it puts up a barrier that makes it just a bit more difficult to see if someone actually wants something to happen. So, I’m constantly adding and removing friction as it suits my needs, and I think you should do the same. Here’s how I leverage friction. ...

Sometimes, at the end of the day, I wonder to myself, “Have I done anything that really matters today?” Honestly, the answer, at least to me, feels like “No!” on some days. So I decided to come up with a list of things that do matter and that make a difference in your life and the lives of others. Encourage Text, call, tweet or message to someone you know. Let them know you care about them and you’re praying for them. Be specific and use their name. ...

Base hits win games. I’m not much of a baseball fan, but I know that getting on base is a solid strategy for putting up runs and scoring more than the other team. If everyone keeps getting on base, you don’t need home runs. Overnight success happens over a lot of nights. People you’ve just heard of have likely been slugging away at their business, craft, or ministry for years or decades or their entire life. No one is an overnight expert. Perhaps an overnight celebrity thanks to YouTube videos with catchy auto tune action, but surely not a success. These people aren’t hitting home runs, they’ve been faithfully and consistently building their skill over time. In fact, overnight success isn’t ideal. Here are a few problems with attempting home runs every at bat. The problem with swinging for the fences When you swing for a home run every time, you’re going to strikeout often. That comes with the territory. If you’re swinging hard and fast, you’re going to whiff pretty regularly. Your timing is going to be a bit off when the pitches aren’t coming as you intended. You’re going to get frustrated quickly. If your goal is a home run, a base hit won’t satisfy you. If you’re just trying to get on base, day in and day out, when the homer comes, you’re going to be ecstatic. And trust me, it will come. ...

Mediocrity is the new “world changing”. Not everyone has the gusto to strive for this type of life, but for those who have the courage to not make a difference here’s how to get started. Get into debt Don’t have enough cash to buy what you want right now? No problem! Max out your credit cards (the reward points make it worth it), take out fat student loans so you can spring break with your friends, and once you graduate and get a big-girl job making more than you ever have in your life, buy a house with nothing down and snag a car on lease (so you can turn it in and get a newer model in a couple of years). Budgeting is for people who are dumb. Just keep a mental tab of how much is coming in and going out and loosely track the figures. If you end up maxing a card out, just do a balance transfer. Easy peezy! Be stingy Even though you’re making a nice income, don’t even think about giving that money away. You’re not making that much. Besides, you have the rest of your life to give money away (and that’s what wills are for anyway). Stay comfortable Get as much house, as much car, and as much stuff as you can. Don’t make sacrifices for anyone. You’ve worked hard to get where you are. Your wife says she wants to go to counseling? Ain’t nobody got time for that! That sounds uncomfortable. If she doesn’t like you the way you are, send her packing. Wives, same advice applies to you. Tell him to hit the road if he’s not giving you or getting you what you want, especially if your house is too small and he doesn’t appreciate all you do. ...

I don’t have an uncanny memory. I try hard to remember names because it communicates love and respect so tangibly, but otherwise I can barely remember what day of the week it is. At the same time, I don’t think I missed a single assignment in high school or college (mostly because I’m a nerd) and I always finish my work when I say I will. How does that all happen? First and foremost, by not relying on my brain and these other seven secrets. 1. Don’t trust yourself. I don’t have an unlimited memory capacity. So the first step to remembering everything is acknowledging that I can’t remember it on my own. I need to have a system and I need to actually use that system to make sure everything gets done. ...

I’m not a weekend warrior, but I’ve traveled on some of the longest flights in the world, and I’ve experienced enough conveyer belt shuffles at the end of a TSA check to give anyone a heart attack. This is my definitive guide to air travel, from booking to packing to flying: my whole process and all my recommendations for rocking your next flight. Whether it’s a one-hour puddle jump or a 16-hour international hullabaloo, you’ll be ready to travel like a pro. ...

Last week I attended a simulcast of the Global Leadership Summit. Here is practically a complete transcript of the event provided by Ben Patterson. My jaw hurts from all of the leadership information I’ve been chewing on. As I was midway through the two-day conference, I thought to myself, “Why is that people go crazy for conferences? Why do people pay hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, travel long distances and take off work to hear a few speakers who all likely have TED talks you could watch online?” Here’s what I came up with. ...

I naturally enjoy verbal sparring and debates. It’s a part of being a Myers-Briggs ENTP. My wife recently explained to me that not everyone enjoys this as much as I do. There are, however, a few things I absolutely refuse to even discuss. Discussion, for me, nearly always reaches the zone of argumentation and losing friends and/or limbs (I’m working on it). The following topics are utterly pointless. I’m not saying these things don’t matter, but I am saying they don’t matter enough for me to get into it with someone about them. I define “getting into it” in these situations as a simple disagreement that extends beyond two exchanges. If you want to beat me in an argument, just bring up these topics and I’ll instantly fold. I’m trying to keep friendships from ending, and that’s why I give up. I’d love to hear in the comments the arguments you need to stop having. ...