• Your Hobby Does Not Have To Be Your Hustle
    Jan 18 2023

    When we turn our hobbies into businesses, it can take away the fun or the enjoyment of the hobby. And that's ok if you're ok with that, but find a new hobby to replace what you're turning into a business.

    Hobbies build resiliency. It's good for us to not be great at something right away. We can learn lots of new skills through hobbies.

    Books: 

    Resilient by John Eldredge
    Resilient Kids by Dr. Kathy Koch

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    24 mins
  • Things We Learned During Our Break
    Jan 4 2023

    See Episode 8 about seasonal living

    We create our margin, and it's ok to remove things that take up space.

    Rest is good; laziness is not. When we try to get back into our routines, it might feel difficult, but we start small to get going again.

    We found some things that helped us rest, slow down, and breathe. We can take inventory of the things in our life so that we can remove them if needed, and then add them back later—like we did with this podcast!

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    22 mins
  • Stress Stacks
    Apr 13 2022

    see Episode 4: Everything Has a Home

    Tips on eliminating potential stress stacks:

    • be mindful of your season, your stage, and your stress tendencies
    • consider implementing a nightly reset (or a reset that maximizes the best time of day for your current season and stage)
    • take care of the little things while they are still little
    • identify what things are not a big deal until they become a big deal / identify optimal times to take care of these tasks
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    24 mins
  • Maximize Your Productivity
    Mar 30 2022

    The Bomber Mafia, by Malcolm Gladwell

    Hoopla, Libby, Cloud Library via your local library

    At Your Best, by Carey Nieuwhof

    Find your zones! Where are you most productive? 

    If you're a leader, you are responsible for knowing your most productive times but also the most productive times of those on your team.

    Like anything with personal development, this should not be used as a crutch. We don't say "well, I'm not productive at this time so I'm never going to do anything in this space." We can have high, average, and low levels of production times throughout our day, but these will flex and change with the seasons we are in.

     

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    24 mins
  • Back on Track
    Mar 9 2022

    Good to Great, The Flywheel (see Chapter 8)

    Habits of the Household

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    23 mins
  • 3 Ways to Maximize Your Morning
    Feb 16 2022
    1. Get up at the same time each day | this is a great way to keep your body in generally the same cycles and sync each day. Your natural sleep pattern and rhythm will appreciate the consistency!
    2. Make your bed | this is the easiest win! It's such a super simple and quick task, and you start your day with an immediate accomplishment. It also makes our whole room feel nicer and it's much easier to keep our room tidy when the bed is made.
    3. Get up before your kids | we never feel more rushed or out of our routine than the few times we have been woken up by our kids!

    Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World, by Admiral William H. McRaven

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    19 mins
  • 2021 Top Reads
    Jan 12 2022

    See also, Episode 9 for more tips on how to read more this year!

    Jake:

    1. Surprise the World, by Michael Frost
    2. Culture Wins, by William Vanderbloemen
    3. At Your Best, by Carey Nieuwhof
    4. Bonus: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey

    Jess:

    1. Soundtracks, by Jon Acuff
    2. The Common Rule, by Justin Whitmel Earley
    3. Essentialism, by Greg McKeown
    4. Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight
    5. Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh

    2022 Goals
    Jake: 36 (read 32 in 2021)
    Jess: 40 (read 37 in 2021)

    Looking forward to reading this year:

    Do It For a Day, by Mark Batterson
    The Storyteller, by Dave Grohl
    Habits of the Household, by Justin Whitmel Earley
    The High Five Habit, by Mel Robbins
    The Genius of Jesus, by Erwin McManus
    Every Body Matters, by Gary Thomas

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    32 mins
  • Year in Review
    Dec 15 2021

    Backin' Up News Interview & Song 

    See also: Episode 10, What Gets Scheduled Gets Done & Episode 18, How to Know if You're Too Busy

    Carey Nieuwhof, At Your Best

    Apps: Evernote, Goodreads

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    31 mins