Michael Balchan

[Tim Ferriss @tferriss]

There is a process that I have used, and still use, to reignite life...

Create two timelines—6 months and 12 months—and list up to five things you dream of having (including, but not limited to, material wants: house, car, clothing, etc.), being (be a great cook, be fluent in Chinese, etc.), and doing (visiting Thailand, tracing your roots overseas, racing ostriches, etc.) in that order.

If you have difficulty identifying what you want in some categories, as most will, consider what you hate or fear in each and write down the opposite.

Do not limit yourself, and do not concern yourself with how these things will be accomplished. For now, it’s unimportant. This is an exercise in reversing repression.

Be sure not to judge or fool yourself. If you really want a Ferrari, don’t put down solving world hunger out of guilt. For some, the dream will be fame, for others fortune or prestige. All people have their vices and insecurities. If something will improve your feeling of self-worth, put it down.

Drawing a blank? In that case, consider these questions:

1) What would you do, day to day, if you had $100 million in the bank?
2) What would make you most excited to wake up in the morning to another day?

Don’t rush—think about it for a few minutes.

If still blocked, fill in the five “doing” spots with the following:

— one place to visit
— one thing to do before you die (a memory of a lifetime)
— one thing to do daily
— one thing to do weekly
— one thing you’ve always wanted to learn

What does “being” entail doing?

Convert each “being” into a “doing” to make it actionable. Identify an action that would characterize this state of being or a task that would mean you had achieved it. People find it easier to brainstorm “being” first, but this column is just a temporary holding spot for “doing” actions.

Here are a few examples:

1) Great cook —> make Christmas dinner without help

2) Fluent in Chinese —> have a five-minute conversation with a Chinese co-worker

Determine three steps for each of the dreams in just the 6-month timeline and take the first step now.

Define three steps for each dream that will get you closer to its actualization.

Set actions—simple, well-defined actions—for now, tomorrow (complete before 11 A.M.) and the day after (again completed before 11 A.M.). Once you have three steps for each of the four goals, complete the three actions in the “now” column.

Do it now. Each should be simple enough to do in five minutes or less. If not, rachet it down. If it’s the middle of the night and you can’t call someone, do something else now, such as send an e-mail, and set the call for first thing tomorrow.

If the next stage is some form of research, get in touch with someone who knows the answer instead of spending too much time in books or online, which can turn into paralysis by analysis.

The best first step, the one I recommend, is finding someone who’s done it and ask for advice on how to do the same.

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

Professionals getting the job done. 👏👏👏 Shout out to @Cubs @ofcwrigleyfield grounds crew.

Play ball! Go Cubs. #happy4th #happybirthday America

@FOXSports @MLB

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

@HarvardMLax 👏👏👏

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

https://t.co/jbZ37rnSa7

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

World-class coaches think differently.

They don’t try and maximize what happens during their time with those they coach.

Instead, they try to maximize the what happens during the *other* 23 hours of the day. (Or 143 of the week. Or…)

David Yeager repeatedly brought this to life for me during a training session we did for our Heroic Public Benefit Corporation community today.

David is a world-leading expert on motivating youth and the power of mindset. Can’t wait to share the session soon. (Notes on 10 to 25 in the comments.)

One of the ways he brought this point home was by sharing Chip Engelland’s “Coach in your head.” framework.

Chip is the NBA’s best shooting coach. He trained Team USA to gold and is behind the Thunder’s success.

He doesn’t try to just fix shots in a 1-hour session.

Instead, he installs a “coach in your head,” so players practice correctly when he’s not there.

It’s easy for us to get this wrong.

We want to be the source of expertise and authority. Ego sneaks in and says: “They need me.”

But the best coaches (and mentors and parents and leaders) build independence. They coach for future growth, not just present performance.

Test:

When you’re not around, do they still perform like you are?

Our job isn’t to be the voice they depend on.
It’s to become the voice they internalize.

That’s coaching excellence.

#Leadership #Coaching #GrowthMindset #Mentorship #Management

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

Rules for success in sports and life:

1. Have fun.

2. Do your best.

3. Show good sportsmanship.

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

@colinvmcguire Yes!!!

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

@RidleyAcademy LOVING the new UI/UX for the (phenomenal!!!) Complete Piano Masterclass. 👏👏👏

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

"The more frequently you look at data, the more noise you are disproportionally likely to get (rather than the valuable part, called the signal)." — Nassim N. Taleb (@nntaleb)

via the 5-Bullet Friday newsletter (https://t.co/Fk9FIXDTIc) from @tferriss

[NBC Olympics & Paralympics @NBCOlympics]

A FINISH YOU HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE! 😱

ALEX SEDRICK LEADS TEAM USA TO THE FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC RUGBY SEVENS MEDAL FOR THE UNITED STATES ON THE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME! 🥉 #ParisOlympics

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Change the programs that someone else put in your mind

[Notre Dame Football @NDFootball]

BRICK X BRICK

#GoIrish☘️

[Chowdah Hill @ChowdahHill]

Thanks to @heroicbrian for helping me and other Sailors become the best versions of ourselves. He lived the central tenants of the Way of the Warrior Sailor before it was a thing…

[Brian Johnson @heroicbrian]

I just recorded the first 45+ minutes of the audiobook for my/our book, Areté: Activate Your Heroic Potential.

And I simply couldn’t wait to share it with you.

So…

Here it is!

https://t.co/WQruwU6SiV

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

@ChicagoParks @FridaySwimClub growing group of people.

If you were serious about your mission and core values, you’d be more customer focused and responsive here… celebrating Friday Morning Swim Club and finding ways to support it and more things just like it.

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

@ChicagoParks @FridaySwimClub while adding additional beauty in human interaction and connection.

You also have a core value of:
“Extra Effort: We support innovation and welcome new ideas...

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

@ChicagoParks @FridaySwimClub a group of strangers coming together to enhance the quality of life in Chicago, through a leisure activity where the participants are responsible and intentional about looking out for one another and prioritizing safety… appreciating the beauty of our city and its lakefront…

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

@ChicagoParks @FridaySwimClub - Provide safe, inviting and beautifully maintained parks and facilities
- Create a customer-focused and responsive park system that prioritizes the needs of children and families”

If anyone from your team actually attended a Friday Morning Swim club, you’d find…

[Michael Balchan @mbalchan]

@hubermanlab Is a deep dive episode on EMFs in the pipeline?!