Living Better

  • What could go right?

    Auditors are trained to think about what could go wrong – what are all the possible risks that could result in a financial misstatement. Analyzing risks and capping downside is a very important skillset to have, but exclusively focusing on what can go wrong is limiting. Envisioning and pursuing everything that could go right in…

  • Grateful

    My word for 2024 is grateful. Choosing a word as an alternative to setting New Year’s resolutions is something our friend Sarah Lee got my wife and I into a few years ago. I wasn’t really sure what to choose this year and sort of just ‘resigned to’ the word grateful. It sounded like a…

  • Amish Goals

    In Tim Ferriss’ first podcast with Kevin Kelly, Kevin talks about how the Amish make it a goal to have as many meals with their family as possible. This resonated with me, especially being about to have my first child. It’s a different type of goal, one that’s not focused on maximizing productivity. Productivity is…

  • Unstoppable

    If you had to choose one thing to do every single day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Time is an incredible gift. Regardless of your age there is something you can start doing that would change your life for the better and compound dramatically over time. Imagine doing something every…

  • Get a little uncomfortable

    There’s a lot of life out there for those willing to get even a little bit uncomfortable. For four years now I’ve lived 10 minutes from Huntington Beach in Southern California and been paying a premium for it. My lifestyle hasn’t been that different than if I lived somewhere with cheap housing and poor weather…

  • Bias toward action

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    Taking action often leads to learning, even if it doesn’t always lead to the desired outcome. This is in contrast to wishing alone, which doesn’t move you forward. We may not always see the benefits of our actions immediately, but when we reflect on them we can often find something we gained from them. An…

  • Stay in your head… you’re dead.

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    I heard Tony Robbins say the phrase “stay in your head you’re dead” and it stuck with me. With negative thought processes and mental loops (something I’m no stranger with) you can poison your own mind, inflicting propaganda against your psyche repeatedly. One step to get out of this is to write, which helps to…

  • Default Behaviors

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    Changing your default behaviors will change your life. Eat junk food or drink when you get stressed? Do some pushups or squats instead. Toss and turn frustratedly or binge tv when you can’t sleep? Try reading or journaling. Lash out or seethe internally when you feel criticized? Take a few deep breaths instead and consider…

  • Why do we fall, Bruce?

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    So that we can learn to pick ourselves up again. This is one of my favorite quotes. Not just because Batman is awesome (which he is). The message is such a powerful one. Life is not about avoiding falling down. To enjoy life to it’s fullest you need to be willing to take risks in…