2012 Book List (part 2)

As I mentioned before, my goal for 2012 was to learn and develop as a person by reading. My original goal was to read 12 books, one per month. By July, I had read 13, so I set my sights on 30. As you can see from my list, I made it to 27. I am excited about becoming a reader, and would recommend to anyone - - start reading! It has definitely helped me grow in all aspects of my life. Feel free to contact me if you want to read my notes on any of the books, and you can also click the link to order the book. Click here for Part 1

14. You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself, by Harry Beckwith

Strategies on developing yourself for you business. The emphasis of the book is that the most important part of your business is you.

15. Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable, by Seth Godin

Tips on making your business or product stand out. What would be more remarkable - - a regular cow or a purple cow?

16. Paleoista: Gain Energy, Get Lean, and Feel Fabulous with the Diet You Were Born to Eat, by Nell Stephenson

Paleo living from a woman’s perspective. Discusses the benefits of paleo eating for energy, skin health, and fat loss.

17. The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

Very beneficial read on how to manage your energy. The authors discuss how managing your energy is more important than managing your time.

18. 55 Fitness Business Strategies for Success, By Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove

The married couple who have created one of the most successful fitness facilities in America share what they did right and what they did wrong along the way.

19. Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, by Keith Ferrazzi

Ways to develop strong relationships and grow your network.

20. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness, by Dave Ramsey

Highly recommended for anyone! Great plan for develop financial fitness, whether you are in debt or not.

21. The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul, by Dave Bruno

Interesting narrative on the author’s personal challenge to limit himself to 100 possessions.

22. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams & Reaching Your Destiny, by Robin Sharma

A novel which tells the story of a highly successful lawyer who saved his life once he understood that success is not defined by your title, your possessions, or your bank account.

23. The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How., by Daniel Coyle

Outstanding read on how talent is developed.

24. Revolution of Character: Discovering Christ's Pattern for Spiritual Transformation, by Dallas Willard and Donald Simpson

A MUST READ for anyone concerned with developing their character and becoming the person you have the potential to become.

25. Why Holiness Matters: We've Lost our Way--But We Can Find it Again, by Tyler Braun

Very insightful read about the lack of importance my generation has on being Holy.

26. The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue EXCELLENCE, by Tom Peters

Just like the title says, little things that you do can portray you in a big way.

27. The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player: Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants, by John C. Maxwell

Highly recommended for anyone who is involved with a team or group of any sort.

My Top-5 Recommendations

The Compound Effect

The 17 Essential Qualities of Being a Team Player

The Revolution of Character

Crush It!

The Power of Full Engagement

Complete VS Compete: Maximizing Your Teams Potential

"True progress in any field is a relay race and not a single event."-John Cavett

My favorite event in track and field is the 4 x 100 relay. Some people might argue that it is the most exciting event in all of sport. The speed and precision it takes to win the event causes spectators to hold their breath at every baton exchange. Each runner must do their part in order to successfully finish the race. Each runner must complete their portion of the race for their team. It is a true collaboration of talent.

Too many times in basketball, players COMPETE with their teammates. They get caught up in trying to get more playing time, trying to take more shots, and trying to impress the coaching staff more than the other players. This, however, limits the individual’s effectiveness and, most importantly, limits the team’s potential.

Just like in a relay race, individuals working together beat individuals working alone. Here is a list of the finishers of the men’s 4 x 100 relay during the 2012 Olympic Games:

1. Jamaica (36.84) 2. USA (37.04) 3. Trinidad & Tobago (38.12) 4. France (38.16) 5. Japan (38.35) 6. Netherlands (38.39) 7. Austrailia (38.43)

And here is the world record in the men’s 400 meter race:

Michael Johnson (43.18)

Notice how even the last place finisher in the relay was nearly 5 seconds faster than the all-time fastest individual runner in the same distance.

Just like in a relay, basketball players should be collaborating together, trying to COMPLETE each other. Each player on a team can provide something that other players are missing in their game. For a team to reach its’ full potential, all players must have the mindset to COMPLETE their teammates rather than to COMPETE with their teammates.

Questions for thought...

Do you ask... How can I get mine? or How can I help the team?

Do you look... At the box-score after the game? or At the game film to learn from the game?

Do you think... ‘Coach doesn’t want me to shoot because he doesn’t like me?’ or ‘Coach doesn’t want me to shoot because I can provide something else our team lacks?’

Do you try... To COMPETE with your teammates? or To COMPLETE the holes within your team?

Majerus' Death Should be A Wake-up Call for Coaches

"Some guys smoke. Some guys drink. Some guys chase women. I'm a big barbecue-sauce guy." -Rick Majerus

Last Saturday, we lost one of the great basketball minds of all-time. Rick Majerus was known for recruiting players based on character and work-ethic as much as talent. He was able to take those players and help them each reach their full potential as individuals and, likewise, as a team. In 25 years as a head coach at four different schools, he only had one losing season.

Majerus’ death was caused by heart failure, due to a result of poor health habits. Off the court, he was famous for his addiction and unhealthy relationship with food.

Despite his highly successful career, he still had more to give to the game of basketball and to the players who went to play for him. His impact on people was not finished.

Coaches are already under immense stress, especially head coaches. This slowly destroys our mental health and also contributes to damaging our physical health. It is important for coaches to make their physical health a priority to enable us to do our job at the highest capacity we can.

Here are three things you can start doing this week to improve your physical health:

Build muscle

Strength training is directly linked to longevity. Building muscle is a great defense towards inflammation, aging, and heart disease. You will also have more energy throughout the day. Strength training of some form is a must. The goal isn’t to look like a professional athlete or bodybuilder, but instead to build muscle and increase your overall health.

Re-evaluate your coaches meetings

Coaches meetings are usually accompanied by large amounts of food. Post-game gatherings become fast-food binges, leaving you dragging when you wake up the next morning. Meeting with your staff does not require chicken wings and nachos. Find new places or times to meet that do not encourage food binges.

Sleep

Some coaches can’t sleep because their mind is constantly on their team. Others don’t sleep because they think if they sleep they will not be able to fully do their job. Sleep is a necessity. It increases your mental focus, allows for physical recovery, and helps your immune system. You can’t afford not to sleep. If you have trouble getting enough sleep during the week, make it a priority to take naps on the weekends. Try and develop a nightly routine to help you get the best sleep you can.

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Coaches are in a great position to motivate young men and women. The best coaches teach values to their players that they will take with them for the rest of their lives. Majerus was one of these coaches. Unfortunately, there is a great number of young men who will not get the opportunity to play for him because of his early death.

What can you start doing to promote health instead of destroy it? How have you seen your physical health affect your ability to do your job?

"I think the biggest thing I got from him was just his desire to win and do things right. A lot of people say they want to win, but not a lot of people match their effort with their words. He did every day. Every day he came, you could see that the No. 1 thing he wanted to do was make you reach your potential. That now affects every part of my life. Everything I do, I try to do to the fullest like I think he would do and he would expect me to do." -Nick Jacobson, University of Utah ‘04

Be What You Want to Be...Right Now!

I am only in my 6th year of coaching high school basketball. Still, I have heard countless young men express to me in words their desire to play varsity basketball. When I observe them, on the court AND off the court, their actions do not align. They say one thing, but act like another. If you truly want to reach something, the best way to show it is to simply be what you want to be no matter what level you are currently at.

If you are a young player and you want to play varsity basketball, act like you are a varsity player RIGHT NOW.

Here are some things you can do right now to show your coach you want to be a varsity player:

Communicate on the court

Even most varsity players aren’t as good as they should be at this. Don’t limit yourself to “talking,” but actually communicate to your teammates on offense and defense.

Take ownership for your decisions

If your coach is trying to teach you and points out a mistake you made (on or off the court), listen and apply the advice he gives you. The last thing a coach wants to hear you respond with is a phrase beginning with “well...”, “but...”, or “no I didn’t...”. Get better and fix the mistakes you make instead of trying to argue why/if you did it.

Be mature off the court

You should never need a reminder that you shouldn’t skip class. You should never need a discussion on why it is important to be on time. You shouldn’t need someone to remind you to do your homework. Coaches want players who are reliable, dependable, and accountable for their actions.

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This idea does not only relate to basketball players. No matter what you want to become, act like you are there right now. Don’t wait until you have the title. Be there BEFORE you get there. Think about what you want to ultimately become. What does a person like that act like? How do they spend their time? How do they treat other people?

Be who you want to be...right now.

In His Words: Trever Ball on Finding Balance Primally

I am excited and grateful to have Trever Ball provide a guest post this week. I have the deepest amount of respect for "T-Ball" because of his ability to successfully balance so many things in his life and still live with a growth mindset. To learn more about Trever, check out his website, PrimalTBall. -----------------------------------------------------------------

Recently I have had the pleasure to work with some outstanding individuals in my day to day meanderings as a Health Teacher and Athletic Trainer at McKay High School. One of those individuals is doing some phenomenal work in regards to strength and conditioning and has inspired and motivated me to become better as an educator as well as a leader in multiple avenues that I have contact with. That special individual is Matt Espinoza who many have come to be positively affected by. However, I am also an adjunct professor for Willamette University in their Masters of Arts in Teaching program while being married to an amazing 2nd grade teacher who has blessed my life in ways that I could never have imagined by tolerating my busy schedule that is centered around our two remarkable and unforgettable children, Gunnar (5 years) and Grace (2 years). Now, before you stop reading due to insignificant information overload, let me get to the point of this rant. With everything that I have a hand in, it gets very difficult to balance it all effectively in a world that is also unpredictable. This is the purpose of this post: how is balancing family, work, and living healthfully even approached?

Here is how I have been fortunate enough to not only survive, but also flourish under such intimidating circumstances.

The first thing I want to put out there is the fact that none of this has come from my own fruition. I am merely using ‘the wheel’ that has been invented and mastered by many capable and hard working people in my life. And that is where I am going to begin this discussion on balance. In order to even approach a life with balance, you first need to know and commit to goals that are significant enough to warrant your full attention and commitment. Throughout my days as a husband, father, teacher, and Athletic Trainer I am constantly setting and achieving specific, measurable, realistic, and timely goals. And that is where my demonstration of this balancing act begins and centers around.

A significant resource that I have been blessed with as a guide has been Darren Hardy’s "The Compound Effect." (Compound Effect website - click here). What I learned, and then assimilated into one compact document to put into practice, was that habits need to be created around routines that are centered on our life goals and core values. This process of compounding the greatness in our lives is enhanced when we can measure progress and then adjust from there. This is where I focused my energies as I daily attempt to balance the chaos of education with family life and athletics. The form I created made it very simplistic and effective as I then proceeded to give it to two close friends, one that was going to be firm and the other to be a listener and encourager. Those conversations typically happen in a brief phone call or conversation and adjustments are made or kudos given accordingly. This has really allowed me to set and accomplish goals that matter and make a difference in my relationships, work environment, and professional practice. I hope it helps you as well.

Ultimately I strive to accomplish three things to maintain a good level of balance that maintains the integrity I try to uphold throughout my life.

Create Routines

When routines are based on your values and goals, then those around you work harder than you can imagine helping you accomplish the goals you set for yourself.

Enlist support

Ask those closest to you for feedback that is honest and unbiased after you proved them with as much background information on your goals you are setting out to accomplish. Nobody likes to be pestered with surprising or stressful tasks that they didn’t have a say in creating.

Change your self reflected Behaviors

With the feedback you get from those closest to you now you have to ACT on them. How did your routines go? What hindered them from happening and how can you adjust? Were there things that got in the way of you doing those things?

At the heart of developing quality routines with tangible accountability is the premise of maintaining your fitness and nutrition in order to practice that which is deemed to be significant. Those practices have ultimately been the foundation for which I have been able to find the balance that I hope to continue to sustain this trajectory for my family and career. The practice of maintaining a Primal way of life really starts with behaviors and routines that I have been practicing now for just a little over a year and I have experienced an immeasurable amount of energy increase and my ability to stay focused has also improved. I still have things to work on, but I do not get overly concerned about those hang ups because I know that any behavior of mine can be altered into a healthy habit when I direct my focus accordingly. The second form that is attached is based on the previous template with a focus on my physical fitness and Primal/paleo specific nutrition. Take a look and again, I hope that from these ramblings you have gained something that will make balancing this hectic mess we call life with that which is the most important to you.

Beginner's Frustration

For years, I have neglected the dentist’s office. I thought that by brushing and flossing (occasionally flossing) was enough to keep my teeth healthy. Last week, one of my fillings popped out and took a chunk of my tooth with it. There was no pain, but it was highly inconvenient. So I was finally forced to visit the dentist. Little did I know, I was about a month away from needing a root canal in 2 different tooths (among other minor issues). I learned some valuable lessons.

Little problems, left unattended, become big problems

What started out as a broken filling turned into a chipped tooth (about a quarter of it), and soon would have become root canal status. If something is a problem, fix it as early as you can. Whether you are in pain every time you bend down to pick something up, or you are a 9th grader who can not dribble with your left hand. Solve the problem early, and see the progress later.

The best time to start is right now

As Dr. Gilmore was going through my lengthy list of issues, I felt embarrassed, ashamed, and like a failure all at the same time. It was then that I realized: this is WHY he does what he does, to help people keep their teeth healthy. No matter how far behind you might seem, start your journey right now. If you do, you will only see improvement. If you wait, you will only get further and further behind. Don’t protect your emotions only to worsen your problems.

Silent IS deadly

Since I had no pain in my mouth, I didn’t think there was any problems. Little did I know, I was just a short time away from major issues (and major dental bills). Just because there are no immediate effects to a small problem, does not mean that you can ignore it. If something seems wrong, start fixing it.

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Being a beginner on anything is frustrating and difficult. No matter what you are trying to do, keep moving forward, no matter how slow you are moving. Also, seek out advice of people who are more knowledgable in the area you are focusing on. Our success is largely influenced by the people we surround ourselves with and learn from.

What are you doing right now (or need to do right now) that is difficult starting? What can you do to initiate the progress?

Are You Thankful?

Thanksgiving. The time for predictable posts on “being thankful.” Being thankful is more than using your words to express the feeling. We can say “thank you” and how we are “blessed to see another day,” but if our actions are not aligned with our words, we are not truly expression gratitude.

In life, we are given many opportunities. They range from new careers, the birth of children, free public education, and even more. The greatest of them all is the opportunity to have breath and life.

Being thankful requires active participation and full application in the opportunities we receive.

Here are some things you can begin doing to show your gratitude for your opportunities.

Develop relationships

When you engage with the people you meet in your opportunities, you become more invested in making the most out of them.

Improve at your weaknesses

Improvement spurs gratitude. When you see personal improvement in any task, you automatically become more thankful for that opportunity.

Show respect to all others involved

There is no greater sign of gratitude than respect. Show respect to the people you work with, the environment you work in, and for the work you do.

And last but not least...

Grind. Repeat.

Obviously.

Reflect on the situations that you find yourself dragging through. How can you apply these tips to be more thankful for those opportunities?

Does Your Obsession to Succeed Negatively Impact You?

We go to extreme lengths to achieve our goals. Pre-cook and organize our food for the week. Wake up at 4:30 AM (right?). Pass up wedding cake at our best friends’ wedding. Even avoid the Thanksgiving feast because the potatoes and corn have too much starch and the turkey was farmed and not wild. But where do cross the line from being dedicated and focused on achieving our goals to become obsessed at an unhealthy level, where our lives become consumed by nutrition and training. In reality, even though physical health is highly important in our lives, emotional health damage can be just as poisonous towards our overall health and our chance to succeed in our goals.

I’ve really been thinking a lot about what I am doing to myself. I feel that the obsession of achieving optimal health has taken over my life. It has limited my enjoyment of certain activities and caused me to judge people for what they do and what their opinions might be. I have had a personal revelation that when an obsession takes over our lives, we lose sight of understanding that whatever we are obsessing over is just a small area in our life.

It is important to know what you can handle, individually. Some people thrive in discipline and find pleasure in doing things that are difficult. Others feel restricted or deprived when they try to achieve something.

The Restricted Life Epidemic

Those who see a disciplined life as a restricted life have negative thoughts with the changes they will need to make in order to achieve what they want. The thought of waking up to workout before they get to the office immediately causes them to realize they won’t be able to sleep as much. Even if they plan on working out after work, they feel deprived of their down time. When they are told to avoid processed foods, they quickly think about how hard it will be to cook/prepare real food.

The best way to solve this epidemic is to change your mindset. However, a mindset shift is an even longer process than a lifestyle change (although you could say they go hand in hand). If you are feeling restricted of things you enjoy while obsessing over the cans and can’ts of eating, it can cause emotional or mental stress.

You have to put your emotional stress into consideration. If you are someone who feels like life is ending because you can not munch on Doritos, that omission in your diet can hurt you mentally as much as it hurts you physically.

Then it gets tricky.

Think about what your goal is. Will one handful of Doritos cause detrimental damage to your process? And will one handful cause you to eat the whole bag? One handful, probably not a huge setback. A whole bag, major setback. You have to understand your personal boundaries. Are you more likely to succeed on keeping your sanity by having a small amount of your favorite processed snack, or will that lead to a breakdown?

This is not limited to food. How you use your time can be just as important towards achieving your goal. Watching 3 hours of TV every night is probably not the best choice of leisure activities is you have a fitness or athletic goal. Some people feel restricted and deprived if they can not watch TV from the time they get home until the time they go to bed.

You are not me, and I am not you.

We are each unique. Some of us can live day-to-day with the understanding that how we spend our time determines our identity and what we choose to eat either becomes fuel or poison. Others proclaim that they have freedom and do not see a purpose in restricting themselves of their favorite activities or foods, although they may be destructive towards physical health. Understand what type of person you are, and then find your balance by determining the importance of you goal in comparison with the importance of your feeling of freedom.

Working Out vs Training...What's the Difference?

I hear people talk about working out and training like they are the same thing. Lately, I have been thinking about the difference. These are my thoughts in comparing the two... If you go to the gym to workout, your goals are most likely to burn some calories or get your heart rate up. A wide variety of activities could fit this mold. There is little thought into what you will do at the gym. People who like to keep exercise fun often stick to working out as opposed to training. The problem with working out is that once you finish your workout, you have achieved your goal. There is little thought about what you do once you leave the gym. Basically, working out doesn’t take much thought or preparation.

If you train, however, you have specific goals that you want to accomplish, usually in a specific time period. Training involves thought and preparation, which is why most people who are serious about achieving a goal hire a trainer. Training involves working out - - workouts that are planned in phases with progressions. When you go to the gym, you know what the workout is that day, and you know what future workouts will be as well. Training also involves thought and preparation outside of the gym. Recovery and nutrition are huge (and often underlooked) factors in training. Those who train understand that the benefits of working out are limited when recovery and nutrition are not handled correctly.

Most people think that athletes are the only people who train. However, anyone with a fitness or health goal should be training instead of just going to the gym with a the goal of doing a workout. If your goal is to lose fat, you need to know the path to get there. Going to the gym and looking for a different machine to stay on at a comfortable pace for 30 minutes is probably not your best bet. If you are serious about a goal you want to achieve, take time to plan your path to success (or hire a professional to plan it for you).

Here are some tips to plan out your training:

What is my goal? - - You need to know what you are trying to achieve before you can start planning what you need to do to accomplish is. Is it fat loss? Is it to improve your vertical jump? Different goals will require different paths.

How long do I have to get there? - - This is also a question to determine how realistic your goals are. If you want to lose 45 pounds, that’s great. Trying to do it for a wedding coming up in 2 weeks is probably not realistic. Make sure you allow enough time for yourself to be successful. If you are an athlete, you have to know when your season starts. Starting 2 weeks before your season will not allow for significant performance gains. Plan ahead!

What do I need to do at the gym? - - What will your workouts look like? This is where a professional really comes in handy. You can definitely research the web or read books to get some decent programs, but having a trainer perform a Functional Movement Screen to assess your movement patterns can help you workouts not only be effective, but also improve your long-term health.

What will I need to change about my lifestyle? - - Again, specific factors are related to your goal. However, just about every goal you can think of will require optimal recovery, nutrition, and possibly supplementation. Having a BioSignature modulation is a great start towards your goal. The BioSignature can provide a hormonal profile and a body composition analysis. No matter your goal, it is important to get adequate sleep and sufficient protein intake.

The Athlete's Mindset: A Predictor of Success

“The way you view your own intel­li­gence largely deter­mines how it will develop.” - Carol Dweck I recently enrolled in “Drive-Time-U.” This comes from Darren Hardy. My driving time has turned into learning time. I have traded music for audio books and presentations. A friend of mine recently let me borrow "Mindset" by Carol Dweck. It took me about one weekend of driving to finish it.

Dweck talks about the two types of mindsets that people have: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. In the fixed mindset, our ability or talent is what it is. No matter what we do, we are given ability and must do what we can with it. People with a growth mindset have a belief that they abilities can be developed through passion, education, and feedback.

Developing a growth mindset is crucial to your success as an athlete. You must understand that it is possible to develop new skills and increase your athletic capacity. It doesn’t matter if you’re the most talented in your school or if you’re on the verge of getting cut. A growth mindset is the only mindset that will allow you to maximize your potential. It is important to understand that you are not as good as you will one day be by putting time into development and seeking feedback from mentors that can help you learn.

Too often, we label young athletes as naturals or prodigies. We assume that are good because they were born that way. This feeds those young athletes the recipe for a fixed mindset, which will cause the athlete to peak. They will never reach their full potential.

And for those who are struggling to make a team, a fixed mindset can be equally dangerous. Early in my high school days, I assumed there was nothing I could do to get playing time. The starters were selected, and I was not fast enough or good enough to be on their level. It wasn’t until the middle of my Junior year that I understood hard work and accepting coaching/feedback was the pathway to become a more skilled basketball player. After my Junior year, I started realizing that I could develop speed, strength, and jumping ability. My transformation from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset is what sparked my improvement as an athlete.

To this day, no matter what it is I am doing, I am content knowing that I am the best I have ever been, but the worst I will ever be.