Who Sees You at Your BEST??

**Guest Blogger Alert**

 

My friend Ryan gives a great message in today's update. Enjoy!!

 

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Hello Everyone,
 

It is an honor to be Jon's first 'guest blogger.' I thank you all for taking the time to support Jon in his efforts and check in on his 'weekly' (sorry Jon) blog postings. As Jon mentioned, my name is Ryan. To give you a brief history, Jon and I were roommates at UW-Stevens Point over a decade ago. Last year Jon's blog posting and goal setting had a big impact on me. Per Jon's request, I asked how one of his goals was going and if there were a way that I could help. The next thing I knew, Jon was pushing back on me to accomplish several of my goals. As the calendar changed from 2012 to 2013, we both wanted to keep the positive momentum from the last year going and the '13 goals for 2013' was born. With that, I too have been sending updates via e-mail to my friends and family. What you are about to read was an update from early February. Enjoy!
 

Some friends and I were having an interesting discussion the other day in regards to 'Manhood and Manliness.' They are big words, I know, but our discussion centered on some of the major events that have shaped what modern manhood looks like. One of the fellas brought up the Industrial Revolution, and how it took fathers from their own homes and farms and sent them to work in the factories, mines, etc. The effect on manhood being that children no longer saw their fathers 'at their best,' as they had before while working beside them on the family farm. Many fathers came home exhausted after a days work and did not have the energy to spend on their marriages and raising their children, and that was the example they were setting for their kids, who carried it onto the next generation. So I started thinking...who gets to see my best?

 

I am not married, nor do I have children. Does that mean that my employer and co-workers should be the one that see my best? Or maybe it should be my family, or my friends, after all they are the most important people in my life. For me, the answers are God and everyone. That is where the largest motivation behind the 13 For '13 comes from. These goals were set to become more of the man that God designed me to be. For the first 29 years, I have seen flashes of that person, but it hasn't been consistent. It is time that my energy is spent working to nurture the gifts and refine the skills that He has given me. My energy does not need to be spent raising children or working toward a happy marriage, so it had better be spent helping to grow friendships, put in an honest day's work, and in doing so glorify Him. The 13 For '13 really should be called 100+ For A Lifetime, but if there is one thing we know about goals is that they need a timeline. That timeline starts at the beginning of everyday. I am always trying to show my best, and be that person that I am designed to be. So if you don't think that's what you're seeing, by all means TELL ME!

  

My thoughts to you are to ask yourself, "Who do I want to see my best?" Is it your kids? Your spouse? Your friends? Then take a serious moment to consider, "Are they the ones seeing it?" If they are, great! Take an inventory of how you are able to make that happen and put some fail safes in to ensure that remains the case. If not, you know what to do.

  

What does my best look like? I'm not sure. The only thing I do know is that it is not perfect, but here's to hoping you see it the next time we're together.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Ryan

 

 

We've been busy!

Hello everyone!!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I’ve been terrible at this!! I’ve already broken one of my goals which was to blog weekly starting in January. 

My friend Nicole reminded me of this fact a couple weeks ago, and I’m happy to back on the saddle giving you guys an update on our lives and a recent lesson that I’ve learned.

First of all, how am I doing on my goals this year?? After 3 months of goals, I’d say that I’m hitting about 75% of my goals. In February, I did a decent (but not great) job of focusing my time and attention on Kate. In general I do a good job of this, and we had a great month in February. We had a couple lunch dates we had a nice time together. March was home improvement month. Kate and I are just putting the finishing touches on our bedroom. We decided to put some time and effort into our space while we still had some time and money. It is looking great!! Just a few items remain, but all the big stuff is done!! 

Here are some things that I need help with, so anything you can do to help me would be fantastic:

-Workouts – When do you get your workouts in?

-Lessons Learned – Have you ever asked people for their biggest lessons learned? How did you position that conversation?

-New Music – Who has some really great softer acoustic music that they could share? I’m looking for new artists!!

Otherwise, overall we have been doing incredibly great. Kate is doing amazing during pregnancy and Baby B is coming sooner than later. 7 weeks. We cannot be more excited. Talking about/to our baby takes up pretty much all of our time!! Other things we’ve been doing include taking baby classes at the Hospital, taking multiple exams at work, doing a bible study with some great people, and of course Marquette games!! Oh, and I can’t forget bachelor parties, book clubs, coffee dates, doctor’s appointments, college fairs for Kate, physical therapy for my shoulder, and baby showers. Am I forgetting anything? I'm definitely NOT complaining though....it's been all good stuff!!!

 

While I’ve been doing all that, my great friend Ryan has been also doing what he is calling his “13 for ’13.” Much like me, Ryan has committed to having his best year ever. He has come up with 13 really cool and unique goals, and he has been giving me and all of his friends and family updates along the way. One of his updates particularly hit home for me. Ryan talked about the idea of “who sees me at my best?” I’m inviting Ryan to share his great message here on the blog in the next couple of days. My first “guest blogger.” I couldn’t be more excited to have Ryan come and share this……he has been having a fantastic year and he’s having a great affect on people (myself included).

Check back in the next couple days for post from Ryan……and I’ll be back soon to update you on more happenings in our lives! Sorry for the random update!

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Cheers,

JB

Breaking Out of a Funk

Hey everyone!!

Can you believe that it is February 16th already? I certainly can't!!

Breaking out of a funk....how do you handle this?

I think this is a very important question. I particularly think this because I am currently in a small but long funk. It's just one of those times when everything is a bit off. I'm off at work. I'm off in my diet. I'm off in my workouts (nonexistent). My attitude is off. I'm off in my relationships. Essentially, I'm in a small funk in many different aspects of my life. It's a small funk, so most people wouldn't know it, but Kate and I both identified it recently. She actually identified it before I did.

I don't mean to be in the funk, obviously. It's not something that I'm consciously doing. And I'm trying very hard to get out of it, but sometimes it's a slow process, right? How do you do it? How are you able to get back on track when something seems a bit off?

I've been struggling hard with it, but this weekend presented a perfect opportunity for me to get my mojo back. Kate and I are blessed that her family and friends in Denver threw her a baby shower today. So while I don't like it when she's gone, this gives me a great opportunity to do some reflecting and get back on track. My secret?

1. Think Time
2. Watching Live Music Videos on YouTube

Yep, it's that simple. I made the decision earlier this week that I'd basically stay at my house all weekend and just figure this out. I wanted to give my mind an opportunity to decompress. I wanted to think about what is important to me and what I am doing to move closer to these goals. Am I living the life I want? Am I moving toward the life that I want to live down the road? The reason I was in a funk was because the answer to both of these questions was no. So it's just a matter of getting refocused.

As for the videos on YouTube, I absolutely love live music and I love watching my favorite artists do live performances in their videos. So for a few hours today I sat and watched some videos.

Now, I'm not sure that these are going to get me completely out of the funk. It's really easy when I'm by myself. The true test will be when I get back to the office on Monday and we see how my overall attitude is in the next few days. But I think just taking time to decompress might just be the ticket!!

Let me know how you get out of small funks!! I'd love to hear how you do it!!

Thanks for listening.

Cheers,

JB

Everyone Needs a Pep Talk

Happy Sunday everyone!

It's a little dreary outside, but it's still a great day to accomplish a few things around the house. Kate and I got a few things done, including de-cluttering our basement! Feels so good!

Since my last post on Friday about my "failure" in not getting a new position at my company, Kate took the time to send me the following video for a pep talk. It's a pep talk from Kid President and you have to watch this. It is fantastic. It never hurts to get a pep talk! This is great!

Enjoy the video and let me know how you're going to be awesome this week!!

Cheers,

JB

Learning from "failure"

Welcome back!!

Hope you had a fantastic week and are ready for an even better weekend!!

So, I recently had an experience that cemented the thought process that stepping out and taking a chance is never a bad thing. A job position opened at my company, and I mentioned it to Kate as well as a co-worker in passing. Both of them said, “it can’t hurt to apply and see what happens.”

I am a very cautious person. I very rarely throw caution to the wind. I tend to think things through multiple times and some people (Kate) would say that I often over think things. It’s a weakness of mine. I have identified it. I want to get better. After hesitating at first (because that’s what I do), I decided to brush off my resume, update it, and submit my name for the position.

While I have been eliminated from the pool of applicants for the open position, I did learn some valuable lessons throughout the process. This “failure” has made me much more self aware of my strengths and weaknesses and has helped me in a big way.  Let me explain. 

I Can do the Work

I am pretty good at what I do. Based on feedback from others and myknowledge of the position, I am able to do my job well and many qualities in myjob should transfer over to other positions in my company. 

I can’t Articulate
I am TERRIBLE at articulating why these qualities carry over to other positions.As I went through the interview process, I realized that while I was qualified fora position like this, I wasn’t able to articulate that to others. I wasn’t able to sell myself. Why is this? 

I Lack Confidence
My co-workers have been telling me this since I started with the company 2+
years ago.  They said I can do the work and I needed to just “rock it.” All this
time, I thought they were just trying to pump me up and I thought I had
confidence. Well, this interview process really hit home. The first piece of
feedback I got was, “You have some great skills, but your confidence needs a
few more years to develop.” AAAHHHHHHH. They used the confidence thing
against me!!

This is the year that I am going to shatter this confidence thing. I want to keep growing and I want to exude confidence by year end. I need to get more comfortable in my own skin.

My message here today is to take a chance. While the end result wasn’t ideal, I did learn something just by stepping out and taking a chance. I am no worse off than I was before. In fact, I am better off. I learned how other people perceive me and I’ll be able to use this information moving forward. That’s a win!!

Hopefully you’ll step out and take a chance, too. It can’t hurt!!

"Believe you can and your half way there." - Theodore Roosevelt

See you soon.

Cheers,

JB

Let's Get After It!!

Hey everyone!!

Hopefully everyone's 2013 has gotten off to a fantastic start. Mine has been good....not great, but good. I've had a good month taking care of my mind and spirit. Because of my shoulder surgery in late November, I had been in a sling for 6 weeks and therefore could not really exercise. 

But now the sling is off and I'm ready to go and get some workouts in!! I was looking for some motivation, and my co-worker sent me the following video. It worked. I'm ready to get start working out again and getting back in shape. There is no time like right now. Let's not put it off!! Enjoy the video!!!

Click here for Video

Let me know what you're doing to stay in shape and please help motivate me!!

Cheers,

JB

13 Resolutons for 2013

Happy 2013 everyone!

Now that the holidays are winding down and we're all feeling terrible about the workouts we've missed and the extra cookies that we ate, it's time go get back on track (unless you are one of those people  that can stay on track during the holiday season. I'm not). It's time to refocus ourselves for a big 2013. 

If you're like me, you may have had a great 2012. And you may be satisfied with how it went and you may be feeling content. Or you could be like me.....yearning for more. Ready to make 2013 better than 2012. Ready to take your life to the next level. Ready to DOMINATE. Ready to show that some improvement isn't enough improvement. WE WANT MORE!!

Why not make more goals in 2013? But why not make them resolutions instead of goals? Why not resolve to improve in many different facets in 2013? And why not put an action plan in place to do it?

So here's the plan (general idea stolen from the book the Happiness Project). I'm going to focus on a general area of my life each month while trying to improve in that area. To add to that, I've added my own wrinkle. While I'm focusing on one area, I'm going to read a book on the topic that I will be covering in the next month. Needless to say I'll be busy (especially since I'm a terribly slow reader)!! Without further ado, here is my plan for 2013!!

January - Nourish the Mind, Body, and Spirit
I'm going to start the year off strong by working on my body and mind. Specifically, I'm going to try to be in bed each night by 9:30, I want to clear clutter out of our home, I want to try to shave each workday, and I want to blog at least weekly. Also, I will sign up for some running races this summer. Lastly, I will work to relax the mind (without TV) for at least 10 minutes each night. Almost like meditation!!

Book to Read: Lamb, by Christopher Moore. This is one of Kate's favorite books, and I want to read it right away to start the year. I should probably understand her favorite book!!

February - Keep the Magic
In February I am going to work on my marriage. I can't say that there is anything wrong with my marriage, per se. In fact, my marriage is fantastic. Kate and I are infinitely happy. But I will still work on complimenting Kate more, treating her to lunch from time to time, and not nagging her about simple things. 

Book to Read: Young House Love. Young House Love is a online blog on home improvement. Kate and I love their styles and they recently released a book. I want to read it and get some ideas for March going forward.

March - House is Home
As you may or may not know, Kate and I bought a house last June. It is amazing. We love it. We can't get enough of it. But we still want to improve it and make it our own. In March, I am going to focus on projects to make our house feel even more like a home. I am going to finish a few items that I started, I am going to organize our basement, and most importantly.....Kate and I are going to completely redo our bedroom to make it our own sanctuary. We have a vision and it's time it came to fruition!!

Book to Read: The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year, by Armin Brott. Yes, I am becoming a father. Yes, I am insanely excited. Yes, I think I can figure the father thing out. No, I do not know how to raise a child. Maybe this book can help!!

April - Be Dad Ready
In April I will focus on Being Dad Ready. I will make sure that we are as prepared as we can be for when Baby Brazzale rocks our world in May. Our due date is May 26th. I'll focus on getting advice from all the dad's out there, continuing to gain knowledge, and making sure the baby gear we get is safe and I know how to use it. I need to be able to unbuckle a car seat in seconds, people!! That's what dads do!!

Book to Read: The Giver, by Lois Lowry. I'm hoping the baby will start recognizing my voice when Kate and I read this out loud.

May - Uncomfortable is the New Comfortable
I am so bad at spontaneity. It is one of my biggest pitfalls. I contstantly need to feel prepared for things to happen in order to feel that I am going to succeed. In May, I'm going to focus on pursuing a passion, constantly trying new things, showing confidence, and most importantly taking a chance at doing some things that I am totally unprepared for. I need to get uncomfortable (and a new baby may just help me do that).

Book to Read: Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell.

June - Mimmick Mentors
I have some great mentors, even if they don't realize how much I look up to them. I have Gregor, Stips, KOC, Cap, and JBiz. These individuals mean so much for me for so many different reasons, and in June I am going to focus on what they do to make myself better. I will mimmick their strengths so that I can improve. This will be challenging as they are five really impressive people. 

Book to Read: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain. This title pretty much speaks for itself, but I think this will be a great book for me, a natural introvert. I think it will help me realize my potential.

July - Dominate Work
I actually have no true action plan for July yet, but I am going to use this month to think strategically about my work and my career. I will be laser focused in July to make sure I am being efficient and effective in all my work. More to come on this!!!

Book to Read: Ben Hogan: An American Life, by James Dodson. Ben Hogan is one of my dad and brother's favorite golfers of all time. Reading a book on golf with help me get ready for August.

August - Let Loose and Play
In August, I'm going to work on play. I'll plan a golf weekend with my brother, play games with Kate, play with my new baby, and solve the Rubik's cube!! If anyone wants to join in my month of play, let me know!!

Book to Read: Networking Is a Contact Sport: How Staying Connected and Serving Others Will Help You Grow Your Business, Expand Your Influence -- or Even Land Your Next Job, by Joe Sweeney

September - Build Trust and Foster Friendships
This is always a priority for me, but I still wanted to give it its own month. I truly believe that friendships and relationships are so fascinating and important, so I want to focus the month of September on improving these relationships. It should be great!!

Book to Read: To Be Determined. I will read a parenting book of some sort. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

October - Be the Dad, Brother, Son, and Husband I Aspire to Be
October will be a month for family. I can't wait to focus on my family for an entire month and give them the focus that they deserve. They've had a great impact on me and I hope that I can refocus my attention in their direction in October and then going forward forever. They deserve it. Hopefully they don't get sick of me calling!!

Book to Read: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg.

November - Later is Now
What have I been putting off all month? What 5 minute tasks have been sitting on my to do list for 3 months? In November I resolve to do things NOW. Not later. NOW.

Book to Read: Time Keeper, by Mitch Albom. Mitch Albom is one of my favorite authors, so I am looking forward to getting to this book in November. Sounds like an interesting story!!

December - Declutter My Mind
Inevitably, December always seems like the craziest and most stressful month of the year. I want to make it less stressful in 2013. I will work to recharge my batteries and get ready for 2014!!

Book to Read: Happier at Home, by Gretchen Rubin

December Part II - Bring it All Together
I want to finish 2013 by focusing on the things that mad me most happy in the first 11 months of 2013. What brought me the most joy in 2013? That's what I'll focus on here in the last month.

So there you have it.....my first post of 2013. Thanks for reading.

Let's make 2013 great. Join me on my journey and let me know what you'll be doing so I can be inspired!!

Now off to bed.....it's already past my 9:30 bedtime!! 

Cheers,

JB

The Holstee Manifesto

Hey everyone,
I'm back again!

You've heard this from me earlier in the year, but I'm looking to be inspired in 2012. I'm constantly on the lookout for cool quotes, funky posters, or a cool message that I can carry forward in my life and in my actions. One thing I like to do is to change my background at work so I can always be looking at new and inspiring things. I usually have my background symbolize an upcoming event to help get me excited and prepared for the event. In this case, I'm not getting ready for an event....but instead getting ready for finishing off 2012 strong.

Some of you have probably seen this before, but I just saw it for the first time last week. It became my background on my computer in less than 5 minutes. I just love this and it hits on everything I've tried to accomplish and stand for in 2012. 

This amazing poster is called the Holstee Manifesto, and it actually is the mission statement for the workers at Holstee. To quote the Holstee twitter page, the company is a seller of "Lifestyle goods, designed with a conscience. Pursuing our dream for a sustainable & united planet." The company is owned by two brothers who are better people than I am. Not only can they dream this amazing series of words and phrases up.....they are actually incorporating it into their dreams and aspirations an carrying it forward to the other employees at their company. They are actually LIVING this manifesto. How cool is that?


"Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself."

"Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them."

"Do what you do, and do it often."

"All emotions are beautiful when you eat, appreciate every last bite."


These are a few of my favorite quotes from the manifesto. It's is amazing to have a company tell these things to their employees. This message is incredible and truly admirable for the people at Holstee. 

But can you imagine if you told these things to your husband before bed, your dad on a walk, your forgotten friend in a letter, your aunt at a wedding, your wife's co-worker at the next happy hour? What if you told this to your best friend next time you talked to them, your brother or sister when they needs a reminder of how amazing they are, or your neighbor when you saw them across the fence?

More importantly, wouldn't it be amazing if you could make others think these things WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING? Imagine the effect that it would have on you and these other people if you instilled these qualities in yourself. You could then pass this on without saying anything.....simply by acting. It would improve your life while inspiring those around you. That would be fantastic.

That's my goal for the rest of 2012. How can I better myself in order to better others? What traits can I instill in myself to inspire others to accomplish more than they thought possible in 2012?

Maybe this manifesto is a starting point for you.

Or maybe not.

But what do you stand for?

Let me know what you stand for......I'm waiting for your responses. Let's stand for something together!!

Cheers,

JB

Midyear Progress Report - Goal #12

Goal #12-I am going to surround myself with positive people that energize me to have fun and do great things. That's what it's all about!!

Complete success!!

I’ve had such a great year in 2012, and I attribute this to all the amazing and inspiring people that I have surrounded myself with this year. My family. My friends. My co-workers. My classmates. Everyone has done such a great job. I’ve surrounded myself with only the most positive and influential people this year. I’ve texted, called, emailed, and hung out with so many people and those people don’t have any idea how influential they are.

I’m looking to get inspired this year. You have no idea what that is like. When you’re looking for inspiration, you’ll find it in so many places.

-I see a friend that became a new dad treating his new baby so well, and it affects the way I treat people.

-I see the joy my Mom has now that she is retired, and it invigorates me to accomplish great things.

-I see the love that my Mom and Dad had in celebrating 40 years of marriage, and it makes me want to treat Kate like the amazing person she is.

-I see my best friend working crazy hours (sometimes 16 hour days), but not complaining one bit because he has his dream job. It makes me want to find my dream job.

-I see my nieces and nephews growing and having fun and learning new things each day, and it makes me want to keep learning so I can teach them new things as they keep getting older.

-I see another friend committing to learning new songs on his guitar, reading a dozen books in 2012, and focusing on his fitness, and it makes me want to help him out however I can.

-I see how much it means to my Aunt when I organize my family to donate money to my Uncle’s memorial fund, and it makes me want to organize more donations and give back in a greater way.

People have inspired me in so many ways. What a great thing that I’m looking for inspiration and I have dozens and dozens of people feeding it to me each week.

It is truly great to have so my great people in my life.

But I’m not done being inspired. I’m still looking for you guys to help me out and get me to achieve more this year…..so let me know what you’re up to and how I can help!!

Lesson Learned

It’s all about people. It’s as simple as that. No explanation needed.

Thanks for checking in on my midyear progress. Hopefully the second half of 2012 can go as well as the first half!!

Cheers,

JB

Midyear Progress Report - Goals #10 & 11

Today I'll describe my progress on two of my goals. THey are short reports, so I thought I'd combine them. Thanks for reading!!

Goal #10-I am reading books and magazines in 2012. Non-fiction of course!

I’m not sure what happened to me, but late in 2011 I started getting in insatiable desire to learn. All of the sudden, I’m more hungry to learn new things, try new things, and better myself more than I ever have been. I want to be better tomorrow than I am today.  In fact, reading a book called “13 Secrets of World Class Achievers” is what inspired me start this blog!

With this in mind, I’ve committed to reading books, magazines, and newspapers in 2012 and beyond. I’ve read magazines about being healthy and decorating my new home. I’ve read other magazines about recipes to try and places to go. I’ve read books about creating a sense of urgency and planning for what’s important.

I want to learn. I want to evolve. I want to be more efficient. Smarter. Better. Nicer. I want to be Jon 2.0!!

Lesson Learned

Everyone wants to do better. But not everyone acts on it.

Let’s all act on and work on getting better for the remainder of 2012. What can you learn or discover to make you better or make you nicer or make you smarter? Find it. Act on it!!

  

Goal #11- I am going to visit the Sand Dunes in Colorado this summer. Can't wait. Been wanting to do this for a few years. This is the year it happens!

Due to time constraints on our trip to Colorado, we were not able to make the long trip down south in Colorado to the Sand Dunes. Total bummer!!

Lesson Learned

You can’t do it all.

We can’t accomplish everything we want sometimes. There are moments where circumstances occur that prevent us from accomplishing our goals. This is okay! Just don’t make it a normal occurrence!

Check back tomorrow for a report on my LAST goal!

Cheers,

JB