Hi Audrey, 

Here's your weekly email of things I'm reading, listening to, thinking about, buying, or just plain paying attention to. I hope you get something out of this, but if you don't and you decide to unsubscribe, I'll buy you a coffee for wasting your time.

Yep, I'm serious, just unsubscribe and I'll send you a gift card for a free coffee. 

Oh yeah, and don't forget to CLICK THE LINKS...there's some cool stuff behind those lovely bold red words!

My Podcast with Andrew Petty — Breaking the Stuckness Stalemate

This week I spent some time with my good friend Andrew Petty on his podcast "Andrew Petty Is Dying" discussing "stuckness", and in particular dissecting Andrew's 5 ingredients for breaking the "stuckness stalemate."  I really enjoyed the time with Andrew and I think that the podcast came out really awesome. 

Click here to listen to the episode.

Dream Killer — Complexity Bias

I'll often share a solution with a client and they'll shake their head and say, "Chad, you just don't understand my business... it's complicated." To which I will generally respond some version of, "Keith, you're overthinking — this, makes it simple." I think that most of us suffer through some form of complexity bias. It occurs when we (falsely) believe that a complex solution is better SIMPLY because it is more complex. That's called, "Complexity Bias" it's killing people's dreams. If this resonates with you, I recommend you read THIS ARTICLE from fs.blog (a new favorite site for no politics, no bullshit reading).

One of the simplest ways to combat Complexity Bias? Use Occam's Razor as a decision-making model.

Here's a cool video explaining Occam's Razor:

Book That Belongs On Your Bookshelf — "The Warrior Ethos" by Steven Pressfield

It's no secret that I'm a big Steven Pressfield fan. His books, "The War of Art" and "Turning Pro" are at the top of my reading list (get the list here) Recently, I picked up another one of his books, "The Warrior Ethos" and I suspect that it will soon make a debut on my "best of" reading list. The book discusses the nature of the warrior code and the rules by which a warrior, even a metaphorical one, must follow. The stories about the Spartans at Thermopylae are amazing. One of my favorite quotes from the book: 

“No one is born with the Warrior Ethos, though many of its tenets appear naturally in young men and women of all cultures. The Warrior Ethos is taught. On the football field in Topeka, in the mountains of the Hindu Kush, on the lion-infested plains of Kenya and Tanzania. Courage is modeled for the youth by fathers and older brothers, by mentors and elders. It is inculcated, in almost all cultures, by a regimen of training and discipline. This discipline frequently culminates in an ordeal of initiation. The Spartan youth receives his shield, the paratrooper is awarded his wings, the Afghan boy is handed his AK-47.”

― Steven Pressfield, The Warrior Ethos

RUB SOME DIRT ON IT — How to Recover from Painful Setbacks

“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and continuous struggle.” 

- Napoleon Hill

Failure is nothing new to most entrepreneurs and small business owners. Unless you are especially lucky, or particularly new at this game, you’ve likely had your fair share of setbacks. I’m no different. Sometimes, when I think I'm ready to get some of my ideas into motion and action, I have a major moment of setback. Anything from unexpected financial challenges, time delays, unresponsive partners, etc. These setbacks have become such a regular part of my entrepreneurial journey that I’ve come to not only expect them but in fact, to RELISH them, even ENJOY them in some cases. 

In fact, FINDING JOY IN STRUGGLE has become such a regular part of my life and practice that I often find myself getting excited when my clients begin to struggle because I know that significant struggle is the beginning of significant growth. In order for them and their businesses, to truly become what they’ve always imagined, they have to go through some extreme trials and challenge their old ways of being. I have NEVER seen an entrepreneur succeed without struggle (and I kind of hope that I never do). Setbacks are such a gift for all people, not just entrepreneurs.

Here are a few things that you can do to recover from painful setbacks and get back on track toward your goals: 

1. Don’t Dwell — Hal Elrod, author of "The Miracle Morning" and "The Miracle Equation" (among others) has a particular concept called “Emotional Invincibility,” in which he encourages us to LIMIT the amount of time we spend grieving to a few hours or even a few MINUTES. He famously was nearly paralyzed in a car accident when he was 20, and the doctors told him that he would never walk again. He was walking within THREE DAYS simply because he refused to dwell on the past (the accident) and instead focus on the present, taking one step at a time. The idea behind this is that dwelling on an issue will increase guilt about what "should" have been done rather than moving forward in the present and planning toward the future, creates hope of, “What I can do now.” In fact, even Buddha exhorts the advice, "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” 
2. Practice Gratitude — The relationship between gratitude and well-being has been well-documented. In fact, researchers have found that people who habitually focus on the positives in their life may have greater self-esteem, lower rates of depression, and overall improved life satisfaction. One of the simplest ways to cultivate this orientation towards gratefulness is to consistently keep a simple gratitude list or journal. Get into the habit of writing down at least three things you're thankful for each night before going to bed. It takes mere seconds and can have a huge impact on your general well-being, stress levels, and anxiety. Not feeling very thankful? Keep in mind that gratitude is a choice, and not necessarily something that comes easily. Cultivating gratitude takes time and patience; so don't be surprised if you initially have to dig deep to find something to be grateful for.
3. Meditate — Meditation is well-documented for its ability to lower stress and increase personal well-being. While meditation may not be a cure-all for stress and anxiety, it does lead to small to moderate improvements in levels of psychological stress. Meditation can take a variety of forms, so don't let the thought of it turn you off. My meditation practice is simple, and I recommend that yours be as well. I simply SIT IN MY CHAIR for 10 minutes and COUNT BREATHS in through my nose and out through my mouth. When I get to 100 I start over. There are many free or inexpensive guided meditation apps you can download and use anywhere, anytime. Want a more mobile meditation experience? Look into the simple practice of walking meditation. Want something even simpler? Stare at a candle, take some deep breaths, and let your thoughts go. 
4. Exercise — My wife and I go to the gym every morning at 5:15 a.m. We don’t do this solely for the positive impact it has on our fitness, but primarily for the positive impact, it has on reducing our stress levels. In fact, recent research suggests that exercise may be helpful — not because it sends a surge of endorphins through our bodies, as previously thought — but through triggering the release of norepinephrine, the chemical responsible for helping your brain deal more efficiently with stress. Exercise may actually be a “trial run” for stressful situations. Exercise gives the body a chance to practice dealing with stress. It forces the body's physiological systems to communicate much more closely than usual. This workout of the body's communication system may be the true value of exercise; the more active we get, the more efficient our bodies become in responding to stress. 
5. Embrace Stress — Stanford psychologist, Kelly McGonigal says that viewing stress as a positive can actually make you stronger and happier. She writes, "Viewing stress as harmful leads people to cope in ways that are less helpful, whether it's getting drunk to "release" stress, procrastinating to avoid stress, or imagining worst-case scenarios...In contrast, viewing stress more positively seems to encourage people to cope in ways that help them thrive, whether it's tackling the source of stress, seeking social support, or finding meaning in it." Stop running away from stress. Lean into it instead. 

Thanks for reading!

Have feedback to share with me? Which above was your favorite? Want more or less of something? Have other suggestions? 

Send a reply to this email and let me know. I'm always open to new ideas if you have something cool or interesting that you think I should know and/or write about in the next, Black Coffee Friday. 

That's it for now... talk soon!

Chad

P.S. — I launched my group coaching program, "Mavericks," this week. Do you need a tribe of people to help you achieve your dreams? Maybe this is the one for you — click here.