I really asked the question, and I’ve no regrets. The next time you park on the street, and you overstay your time slot, you might receive a parking citation.(I feel like the City of Milwaukee gives them away like candy.)Now, what if the ticket read something like this?“Thank you for helping support Milwaukee’s 53206 community. The $25.00 from this ticket will help create the community’s first public library.“Or,“You’ve just made your commute along Vliet Street (between 12th and 35th) 10x better! Your $25.00 ticket enables the Public Works department to repave Vliet Street, reduce the traffic on the expressway, and plant a few trees!“Sometimes re-framing a problem is all that’s needed to translate pain into delight. I, for one, wouldn’t mind paying a $25.00 ticket if I knew exactly how it was to be spent. By contrast, if I was the type of person that did not want my money going to a specific cause, I may be more aware of where/how/when I parked. Many might argue that this approach is not scalable, doesn’t make sense, will never work… you name it! But, I say they’re right - it doesn’t make sense, it might not ever work, and it’s illogical - but, then again, nor are human emotions. If you want to come alive and help others, consider the things that don’t make sense.

What’s the likelihood you’d pay more?  What’s the likelihood you wouldn’t try to pay less?  I’m not in government, but it seems that operationally-speaking, it makes sense for the money to go into one pot and then be distributed as needed. After all, is it efficient to let the citizenry decide where the money goes?This isn’t a post about government, taxes, or management.  This is a post about efficiency.The most efficient model produces consistent results.  Consistently people pay, or they don’t.It’s not perfect, but it works.If we were looking at a stock portfolio, we’d call this the “efficient frontier.”  Well, my point is that we should drop this all together!  Consider the illogical.  Consider the inefficient.  If you’re looking to spread an idea, create a business, book a gig, or do anything worth believing you have two choices:The efficient frontier - where risk and reward are maximized most efficiently, or the way it’s conventionally done; orThrough magic - where the goal is to delight, to experiment, or to break convention.  I’m an advocate for spending at least 20% of your time considering on the latter. Why?Because when we consider the illogical, we look at that which no one else does.  And, if no one is doing it, we’ve created immediate differentiation.  Coming alive, doing the work that matters, or being more of who you’re meant to be doesn’t need to be efficient. If it needed to be, we’d all be the same. Where’s the fun in that?

Every day you wake up and look for ways to make things better.

Every day you make things better by doing something better.

Every day you do something better and help someone else.

When you help someone else, you make a better world.

When we make a better world, we change the culture.

You are perfecting the craft of changing culture.

One day at a time.

They suck! End of blog. Okay, no, really… they suck. When you look outside and see the grey sky, it’s easy to think, “well, what’s the point?” The plans you had to go out for a run - “Why bother?” The meal you were going to grill - “Nah, I’ll do it another day.” The golf game you’ve been hoping for - “I don’t feel like it.” The list goes on. You know what? I find something interesting about grey skies. Think about being on a plane that just took off from the airport. As you climb, higher and higher, you’ll eventually pass through the clouds. And as you pass through the grey and gloomy clouds, you’ll notice something, The color of the sky. What was it all along?

If you had one problem that you needed help solving, and you think I might be able to help you solve it, what would that problem be? The message above is often seen as a sales message. It’s understood that way because salespeople want to solve problems for potential customers. At the same time, customers want their problems solved. But, and this is a big “but,” they don’t want to be sold. I’m not selling anything through this blog. I write the blog because I want to share something each day that might help you. If you’re like me, you’ve got challenges. And, if you’re like me, sometimes another perspective helps. Right now, I need some perspective. I’m looking for ways to solve more problems. Why? Because I enjoy helping people solve a problem. So with that, I’d love to know, from you, what problems I could offer insights into. It’s best if you pose a problem that you think I might be able to help you solve. People like us like to help the others. Thanks, in advance, for the help.

You do.  You absolutely need to take a chill pill, relax, and come to your senses.  While you’re at it, you need to take a break and get outside.While you’re at it, you need to eat healthier - I’m worried about you.STOP THE NOISE!  Been in this position before? With everybody telling you what you need to do? How to live your life? What you should be doing now?  Consider giving these people a break because they care. Also, give yourself a break. Because if you’re like me, You’re doing it to yourself every day.Possibly now.

I know people who like to plan.  They are ridiculously organized.Before they take any steps, they want to see the plan written out.The data matters to them - what are others doing? What’s the best practice? What makes sense?Do you know this type of person?This is the type of person that needs to feel, be given, and give themselves safety at every corner. They seek out like-minded people because, in numbers, there’s security.  This is the kind of person that will read tons of books on tactics, consult with a mentor, discuss “best practices,” and look for the cleanest path to do anything.There’s nothing wrong with this person.  I was once that kind of person. I love people like that.Having said that, I’m offering a different way to think - the illogical way.  Want to try out a new idea? Do what other people refuse to do. Try it out. See what happens.  Looking for an affordable place to live? Live where others don’t want to live.  Want to try being more productive? Do things that make you less productive and see how you feel.Efficiency and effectiveness are not one and the same.Flowers are not efficient - they put on elaborate displays of colors so that bees will come and pollinate.  But, if you like honey, you could argue that flowers are quite effective.  Next time you’re faced with a problem, look for the solution that makes the least amount of sense. It might just work.

If you sprain your ankle, you will likely see a medical professional. If you don’t see a doctor right away, for sure, you might see one to sign off that you’re okay to walk on it.  If you happen to be or know a megalomaniac, you might notice that they buy large yachts. More than likely, the reason they buy a yacht is to entertain their friends.  If you have pain, you might reach for a Tylenol to provide relief. Nevermind, your body is capable of reducing the pain over time and through its own means.  What do these all have in common?  They provide you with a feeling you couldn’t get elsewhere. A feeling only you could give to yourself - justification.Rory Sutherland uses these examples in his book, “Alchemy,” and I believe they’re worth the exanimation.  Doctor: your body is perfectly capable of healing your sprain. You could easily experiment and try to walk on it your foot. You might fail, or you might be okay. Your doctor provides reassurance.Yacht: while you could undoubtedly entertain your friends at your place, a yacht gives you the ability to control your friends - you become the captain!  Red Pill: we’ve been conditioned that when we take the pain relief medication, we’ll feel better. Perhaps this is a placebo? Maybe it’s real? But, our bodies are capable of removing the pain response.  What I’m getting at is that everything we do has a reason. Or am I saying, we have an explanation for everything we do?  I believe it’s the latter.  How many times do you make decisions and not realize why you’re doing what you’re doing?  My sister would argue that she does this all the time. But, when she’s held to account, she can rattle a hundred reasons why she did, or did not, do something. Many times, those reasons don’t make sense - at least to me.  In fact, the point is that my sister’s reasonings aren’t as much a justification for me, as much as they are her justification to herself.What white coats, fancy boats, and pills have in common is that they are self-justifications. They are the PR factories to the unconscious decision-maker. They allow us to actually feel the things we need to feel - safety, control, and relief (respectively).  Or, in the case of my sister, righteous.  I’m the same way.So are you.

The actual moment. Before this moment, you felt nothing. Then, after the moment passed, you felt everything. Can you distill the timeline of your life down to that exact moment? If you’re like me, the answer is no. We can’t because love doesn’t work that way. The feeling of being in love with another is developed over time. Lots of small actions, commitments kept, and time together are compounded to create that feeling. Trust is no different. If you want to create the feeling of being in trust with another, a customer, an employee, then you must be consistent, reciprocate, and stand true to your values.

I love waking up early. Typically, I’m up at 4:30 AM. No, I’ m not doing a “be like a Navy Seal and wake up at 5 AM with a cold shower.” I wake up early because no one is bothering me at that hour! In addition to my productivity, what I love about being up so early is to see the sunrise. For me, a sunrise evokes hope, a promise, and it reminds me that I have an opportunity to do something today that matters. It also blurs my vision if I stare at it too long. Stoic philosopher, Seneca, writes, “cease to hope…and you’ll cease to fear.” Seneca goes on, “…each alike belongs to a mind that is in suspense, that is fretted by looking forward to the future.” If you stare at the sun rising too long, your vision will be affected. If all you do is focus on your destination, you’ll never be present to see what’s happening now. Enjoy the sunrise, but please keep your vision.