Common: Doing things quickly and sloppily because the outcome is unknown.

Uncommon: I live in Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles – and with this coastal environment comes a unique beach culture and social protocol. But within every human sub-community lurk aspects of a larger behavioral code.  One such example is what, as of this post, I call the ‘Sandcastle Effect.’

[Bear with me, this will be fun.]

Every day I run several miles down the beach in the sand, while sporting my peculiar looking Vibram Fivefinger shoes. What’s more peculiar, perhaps, are the remnants (or lack thereof) of the beachgoers’ sandy structures. Some sandcastles boast an impressive existence spanning several days. Others do not.

Why the difference?

Digging into details

This is no scientific act of heroism, but I did recall some elements of my middle school education and began with several hypotheses that, in time, I ruled out:

1. Timing: It wasn’t the time of year or the time of day (baring the occasional bad weather and mass influxes of beachgoers).
2. Location: Sand castles in BFE areas (off the beaten path) were outliers. I focused, instead, on the sandcastles in popular locations to retain some continuity.
3. Size: Bigger castles did appear to earn respect more often, but not enough to overshadow the final variable…

So, what did matter?

The short answer: A passion to create something awesome.

The enduring sandcastles shared an obvious commonality: They were apparent displays of deliberate effort and attention to detail. They were transformations of sand to art – and most people had no desire to destroy them.  In fact, people gladly changed the course of their beachfront strut to avoid spoiling the frail creations. Others stood by in admiration and signaled their friends to take a closer look.  Clearly, they had earned the time, attention, and admiration of the beach community.

With that said, these sandcastles, although impressive, were not textbook works of immaculate design. They were good, not perfect. But perfection was not the benchmark (when you think about it, it rarely is). Yet, these castles were still a recognizable work of awesomeness – and that’s what mattered.

It was the shoddy, slapdash sandcastles that were tackled and trampled first – sometimes within minutes. And it wasn’t just unruly, naïve children spearheading the destruction. People of all ages and backgrounds had no trouble trouncing a mediocre sandcastle to reclaim the valuable real estate.

Beyond the beach

The metaphors for everyday life are numerous.

Mediocre work is:

• Common – therefore rarely valued
• Ignored
• Produced by anyone – thus easily replaceable/expendable and consequently wasteful
• Wearisome
• Mass-produced
• Impersonal
• Forgotten

Awesome work is:

• Unique
• Noticeable – and in many cases can’t be ignored.
• Valuable – worthy of time and attention.
• Contagious – worthy of conversation and sharing with friends
• Creative
• Thoughtful
• Inspiring
• Influential
• Memorable

So why don’t more people produce awesome work? This is a two-part answer.

Reason #1:

This part is obvious: It takes effort – often over a long period of time as Malcolm Gladwell pointed out in his book, Outliers.

Even though an enormous commitment doesn’t always lead to an awesome outcome, you can’t have an awesome outcome without an enormous commitment.

Hence, the ‘risk’ of wearing your heart on your sleeve and proceeding without the guarantee of success.

Reason #2:

This part is often less discussed: It’s risky. And very few people are willing to put passion into a risky outcome. Doing so is uncommon.

“Risky?” you ask? “How so?” Because ‘awesome’ is not a permit to universal acceptance.

Even awesome sandcastles are still targets of tyrants (just not as many as mediocre ones). But as every linchpin and leader knows, popularity need not be (and should not be) the gauge of awesome work.

There will always be what I call ‘destructivists,’ but the creators, makers, artists, and ‘constructivists’ always have the last laugh. Why? Because you can never completely destroy ‘awesome.’ Awesome work is impactful work that creates an irreversible impression. “A mind, once stretched,” as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it, “can never return to its original dimensions.”

This is what makes awesome work so important… even if the work doesn’t reach heights of mass popularity; it’s always legacy work because it leaves permanent and spontaneous “dents in the universe” as Steve Jobs may have put it.

Awesome work may not be cherished by everyone, but it does not alter the fact that it’s undeniably invaluable to someone or some group.

Start building – and do it well

It doesn’t take perfection, top-notch tools or world-class talent to do great work that’s recognizable and appreciated by others. It takes courage in the face of an unknown outcome and commitment of uncommon effort.

Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, employee, parent, coach, artist, teacher, student or anything in between, you have a sandcastle – or many of them – to build.

If you’re going to work, to create something, make it awesome. Do remarkable work. That’s what matters. That’s what creates lasting impact.

In a sea of noise, awesome sandcastles not only stand strong and stand out, they serve as beacons to guide and inspire others to do awesome work too.

So build… the world is waiting.

Your thoughts?

Have you noticed this trend? Have you seen the Sandcastle Effect occur in other areas? Do you agree or disagree?

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• The TUL newsletter
• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

Common: Being weighed down on the launch pad due to too much baggage.

Uncommon: While waiting in the check-in line, I spotted an airport cliché that never fails: The luggage miser.

There she stood: One purse, a bulging computer bag, a roller carry-on bag, two over-sized suitcases, a sweater bearing lap dog clenched in her arms… and a facial expression that flashed ‘max mental capacity.’

Each little shift in the line caused her enormous hassle. She wanted to move, but she couldn’t. It required a gargantuan effort with multiple attempts.

Instead of being excited about each opportunity to move closer to her goal (the check-in desk), she felt increasingly overwhelmed.

And such is the way many people live their lives. They have a goal or destination in mind, lug a surplus of baggage along with them, and wonder why they don’t get far from the launch pad, if anywhere at all.

This ‘baggage’ is a collection of past failures, past hurts, irrelevant assumptions, non-constructive beliefs, unsupportive peers, and… need I say more?  These items give us every reason to stop before we start and burn through our emotional fuel. Even the greatest goal or resolve is rarely a match for burdensome baggage. The idea of starting, moving, and persevering becomes too daunting to handle.

New year, new slate?

All too often we assume our slate is automatically erased upon the resetting of the calendar year, only to discover our motivation is haunted by doubt from the prior year’s baggage… a debut real-life rerun of ‘I know what you did last summer.’

Please, on so many levels, make it stop.

‘Rollover’ baggage is a silent New Year’s killer. It slowly strangles our enthusiasm and fosters seemingly logical reasons (excuses) to lower our expectations rather than raise our standards.

Today is your opportunity to be the heroine, or hero, of your life’s narrative.

Before you commence your journey to an uncommon life in 2012, assess your inventory. Stop, think, and drop. Literally. Identify the items of baggage you’re currently carrying from 2011 and scrutinize every last piece.

• What is helping?
• What is hindering?
• What can (and should) you leave behind?
• How can you repack your lessons learned to encourage action?

And forget about reaching for your wallet. In this instance, you can’t afford the additional baggage check-on fees.

Look beyond the alluring and convenient quick fixes: It’s time to start traveling leaner.

You’ll not only move further and faster, you just may have more fun.

Here’s to a year of uncommon adventure. I’m looking forward to taking this journey with you.

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

In 2009, amid the economic downturn and uncertainty, I had the peculiar urge to set some large financial goals, which resulted in diving head first into the previously unfamiliar world of real estate investing. I moved to Phoenix, Arizona and worked tirelessly to learn years of real estate insights in 9 months as I bought, sold, and managed a growing portfolio of assets.

2010 was a year of methodical toil, building upon systems and information learned in 2009. Unfortunately, it was not without business turmoil. With my real estate business calculatedly set on autopilot, I returned to school to complete my ‘formal education’ and then quickly started this blog (then called, Learn, Earn, and Don’t Get Burned) as a coping mechanism and outlet for my numerous frustrations regarding conventional education.

In 2011, dissatisfied with the realists’ narrative of the ‘real world,’ I set out to test, challenge, and redefine what was ‘realistic’ – and what a year it’s been.

Some 2011 highlights:

• Traveled to 9 countries and 40+ cities – visiting many of them 2, 3 or 4 times. Some of these locations were: San Francisco, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Sun Valley, Lake Tahoe, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Dominican Republic, Beijing, Singapore, London, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Mexico, and Croatia.
• Got married in Hungary in a 1,000 year-old castle and then married once again (same woman, different continent) on the coast of Southern California.
• Took a full student load at USC and graduated Magna Cum Laude.
• Started a California-based real estate and lending company, Healo Capital
• Designed and launched the MaximsForMavericks.com blog.
• Acquired TheUncommonLife.com after 30 days of negotiation and designed and launched The Uncommon Life blog.
• Joined the The Young Entrepreneur Council, an invitation-only organization that offers feedback to other budding ‘free range’ humans looking to lead an uncommon life.
• Wrote and released the new Maxims for Mavericks manifesto.
• Wrote the majority of my newest book: Be Uncommonly Productive – And released Part 1.
• Developed the outline and rough contents for 3 more future books due for release in 2012.
• Started work on the new Uncommon Life store due for launch in Q1 2012.

It’s certainly been a year of adventure, but not by accident. In an attempt to overcome my natural tendency to place rote work over pleasure, I set a liberating theme in January 2011: Adventure over comfort and convenience. As I wrote in this post:

“I recognized it’s all too easy to choose the path of least resistance – so easy, in fact, we often aren’t aware of when and how often we do it. It’s a paralyzing pattern to fall into. Too many people go through life hoping that adventure, excitement, and happiness finds them. Rarely, if ever, does this happen.”

You may not be able to account for and design everything that happens to you in life, but planning for excellence and adventure indisputably increases the odds of both. Realizing this, I have grown accustom to performing a year-end review and creating a plan for the year ahead. And this is some of the most important thinking I’ve ever done.

[[Wondering where to start or how to effectively do this yourself? Not to worry… I have outlined a methodical process of analysis here: HOW and WHY you should assess your life.]]

One of the most basic forms of analysis is discovering what’s working and what isn’t. And I’m happy to share some of these insights with you. After all, I’ve always believed that “the smart man learns from his mistakes, but the wise man learns from the mistakes of others” … here’s your chance to be the wise person.

What went well:

School: Bringing my college education to a close after 8 years of pin-balling between the classroom and my office was more than a relief; it was invigorating. Unfortunately, my college experience as a whole was underwhelming and frustrating, but I did learn a lot about productivity, how to recognize and adapt to systems, and how to apply atypical rapid-learning techniques. Graduating Magna Cum Laude was a testament to these unusual lessons. I have decided to outline and share these lessons in an upcoming book titled, The Uncommon Student (more details to come in 2012).

• Lesson: When you fully apply yourself to a demanding objective, expect to discover some uncommon insights that cannot be learned otherwise.

Productivity: Looking back at 2011, I am pleased with what I was able to do while maintaining a healthy balance between work and leisure. I was always busy, but rarely felt overworked. There is a difference and it’s an important one. I did a much better job declining and/or ignoring extraneous tasks and projects so I could focus on what was most important.

• Lesson: The silver lining of a busy life is that it forces us to reexamine our commitments, scrutinize our strategies, and seek maximum efficiency.

Travel: I was on the road A LOT – an important 2011 goal I had set for myself. In fact, the longest I had been in one city all year was 10 days, with the average being 5 days. My suitcase was my home away from home, but oddly enough, I loved it. Although this traveling was not a vacation for me, I learned that I prefer an ever-changing work environment. With the Internet and countless other devices, apps, and services, constant travel has become a real possibility.

• Lesson: Mixing travel and work is more gratifying than setting aside rare and infrequent trips with the purpose of idle relaxation.

Technology: I used to believe I was simplifying my life by distancing myself from many technological devices, services, and programs. I was wrong. This past year I spent much of my spare time mastering all forms of technology and have since found myself consulting with individuals and small businesses to help boost productivity, eliminate stress, and simply make life more fun and interesting.

• Lesson: Becoming technologically curious and competent maximizes efforts, saves time, and allows for, you guessed it, an uncommon life.

Balance: Working for yourself can be tough because there is no clock to punch, no external trigger to help one disconnect from work. In the past I frequently and severely burned myself out. This year I made an effort not to overextend myself in any one area proving that strong habits and ingrained tendencies can be overcome.

• Lesson: Balance is about prevention, not damage control (read more here)

Health: Some people claim they can work consistently and creatively without exercise and a balanced diet. In 2010, I learned I am not one of them so this past year I made time for exercise and took every opportunity to eat right. This is one of the most important contributing factors to 2011’s productivity and happiness.

• Lesson: Energy management trumps time management (read more here)

What didn’t go well:

Product launches: As you may have noticed, I really enjoy creating new books, among other things. If time allowed, I’d write a new book every month. Ideas and drive have never been my problem. My personal challenge is marketing what I create so others know they exist. Admittedly, I have not done a good job sharing the Maxims for Mavericks Manifesto and Be Uncommonly Productive with the world. One of the things I will be looking for in 2012 is someone who can help me share my goods and services with the world via a more effective and calculated approach (know someone who fits the bill?).

• Lesson: I am a creator at heart, not a marketer. I need a helping hand with promotion.

25toLifeBlog.com: I love traveling and bending paradigms. I created this website/blog to merge these topics. I believe it has a lot of potential, but have decided not to launch the site at this time to avoid spreading myself too thin.

• Lesson: Putting some projects on hold can be necessary in maintaining balance and delivering higher quality work in other areas.

Commentary and interaction: While I have enjoyed seeing thousands of visitors reading my blogs from around the world, I would like to increase reader interaction. As a way to encourage more comments, I’ll be experimenting with ways to make my posts more personal and personable. Do you have ideas here? If so, post them below.

• Lesson: TBA

Posting frequency: Writing 2 books while maintaining 2 blogs and running 3 businesses is a challenge. I would like to post more than 1.75 times per month, but that would mean less content creation in the form of books and manifestos. I’m not sure how I feel about this, so why not ask you, the reader? What do you think about the frequency of my posting on TUL and M4M? Not enough? Just right? Too often? Do you prefer 500-1,000 word posts over longer, in-depth ebooks? Why?

• Lesson: TBA

Going forward:

Overall, I am happy with decisions and experiences in 2011 and feel I made a solid effort to embrace my theme of Choosing adventure over comfort and convenience. While I am still searching for my 2012 theme, I remain convinced that selecting a theme is a very important part of creating an uncommon life.

But that’s enough about me. What went well for you? Any lessons learned? Have a theme for 2012?  (Haven’t thought about it? Here’s an outline to help get you started.) Would love to hear all about it in the comments section below.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

Common: Passionate ignorance disguised as commitment

Uncommon: After centuries of use, someone thought it necessary to improve upon the cannon. While still effective, there was a problem. Once in flight, the cannonball could not be intentionally stopped or redirected.

Then came the smart missile… it could adjust to conditions, respond to new information, and yes, could even abort the mission altogether. Given the two options, the logical strategy is that of the smart missile.

But this is not the approach many people choose when creating their lives. They take the form of the cannonball, relying on established mass, momentum, and brute force to take them to their destination. The cannonball can plow through many barriers with impressive resolve. This is very similar to the ‘whatever it takes’ method – a display of dogged tenacity towards a predetermined target.

But in life, our targets (end goals) rarely sit in one place waiting to connect with a unidirectional object (you, the pursuer).

Smart or stubborn?

Yes, I believe that consistent success must be earned with persistence and diligence. However, there are both smart ways (smart missiles) and stubborn ways (cannonballs) to direct or aim effort to this end. And the wrong allocations can lead to burnout, pessimism, and a myriad of other nasty derivatives.

How do I know? I’ve been the cannonball. I’ve also seen many of my clients go through the same process before approaching me for feedback. But not surprisingly, most people are taken aback when I tell them that tireless commitment is a fool’s strategy. (Warning: To a Type A personality this is akin to telling a 6 year old that Santa doesn’t exist.)

So, you too may be questioning such a bold hypothesis. But my explanation as to why this ‘whatever it takes,’ get-out-of-my-way mentality is a flawed strategy is actually quite simple: It severs the relationship between outcome and purpose. In the absence of the latter, tireless commitment becomes mindless action.

In the name of ‘completing our objective head on’ our eyes roll back, our mind tunes out, and we run, and run, and run. We pride ourselves on making the decision not to let anything get between ourselves and the outcome.

But therein lies the dangerously oversimplified equation of success… the assumption that what lies between point and A and point B is immaterial, irrelevant, and only conquered through audacious action.

Driven by this mindset, we remove the impartial perspective needed to discern the difference between ignorant opinions and constructive feedback. I smell danger.

The danger zone

Here are some common casualties of the ‘whatever it takes’ strategy:

• The student who invests hundreds of thousands of dollars and hours to complete her college degree because the major once had personal appeal in high school.
• The ambitious professional who, in a frenzied effort to ‘climb the ladder,’ ends up sacrificing his social life, his health, and worst of all, his values.
• The entrepreneur who continues to invest in R&D to perfect a product that becomes so expensive to produce the market is not willing to pay a price that covers the cost of production.
• The competitive gamer who, determined to set a new high score, defers sleep and exercise.
• The athlete who, determined to crush the competition, blows out her knee.
• The business that continues to throw dollars into advertising a product that the market does not want.
• The networker who, in wanting to meet a notable contact, ruins his reputation by beating down doors with obsessive force.

Why do such heartbreaking events happen? Because anything less than the original goal, defined in its initial terms, is viewed as failure, so we push beyond what is sensible assuming that every sacrifice is yardage gained. At some point along the way the outcome becomes more important than the purpose, which is all too often the result of a ‘whatever it takes’ approach to achieving.

In fact, if worded differently, ‘whatever it takes’ also means ‘at whatever costs.’ Needless to say, it’s a short-term plan.

The smart missile

An intelligent achiever, on the other hand, understands that a great goal does not merely define the outcome; it explains why such a goal is important to begin with. Without this supplementary ‘why’ it’s far too easy to doggedly head in a non-constructive direction and be completely unaware of it.

Yes, there are times when aborting the initial mission to redirect focus and energy is, in fact, the best and boldest decision… because starting something is not grounds for finishing it. Because larger sacrifices don’t always lead to larger upsides. And because more effort does not guarantee more reward.

I’m not condoning fractional commitments and I don’t believe in pursuing goals with partial efforts. If you’re not prepared to try or make certain sacrifices, then be prepared to face an equal number of frustrating issues of a different form.

But take heed: There is a difference between giving a 100% effort and adopting the ‘whatever it takes’ mentality. The former demonstrates patience, timing, respect, and an acute awareness of one’s journey, whereas the latter, by definition, disregards it.

The cannonball’s ‘full speed ahead’ approach is powerful, but it’s no longer the medieval era where brute force prevails. Today, life moves fast and selecting our trajectory once upon launch is a recipe for disaster. We must be strategic, adaptive, and willing to set our sights on the purpose, not just the end target.

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

Common: Blaming poor results on a lack of innate talent.

Uncommon: Talent is overrated. It’s actually quite a useless metric to measure or predict much of anything.

There, I said it.

It seems that people who are unhappy with what they have accomplished over the course of 5, 10 or more years almost always make statements that suggest a lack of natural ability. They often conclude that they don’t “have what it takes.”  It’s the classic case of focusing on differentiating factors of successful people rather than the similarities.

The reality is, we all ‘have’ an equal amount of what really matters: time. And time is opportunity – hands down the greatest asset we have. Time really is the great equalizer. More than anything else, it’s how we use our minutes that determines the quality of our lives.

Successful individuals realize that time is more valuable than skill, money, and almost any other resource because with enough time, you can hone skills, raise capital, nurture relationships, and summon what is required for an exceptional life.

“Ok,” you ask, ”but is it really important to obsess about the seconds and minutes of our day?” Rather than give my opinion, I’ll let you make the call. Here’s how the details add up…

When asked, most people cannot accurately identify where their time goes—especially segments of 5 to 10 minutes. This is alarming. When the result is two and a half days lost in a single year, I hope it’s sobering enough to make you realize that squandered minutes quickly lead to a squandered life.

Let’s look at it from another, more intriguing perspective…

Your life expense account

Imagine that every morning a deposit of $86,400.00 was added to your checking account. But with each gift deposit come two unbreakable rules:

1. At the end of each day, your account balance is completely wiped. Everything you don’t spend during the day disappears. No transfers allowed.
2. The game can end at any time without warning.

What would you do with this capital? How might you act differently?  What would your days look like?

Truth be told, this is not an exercise in financing. It’s (much) more sobering than that. Metaphorically, this ‘game’ is your life. The daily deposits of 86,400 are the number of seconds we’re granted each day. Money or not, the same immutable rules apply to our lives. How we use these non-refundable 86,400 units is our choice.

A little obsession with a big impact

Looking back on this year puts a smile on my face when I think about the many incredible things I’ve been able to do ­– its definitely been an ‘uncommon’ year (more on this in an upcoming post). But, I dare to say that none of it is the result of ‘natural ability.’ I am smart enough to know that I’m not sharpest tool in the shed (sigh).

Nonetheless, this awareness has changed my life in surprisingly positive way. Instead of focusing on the obscure, immeasurable, and inheritable elements of ‘talent,’ I turned my attention to maximizing what is universally equal: our time.

Over the years I’ve developed a healthy obsession about the 86,400 units of time that construct my day. From a young age I have attempted to squeeze the most out of each passing minute. And that has made all of the difference. Why? Because…

The willingness to manage your time fanatically precedes any increase in output.

Use it or lose it

How we use our time says everything about our priorities, our level of self-respect, and our understanding of the finite nature of life itself.

The way we use our time is directly related to how we value it.

In my new book, Be Uncommonly Productive, I offer the tools, systems, and habits that have allowed me do more than commonly possible while saving me 100 hours of personal time this year. But I also make one thing very clear from the outset: No one else can make you care – care about the 84,6000 seconds you’re gifted each day.

The best tools and insights will do absolutely nothing if not preceded by a passion for how often and how well each is applied. In other words, the magic of uncommon results is revealed in the application of time.

As I shared on the TUL Facebook page, the passing of time combined with an effort to be a better person presents all of the opportunities necessary to grow into a better version of yourself and claim the life you’ve always wanted. Even the largest mountains and the hardest rocks are no match against the tenacity of time – and we have much more of it than we care to admit (and often use).

If you can spare 15 minutes a day, you will have 3.8 full days each year to build a skill, network with extraordinary people, experiment with new productivity tools, and (fill in the blank). The only question remaining is, will you? Will you eradicate time waste? Will you stop blaming a lack natural talent?

When your response is a resounding “yes,” barriers to the uncommon become not only surmountable, but also somewhat irrelevant.

Be uncommon,

- Kent

IMPORTANT: It’s ‘time’ to step it up:

Much of this post was an excerpt from Be Uncommonly Productive – 15 unbreakable, paradigm-bending principles for slaughtering stress, taking charge, and doing more than commonly possible. I have decided to give 1,000 copies away (a $50 value). Grab your FREE copy here.

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

Common: Fear of the worst-case scenario leading to inaction.

Uncommon: Halloween is an event of intrigue. A brief look into its history reveals many mysteries and myths. One such legend got me thinking…

It’s said that come the end of harvest season, as they prepared for the coming winter and the potential wrath it could bolster, some European communities dressed in intimidating garb and pranced through the night to cast away sinister spirits from their villages. It was a scarecrow communion of the spirit world.

Read into this objectively and you’ll see that these farmers and villagers were fighting off fear with fear.  It’s an interesting strategy, primarily because it’s contrary to many modern methods used to address fear.

“Focus on your strengths, your victories, and your support group to build your self-esteem,” we’re told. “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”  This advice does have merit, but it often overshadows an equally effective strategy. Let me explain…

Every first fear, has a surprising twin

Countless well-meaning people paralyze themselves in the face of fear due to the misguided notion that inaction always lessens risk. But in the pursuit of an uncommon life, this is very rarely the case. Our fear-induced responses are a survival tool, but these knee-jerk responses are not an effective instrument for constructing a fulfilling life.

So how should you deal with a fear the ‘Hallowed way’? By first realizing that every paralyzing fear has a paradoxical twin with a propensity to encourage action. In other words, initial feelings of fear are most often associated with focusing on the worst-case scenario, but there is always a flipside; a ‘Hallowed fear’ in this case:

Paralyzing fear: If I start a business I will fail.

Hallowed fear: If I don’t try to start a business I know my inaction will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Both situations produce fear. Only one leads to action. Some more examples:

Paralyzing fear: If I write my book people might laugh at my ideas and my efforts.

Hallowed fear: If I don’t write my book, I have destroyed the opportunity to impact others and pursue a possible new life path.

Paralyzing fear: If I ask her on a date, she might reject me.

Hallowed fear: If I don’t ask her on a date, I’ll always wonder how a possible ‘yes’ might have changed my life forever.

Fear is inevitable; the outcome is not

Regardless of our self-esteem, track record, or praise we may receive, a potentially ‘paralyzing fear’ will almost always rear its ugly head when pursuing any worthwhile goal. Yes, fear is still experienced by the best of us. But this initial fear need not seal our fate. We decide which fear (paralyzing or hallowed) will determine our next move.

Thus, the consequences and potential usefulness of fear depend wholly on what fear is most real to us: The worst-case scenario of taking action or the potential loss due to inaction.  The former leads to idleness, but the latter leads to experimentation.

Fear may not be the ideal motivating force, but it is an unavoidable emotion. Successful people merely emphasize consequences of sloth rather than potential mistakes of ambition. Fear of inaction should always be more terrifying than consequences stemming from fear of action.

So… when going head to head – a fear of the worst-case scenario versus a fear of missing out as a result of inaction – which one triumphs?  Which fear is more influential in your life?

Fighting fear with fear

It’s time to confront your paralyzing fears with a more meaningful fear: The fear of missing out… the fear of futility, insignificance, emptiness, and nothingness that emanates from, you guessed it… doing nothing.

Do you see that scarecrow in the field standing strong at half-past midnight surrounded by darkness, facing the unknown, and scaring off his own nightmares?

That’s you.

It’s a challenging job, but one of the most important roles on the farm. In fact, the next year’s harvest depends on you and your willingness to confront the disparaging thoughts that will attack your crop the moment you leave your post.

Stand strong scarecrow. It’s your turn to reign. You’ve got this; that I know.

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

Common: Asking numerous ‘how’ questions (How can I get better grades? How can I make my résumé look better? How can I earn more money?) without first answering ‘why.’

The following is a guest post from a fellow member of the TUL tribe from the beautiful country of Singapore. He’s got some intriguing ideas to share. So with no more further ado, let’s welcome Daniel Wong.

Uncommon: We all feel proud when we achieve something remarkable. Without a doubt, asking ‘how’ to get a specific result enables us to accomplish more, and to ‘climb the ladder’ more efficiently. This question of ‘how’ helps us think about ways to overcome obstacles and attain our goals – this is all fair and good.

But in order to lead an uncommon life, ‘why’ should always precede ‘how.’ Why is this goal so important? Why did you feel motivated to set this goal in the first place?

Asking ‘why’ before asking ‘how’ ensures that the ladder (the direction you’re travelling in) is leaning against the right wall before you myopically start mounting the summit. Few things are more upsetting than being dissatisfied about the view from the ‘top.’

In the dictionary of life, ‘why’ comes before ‘how’

This is a phenomenon that I’m very familiar with. I was the salutatorian of my high school of a graduating class of 850 students and I went to Duke University on a full academic scholarship. While at Duke, I was inducted into three academic honor societies, and I recently graduated summa cum laude with a 3.98 GPA. Looking back, I never once received a grade lower than an A- throughout high school and college.

I accomplished what most students dream of – what the ‘system’ urges all good students to yearn for – but for most of my academic career, it only led to heightened feelings of insecurity and emptiness.

I had asked many effective ‘how’ questions: How should I prepare for this exam? How do I get into my teacher’s good books? How do I choose classes that will lead to easy A’s? And I received great answers. The problem was one of priorities – or lack thereof.

I had neglected to ask ‘why’ and consequently fooled myself into thinking that more accomplishments would eventually lead to fulfillment.

Happiness for all the wrong reasons

I’ll be the first to admit how difficult it is to question the fact that working towards ‘more’ or ‘better’ will not make you happy. This explains our obsession, as a society, to do ‘more’ and ‘better’ in school – and to own a bigger house, and drive a nicer car. We think to ourselves, ‘If I become the valedictorian, I’ll be happy. If I own a beach house mansion in the Hamptons, I’ll be happy. If I drive this year’s Porsche, I’ll be happy.’

But this is very rarely the case. People who lead uncommon – and profoundly meaningful – lives understand that ‘why’ always trumps ‘how’ or ‘what.’ Purpose must precede action.

The gravity of success

‘Success breeds success’ is a common saying. It’s true, but the implications go beyond the clichéd meaning of the phrase. As a recent graduate, I’ve reflected on my 16 years of formal education, and I’ve realized that success has the potential to imprison us within the alluring notion of ‘more.’

Success offers the experience necessary to accomplish more success of a similar or identical nature – it becomes easier and more quickly attained. There is also a growing pressure to continue to succeed (many times on an even larger scale) despite the fact that the success pursued might be unjustified. While there are benefits of these aforementioned tendencies, the danger is that we will refrain from exploring new areas of interest – those in which we have not yet demonstrated a burgeoning ability.

Personally, this has meant avoiding activities such as dance, theater, art and literature. I was so focused on maintaining my status as a ‘successful student’ that I shortchanged myself by ignoring my natural (but subdued) interests in activities that jeopardized my track record. I became a prisoner to my desire for ‘more’ success; an upholder of my own status quo. Unknowingly, the result meant settling for second best, a life lived on the terms set by others.

The only way to escape the gravity of an ill-defined definition of success is confronting routine actions with an often uncomfortable question: Why? So simple, but so underutilized; so revealing; so liberating.

Happiness is not found in end results but purposeful action. It’s the difference between being purpose-driven versus performance-driven. As Kent wrote here, an uncommon life is possible only if ‘success’ is personally designed, not socially determined.

Your thoughts?

Do you agree or disagree? Would love to get your thoughts in the comment section below.

About the author: Daniel Wong is a recent college graduate who currently works as a project engineer. He is passionate about helping young adults maximize their education, career and life. He is the author of The Happy Student: 5 Steps to Academic Fulfillment and Success, which will be published by Morgan James Publishing by early 2012. You can read his blog at Living Large and find him on Twitter.

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

Common: Failing to see how unusual activities can offer life-changing insights.

Uncommon: Those who know me are fully aware that surfing is my favorite hobby, but I’ve developed a new appreciation for it. While reading, research, and writing always serve as important sources of information and inspiration, sometimes life has other more “uncommon” ways of offering powerful insights.

Over the past decade as I’ve chased great waves around the globe, I’ve caught myself countless times saying, “Hmm… that’s a great metaphor for life.” So I’ve taken a few days to tally these uncommon lessons to share them with you. Here are the top 15…

1. Getting out there is the hardest part. There are always a million reasons not to do something. These justifications of inaction are very easy to find – especially when the conditions are not immediately inviting. The reality is, there are always hassle factors and rewards involved in every pursuit. It’s all a matter of what to focus on. In many cases, the hardest jam to push through is the jam framing your front door. Once in motion, however, regret rarely follows. This can’t be said for inaction.

2. The best waves require more travel. Each of my favorite top 10 surfing spots are over 1,000 miles from my front door. Making the trek and reaping these exceptional rewards is a real commitment that involves planning and preparation. Some people are fortunate enough to be closer, but they, too, must travel far and wide for other exceptional opportunities of a different nature. There are often  nearby, more convenient options (the low hanging fruit), but many times these offer lackluster results. If you want remarkable rewards, be prepared to go the distance.

3. Opportunity comes in bursts. Anyone who surfs knows that the best quality waves arrive in ‘sets.’ These are often groups of 7 waves at a time with the final wave being the biggest. Obviously, waves provide the opportunity to surf, but the lesson here is clear: the best of the best are not allotted in a constant flow. Sometimes you must wait, passing on the good so you’re ready for the great. You have to position yourself through preparation and proactive measures to make the most of opportunities while the window is open.

4. No single spot stays great indefinitely. Every surf spot offers moments of excellent surf and other days serves up pitiful or no waves at all. Even during a single session, the quality of surf can vary immensely. It’s a matter of reading the ocean, knowing the spot, expecting these shifts to occur, and then reacting/adapting quickly. In some instances, the best decision is moving on to a new break or even a new activity altogether.  There’s no reason to pout about these unfortunate changes when you realize that nothing great lasts forever – and by the same token, nothing horrible does either. The silver lining is a heightened sense of appreciation for the ‘great’ when it’s within your grasp.

5. Those who keep moving get the best rewards. I regularly see surfers who cling to specific peaks in the water, never paddling left or right. They catch one great wave in a precise location and become superstitious about leaving their ‘spot.’ But these individuals never catch the same number of waves as those who read the ocean, look for changing trends, and move. Like the ocean, life changes constantly – we must be prepared to change with it.  By doing the opposite, sitting stubbornly in the same place doing same thing again and again, we can’t expect to get different or better results. Perhaps Wayne Gretzsky said it best, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.”

6. Seasons are unavoidable. We all have preferences that make us feel comfortable or help set the stage for action.  For me, it’s summer time – a time when it’s easy and convenient to head to the beach and get in the water.  But the dry summer breezes and warm ocean currents don’t last forever. Life also has its own agenda. We can’t stop the inevitable, but we can prepare for it. Life is full of ups and downs and environmental/circumstantial changes that present new challenges and opportunities. Only the right attitude, tools, and techniques allow us to perform well and come out one top.

7. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses. As excited and optimistic as you may be, the surf is not always good. At some point, you have to make a decision: To continue onward or stop. I’ve invested many hours in poor surf, trying to turn bad lemons into lemonade, but sometimes all you get is bad lemonade. Starting something does not always justifying finishing it. Sometimes your time and energy are better spent in other ways.

8. You get better by exceeding your current competence. The learning curve of surfers varies enormously – some people become good quite quickly while others plateau in the early stages. The difference? The willingness to try and potentially fail. Those who excel the fastest make the most attempts at success. Even on the ‘talented’ end of the spectrum, progress means pushing slightly beyond your current abilities.

9. You will get hurt. (Aren’t’ you glad you read this positive article?) Eventually, if you’re seeking a better wave, a bigger opportunity, a leap of progress, or an exceptional reward, you will fall short along the way. Do anything at 110% and you’re bound to experience pain (emotionally or physically). Without turning this into a self-fulfilling prophecy of fear, it does help to remind ourselves of this when bad things do happen.  Haven’t experienced pain for a long time? There is a good chance you’re not thinking big enough, pushing your current competencies far enough, and not taking enough risk. Rewards are not granted to the comfort-seekers.

10. Performance is cyclical. Even given nearly identical circumstances in the water, some days you’re ‘on;’ some days you’re ‘off.’ There’s no point beating yourself up mentally because of it. You must decide to either work through it and focus on the positives (the fact that you’re supposedly doing what you love) or go home and engage in something else. Self-pity and frustration is completely optional. So is peace of mind.

11. Consistency is best forecast of improved performance. We become better the quickest when working towards something with consistent effort. A few weeks out of the water and your edge starts to fade. Working on/towards goals with regular, uninterrupted action is the most reliable path to mastery and of course, ‘consistent’ success.

12. You need the right tools for the job. Surfing a fish (a short, wide board) in a large swell is setting yourself up for an ass-whooping. Wearing a short-arm, short-legged wetsuit through the California winter will freeze the fun out of any surf session. Whatever the activity, come prepared.

13. There will always be people looking for trouble. Regardless of your mood and intentions, someone may still attempt to bring you down, take your wave (opportunity), or trash talk you – especially if you’re working in competitive, high-stakes environments, where great waves (rewards) appear abundant. What do you do with these individuals? You keep marching forward. There is no rebuttal like a life well lived.

14. There will always be people who are genuine and generous. How do you find them? By being one yourself. Give someone one compliment in the water and you’ll lighten the mood, encourage conversation, and have more fun. There are countless opportunities to be generous – and it’s the fastest way to bring out the same in others.

15. You leave with nothing but a feeling. After investing the time, taking the risk, and expending a lot of energy in a surf session you walk away with no certificates, no trophies, and certainly no more money – nothing tangible whatsoever (unless, of course, surfing is your profession). The only true gain is emotional. And such is life. For this reason, we should think hard about why we do certain things in the first place. At the end of it all, we take nothing to the grave, but a collection of experiences and memories.

Your thoughts?

I am I missing anything? Have your personal hobbies and pursuits led to surprising life lessons? Would love to get your thoughts below.

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

Common: Feeling overwhelmed or underwhelmed while trying to win the generic ‘game of life.’

Uncommon: “I appreciate the message you share on your blog Kent,” said Maria in a kind, but uneasy tone, “but what if some people just aren’t cut out for an uncommon life?”

“What do you mean?” I asked digging for specifics.

“Well, the idea of leading an exceptional life is exciting, but it’s also really demanding—and maybe for some, reaching the top tier in certain areas is simply out of their skill set or social caste. Being part of the artist elite or business elite or any elite is tough—that’s why it’s such a small segment of society.”

Maria raised an interesting point, but there was more to it. A few more exchanges made something very clear… she was rationalizing an inner sense of overwhelm, self-doubt, and boredom.

I discovered that she felt living an ‘uncommon life’ was both daunting and senseless. And Maria was definitely not alone in her thinking.

There was never a more important time to revisit and reset expectations and definitions about what life should be about…

Comparing apples to oranges

Being uncommon means many things, but it has absolutely nothing to do with reaching the ‘top’ or being part of some arbitrary, hyped-up faction labeled as ‘elite.’ This concept is both illusive and ridiculous. The terms are never clearly defined nor are they mutually agreed upon. This, of course, makes it a race to nowhere—a complete waste of time.

Being uncommon is not about comparing super yachts—or anything for that matter. In fact, it’s the absence of ‘comparing’ that leads to the ‘uncommon.’ Comparing requires that part of us retain assumptions and metrics from the ‘old game’ to know where we stand in relation to one another.

But the real question is: Does it really matter where you stand compared to others? Would you rather travel more and earn less? Do you prefer working from home to seeing your name on the coveted corner office door?  Have no interest in trading your 10 year-old Honda CRV for the newest BMW?

So be it. And if, in your internal playbook, that promotion, corner office, or new car, is invigorating, more power to you.

But the point should be made clear: There are no external metrics for an uncommon life because such a life is centered on our own (internal) terms, not those borrowed from the majority. That would defeat the purpose.

But what is it, Kent?

A lot of people ask me what an ‘uncommon life’ means and I try hard to subdue my desire to define it. It’s not up to me. It’s a question we should all ask of ourselves for ourselves, because by creating a universal definition it’s no longer personal; it’s no longer our own pursuit.

We shouldn’t feel the need to play someone else’s game of life and we also shouldn’t pressure others to play our own game either.  The social, artist, business, or ____ (fill in the gap) ‘elite’ are just higher levels within the status quo. That’s not what I’m about, nor is it what this blog is about. That’s an elitist’s game.

Aiming for ‘elite’ status is comparing apples to oranges. ‘Best’ is personal opinion.

Instead of putting life’s requisites on a socially-ranked pedestal, define your own terms about what matters and what doesn’t. Go on, I dare you. It’s the only path to contentment and the fastest route to realizing your true potential.

You’ll soon find that making your own rules creates a new game entirely—one worth playing… and winning.

Your thoughts?

Do you agree or disagree? How would you have responded to Maria?

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)

Common: Waiting on research, facts, and expertise to improve one’s life or solve problems best addressed through experimentation.

Uncommon: We live in the age of experts, consultants, and politicians—people who stake their livelihood on delivering the ‘right’ answer.  In theory, this works well. In reality, we end up repeating past results, stifling innovation, and curbing our own curiosity and ability.

It’s far too easy (and common) to turn to—and often rely on—these authority figures for advice, feedback, and solutions to important life issues.  The problem, as Tim Harford does an excellent job explaining in this TED video, begins with the assumptions behind our inclinations to turn to ‘the experts.’ In doing so, for example we assume:

• Their answers are “right”
• Their answers are “best”
• They are the most qualified people to engage with the issues
• If they cannot come up with a solution, there isn’t one to be found

But an impressive title—and even years of experience in a given field—does not guarantee the best result.  In contrast to what we’re taught in school, there are often multiple answers—and many paths that lead to those answers. In fact, sometimes the best way to allow for a great leap forward is by unlearning the existing theories and beliefs surrounding the topic or issue.

Be bold

Instead of relying on statistics, facts, mathematical formulas, and professional opinion to verify or guide our own personal inklings, we should start anew—absent from preconceived notions. This requires a willingness to take a very bold step forward and test our own theories, absent from external judgment, direction, or the likelihood of success.

If Thomas Edison relied on the leading ‘experts’ in the field when deciding to move forward on his theories and ideas, he never would have invented many of his world-changing products—including the light bulb. And there are countless similar examples of this around us each day.

The exception leads to the exceptional

There is a reason some things are considered ‘uncommon’… they haven’t been widely witnessed, replicated, or experienced. So by definition, pursuing (and therefore enjoying) uncommon rewards requires some experimentation on whims of what ‘just might work’… a fancy way of saying ‘trial and error.’

No, trial and error is not just 5^th grade science.  It’s exploration in its most raw form.  It allows curiosity and outcomes to take the driver’s seat, forcing potentially misleading dogma and data aside.

The process of trial and error is also a bold one. It requires a willingness to be wrong—something experts, consultants, and politicians struggle with and thus avoid.

But the uncommon achiever knows that it’s not a matter of being ‘right’ (at least in the interim); it’s a matter of moving in the right direction. We need to stop trying to verify before we try. We need to stop pausing progress as we search for facts and information that support our most audacious goals.  We’re better off ‘failing forward’ than remaining idle, waiting for the ‘right’ expert approval.

Sure, the first, second, third, or even ninth attempt may not produce the result we hoped for, but we can take the positive variations and run with them.  Arguably, the most successful steps to innovation are two fold: variation, then selection… repeated again and again and again.

The power of deviation

Many of the most uncommon and important discoveries and innovations are a matter or evolution—the building upon of one idea (successful or not) onto another. It’s these unforeseen deviations that often lead to unexpected and exciting leaps of progress.

Since we cannot map, plan, predict, or control everything, we shouldn’t spend our life trying to do so. As I wrote on Maxims for Mavericks, you cannot prove ‘new’ – someone has to take the first bold step forward to test and try.

There is no proof, only probability – and much of this probability is influenced by the number of times we try, learn, and adapt.

In the end, the difference in people’s life paths is often determined by their own tolerance for the obvious risk in branching away from the status quo to do something ‘new.’ Research and expert opinion may serve a purpose, but they don’t offer much when your plans and actions might change the data you’re researching.

Your thoughts?

What are your thoughts on the topic? Post your comments below.

Be uncommon,

- Kent

Have we connected on:

• Twitter – @Kent_Healy
• Facebook
• Google+

You might also enjoy:

• Other Uncommon Life posts
• My free Maxims for Mavericks ebook
• My Maxims for Mavericks blog (for more frequent, concise insights)