Here’s a small breakdown of what i’m thinking for myself. I also think this list will help anyone who needs an additional boost of motivation and self-discipline:

• I will exercise more. I’m aiming for 3 times per week. I’d like to take up swimming, but we’ll see about that.
• I will set aside time to read books more frequently. I have a folder in my Evernote app called “Books to Read” and it’s Amazon.com links for books that i want to read.  I read a lot of articles online and that’s how i’ve justified my lack of book reading.  I must read more books.
• I will set aside time in my schedule to work on personal projects.  The items i put in the “personal projects” box are wide and various.  For example, this blog is in that box.  I like writing and i like the idea of using a blog as a means of communicating with people.  Other personal projects include knowing my city.  Another one is setting aside time to help others create solutions so they can dream bigger and accomplish more.
• I will make time for brainstorming new ideas and new solutions to old problems.

I realize that it seems like i’m adding a lot of “new” things without taking away any of the old.  The thing is, i already do everything on this list, i just do it sporadically and in an unorganized way.  I need to structure my days and weeks so that i know when i’m doing what so that when the time comes it’s more focused and more intentional.  If you’re a geek like me, think of it like defragmenting a hard drive.  All the pieces are there, they just need to be rearranged so everything works together better and is more productive with the energy it uses.

Our improvising for the unconventional venue was a success.  We had to use some of the house lights because of a lack of stage lights, but it still looked fantastic.  The programming of the night was a B+.  It was very challenging to keep the audience engaged while simultaneously serving them food.  Given the option to do it again i would highly recommend that we divide the night into two distinct segments: food first, then the program.  Doing both together was very tough.

Despite the challenges, the event was an overwhelming success!  Our audience was a group of successful business leaders in Hong Kong who have a lot of interest in the type of educational work we do in Asia.  They were fascinated by the stories we told and the success we’ve seen throughout our 30 years of cooperation with China.  Again, none of this would be possible without the help of a world class team.  My friends Stephen Proctor, Nate Griffin, and Jeremy Stanley never fail to impress!  So thankful for their generous help and genius creativity!

One of our most recent events took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  A team of us worked together to put together a banquet and a program that would display our 30 years of work in a compelling and unique way.  There were many moving pieces to this puzzle for our team to sort out: securing the venue, ordering the food, organizing a team of producers and technical directors, and lining up the stars so that everything comes in under budget.  At the end of the event in Chiang Mai i’d say it was a huge success.  The food was good, the program was compelling, and even the Thai band we hired for background music during the meal was a big hit.

One of the biggest difficulties with these types of events is the cross-cultural communication that must take place between our team and the venue contacts.  Our contact in Chiang Mai was fabulous to work with despite language barriers and our understanding vs. their understanding of what makes a great event.  They were patient with us as i’m sure we were frustrating to work with at time.  And, i hope, we showed patience with them as we went back and forth in communication with the things we wanted to do for the event.  At the end of the event i told our venue contact how pleased i was to work with them and that they were awesome!

Although we had a professional photographer on hand, below is a photo i snapped on my phone during the event.  Once the event starts it usually flows semi-flawlessly as i’ve learned to trust the team that i’ve put in charge of executing everything we spent so much time and energy discussing and planning.

• Aning Restaurant – Located on the main strip by the ocean, this restaurant features a broad menu and great prices.  The pizza here was especially delicious.
  
• The Last Fisherman – This is great for a midday break from the ocean for an easy lunch.  The burger was simple, but delicious.  The tables are in the sand with a view of the ocean. Awesome!  They also have a BBQ every night, but at nearly $20 per person i never made it over to try, but it looked and smelled great!
• The Longtail Boat – After being in Ao Nang for a few days we finally found the tiny hideaway of amazing seafood restaurants.  With about 10 restaurants all in a long row we decided on The Longtail Boat.  The food was deliciously fresh and beautifully prepared.  The atmosphere was great too as we were right near the water and could feel the breeze blowing off the ocean.  For the freshness of the seafood, the prices were very fair.  Oh, and the mango juice was superb!
  
• Lei Lay Grill – This may be one of the best restaurants in all of Ao Nang.  It sits high on top of a hill overlooking the town and the beach.  Beautiful scenery, polite staff, and delicious food makes for a very fun evening! Call for a reservation to be sure to get a great table for sunset.  The menu is quite expansive with fair prices.  The food was perfect!
  

Anyone have similar experiences in Thailand?

So i’m in Krabi, Thailand for a few days of R&R after an intense several months of work.  Actually, since i’ve been here i’ve realized that this might be my first true vacation as an adult.  Sometimes growing up feels good.  I need to make this a habit.  But i digress.  Since being in Krabi i’ve quickly realized that we might be the only Americans in this whole town.  Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of white people, but certainly no other Americans.  Hearing English spoken is a rare occasion, but if we do hear English then it is spoken through a thick European accent.  So why do i expect all these people to act American?  Well, because they are white of course.  Why do i get bothered by their very European cultural tendencies and habits?  Because i expect them to act American of course.  I consider myself well traveled and well cultured, but the last few days have thrown me off course a little.  I’m realizing that maybe i’m not any different than my ethnocentric Chinese friends.  When someone looks like people from my culture then i expect them to speak and act like people from my culture.  And when they don’t, i’m annoyed.

Here’s to being more culturally aware and sensitive.  Not all white people are from America.

I’ve been amazed at what i can buy for just $2 here in Thailand.  Here’s a short list (feel free to add others in the comments if i left something out):

• A plate of Pad Thai with chicken, shrimp, or pork.  Pad Thai is a staple dish in Thailand that includes vegetables and fried noodles.  Yes, you can eat a whole meal for $2!
• A delicious tall glass of Thai iced coffee.  It’s the perfect blend of sweet and bitter.  It’s not like a latte. It’s so much more.
• A fresh mango shake. Or pineapple. Or strawberry. Or banana. Or any other fresh fruit you may desire.
• An entire load of clean clothes. Washed, dried, and folded.  Just drop it off and then pick it up 24 hours later.
• A ride in a tuk tuk (Thai taxi) to anywhere in town.  Or 3-4 rides in a red truck (sorta like a Thai bus, but it’s a pickup truck).
• An hour or two on the internet at any of the hundreds of internet cafes.

I’m confident there are many more cool things you can get for $2 or less in Thailand.  I’m always amazed at how far money goes down here!

When i think about this dream i feel like it’s making me a better leader.

I was walking through a small mountain town with two fly fishing rods strapped to my backpack when i was approached by a group of locals asking me if i knew how to fly fish.  When i told them that i love to fly fish i then found myself surrounded by a crowd of curious local villagers.  They were fascinated by the idea of the graceful art of fly fishing.  I was pleased to walk with them to a local stream so they could observe what fly fishing looks like and feels like.  In real life, I’m always pleased to share my knowledge of casting a fly with anyone who’s interested.

As we got to the stream i realized the small crowd had now grown to a large crowd and they were pressing into me with eager anticipation of what was about to happen.  Literally, i could feel the crowd of people pushing into my back as i got closer to the stream.  Now, at the edge of the stream, i was trying to walk along the bank, but the pressure from the crowd pressing in on me would often cause my foot to slip off the slippery bank and into the water.  I had to quickly regain my balance on the banks of the stream.  There was nothing i could do to get them off my back and the balancing act to stay out of the water felt like i was a tightrope walker, not a fly fisher.

Finally, at a place where i could cast a line, i pulled out my rod and began casting.  At first it was tough to raise the line high enough to get my backcast over the heads of the eager onlookers.  They continued to press into me as i was casting.  They gave me no room to make the perfect graceful casts that i love so much.  As i adjusted my cast to compensate for the crowd i found myself making beautiful, soft presentations onto the slow-moving water in front of me.  As i slowed down my breathing and began to relax and have fun i found that the casts were gorgeous and graceful just like i love them.  With every cast the fly would lay gently on the water and the crowd was in awe.

Then i woke up.

I jumped in the shower still confused and humored by such a strange dream.  But when the meaning came to me while i was brushing my teeth i knew this was a lesson worth remembering.  When leading anything – whether big or small – the pressures will mount.  You will feel the crowd pressing in and you will often feel your foot slipping off the path and into the cold water below.  Despite the mounting pressure, we must perform with grace and elegance.  Not distracted by the pressure, but focused on the goal, we can achieve unbelievable results that defy the odds that are against us.

So that’s my little dream. I hope it encourages you today.  People are observant so take a deep breath, slow down, and lead well.

He got to Thailand and this was one of the first stories he told me when i greeted him at the airport.  Despite the significant financial loss he wasn’t too down and out. He mostly went on about the hassle of canceling and reordering credit cards, the inconvenience of not having his company credit card for ongoing projects that he’s managing, and the hassle of transferring money to another friend’s account so that he can withdraw money while in Thailand.  I felt his pain.  I can’t imagine a more helpless feeling than being in a foreign country and suddenly every sense of financial security is totally stripped from you.  It can be a paralyzing feeling.

Yesterday (only 1 day after his arrival), we needed to keep everyone in our group on their feet and caffeinated because some are struggling with jet lag and the worst thing for jet lag is to lay around the hotel.  So we went out for coffee.  I had been craving another Thai Iced Coffee so i convinced the group to walk around the corner to a nice local cafe that i found a few days ago.  The place had free wi-fi so everyone was taking a few minutes to check email.  Suddenly, without warning, Nate starts shouting in excitement and when all of us fixed our attention on him he started reading an email to us: “Hi, my name is Jeff and i’m a U.S. Navy officer on the USS Russell.  I found your wallet in a taxi in Dubai.  I can assure you that all of the contents are in tact and i see that you live in Tennessee.  I’m the head of the mailroom on the USS Russell so i will be sure that your wallet is mailed back to you.”

Wow!  At that point we were all shaking our heads and laughing in amazement.  The unbelievable odds of that happening are mind blowing.  In shock and excitement, my friend called the phone number on the email.  Turns out the ship is already back out to sea, but our new friend Jeff is mailing the wallet.  Oh, and there’s icing on the cake.  Turns out that Jeff’s wife is on vacation in the exact same city as us in Thailand so we’re hoping for an opportunity to treat her to dinner to thank her for her husband’s incredible honesty and integrity.

I want to publicly thank the officers of the U.S. Navy and particularly the officers of the USS Russell.  I’m blown away by this story.