The more I grow, the more I evolve, the more I appreciate the value of doing less.

I believe evolution is synonymous with simplification. Not doing more – not constantly trying new things and thinking in new ways – not always wondering “what’s next?”, but wondering, “what now?” and diving deeper and more passionately into what’s in front of you.

My friend Brett said something a couple weeks ago that’s stuck with me ever since I read it:

“In reality, I’m already exactly the artist I need to be. I’ve just lost sight of the need to let go in the wake of all this hunger for change.”

My greatest strength, and, contrarily, one of my greatest weaknesses, is that I am always tinkering. I’m always thinking about what else I can do – or how I can take on more challenges – how I can be better. But instead of realizing that my potential for great things is already within – I look outward for influence and inspiration.

What does this lead to? It leads to not giving myself nearly enough credit. It leads me to comparing and feeling like I can’t possibly keep up with the rest of the world’s innovation. Plain and simple, it leads to exhaustion.

Like Brett, I’m learning that the artist, the entrepreneur, the writer, the husband, the boss, the colleague, the friend, I want to be and need to be – isn’t something I need to look elsewhere to find, but rather, something at different times I’ve lost sight of in the pursuit and hunger for change.

All of these things are within me – and are within you. The only way to discover our true potential is to clear out the clutter and focus on what matters. (tweet this)

Getting to the heart of what matters involves letting go and making room for the important stuff. Start with the basics:

• Say “no” (confidently) to projects that don’t fit so you can pursue the work you (really) want.
• Shorten your emails and get to the point.
• Pick up the phone to clarify things – and stop hiding behind your inbox.
• Let go of fear by articulating your worst case scenario.
• Ask for help instead of struggling to do it alone.
• Instead of doing what makes sense, do what feels right.

The more I grow, the more I evolve, the more I appreciate the value of doing less. Your greatest strength and truest potential isn’t something “our there” but rather, something that’s been “in here” all along.

Now go find it.

(Photo credit)

Last week something happened that genuinely moved me. Something happened that made me nervous, made me smile, made me tear up, and above all, made me feel good.

I was walking through the streets of downtown Charleston, South Carolina and passed a man playing music on a little Casio keyboard. I didn’t think anything of it and chalked it up to just another homeless person peddling for cash. We passed by and walked into a nearby restaurant to have dinner.

Almost immediately, as cliche as it sounds, an indescribable feeling came over me. I thought to myself that it seemed shitty that we were waiting for our named to be called at an upscale restaurant, while this man sat outside on the curb playing music to earn a few bucks. I gained a little perspective, told my wife that I’d be right back, and went back outside to talk to the man.

His name was John Middleton. I learned this after I handed him a $100 bill.

Why did I give John $100? Because it felt good. It felt right. And sometimes, that’s all that matters. It felt good to be in a position to contribute. It felt good to shake his hand – to learn his story – to exchange a couple laughs. To even share a couple tears.

I shook John’s hand, wrote down my contact information for him, and said goodbye. As I walked away, my heart was full and my eyes were open in a way that is often lost in the day to day hustle and grind.

I’ve said before that “The best thing you can do with your time here on earth is to contribute, in even the smallest way, to something bigger than yourself.”

Think about where you’d be right now if you listened to yourself. If you ignore doubt and fear and do whatever feels good and whatever feels right.

Maybe you’ll meet more awesome folks like John Middleton. Maybe you’ll change someone else’s life. Maybe you’ll change your own.

Walt Disney had the following to say about his movie-making process. And I believe we can (and should) adopt his mantra in what we create.

“We don’t make movies to make money. We make money to make more movies.”

There’s a simple reason you’re getting burned out. There’s a reason your spinning your wheels on an idea but somehow can’t make yourself take the next step. You’re too damn concerned with what everyone else thinks. What you think everyone else wants to read. What you think they want to buy. What you think will sell. What you think will be shared and liked and bookmarked and favorited.

As my wise friend and branding colleague Paul Jarvis recently said:

“Trying to follow a formula, script or tactic to get more traffic, sales or followers never works in the long run because it screams inauthenticity. Your goals and desires echo in everything you do, even if you think they don’t. So if you’re focused on going viral or being popular or selling something, it’ll show. Copying what others did to gain success just makes you sound like an echo instead of a voice.

What makes the content you create awesome is that it’s a story told through your unique lens. It’s you, telling a story. It’s you not giving a fuck about anything but telling that story. It doesn’t matter if it’s a blog post about banking software or a video on how to make nut milk, the content will be better if you let your real personality shine.

Your genuine personality, draws people in. Writing to be liked or writing that follows a formula does not. It’s that easy.”

So, then, the key to loving what you do may be a hell of a lot simpler than you think. It may simply mean saying, “fuck it” and instead of doing what you think they’ll love, doing what you know you should do.

I’ll repeat: Instead of doing what you think others love, do what you know you should do. (tweet this)

Write what flows naturally. Develop a product that you believe in. Say what you want to say. Do what needs to be done.

Walt Disney has it right. The best ideas can be forged by first, simply giving a damn about what you do, and not giving a damn about what everyone else may think.

There’s no better time/place/economy than today to start creating the thing – those things – we want to see exist.

For more reading check out my post: Fuck Up, Make Art.

In the past 24 hours a question has been swirling around in my head, haunting me, begging to be answered. It’s a question I’ve been faced with many, many times before and it’s the question that has driven me to where I am today.

It’s a repeating pattern to be faced with this question the immediate days following a marathon. For months I prepare myself, mentally and physically, for the challenge of running 26.2 miles. I stay true to a training schedule. I watch what I eat. I count down the days. Then, the day finally arrives, and just a few short hours later, the medal hanging from my neck, it’s over. And time after time I’m left asking myself:

“What’s next?”

I’m deathly afraid of complacency. I’d argue that apathy is universally one of our biggest fears. Why? Because apathy is easy. Complacency is comfortable. Settling into a routine is safe.

For the past 4 years I’ve spent every single day of my life battling complacency. Pushing myself to learn, try, and do more. It’s led me to building a successful business for myself and my team. It’s led me to paying off all of my debt. It’s afforded my wife and I the ability to travel to new and exciting places. It’s led me to run four full and two half marathons in the past 12 months. And yet, here I am, once again asking, “What’s next?”

I’ve been asking myself this question about my business, too. More than three years of hard work and hustle has led me to where I am – where we are – today. No doubt I’m in an amazing place, but I can’t help but catch the whiff of complacency creeping in. I’m afraid of getting comfortable. I’m afraid I’m not paying enough attention to where I want to be because I’m so focused on where I am.

It’s easy to fall in love with competence.

Seth Godin recently wrote the following:

“As we get more experienced, we get better, more competent, more able to do our thing. And it’s easy to fall in love with that competence, to appreciate it and protect it. The pitfall? We close ourselves off from possibility. Possibility, innovation, art–these are endeavors that not only bring the whiff of failure, they also require us to do something we’re not proven to be good at. After all, if we were so good at it that the outcome was assured, there’d be no sense of possibility. We often stop surprising ourselves (and the market) not because we’re no good anymore, but because we are good. So good that we avoid opportunities that bring possibility.”

I find myself in a position, today, of feeling extremely competent in what I do. But like a child who holds on to his favorite blanky, I find myself clinging to my competence and ignoring possibility. Because competence – and complacency – is safe – is known – is comfortable.

Start with why.

As I look and we look inward and attempt to answer, “What’s next?” in our own lives, it must start with one simple and very important question: “Why?”

Why does running a marathon matter? Why does building a business matter? Why does writing a book matter? Why do you do…whatever it is you do? Why does it matter to you?

But even more important than understanding your why is loving your why. 

What we’re faced with, every single day, as Sarah Bray so aptly put recently, is the idea what nobody cares. That you work tirelessly to build something only to be met with half-hearted congratulations. We’re faced with indifference, even from the people closest to us.

When you marry someone, you expect them to be wildly excited about everything you do – but they won’t be. When you hire folks and build a company, you expect all of your colleagues to fall in love with every brilliant idea you present. They won’t. Expect your family to support every decision you make? Keep dreaming.

And to come full circle, this can and will lead you back to complacency and competence – doing what you know instead of doing what you love because you get the feeling that no one gives a damn.

You must create a lifestyle – build an empire – for yourself – that you love.

To quote Seth Godin once more:

“The problem isn’t that it’s impossible to pick yourself. The problem is that it’s frightening to pick yourself. It’s far easier to put your future into someone else’s hands than it is to slog your way forward, owning the results as you go.”

You must create a lifestyle for yourself that you love. This idea, and this alone, is what will keep you motivated toward discovering what’s possible – for yourself. It’s also the key to surrounding yourself with the support and excitement of others.

Love is contagious. Love is the passion that drives you out of complacency – out of competence – and answers the question, “What’s next?”

Four years ago I quit my first job out of college and moved to Chicago with my wife. What I wrote the week leading up to what was, at the time, the boldest leap of faith I’d taken in my life, is the perfect summation to my thoughts today:

“I wish I had a noble conclusion – some eloquent parting words to sum it all up. But if there is one thing all of you can take away from this, one ‘moral’ to my story, it’s have faith in yourself. Believe in yourself and what you want to do. Only YOU can say what’s best for you. We all have passions that go unrealized because we’re afraid to leave our comfort zones. We’re afraid that we might fail. And you know, you very well might. I’m stepping outside the box and making myself vulnerable. Odds are, it won’t all go according to plan – but I have faith, and that faith is supported because I know I’m giving it my all.”

At the end of the day, is there anything truly more important than trying? Is there anything more important than simply giving it your all?

What’s next?

(Photo credit)

“Whew”, I let out emphatically. Sometimes words just don’t do a moment justice. Sometimes, a good old-fashioned, “Whew” perfectly and beautifully says it all.

I wish I could hold onto this moment. I wish I could bottle it and have a sip of its sweet, sweet nectar anytime I’m feeling doubtful. Anytime I’m  questioning or second guessing myself. Anytime I find myself asking, “is this worth it?” This moment, this energy, proves that it always was, and always is.

I look around and I get a sense that I’m not the only one with these thoughts. I see couples hugging each other, congratulating each other on surviving the long journey. I see parents hugging children, complete strangers shaking hands, smiles – albeit it slightly nervous ones. I see many with no friends or family – just themselves and their thoughts. They’re likely thinking, “I finally made it”. 

Through moments of pain, struggle, and self-doubt, in taking bold leaps and tallying personal triumphs, we, collectively, have found ourselves at the end of the road, which ironically is only the beginning.

Another “Whew”. A deep breath. I think back to all of the challenges I’ve faced and overcome. Time and time again I’ve felt what I feel right now. That feeling of overwhelming relief and those nervous butterflies that are there to remind me that I’m doing something right. That I’m doing something that matters.

I’ve learned not to fight the butterflies. That the jitters, as some call it, only make an appearance when I’m onto something big. When I’m taking a chance. Taking a risk. Walking into the unknown. Figuring things out. Going against the grain. Daring to be bold.

I used to fight them. I used to let the butterflies – the jitters – the fear – consume me. But experience has taught me not to fight this feeling, but rather, embrace it. 

I never feel this way when I know exactly what I’m doing. No, I feel this way when I don’t have a fucking clue.

It’s difficult to describe, but when the feeling I’m feeling right now hits you, it’s undeniable. So much of life is spent without it. You wake up, go to work, live the life you think you want to live – the one you’re supposed to – the one that’s comfortable.

But every once in a while, the butterflies begin to flutter. Your heart races and palms sweat. You guess and second guess if it’s worth it. You consider throwing the idea away because you’re afraid it won’t be perfect.

Then you realize the most perfect things in life are never perfect. The journey of arriving at a moment like this – a moment that matters, wasn’t anywhere near perfect. It was hard. It was ugly. At times it felt downright impossible. And that’s the beauty of it.

I look around again and I see the faces of so many changing from nervousness to excited anticipation. I’m ready. We’re ready.  

Whew. 26.2 miles in front of me – here I am, here we are, at the starting line of a marathon.

Ironically, I’ve found myself at the end – which also happens to be the beginning.

In the next few hours, in the days, months, even years ahead, I’ll question and doubt myself time and time again. I’ll wonder if it’s worth it. I’ll choose comfort over challenge. I’ll come up with excuses.

Then the starting gun will sound, and I’ll remember this moment. I’ll remember the jitters. I’ll remember that when the after matters, the before is always worth it. 

The jitters will return and, with confidence, I’ll take the first step.

—–

I’m running my fourth full marathon this weekend. I’ll run for my grandfather who passed away the evening before my last marathon. I’ll run for Boston, and all the lives so dramatically changed. I’ll run for myself, and remember to never let my own self-doubt keep me from doing what matters. Wish me luck!

(Photo credit)

Monday, April 15, 2013 started as an absolutely perfect day in Boston. But as Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen wrote last week,  “In an instant, a perfect day had morphed into something viscerally evil.”

Last Monday – my life, our lives, were forever changed. Bombs went off at the Boston Marathon and ever since, I’ve carried with me a fear and awareness that previously never crossed my mind. I hear a loud bang and assume the worst. I see a bag lying on the ground and can’t help but wonder why it’s there.

Unimaginable events like last Monday’s will have that effect. But in time, it too shall pass. Just like the fear we all felt after 9/11, Columbine, or Virginia Tech. For those of us not directly effected – those of us on the outside looking in – life moves on and while we’ll never forget, a sense of normalcy will return.

I don’t know about you, but I find myself distracted this morning. My mind wandering and wondering if it’s okay to get back to normal. Battling the inner demons that want me to question humanity and think the worst about our country.

Truth be told, this is a punch in our collective gut. But now is a time that demands endurance more than ever. We take this punch, we stagger, we feel pain – we feel helpless – we feel anger, but we get back up.

I’m a marathon runner, and if there’s any irony in all of this, it’s that the attacked occurred during a marathon. Marathon-runners live and breathe endurance. And what we need right now is to endure.

Today, despite the bombs, despite my fear, and despite my anger, I will run. This weekend I will run my fourth marathon. I’ll be a little more cautious and a little more aware, but I will endure. We will endure.

Today, as we return to our regularly schedule program – our regularly schedule lives, let us honor the fallen and celebrate the heroism of so many.

In our moments of great darkness, what we’ve seen in the past week is that these moments bring about our greatest strengths. They pull us together and they certainly put our lives into perspective.  But in our moments of greatest darkness, we discover the collective enduring light that exists within us all. The drive to come together. The drive to do good. The drive to love. The drive to endure.

As Patton Oswalt of all people so aptly put,

“When you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, “The good outnumber you, and we always will.”

(Photo credit)

Pac Man undoubtedly exists at the summit of classic arcade glory. So when Tyler Neylon was challenged to develop it in one day, it would seem to be absolutely crazy, right?

Challenge accepted.

“My own challenge began when I made a remark about how easy it is today to build the old-school games like Pac-Man. Less than a day, easy, I said. My wife, being skeptical, and I, loving a code crunch, turned this into an official double-dog-dare. I had to do it.”

Tyler got to work, and along the way, discovered quite a few “easter eggs” behind the scenes of the beloved game we all spent entirely too many quarters on during our youth.

PacPac is the outcome of this one day project. 100% open-source. With three mazes, it’s already thrice as many as the original…and still growing.

As much as today’s post is about creating, it’s even more about giving way to others discovering their passion to create:

“The best outcome I can imagine for PacPac is to open the eyes of a player peeking behind the curtains for the first time and stepping toward their own potential as a creator.”

The best thing we can do as developers – as makers – as creators, is to share our gifts, our passions, with others. (Tweet this)

To do our part in accepting the challenge of creating a community that dares to be inspired and isn’t afraid to dream big.

“Maybe you’re one of the inspired ones. The ones who love to learn, to dream, and to build. Just in case it’s you out there, dreaming up virtual worlds — don’t forget a few good easter eggs.”

Inspired by: A Game When Games Were New

“I can’t do it.”

“Everyone thinks I’m crazy.”

“I’m going to fail.”

“Who am I kidding?”

You get an idea and for a brief moment, you think it’s brilliant. But just as quickly, you convince yourself it can’t be done. The moment passes and the idea fades away. It happens time and time again – and perhaps in some ways for good reason (let’s face it if we pursued every wild idea we had we’d never actually get anything done).

But what about the idea that sticks with you? The business you want to start. The thing you want to try. The marathon you want to run. The change you want to create. The goal you want to achieve. The impact you want to have.

Those ideas – that idea – the one(s) that stick with you, that you can’t shake, may seem crazy, but there’s a reason that it won’t go away. It means you’re onto something. It’s a sign that you’ve discovered something that may in fact be crazy, so incredibly crazy that it’s begging to be pursued.

If you pursue every wild idea you have – you’d never get anything done. Similarly, and contrarily, if you never pursue any wild ideas you have, you’d never get anything done.

Where would you be today if you talked yourself out of every crazy idea you’ve ever had? You’d never have the job of your dreams. You’d never meet the love of your life. You’d never have published your book. You wouldn’t cross the finish line. You’d always be wondering, “what if?”

Take note of the words in John Mayer’s song about Walt Grace (and watch the video below):

“‘Cause when you’re done with this world,
You know the next is up to you.
And his wife told his kids he was crazy,
And his friends said he’d fail if he tried,
But with a will to work hard,
And a library card,
He took a homemade, fan-blade, one-man submarine ride.”

The funny thing about our craziest ideas? They’re usually our best ones.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, when you’re “done” with the world you find yourself in, (always) remember that the next is up to you.

In a recent Inc article, Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, gave what is probably the best solution to any leader who’s struggling with what is one of the most common problems amongst leaders: Feeling the need to micromanage.

“I made a new rule: Everyone who reports to me has to be much better at doing his or her job than I could ever be.”

My biggest challenge as a business-owner has been letting go of control. Which is funny because being controlled was what I loathed so much about my 9-5 agency job coming out of college. Being told what to do and how to do it by someone else, leaving no room for creativity or suggestion, was the single-biggest motivating factor in my pursuit of starting my own company.

But now that I’m in a position of leadership, I get why it’s such a common struggle. It’s because we all started out being in complete control. For me, I started with running my own one-stop-shop for web design and development. I had my way of doing things and I knew how to be effective on my own.

I started Proof out of the need – and the desire – to build something that was not only sustainable, but scalable. And over the past couple years, I’ve embraced the value and importance of allowing the people around you to do what they do best – and understand that this is one of the keys to successful, long-term growth.

I’ve come to learn that the only way to scale is to let go of the reins and and that the best quality work happens when everyone on your team feels empowered by and in control of the work they do.

Hiring someone to do a job that you can do better will only lead you to either 1) micromanaging and dictating or 2) going insane from taking on too much because you constantly tell yourself that you can do it better.

Phil Libin says his philosophy of hiring people smarter than him in essence makes him the dumbest person at Evernote. Sounds crazy, but maybe in this case, it pays to be dumb.

I read the following from my friend Melissa last week:

“I’m learning, little by little, to let go of the idea that I have to get everything done. I’m learning—slowly, but surely—to let go of that anxious feeling I get in the silent moments when I’m not typing away on my computer or out networking with a group of people. And I’m doing my best to remember what I know at my core to be true: that the silent moments and unexpected events are what I’ll remember when my time on this awesome planet is over.” 

The biggest challenge for me as an entrepreneur has simply been learning how to best manage the ebb and flow that comes with running your own business. At times things flow through at an insane pace and I feel like I can’t possibly keep up, much less get ahead. And when things slow down just a bit, I feel the pressure to put my foot down firmly on the gas to make sure things pick back up and there’s no loss in momentum.

But like Melissa, I’m learning little by little that if I let myself, I’ll constantly be stuck worrying about tomorrow. The next client. The next paycheck. The next idea. I’m learning, slowly but surely, that living for tomorrow will ultimately ruin today. I’m learning to give myself a break. I’m learning to allow some room for flexibility. I’m learning to breathe.

And maybe above all, I’m learning that maybe more important than being busy is embracing and finding solace in the calm, being present in the moment, and discovering truth in the silence.