You & Improved

- - - | written by Jason on 3/26/2017 | - - -

How to Have Fun Doing Boring Adulty Chores

It’s easy to pine for the nostalgic, carefree days of childhood. The days when everything was simpler and you could eat a whole bag of candy without developing a stomachache or adding a single, solitary pound. Alas, as idyllic as childhood was for some, adulthood does have its share of perks, such as the ability to drive, decide where to go on vacation, and order strawberry margaritas at Mexican restaurants. But there is that whole “adulting” thing that cramps our style, complete with all those boring “adulty” things like paying bills, cutting grass, and vacuuming the floor. Ick. Good news! …

- - - | written by Jason on 3/19/2017 | - - -

How to Make Life Feel More Balance-y

I experienced work-life balance once. It lasted about 37 seconds, just like that one time I achieved inbox zero. Actually, I think I blacked out when it happened, so I can't confirm whether or not this so-called life balance thing actually exists. There is, however, such a thing as feeling overwhelmed from trying to do too much. Maybe all the extra activity we’re attempting to cram in is coming from our boss, our own unrealistic expectations, or the fact that we’re in a new season of life but are still trying to keep doing everything from the last one. Whatever the case may be, here …

- - - | written by Jason on 3/12/2017 | - - -

When Your Dream Isn’t What You Imagined

I was recently reviewing old journal entries. I'd written one on the anticipated due date of our first child (she didn't actually arrive until two looooong weeks later), and there was a six-month gap before the next entry. It was amazing to see how much had changed. Not only did we have a new addition to the family, but we were in a new home (did NOT see that one coming six months earlier) and our business model had transformed dramatically. So many of the things that I’d been working on were gone or suddenly irrelevant. It made me a bit sad at first, as I wondered what the point was in all …

- - - | written by Jason on 3/5/2017 | - - -

Pie In The Sky

In December of 2016, I wrote the biggest check of my life. Not in size, but in importance. It was the final check to close out a business debt that totaled $100,000 back in 2008. We paid it off seven months early, and for the first time since we launched in 2000, the business was completely debt-free. That felt really, really good. Deep down, I always knew we’d pay it off, but it seemed like it would take forever. In 2008, the year 2017 seemed a million years away. And before that, as we racked up said debt staying afloat while we tested business models, and funded small successes (and a …

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- - - | written by Jason on 2/26/2017 | - - -

The Hidden Treasure in Hard Work

We recently spent two weeks in Florida and the best lesson I learned came from a pirate. Or at least a dude dressed up like one. We encountered "Captain Jack" at Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach. We thought it would be fun to stop for a photo. It was a windy night and the crowd was light, so he spent quite a bit of time with us, engaging with the kids and regaling them with advice. "What's yer name, princess?" he asked my oldest. "Lucy," she replied. "How old er ya?" "Eight." "Lucy, I'm gonna tell ya something. Don't be like those 'messarounds' in school, the ones who …

- - - | written by Jason on 2/5/2017 | - - -

Beware the Diminishing Returns of Chasing Success

Once you achieve a certain amount of success, it's easy to ruin it by chasing more. Especially when you start singing someone else's song. I have a speaker friend who, by his own admission, has a great life. He has more speaking requests than he can handle, has clients all over the world, and makes a very good living. He has an incredible amount of freedom in his day. Plus, he’s a happy newlywed. But he’s been talking about doing something about all the gigs he’s had to turn away. After all, he’s leaving money on the table, right? So there are plans to create a training program for …

- - - | written by Jason on 1/29/2017 | - - -

Your Best Day Ever

My son Ben turned five recently. One of our favorite things about homeschooling is the freedom of schedule, which allows us to give our kids total control over the agenda on their birthday. And Ben was crystal clear on what he wanted. It started with cinnamon rolls and bacon for breakfast, followed by the opening of one present. Then a trip to the Lego store and lunch at Pizza Ranch (he loves the blueberry dessert pizza). When we got home, he requested that everyone change into their pajamas (which, I'll be honest, wasn't a tough sell.) The afternoon was spent putting the new …

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- - - | written by Jason on 1/22/2017 | - - -

When You Are Entirely In Over Your Head

This is a snapshot of a painting I'm working on. I'm happy with how this little guy is turning out, because it was touch-and-go for a while. There comes a time in every painting (at least mine) where I think, "Omigosh this is a terrible hot pile of garbage. This painting is unsalvageable. I have used up any art talent I had and am completely out of my league." But instead of retreating to a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos, I persist, while every fiber of my being insists that I am playing the fool. More times than not, a little patience and a little persistence carries me to the other side, when …

- - - | written by Jason on 1/8/2017 | - - -

Chasing the Next

"I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One.” This quote is from the movie City of Angels starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage. It’s delivered by Cage, playing an angel named Seth, who has lost the love of his life. In the end, it is these fleeting moments -- the ones that seem so insignificant, so intangible -- that become the most valuable. How easily we forget this as we chase the tangible: The big screen TVs. The home improvement project. The latest techno-fad. They seem to be substantive, on the surface. We …

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