Don Kowalewski
Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
Time to Fix This Year
My Life: Q1 came and went and it’s time to look back, take stock, and implement action items for Q2 and Q3. Like a business, I’m going to review my goals and objectives and re-calibrate.
The bad.
Sleeping – I’m getting about 6 restless hours a night 4 out of 7 nights. 1 night, I’m getting about 4 hours or less. And then for some reason, inexplicably, I’ll get a good 7-hours with vivid dreams and no waking on those other two nights. I’m starting to chalk this up as to what it’s just gonna be like …until it isn’t.
American Ninja Warrior – I’m no closer to auditioning for American Ninja Warrior that I was when I blogged about it back in December. This morning …I walked to the local park and did exactly three pull-ups. I suck. I was supposed to be up to 20 pull-ups by now. And …why aren’t I exercising and pushing my limits? Well …read that post. It’s because of my worry of failure.
Writing – If you count the blog entries written here over the first 13-weeks of the year, you’ll see what’s going on with that. Writing is at a stand still. I have someone begging me to write marketing material for him, another begging me to write his book (and more, future books), and yet … see “American Ninja Warrior” bullet item above.
The good.
Mornings – I’m dominating mornings. Like …total domination! I wake at 5:00 a.m. Sometimes I sleep until 5:30 a.m. I always walk the dog for 20-minutes minimum. Poor thing …any longer than that, and she feels the need to poop even when there’s nothing to poop. That crazy dog wasn’t bread for walking. She’s like a cat that happens to be a dog. It’s a good speed, most of the time, but I’d love a dog that could handle a three-mile walk.
Cold Showers – Another odd thing that I hear is good for me, so I’m doing it. Every shower is like a fight with an enemy, but I can notice the health differences.
Diet – I spent the first 13 weeks of the year on the 4-Hour Body diet. I give myself a B-. I didn’t gain any weight, but I didn’t really lose any, either, and I can’t see my abs …yet. But I’m revising the plan for Q2 and going with an Optimal Health and Energy diet that will be a calorie counting diet and will mix in the right amounts of all the food groups and will not include snacking.
Hmmm. Seems like I should be talking about more. Like success at work. Or how about my kids or my time management. Well, if I was proud of my time-management, I’d probably have a better report on the writing.
Have you reviewed your New Years Resolutions? Taken stock of your goals for 2015?
I still have some big goals for the year …I’ll lay those out tomorrow after I course correct from Q1.
Granite City Food and Brew in Northville GRAND OPENING!
Full disclosure …yes, this is a client but, hey, sometimes I’m lucky enough to work with really, really cool clients. Enter Granite City Food and Brewery opening this week in Northville, MI. Every time I’ve tried to get into the one in Troy, MI, it’s been packed and I regret I still haven’t eaten or drunken (or is it “dranken”) there.
Anyway, there’s a new location in Northville and tomorrow (Tuesday) is a V.I.P. event (which you can win entry into here) and then Wednesday is the big grand opening for the public. Um, I’ll be there both nights …but it doesn’t mean I have a problem. And I’m probably going to buy a growler-full o’ their beer. Which, for those scoring at home, will mean I’ll have three growlers in my possession, and that’s crazy because up until about a month-and-a-half ago, I was more of a Molson-in-a-bottle type guy. Now? Just call me Donnie-Growler or Donnie-Craft-Brew (just don’t ask me what I like in a craft brew, or which is my favorite brewery, and why I like what I like …I’m primarily in love with the idea of a growler).
Channel955 is going to be at the grand opening on Wednesday (6p8p). That’s always fun. Oh, and you can win a dinner-for-4 here or text ‘CITY’ to 9-5-5-0-0 and possibly win a $50 gift-card.
Maybe I’ll see you. Oh, and below is Spike talking about it. Enjoy.
Ice Shower? Yes. Seriously.
Every morning when I turn on my shower, I turn on only the cold-water. Nope. I don’t even turn on the hot at all. I’m not doing luke-warm. I’m doing ice cold.
I gave up “hot showers” for Lent.
Why? Because I’m crazy. And, as I’ve established previously, I do anything and everything Tim Ferriss says. He wrote 4-Hour Work Week and …well …um, I obviously didn’t do it quite right because I’m not sitting in a hammock on Gulf Shores managing four start-ups – but I did get something out of it.What? That there’s a faster, more efficient way to do everything and I’m always trying to “hack my life” to fit more stuff into the same amount of time.
So when Tim Ferriss wrote 4-Hour Body, I was first in line.
He says ice cold showers that bring on shivering are good in many ways. Accelerates fat loss. Increases alertness. Strengthens the body’s immune system.
I really had big intentions for Lent, and it seems the only thing I really did well was take ice cold showers.
Here’s a couple links about this cold shower thing.
Benefits of Taking a Cold Shower
That’s all I got. I told someone today, “hey, you’re a blogger …I’m a blogger,” and then when they asked, “oh, what’s your blog?” . . . well, I sheepishly gave her this blog’s URL and then felt ashamed all day that, um, no I’m really a semi-retired blogger.
But, like with everything, the journey of a million miles (or words in the case of a blogger) starts with a single keystroke.
Tomorrow I’ll analyze my “Best Lent Ever” and either (a) publicly lie about what a great job I did or (b) publicly admit I kinda bailed on Lent (except for the cold showers …of all things I’d stick to, it was cold showers).
Follow me at @donkowalewski
Bedphones
Remember when I wrote that “I Won Christmas?” I made such a bodacious claim because I asked for a buncha utility items for Christmas and it wasn’t really a vanity play. What are “utility items?” Because I’m an old man, it means I’ve started to ask for things I “need” versus “want.” And it feels good.
I got a dog last year. When it’s rainy or a little snow outside, I won’t want to walk in heavy boots for long distances. And tennis shoes get wet. Enter the BOGS Urban Walker. Utility.
Which brings me to one of my favorite things I own – the Bedphones.
I bought them to listen to music while sleeping or trying to get to sleep, and they’re popular for that because they are thin and lay on the outside of the ear so as not to jam deep into your ear canal. But, I like them better than all my ear-buds (because they’re comfortable and the bendy-wire design makes them bend exactly as you need them to fit around your ear). They serve their purpose, but …what I missed is that they have a microphone, too, so I can use them while walking or driving and talking on the phone, and the sound quality is terrific – so I wear them almost exclusively. An earbud won’t ever be used again if I can help it. And I’m not longing for over the ear Beats by Dre or Bose noise cancelling headphones.
If I still traveled, these would be my music-listening earphones, my talking-on-the-phone head-set, and my “I can’t sleep in hotel rooms” sleep remedy. Heck, I’d chat up people at the airport or on the plane just to talk about my Bedphones.
What is the point of this blog entry? Maybe so the Bedphones people will send me a free pair? Or because I just love them that much? Mashable’s review says, “you’ll probably forget you’re wearing them.” That’s spot on. I get up at 5 a.m. and start breakfast and listen to podcasts and I literally forget they’re on my ears.
My life is better for having Bedphones. And because I have a blog, when my life improves …guess what. I write about it and you get to read about it.
If you travel alot. Get Bedphones. If you like to or need to listen to music or any sort of audio in bed. Get Bedphones. If you frequently work remotely and join conference calls and sometimes need to talk. Get Bedphones.
I’ll fight any man who says they have something better.
When your Christmas, Father’s Day, and birthday wish-list are designed around the concept of making your life better, and your well-researched items actually perform as (or better than) advertised, it’s worth blogging about and sharing.
Yes. I like these better than my BOGS, I think.
Follow me at @donkowalewski.
If You’re Not First, You’re Winning
I told my eight-year-old (daughter) that I think she might be getting a new bike this summer … her 10-year-old brother’s old bike, actually.
“But it’s black and it’s a boy’s bike,” she said.
I told her that’s the downfall of being last (born), but sometimes being last is a huge bonus.
Yes, being our third and final child means her life will be full of gently worn clothing that’s about 4 years out of date handed down from her sister and, in the case of her “new bike”, it means a boys bike. However, I explained, she gets to do all sorts of things her sister didn’t do when she was 8-years-old. My 8-year-old stays up until 9 o’clock sometimes during the week and until 10 o’clock on weekends – or later. She gets to watch PG-13 movies. She definitely gets more junk food. She has an iTouch. At one point in my life the words, “no 8-year-old needs an iPad,” came out of my mouth. I’ve relaxed that stance.
I’m not in love with the, so-called “winners” who say things like, “if you’re not first, you’re last.” These win-at-all-costs types aren’t approaching life in a healthy way. If you’ve never lost at anything, you’ve never learned anything or, maybe worse, you’ve never really challenged yourself.
My son’s soccer team (U10), earlier this winter, went undefeated in their division and won a trophy. Most games were blowouts. It was quite a thrill getting the trophy and being “champion.” I’m not saying that doesn’t feel good. But then, in the second session, the divisions were restructured and suddenly we met up with teams we couldn’t beat so easily …or we couldn’t beat at all. It was humbling. The boys got mad. They pushed and shoved and yelled at each other.
I loved it.
I told them …if you win everything and win easily, you won’t improve. But when you take on the best and your goal is to beat the best …only then will you get better yourself.
I started this blog talking about my 8-year-old complaining about a hand-me-down boys bike. Well, that’s a symptom of not-being-first. But being last has many other benefits to her life. And when competing, yes, make it your goal to win and come in first-place, but remember this, too …when you lose, you win. You earn a chance to improve. You get to see a benchmark at which to evaluate yourself. A chance to analyze and think about what went wrong and why you finished in second, third, or 514th place (that’s where I finished in the longest triathlon and ya know what, I felt pretty awesome about that).
I’m the fastest sprinter in my house and I can lift the most weight. My competition is my wife, my 11-year-old daughter, 10-year-old son, and 8-year-old daughter. Yay me! (sarcasm). I can win every time. But what should I do? Go to the park and time myself running the hundred yard dash. Do exercises and drills to make me faster and see if I can shave a half-second or a full second off the time. That would be positive. That would be winning. Will I ever be able to beat Usain Bolt? At 5’5″ and 41-years-old …um …no. There’s not enough HGH and chemicals that can reverse the effects of aging or make my legs longer. But the fact I’ll never be faster than Usain Bolt doesn’t make me a “loser”.
“Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve ever done before.” -Bonnie Blair
Put yourself in a position to fail or to come in second place. Trust me, it will be your gain.
Coming soon on the blog …my take on P2 replacing email and Slack for team communication.
Follow me at @donkowalewski.
I Do What Tim Ferriss Says
Because I do whatever Tim Ferriss says in his podcasts, I ordered the Mizzen+Main “Beckett” blue gingham dress shirt and used promo code ‘TIM’ and got a Henley shirt for free. And I knew I was responding to an ad. I knew it. I know it. But I trust Tim Ferriss so much, I’m actually taking ice cold showers daily during Lent (and noticing a distinct difference in my body fat and early day energy). I’m putting almond butter on celery at night before bed to enhance sleep and make my mornings better. I’m doing his slow-carb #4HourBody diet.
And I bought the shirt he told me to.
Is this what early stages of becoming a “stalker” looks like? I guess when Tim Ferriss finds me sleeping in his bathtub after having broken into his home, then everyone should worry.
Why the shirt? Well, it’s a bit pricier than what I normally pay for my dress shirts (Express 1MX almost exclusively with an occasional J. Crew dress shirt thrown in for flavor), but he swears it can be worn over and over and over again, doesn’t need dry-cleaning, and doesn’t need to be ironed. And he claims it’s stretchy and made from material that’ll keep me cool. So, if I pay a little more for the shirt, but save on dry cleaning, and if it lasts for more than a year with regular wear and tear, it’s probably worth the higher price tag. We’ll see. For the price, it had better look like, and wear like, a nice shirt and go with suits, slacks, and blazers. I trust his endorsement.
And in my day job, I sell endorsements. I utilize the personalities on the radio stations I represent in Detroit and have them talk about certain products or brands. And it works. Why? Because people trust people they like. And when it’s deeply personal and genuine, there’s an energy and honesty that can’t be duplicated in any other way.
Tim Ferriss, to me, is always looking for a time saver, shortcut, or money saver. His message, the way I hear it, is a) take whatever it is you do and b) find a way to do it in half the time it normally takes you. And when you do, you’ll have more “me time” and be happier. If I can spend a little more on a shirt and spend less money and time at the dry cleaner – bam. I’ll be happier. One less thing to worry about. Not to mention all the articles that say how toxic the dry cleaning chemical is and how it shouldn’t be against the skin and that, upon returning home from the dry cleaner you should try and rip open the plastic bag outside or in your garage because, otherwise, you’ll loosing tiny particles of chemical poison into your bedroom/closet air and, with my lung thing …well, one less thing that could cause me a lung seizure is a-OK in my book.
So, yes. I hope this shirt is awesome. And, I’m a victim (probably a bad choice of words) of trusting a celebrity who endorsed something.
Stay tuned for a shirt update whence it arrives.
Follow me at @donkowalewski.
One of my favorite Tim Ferriss interviews follows…
Blog Entry For One Person
This isn’t a blog entry for everyone. No, sir. This is for L.L. People think because I blog alot and Tweet and stuff, that I know stuff.
Here’s L.L.’s logo. Need a kick-ass real estate agent who can sell your house …fast?!?!?! Click the image below.
Follow me on Twitter at @donkowalewski.
Dominating
Remember what I wrote in a blog entry late last week – per Tim Ferriss’s advice, I was going to dominate a single thing and THEN move onto another.
Update – I’m currently dominating mornings (except for yesterday when my daughter came into our room post-nightmare, and then a new app on my phone went haywire at 4 a.m. and scared the crap outta me, so long story short I changed my alarm from a 5:00 a.m. wake-up call to a 6:15 a.m. call for that morning).
I just felt I needed an extra hour of sleep because I lost two.
I have, however, dominate 4 out of 5 mornings.
I’m dominating breakfasts – eating within 30 minutes of waking and downing 30 grams of protein. I’m dominating the dog-walking and dog-brushing (she should get walked and brushed twice a day). And I’d like to say I’m dominating blogging.
But more than all of this, I feel the confidence I can do what I say I’m going to do.
It goes with the idea that there is no such thing as multi-tasking and you can’t do everything. So I picked one thing. Mornings. And then I hope things snowball from there.
Today, I’m going to pick another thing to dominate: my email Inbox and task-list, at work. By Friday, I’m going to get my email and task-list to a point where I could leave for a month-long vacation.
Write that down. Hold me to it.
Oh, and is there anything you can’t “keep call” and then do?
More Fun
I feel like I want to go back and be a teenager, again. I want to live for the moment and for fun and for playing for hours on my Sega Genesis.
Honestly. Just this afternoon I was driving around and worrying about this and worrying about that, like it all matters soooooooo much. But then I remembered, I watched my second-favorite movie of all time over the weekend (my most favorite being It’s a Wonderful Life). The movie is Life is Beautiful, which is actually a better movie than It’s a Wonderful Life, but I still give the nod to the Jimmy Stewart classic because it’s tied to so many childhood and holiday memories.
OK. What do either of these movies have to do with having fun, like girls (who just ‘a wanna)?
It’s this …life is too short to be all serious, especially when I’m not at any sort of immediate risk of financial ruin or horrible health consequences. I work. I work hard. I could probably work a little harder and a little smarter. But one thing’s for sure …I could work happier.
I’m lucky. I have a cool job where I can be creative and when I’m doing my job well, I help people grow their business. And when I don’t do my job well …um …nothing tragic happens.
So, what does this have to do with Life is Beautiful? If you don’t know the movie, here’s the premise. A Jew from Italy, and his son, are put into a concentration camp during World War II and separated from his wife and he spends the entire movie keeping his son alive by acting like they’re at a camp and the whole thing is a game. He knows, however, as the grown-up, that death could come at any moment and he would probably never see his wife again.
The world, if you look close enough, has thousands of stories of people who’ve dealt with hopeless situations, or tragedies, or atrocities, and they were heroes.
I should not pat myself on the back for managing to make it through a day with slow Internet or a restless night’s sleep or because I’m only at 80% of my budget.
I should celebrate every day I wake up on this side of the earth.
I should have fun. Tons of fun. And it doesn’t mean playing Sega Genesis all day. It means approaching what I’m doing with joy and energy and optimism.
Thank you, YouTube, for having on of my favorite scenes from Life is Beautiful ready to post, here …where the main character, to keep up the illusion that the concentration camp is just a fun “game”, fakes that he understands German to translate the “rules” to his son.
Hopefully you get the point. Hopefully I do.
Dominate a Thing
Dominate one thing. And once you dominate that thing, then move onto the next thing you’ll dominate. And I mean absolutely crush and control and own a thing.
You probably thinking I’m referring to “50 Shades of Grey” but I’m not.
If you can, listen to The Tim Ferriss Show, Episode 63. He interviews two hedge fund managers but within that show, he kinda summarizes his entire 4 Hour Body and 4 Hour Work Week philosophy and the whole idea behind “hacks.”
The one guy said we sometimes make the mistake of trying too much. Start dieting, start exercising, start reading more, learn to play guitar, write in your journal, and on and on and on.
Instead, they suggested, you should dominate one thing. Like …dominate mornings. Wake. Eat. Exercise. Journal.
And repeat it the next day and every day until nobody does “mornings” as well as you do.
I’m going to dominate mornings. And then I’m going to figure out what I want to dominate at work!
And at this rate, I’ll dominate the world a mere 180 years from now.
Don Kowalewski 