I rise in the morning torn between the desire to enjoy the world and to improve the world. And this makes it difficult to plan the day. - E.B. White

Independence Day. Today is a great day for realizing you are free to do whatever you want. You don’t HAVE to do anything (except eat, sleep, and breathe). The only limitations you have are self-imposed. You don’t have to go to work. You don’t have to go to that party. You

It’s great if you want to be a generalist for your own pleasure and enjoyment, but never forget… You get *paid* for the one thing you do well.

This morning’s Ben Meer is something I harp on often. “You don’t need more self-control. You need an environment that doesn’t require it.” It’s easier to make strong choices when you leave yourself no room to make the bad choice.

It’s a sad day for Americans when we’ve become so divided as a country that there is an assassination attempt on a presidential candidate. We have to be better than this. Progress through unity. United we stand. Divided we fall.

PSA: The Alchemist (my favorite book of all time and a book I think everyone should read) by Paulo Coelho is free on Kindle Unlimited right now.

Let your child do it. If you do it for your child, the only thing g you’re teaching them is they don’t have to because mommy and daddy will.

Make excuses or make things happen. The choice is yours.

Coffee: Like throwing gasoline on the pile and lighting it. Tea: Like throwing clean dry wood on the fire. Coffee is a great accelerant. Tea (Yerba Mate is probably the best) is great for a long slow burn of caffeine. Choose wisely.

I love Adam Grant’s question, “What’s one thing you’ve changed your mind about lately?” It’s a great interview question for hiring managers to show people’s ability to adapt, to overcome bias, and to be focused on the outcome instead of winning an argument.

“Choose not to be harmed and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed and you haven’t been.” Victim mentality is the most poisonous mindset.

If you had to rely on a friend in your most important situations and they only showed up 50% of the time, you’d probably stop relying on them. The same goes for discipline. It’s hard and unreliable. Build an environment and habits that automate your brain through hard tasks.

I’ve said this before: The world could take some tips from the football world. “Watching tape” is one of the most powerful things you can do for anything in your life. I’m not talking about reflection. I’m talking about the physical steps of record, watch, critique, iterate.