Over my lifetime I have become an avid reader of all things personal and professional growth. I’ve also come to learn that many people don’t have time to read, don’t like to read or don’t know what to read to help them live a Fantastic Life. This blog is a shortcut to articles and stories that I’ve found helpful. There are thousands in this library, organized by topic and by Fantastic Life rule. Even better, I’ve summarized each entry and highlighted what’s most important. So you don’t have to.
Categories
The Untold Story of Charlie Munger’s Final Years
I was at lunch with Steve McConnell last year, and he brought me the article below on Charlie Munger’s final years. Great read, great life,
Boring Truths About a Great Life
I loved the article below on living a great life and boring truths about our lives. There are a lot of boring things we do
My Newest Book is Out. Please Buy and Review 🙂
Special LIFEies announcement! My latest book, The Fantastic Life: ACT 3 , is now published and available for purchase. Act 3 is the final book
Prototype Your Future
I am laughing as I type this LIFEies. I have had so much focus on my life and career over the last 40 years that
Better Heart Health Using Mindsets
The world tracks heart health with numbers: cholesterol, blood pressure, VO2 max, and resting heart rate. All important. After a recent issue with my heart,
Breathwork
I read James Nestor’s book, Breath, years ago, and made some structural changes in how I breathe at that time. Over time (of course), I
Stop Living for the Invisible Audience
I love the title of the article below and used it in the subject line. I could have also used: Run Your Own Race. We
High-Pressure Situations Elevate Performance
There is truth to Ethan Hawke’s quote: The strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire. As leaders, parents, and athletes, we should want to
Train in the Heat
All these decades of training in the heat of Arizona, and it turns out I have been lucky. New research shows training in heat is
Pets & Mental Health
Want to live longer? Own a pet. If the world feels like it’s closing in, simplify it. Move more. Connect more. Care for something other
Does Energy Increase Performance
The article below challenges something most of us chase: more energy. But Dr. Kashey argues energy is too vague. Instead of asking, “How do I
One Key tip for Sleeping
Fairly new research shows that the sleep routine you create may be more important than getting the perfect seven or eight hours of sleep each
Friendships at Various Stages of Life
Seems like there are a lot of friendship changes going on in my life right now, for me, my kids, partners, and people who work
Reading and Your Nervous System
In April, I was with my oldest daughter while she was teaching her son to read. I sat in on the lesson and watched my
Being Alive
Below is a fantastic blog by Author Arthur Brooks for the USA’s 250th birthday, where he talks about Teddy Roosevelt. I also just finished his
Advice from a terminal patient
This quarter’s Act 3 LIFEies deals with terminal illness and living your life through the finish line. Jonathan Clements was a WSJ personal-finance columnist beginning
Open Arms
The World Cup has given the world a front-row seat to America—not through the media, but through everyday Americans. Visitors are discovering what we already
Hard Truths Build Fantastic Lives
Change is hard….very hard. Here are some hard truths that we all (including me) need to keep in mind as we go through our Fantastic Life. –No One Is Coming to Save
Motivation or Discipline? An Alternative View
There’s always a tug-of-war between discipline and motivation—and if you’ve spent any time chasing big goals, you’ve felt it. The article below, which my longtime
1 Absolute Must for Strength Training
There is tons of different types of strength training and programs to try out. Turns out there is one absolute in gaining strength: Be consistent. This
Retirement Is Not Lived in A Lump Sum
I have been focused on a passive cash flow for a long time, but have made it a serious priority in recent years. Why? The article below explains
Be a Zebra
Why be a zebra? Zebras have an incredible skill: when a zebra escapes a lion, it goes right back to grazing. The alarm turns off.
Persuasion
I’ve been a longtime fan and student of Robert Cialdini and his research on persuasion. His work outlines six core psychological principles that help us
Keep Moving
Science (a 47-year-long Swedish study) now tells me I physically peaked at 35 years old. Bummer. But the bigger takeaway is not that we slow down
Volunteering
I have a new topic that has been near and dear to my life over the last 40 years: giving back to the community. I
Setting Boundaries as a Leader
Leading is not easy. In fact, it is damn hard. I learned the following lessons the hard way by not setting boundaries and overextending myself for
Phases of Growth
Growth isn’t linear—and where you are shapes how you think, work, and lead. I created this to help individuals identify their current phase of growth
OBC
I created and use what we call Objective Based Communication (OBC). Instead of sending paragraphs on something, we keep things simple and always in bulleted form.
Self-Managing Yourself
Self-managing doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built through ownership, capability, and better thinking. This moment of genius outlines a clear path from initial learning to true
Problem Solving Pyramid
Not all problem-solving creates value—how you show up matters. Build a culture where people bring answers, not just awareness, and leaders coach capability instead of