Tennis Drills and Dust Collection Today

It's an early morning on the tennis courts today followed by a trip to Lowe's to buy supplies for my DIY dust collection project.  It took twelve years to solve a nagging problem in our garage.  Today is the day that problem will be in the rear view mirror.  Imagine your dryer vents into your garage and spills lint all over the place.  You get annoyed every time you clean up the mess but not annoyed enough to do something about it.  This is a problem for me I'm attempting to fix – procrastination.  I think what I realized is the problem is only going to get worse when I start my van build next August.  That's all I need – sawdust mixed with lint.  Yikes!  

The plan is to connect our shop vac to some hoses and set up a cyclone dust collector for under $20.  I'm going to start small by solving the dryer vent issue first and then expand the dust collector tubing as I add more tools for the future van build.  Happy Saturday.  Have a great day.

30 Days to Reach 'Five Star Lucy' Checkpoint #1

 If you know where you are going and you set goals regarding how to get there and when you will arrive, the odds of success increase exponentially.  That's what I'm doing with my van build.  Although the acquisition date is eleven months away, the written plan along with specific checkpoints was set up once I decided this was going to be my top priority for 2025.  'Five Star Lucy' checkpoint #1 is 10/4.  Reaching the goal on time means this goal will be 30% funded.  

There is a part of me that wants to jump ahead and build the van now.  The practical side of my brain knows I'm not ready.  I realize I need every free moment of the next eleven months to learn the necessary skills to build Lucy.  My one car garage needs a transformation.  Now that all the clutter has been removed, it's time to learn how to do dust collection in preparation for my tools to build our second home on wheels.  One of the flaws of the garage has to do with the vent from our dryer which spills all the lint into the garage right next to the garage entry door to the kitchen.  I'm going to solve this problem by connecting that vent to a dust collection system I'm going to install inspired by some creative YouTubers.  This system won't break the bank as I will be using a shop vac I already own in the design.  The key is to build the dust collection system now while I have time rather than later when it's time to build the van.  

Checkpoint #1 is rather aggressive.  Checkpoint #2 is even more challenging.  Reaching that milestone on 11/29 means 'Five Star Lucy' will be 50% funded.  Stay tuned.  It's getting interesting.  Have a great day.

Why You Should Never Stop Chasing This Person

 There is one person in your life you will never be able to catch – your future self.  It doesn't matter what you do.  That future version of you will always be elusive.  For example, you think about what you will be like in ten years.  You go through the visualization steps.  You set goals.  You chase that future version of you.  Ten years pass.  Did you catch yourself?  The answer is no.  That future you is now ten more years away.  Some may ask, why try?  

Although I admit it's impossible to catch the future you, that person you are in the future is hoping you never give up on self improvement.  Every choice you make today affects what the future you will become.   What that means is that if you make the best possible choice based on the information you have at your fingertips, you are helping the future version of yourself be someone who makes the world better.  If you stop chasing that person and give up on personal development, the future you ends up deprived of being a valuable contributor.  

Set a goal today to chase the future you.  Decide which version you want to pursue.  Is it you one year from today?  Five years?  Ten years?  This is your daily assignment.  You are on the 'Impossible Missions' team.  You may not be able to catch the person you are in the future but your future you will thank you for accepting the challenge.  Have a great day.

It's All About Connecting

 Something happened last week that I overlooked.  8/29 was my 15th anniversary of blogging.  I'm a few days shy of 5,500 blog stories.  What's more important to me than anything is that a couple of you have actually read every story I've written.  This is not about my writing ability as I fully understand I'm not qualified to do what I do.  It's all about connecting with you in spite of my own flaws and weaknesses.  Sharing my life with you like this means I'm fully exposed.  Thank you for that.  Thank you for accepting me.  

I crossed paths with a gentleman yesterday who lived in Kihei on the island of Maui before relocating to his new home in Iowa.  I shared the story about proposing to my bride of thirty-five years on a secluded beach in Kihei.  Our time together was too short.  Before my new friend departed, I pulled out a copy of "Live Long and Prosper," autographed it and wished him well on his journey.  He promised he would share it with others.  That's what this blog is about – sharing.  Each of us has a story.  I'm going to keep doing this all the days of my life.  Stop by and visit any time.  My promise to you is continuous improvement.  I promise to keep showing up every day in good times and in bad.  Thank you for connecting.  Have a great day.

Why Your Goals Need Specificity

How do you handle days when you're driving in the fog?  Not easy, is it?  The same is true when your goals lack specificity.  Vagueness will put you in the fog every time.  The only way out of the fog is to make your intentions crystal clear.

The best example I can offer about making your goals specific is my 'Five Star Lucy' story, a story about building our dream vacation home on wheels.  Although this story is in the early stages of development, the plot is well-defined.  A couple of days ago I decided to add a journal to the budget outline.  There is no doubt I'm dotting the I's and crossing the T's.   I'm documenting my feelings as the Lucy story unfolds.

Fine tune your goals.  Put them under a microscope and examine the details of your plans.  Document the visions as they materialize when you visualize what the finish line looks like.  Artists do this.  Songwriters do this.  Writers do this.  The difference between winning and losing is in the specificity.  The Lucy adoption will take place on 8/08/25.  Her reveal will happen on Thanksgiving Day, 2025.  Stay tuned.  Have a great day.

Labor Day Marks End of Summer

 Many families will be closing out summer with their last barbecues today on Labor Day.  I will be barbecuing as well although it certainly won't be the last one of the year.  I plan to keep barbecuing year round no matter what the outside conditions may be.  Thinking back to the time period our ancestors lived in caves, I wonder if their food preparation habits were similar to mine.  Why should barbecue season end on Labor Day?  Why not keep the fun going?  I have a feeling our ancestors may have appreciated barbecuing as a way to keep warm on a snowy day.  

While you're enjoying time with your family today, think about what you can do after Labor Day to enhance your lifestyle.  I plan to use this time to fine tune our household budget.  As much as we enjoy eating out, we will be preparing more meals at home in order to reach our budget goals.  Have a great day.

New Fiscal Year at Day Job Begins Today

 Since I'm not authorized to speak about my day job this story is limited to my personal goals for the new fiscal year which begins today.  My boss is giving me the opportunity to have days off that are in alignment with tennis team practices and match play.  I'm realizing it's necessary for me to raise the bar on my play in order for the team to advance.  The first matches of the season are two weeks away.  It's crunch time.

My teammates at my day job are also stepping up.  We are doing our best to help one another improve on the quality of our presentations.  I'm volunteering to share more about lessons I'm learning regarding health and wellness.  My personal goal is to expand my efforts to raise funds for the University of Iowa Stead Family Hospital.  That means more time dedicated to writing and publishing books while reducing time wasted on frivolous activities.  Please keep my team in your thoughts.  It's going to be a busy year for all of us.  Have a great day.