117 Found Days - A Win Anyway Blog

The last week is a blur. Heck, it kinda feels like the whole month has been a blur. Final week of school - everyone's out now, and we have six kids at home. I've spent the last six days focusing on eating right, working out, getting kids where they need to go, talking with clients, and figuring out what's next. Had a family meeting Friday, and asked the kids what their goals were. Got an interesting mix of response. The 16 year-old is working with a clear goal of getting her license and a car. My 12 year old, who's been reading Jack Canfield's Success Principles, wants to earn some money, work on his animations, and go on a mission trip (this final one was a surprise). My 19 year old wants to build his muscles, and the others just mostly want to have a fun summer. The job search is in flux - partially because of scheduling. In the next month, we have camps to shuttle kids to, and my mom's coming out to visit. I'm still looking, but I'm looking...

I've spent the last few days being just plain sick. Went to the doc Friday, they told me I should be better by Monday - viral, not strep. Today I'm still tired, still stiff, and have now missed three days at the gym. Still have a bit of a sore throat, but this evening seem to be improving. Hope I don't jinx that by typing it. Haven't done much of anything other than the must-do's of life. Tonight I went to Alien: Covenant with Kristi, and 2 of our teen kids. I give it a B-, which is still better than I expected. Hopefully I'll be rebounding physically tomorrow, and focus on some of the big rocks of the week - finishing the resume, working on the website, applying for some jobs. On a semi-related note - the 2017 District 26 International Contest is taking place at this very moment. This is the first time in years I haven't been competing, and I have to say, it's a weird feeling. I'm sure the contest is going well, and I will support whoever co...

Yesterday was mostly a day of to-do's, as I outlined in the previous post. Pick-ups/drop-offs, getting tires, workout. Got all that done, because, well, I HAD to, right? I'm in the middle of a full-on cold - which is rare for me. I hardly ever get sick. So, stuffy head, runny nose, sore throat, a little achy. Wah. Poor little me. Stuck on my diet yesterday for the first time in ages - no sugar, low, low carbs. After getting as high as 226.8 Sunday night, I'm back down to 218.2 after today's workout. Still, I've been hanging between 215 and 225 for almost a year, after getting to 200 last September. I have 30 days til my birthday, and no holiday obstacles between now and then. Just have to focus on eating the right foods and working out. And not having popcorn at the movies. The biggest win yesterday was writing a post in my Speak & Deliver blog - which has laid dormant since last August. I started it in 2009, and it reaches a fair amount of readers - even i...

Yeah - Anxiety . It comes in many forms. Day 13 - buying a grill. There's anxiety . Had to buy a new one after one of my kids set our old one on fire last year. Accidentally. Figured Mother's Day weekend would be good - Kristi loves to BBQ. So we bought one, couldn't fit it in the van, and had a neighbor pick it up in her truck. Had it in the front, but anxiety (Kristi's, not mine) hit again. Worried that someone might steal it after seeing it from the street, we moved it to the back. Day 14 - Mother's Day. Kris worked til 3 in the morning at the theatre - so there's anxiety there. Took kids to church, then headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a card. Yes, I left the kids at church, skipped the sermon (not the music though), and went to the store. Mother-in-Law came over - not much anxiety there on my side - though she's a ball of anxiety all her own. Still, a relaxing afternoon watching Pirates of the Caribbean (Kristi's choice). Relaxing as in sleep ind...

My last post garnered a fair amount of attention, thankfully none as negative as I might have feared. Yesterday and today have been fairly busy, family-wise, though I still managed to go see a movie with Kristi today - Snatched - which is a movie I would only see if I could get in free. Some funny moments, but outweighed by the trashy moments. Pretty much have the finances figured out for the next few months, and am resetting a few goals. Had a meeting with a temp agency today, and they are confident they can place me in a local company - not a ton of money, but steady for three months, with opportunity. The biggest opportunity, still in my eyes, is to buy time to pursue speaking and coaching. It's not like I'm not coaching NOW, mind you. I just need to build a steady stable of clients. What I'm NOT doing much of is speaking - and that needs to change. With an 8-5 job, it'll be trickier than before, but I'm sure if the situation warrants, I'll either get the tim...

It's been a stressful 6 days - with a couple reaching extremely high stress levels. It started innocently enough - Friday was Guardians of the Galaxy in the morning, then lunch with my wife, then her taking the kids to Guardians - all free, thanks to her management position at the theater. The weekend offered some highlights - with Free Comic Book Day & Church - but also featured some major family drama, with the kids, in typical teenage fashion, and between Kristi & me. By the Sunday night, my entire life direction shifted. Instead of continuing to focus on speaking & coaching, Kristi and I decided it was time for me to go get a 'regular' job, create some stable income, and allow her to come home after spending two years working at the theater. This means seriously changing course. Toastmasters will be a major casualty - though I might be able to salvage a club meeting here or there. It also means putting a resume together, going after a regular j...

Got a couple of action items done today - if not the ones I'm writing down in this blog. 1. Promoted an event next Tuesday in which I'll be getting some film done for a sizzle reel 2. Practiced material at my Toastmasters meeting tonight that I'll be using next week 3. Met with a potential client Other 'stuff' - getting a desk for my daughter, taking my son to his English Honors Assessment, and worked out. Diet-wise I was better today than yesterday - I was up to 217.0 this morning, but am hoping for good results tomorrow. Looking forward to Guardians of the Galaxy 2 in the morning - and I have a goal of getting up super early to work out before taking kids to school. Rest of tomorrow is wide open to get some writing done.

A good day that could have been better. Worked out - down to 216.4 today. Didn't eat great today, but didn't eat too much. Bought a bed for my girls - whose makeshift bunk bed was starting to die. Didn't get to a blogpost on Speak & Deliver, nor did I work on my website. Had a good talk with a fellow speaker, and we've planned an event to film footage for a sizzle reel next week, as well as put on a speaking workshop in June. Plans made in this conversation make for a successful day. Also, got a book in the mail from a fellow speaker who I went to college with for a year or so - Mark Henson - head here to take a look at it:   http://amzn.to/2pmqaS2 Still - I spent a lot of time distracting myself with the NBA Playoffs, then the Rockies game - even while helping kids with homework. I also 'lose' time everyday shuttling kids to & from school. I'll miss those trips, eventually, so I don't really want to complain about it. It is a time-user thoug...

A good day today. Worked out - back down to 217.6, after getting up to 221.8 over the weekend. Ate well today, except for a small brownie my daughter made... Last night I went to Professional Presenters Toastmasters - a great group of aspiring professionals and those who have to speak in their jobs already. Got some good vibes, and feedback on the contest. This morning was another of my three clubs - Talking Ideas. Showed up without a job, but filled in as an evaluator - which always pumps me up. At the end of the meeting, I got a couple of major kudos: 1. My name was mentioned at a different Division Contest in the Contest Master's opening remarks - with some glowing praise. 2. My new mentee told me she 'just found out who I was - that her friend who told who to join TM knew me, and identified me as one of the best speakers in Colorado' Now, whether I deserve the praises or not, it's good to hear people are talking well of you outside of your presence. The rest ...

Best laid plans, as they say... Last night was hijacked by a last-minute need for my 14 yo to make cupcakes for school today - gotta love that. Kristi and I aborted our movie night, went to bed late, ate food that was bad for us as we watched a couple ER episodes - we're a bit more than halfway through the 15 seasons. My 'plan' was wake up at 5, work-out, get on with the day. My REALITY was get up at 6:45, lose my chance to work-out, go grocery shopping, pay some bills, and get ready for a Toastmasters meeting tonight. OK - I also spent too much time on Facebook & Twitter - bad habits that are on the board for improving during this 117 days. Also on my 'plan' was to outline goals for this 117 days - so I'm going to take my chance now to do that. Luckily, or sadly, they are close to the goals I've had for years and repeatedly been unable to achieve. In no particular order... My Speak & Deliver Book My Win Anyway Book (granted, only one of these is r...