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Happy New Year!

Happy 2019! Welcome. The purpose of this blog is to encourage you to take action to live a better life.

Here I regularly blog about how setting clear priorities in your life and then being productive on those priorities will help you achieve happiness in your life. I'd be honored if you subscribe to my blog's periodic emails by using the Subscribe box to your right.

Linked below are my 10 most popular blog posts from 2018, in order of popularity:

1.  I lost 20 pounds in 2017. Here are 10 tips. 

2.  Email Inbox Zero! Is it even possible? 12 tips. 

3.  46 "This I Believe" reflections on my 46th Birthday.

4.  The 4 Disciplines of Execution is the best business book I've read. 10 reasons why.

5.  How's your Sleep? 12 tips + 2 books = Sweet Dreams!

6. Humble + Hungry + Smart = The Ideal Team Player! Productivity & Hiring

7.  Job Search in Denver Tips! Nonprofits & More. 

8.  12 reasons YOU need a coach! (life/business/health) What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith

9.  30 books I read in 2017. Top 3. Reading tips. 2018 recommendations? 

10.  Jocko Willink's Discipline Equals Freedom will get you up early! +8 Navy SEAL learnings

I have a terrific list of blog posts queued up for 2019. I hope you will join me on the journey!

Be well,
Mike

p.s. I plan to blog about Priorities + Productivity = Happiness regularly in 2019. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

Humble + Hungry + Smart = The Ideal Team Player! Productivity & Hiring

Psssst.. Want to know the secret of how to hire the ideal person for your next job opening? It is a simple formula. Hire someone who is: 1. Humble, 2. Hungry, and 3. Smart.  While this sounds simple, it is rare to find these 3 traits well-balanced in a job candidate. When you do find someone with these 3 traits, hire that candidate fast! The framework of Humble + Hungry + Smart comes from Patrick Lencioni's book, The Ideal Team Player. This blog, Productivity Equals Happiness, exists to help make you more productive. Hiring "rock stars" or "A-players" is one of the most productive things you can do. The right hire can transform your team toward world class performance and absolutely make you more productive.

(image courtesy of www.tablegroup.com/books/ideal-team-player)

Presumably you've heard of Patrick Lencioni's terrific book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team? His more recent book, The Ideal Team Player, is also in a parable format and walks through each of the components of the formula humble + hungry + smart, which I unpack in 7 points below.  The book and its companion website also give you practical tools, such as interview questions to help you determine if a job candidate is humble, hungry and smart.

1. Humble. You want someone joining your team who is humble. They're willing to listen to others and admit they don't have all of the answers. They appreciate the Stephen Covey principle of "Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood." They don't have big egos. They want to see the team succeed and not just themselves. They say "we" more than they say "I." Caveat: don't hire someone who is only humble. They may be "nice" but may not get anything done.

2. Hungry. You want to hire someone who has the energy and drive to do their work with excellence. They want to learn and grow. They want to be promoted and grow in their careers. They want to take on new projects and new opportunities. They don't need to be prodded to work hard - they are wired to work hard. Caveat: don't hire someone who is only hungry. They may bulldoze over others to get what they want for their own selfish reasons.

3. Smart. You want someone who is smart in both technical skills for the job and people skills.  Technical skills are of course important for any given job, but equally important are people skills. You want someone who demonstrates emotional intelligence and works well with others. They are self-aware and know how their words and actions can impact others on the team. Caveat: don't hire someone who is only smart. They may be liked by many, but probably won't get much done because they're too busy playing politics.

4. Humble + Hungry + Smart. When you are reviewing resumes and in particular when you are interviewing a candidate, ask yourself frequently: "Is this person hungry, humble and smart? All three? Or are they missing one (or more) of the traits?" You'll want to hire candidates that are well-balanced in these three traits.

5. Interview Questions. Author Patrick Lencioni graciously provides 3 pages of interview questions that you can use in an interview to assess if a job candidate is humble, hungry and smart. Download a PDF of the interview questions at this link.

6. Self-Assessment. Patrick Lencioni also graciously provides a one-page PDF for you to assess yourself. Are you hungry, humble and smart?  Find out quickly at this link.

7. The Ideal Team Player. I encourage you to read the book to get a full parable about why it is important to hire job candidates that are humble, hungry and smart. It's a great quick read. I listened to the book on my commute to/from work via Audible.com. (I should note that the book uses a cuss word several times, which I found distracting to its overall helpful message.) Learn more about the book and additional resources at this link.

(image courtesy of www.tablegroup.com/books/ideal-team-player)

Do you agree with the concept of hiring job candidates who are humble, hungry and smart? Are there additional traits you look for when hiring? Do you have any other books or resources related to hiring that you would recommend? Please share in the Comments below. Thanks!

Productivity Equals Happiness!
Mike

 p.s. I blog about "Productivity Equals Happiness." I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

12 reasons YOU need a coach! (life/business/health) "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Marshall Goldsmith

Do you have a coach? You should. I'll explain why in this article. We all have blind spots. We all have rough edges. Working with a coach will help you improve your relationships or business or health much faster than if you try to improve on your own. I just finished coach Marshall Goldsmith's epic book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. This book reminded me of the importance of coaches in our lives. I'll share 12 reasons below why you need a coach. I'll also share the names of 8 coaches I personally know and recommend below.

1. Read Marshall's terrific book. It is an important book about how we succeed early in our careers based on our technical skills. As we advance in our careers, technical skills are not enough. We need top notch people skills. And those aren't always easy or natural for smart technical people. You need to pivot from being a technician to being a diplomat if you want to advance in your career. This book will lay out why this is the case and what you can do about it.

2. You need a 360 degree review. Have you ever done one? It's not exactly fun. But it is critical to do. Marshall smartly shares in his book how we all have blind spots. We all have behaviors that can hamper our careers or relationships or health. And sometimes the only way to bring these blind spots into the light is through a 360 degree review while working with a coach.

3. Coaches aren't necessarily going to tell you what you need to improve. Ideally your circle of colleagues or friends will tell you what you need to improve through a 360 degree review. The coach will then share the themes of the 360 degree review. What you're doing well. What you need to improve. And the coach will work with you to decide which one or two areas you should focus on for improvement. Don't try to improve more than a couple areas at once or you'll likely fail at making significant improvement in any area.

4. Coaches will hold you accountable to your goals. Once your goals for improvement are set, the coach will work with you to think through what action steps you need to take to meet your goals. The coach will then check in with you regularly to ensure you're making progress on your goals. 

5. A good coach will not "go easy" on you.  Look, if you hire a coach you should expect to be challenged. This is good. This is healthy. This is what you need to improve. If you hire a coach that only says, "wow, you're doing great. You're great. Nothing you need to really improve." Well, then you've hired a "yes-person" and this is not what any of us need. We need to grow. We need some friction to grow, just like muscles need friction to grow. You need a coach that will challenge you while also encouraging your growth. 

6. You can work with great coaches for your business or relationships or health. It's probably a good idea to only work with one coach at a time. However, you may want to find great coaches for different arenas of your life in different seasons of your life. One coach may be great at helping you grow your business skills. Another coach for improving your relationship skills. And another coach to help you improve your diet and/or fitness. It's possible to find one coach that can cover all of these arenas, but somewhat rare I think.

7. Hiring a coach is a good investment. Coaches are not free. They cost money. But I think it is generally money very well spent that is an investment in YOU.  Is there a better investment you can make than an investment in yourself? 

8. Ask if your company will pay for a coach. While I think most of us will need to pay for coaching on our own, sometimes your company will help pay for a coach. Particularly if the coach is helping you improve your business or relationship skills at work. Put together a plan and request for your boss as to how and why the company could help pay for a coach. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that the company will pay for 100% or maybe 50% of the coaching costs. I also think your boss will be impressed that you want to continue to grow and challenge yourself through coaching. 

9. There is no shame in working with a coach. In fact, I think it says something great about you if you work with a coach. It means you want to continue to learn and grow. You want to get better. You are okay being challenged. And you are making an investment in yourself. There is no shame in your game!

10. Sometimes you need a therapist, and not a coach. Coaches are awesome. But they are generally not therapists. If you are going through a significantly hard time in your life, please hire a therapist ASAP. Therapists are trained to help your mental health. If you've lost a loved one or someone near and dear to you is sick or you're feeling depressed, please hire a therapist. Men, this includes you. I wrote a blog post for men recently about depression, panic attacks, mental health and suicide that I encourage you to read here: "Men, please read this! Man Therapy. Kevin Love's panic attack. DeMar DeRozan's depression." Let me encourage you to contact my wife, Marcia Pritchard, if and when you or someone you know needs a therapist. She's a terrific Licensed Professional Counselor! And she will keep your call in complete confidence. I have no idea who her clients are. Learn more about Marcia's counseling services here: www.marciapritchard.com

11. Coaches, what points have I missed about why someone would want to hire you? I am sure coaches will read this blog post. I'd love to hear from you in the Comments section below about what additional points you'd like to share? Are there books or resources you'd recommend? Thanks in advance for sharing!

12. You can be "coached" by authors, podcasters, YouTubers and leaders you've never met. I read a lot of books. One a week is my goal. And I do absolutely believe that you can be "coached" to a degree by authors or TED Talks or other leadership resources you consume. However, this is only a one-sided coaching relationship, so you are very likely not addressing your blind spots and you won't be held accountable for growth. That being said, I do encourage you to consider some of your favorite authors or podcasters as coaches. Their experience and great work can coach you from afar. A few of my favorite long distance "coaches" include: Chris McChesney, Sheryl Sandberg, Cal Newport, Amy Cuddy, Gary Keller, Carol Dweck, Jocko Willink, Angela Duckworth, Darren Hardy, Melissa Faye Green, and Jim Collins, to name a few. 

I'll close this blog post by sharing some names and website links of coaches I personally know and recommend. Please consider reaching out to one of these coaches TODAY! Don't procrastinate on this one. Take the next step by contacting one (or more) of these coaches. Most coaches will do an introductory meeting with you to make sure they're a good fit for you and your goals.

Jenn Peppers: www.vergecoaching.com

Doug Slaybaugh: www.thecpacoach.com

Renelle Everett: www.insight-cc.com

Clay and Philippa Cousins: www.elevatemomentum.com

David Dye and Karin Hurt: www.letsgrowleaders.com

Kendall Colman: www.colmancoaching.com

Jan Rutherford: www.selfreliantleadership.com

Tasha Eurich: www.tashaeurich.com

If you have a coach you'd recommend, who is not listed above, please share the coach's name and website and/or contact information in the Comments section below. Thanks!

Productivity Equals Happiness,
Mike

p.s. I blog about "Productivity Equals Happiness." I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

The Greatest Showman is The Greatest Movie! 11 magical things about this film.

What is the last movie you saw that was a truly magical experience? For me it was The Greatest Showman. I went with my daughter to see it on the big screen, not expecting much. I was absolutely blown away by the movie, as was my daughter. It is a musical set in the 1870s and inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum and his creation of the circus. I've now watched the film 5 times and will share 11 magical things about this movie below. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr9QtXwC9vc&t

1. Hugh Jackman is phenomenal as P.T. Barnum. This might be hard to believe, but this is the first Hugh Jackman movie I've ever seen. I never saw Wolverine, but I do now plan to watch Les Miserables. Hugh is a terrific actor and singer in The Greatest Showman. This movie was a "passion project" for him that took 7 years to bring to fruition. It is clear that this is Hugh's movie and he's 110% into it.

2. Apparently Zac Effron and Zendaya are a big deal with kids these days. :) My daughter loved Zac Effron in the High School Musical movies and loved him in The Greatest Showman. Zendaya is terrific as a trapezist in the film. However, I think Keala Settle, who plays The Bearded Lady in the movie, steals the show. She is incredible.

3. The original music in this movie is so inspirational. While I've now watched the film 5 times, I've listened to the soundtrack in my car probably 25 times. The songs are so well done. They are fun to watch in the movie, and fun to listen to on their own. I've even heard my neighbors (the parents) drive down our street blasting this soundtrack! The Oscar-winning songwriters behind the move La La Land wrote the music for The Greatest Showman. I suppose I might need to watch La La Land now.

4. The movie is a celebration of humanity. There is a theater critic in the movie who hates the circus show, but recognizes that the crowds love it. He says to Barnum late in the movie: "You brought to the stage people of all types, shapes and sizes. I guess another theater critic might even say your show is a celebration of humanity."  I would agree.

5. This movie is a cautionary tale of rags to riches and back to rags again. P.T. Barnum starts the movie as a boy in poverty who dreams and works his way up to a mansion, before losing it all due to his unbridled pursuit of fame and fortune. By the end of the movie he learns what's truly important in life (his family), but he almost loses it all in the process. The movie reminds us all that workaholism and pursuit of money and fame are not good trades for your family. P.T. Barnum gained the whole world, but almost lost his soul in the process. Fortunately the movie ends redemptively. 

6. The Bearded Lady singing "This is Me" is an incredible centerpiece of the movie. In the middle of the movie the circus cast gets shut out of a high brow party by P.T. Barnum and they walk back to the circus singing a powerful song with the lyrics: 

"Well, fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in
We are bursting through the barricades and
Reaching for the sun (we are warriors!)
Yeah, that's what we've become (yeah, that's what we've become!)

I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious!"

When they sing the last line the circus cast are in the middle of a raging snowstorm with fans and detractors all around them. It's an incredible movie moment. You've gotta see it.

7. The Greatest Show song in the movie somehow inspires me and reminds me that living our own lives to the full is actually the "greatest show." Sure, a circus or a movie can be fun for a couple of hours. But how much more fun is it to live your life to full? Your life is the greatest show. Not a movie. Not someone else's life. Your life is the greatest show! "It's everything you ever want. It's everything you ever need. And it's here right in front of you. This is where you want to be!"

8. The movie's cinematography is gorgeous. I'm not a big movie buff. My favorite movies are Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, so it is somewhat surprising that this musical grabbed my attention in such a big way. My daughter noted that the transitions are terrific in this movie. She is correct. 

9. Some have said that The Greatest Showman might be The Sound of Music for this generation. I have no idea if that will prove to be true, but it's an interesting comparison. I have no doubt that my daughters will watch The Greatest Showman many times over their lives and likely many more times than they'll ever watch The Sound of Music.

10. "The noblest art is that of making others happy." -P.T. Barnum. This quote ends the movie and definitely describes the life of Barnum, the circus (which ironically closed after a 146 year run in 2017, the same year this movie was released), and The Greatest Showman. This movie makes me happy when I watch it, and the soundtrack makes me happy when I listen to it. Noble art, indeed.

11. Interestingly, many critics didn't like this movie. Only 36% of the top critics on the website Rotten Tomatoes liked this movie. However, 87% of 22,500+ viewers on Rotten Tomatoes liked it. I can see how this is a movie that you either get into or you don't. So, if you end up watching this movie because of my strong recommendation here, I apologize if you don't like it. :) 

If you've seen The Greatest Showman, would you add any additional takeaways about movie to my list above? Also, what is another movie you've seen that was a magical experience? Please share in the comments section below!

Be well,
Mike

p.s. I plan to blog about Work-Life Happiness weekly in 2018. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

Jocko Willink's "Discipline Equals Freedom" will get you up early! +10 Navy SEAL learnings

Jocko Willink is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL who has inspired me to wake up early, which has been a game changer for my life. Jocko posts a photo of his watch on Twitter every morning when he wakes up at 4:30 a.m. I am not getting up that early, but I'm now waking up at 6 a.m. most mornings, including weekends, which has amped up my daily productivity significantly.  Jocko's Discipline Equals Freedom is the book that motivated this change for me, along with the 2 videos below. I'll share 8 great things about Jocko and this book below.

1. Navy SEALs are tough, obviously. I'm probably the opposite of a Navy SEAL. I wouldn't have made the cut. However, somehow Jocko's intensity has encouraged me greatly. Jocko believes that waking up early and exercising is the transformational habit for your day. I believe him. I've been what you call a "night owl" for most of my life. I'm now waking up early consistently. Apparently a Navy SEAL can still motivate me here in my 40s.  :) Below is a terrific interview Jocko did with Success Magazine where he discusses the book Discipline Equals Freedom and the importance of waking up early. Watch this only if you dare. It might change you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3UkRFyaALI

2. Jocko believes in the word GOOD, even when things do not seem good on the surface. I'm sure this is some sort of Navy SEAL training Jedi-mind trick, but it works. It's taking life head on and all that it brings you. And some good can be found in whatever it brings you. The Stoic philosophers approached life this way as well. They encourage us to embrace whatever life brings our way. "Embrace it all." Check out Jocko's GOOD Tube video with 1.6 million views below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTMDpizis8

3. Discipline Equals Freedom is split into three parts: 1. Thoughts, 2. Actions and 3. Workouts.  Jocko appropriately spends the first part of the book focusing on how important our thoughts are. We need to achieve discipline in our thoughts before we can hope to achieve discipline in our actions. This reminds me of Jim Collin's quote from his epic book, Good to Great, where he advocates for: "Disciplined People with Disciplined Thoughts taking Disciplined Action." Discipline your mind before you attempt to discipline your life.

 4. Jocko advocates that we all exercise daily. It doesn't have to be lifting weights daily, but some activity every day and ideally first thing in the morning to get your blood pumping.  It could be a walk. It could be a run. He does advocate for some strength training in the book, which I agree with. Jocko does have a number of daily exercise regimens detailed in this book that range from Beginner to Advanced. Most of these exercises can actually be done at home and don't require a gym.

5. Jocko writes about his passion for the martial art Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in this book. I have never done a martial art, but his advocacy for learning how to defend yourself by knowing a martial art is compelling. I am now motivated to find a self defense class that my whole family can take together.

6. I first learned about Jocko thanks to a terrific podcast interview Tim Ferriss had with Jocko about his first book, Extreme Ownership: How Navy SEALS Lead and Win. (I hope to write a review of this great book soon on this blog.  Stay tuned.)  This podcast interview from 2015 was actually Jocko's first public interview ever. It is terrific. Check it out here: https://tim.blog/2015/09/25/jocko-willink/

(image courtesy of https://tim.blog/2017/10/20/discipline-equals-freedom/)

7. Jocko has written two books for kids titled The Way of the Warrior Kid, which I haven't read but several of my friends have and report that they are terrific. 

8. Jocko has a new book coming out this fall titled The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win, which I'm very much looking forward to reading!

9. Jocko served our country for 20 years as a U.S. Navy SEAL. He is a veteran and a hero. I thank him for his service to our country and thank him for his new mission of service to motivate and train civilians like me.

10. Read at terrific Success Magazine article about Jocko titled "The Jocko Willink Way" here: https://www.success.com/article/the-jocko-willink-way

I hope this article has inspired you to wake up early and exercise daily. If you need more inspiration, check out Jocko's book Discipline Equals Freedom. Are there any other Jocko fans out there? Has he changed your life in any way?

Be well,
Mike

p.s. I plan to blog about Work-Life Happiness weekly in 2018. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

The 4 Disciplines of Execution is the best business book I've read. 10 reasons why.

Jim Collins’ Good to Great was the best business book I read for 15 solid years. That changed 2 years ago when I read Chris McChesney’s The 4 Disciplines of Execution (or 4DX), which transformed the way I approached goal setting & achieving at work and in my personal life. I hope this article inspires you to read 4DX and put it into practice. I’ll share 10 reasons why below.

1. Author Chris McChesney is the real deal. I’ve met him, as you can see in the photo above. I do judge a book by its author, and Chris, Sean Covey and Jim Huling are wonderful human beings who are passionate about helping businesses and individuals improve their practices. Chris is a high energy presenter that captivates audiences with his 4DX message, as you’ll see in two videos I’ll share below.

2. 4DX is ultimately about employee morale, engagement and culture building. Yes, 4DX will help your organization set and achieve goals, which is terrific. But it will also energize and engage your team in your organization’s mission and work.

3. 4DX principles work at any type and any size organization. 4DX was crafted by the team at FranklinCovey by consulting at over 1,500 organizations ranging from large corporations to small nonprofits to government agencies to churches. 4DX will work for your organization.

4. Discipline 1: Focus is a Superpower. 4DX leads in with the discipline of focus. We live in an age of distraction. 4DX is a process that forces you to focus on 1 or 2 “Wildly Important Goals” (or WIGs) at a time. Not 5 goals. Not 10 goals. The law of diminishing returns kicks in and the more goals you try to accomplish, the less you will actual get done. Less is more. WIGs should follow this simple formula: From X to Y by When. You should have a starting line (X), a finish line (Y) and a deadline (When).

5. Discipline 2: Acting on the “lead measures” is a game-changing concept. 4DX details the concept of “lead measures,” which are the actions you need to take to achieve your WIGs. Lead measures are 1. Predictive and 2. Influenceable. Most of us set goals and then incorrectly focus on the “lag measure” which is the WIG. Figuring out and acting on your lead measures will transform the speed and impact of your goal achievement.  Read 4DX to learn about lead measures alone.

6. Discipline 3: People play differently when they are keeping score. 4DX advocates that organizations create a scoreboard to track WIGs and lead measures. They scoreboard should be simple and ideally created by the team. The more creative the scoreboard, the better. You could also track everything in Excel, but that’s sort of boring. :)

7. Discipline 4: Create a cadence of accountability. And be agile. This discipline is magic. Your team working on WIGs should ideally meet weekly. It can be a brief 20 to 30 minute meeting.  During that meeting each team member reports out on what they accomplished on their lead measures the past week and what they are committing to work on during the upcoming week. The beauty of this “WIG session” is that it creates an “agile” goal achieving forum. Agile means that you can make adjustments to your lead measures based on what’s working and what’s not working. The world changes, and you may need to make adjustments to your lead measures as you work toward your WIG.

8. The “Whirlwind” of work/life is the enemy of execution. 4DX acknowledges that one of the biggest challenges to achieving WIGs is that we all have a whirlwind of responsibilities in our daily lives that are necessary to keep our organizations going. The whirlwind never stops. That said, 4DX details strategies for focusing and acting on your WIGs in the midst of the whirlwind.
   
   
9. 4DX works for personal goals too. I personally dropped 20 pounds of weight in 2017 using 4DX, which I wrote an article about at this link. I set a WIG: lose 20 pounds in 2017. But the key to my success was acting on several lead measures and keeping score. Basic lead measures for weight loss are: 1. Diet and 2. Exercise. However, I went deeper on thinking about lead measures and came up with several more, including getting 7+ hours of sleep a night.

10. 4DX has 2 great videos featuring Chris McChesney to give you an overview of the book, which I’ve embedded below. Video #1 is a great 6-minute video. If you have the time, I also highly encourage you to watch video #2, a 48-minute video, which is a terrific overview of the book’s concepts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEJDliThj7g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGpcnEJE1o8

I hope this article has encouraged you to read 4DX! Once you do read it, please come back to this article and post up your thoughts about it in the Comments section below. I’d love to know what you think about it.

If you have already read the book, please share in the Comments section below what you thought about the book. Have you used the concepts of 4DX in your organization or personal life in any way?

Be well,
Mike

p.s. I plan to blog about Work-Life Happiness at least weekly in 2018. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

How's your Sleep? 12 tips + 2 books = Sweet Dreams!

Sleep is so under valued in our modern era. Sleep is medicine for your body. And lack of sleep can literally kill you. 12 tips below and 2 books will improve your sleep, health and quality of life. 

1. Don't "jet lag" yourself every weekend. Going to bed and waking up at the same time 7 days a week is the #1 thing you can do to improve your sleep. Unfortunately, most of us stay up later on weekends and sleep in later. This literally is creating "jet lag" every Monday morning and potentially for several days into the work week. Change this habit. A consistent sleep schedule is critical.

2. No caffeine after Noon. Caffeine has a "half-life," so it takes up to 8 hours and sometimes more to get out of your system. Only drink caffeine in the morning and ideally not a lot of it. Green tea is a good substitute for higher caffeinated coffee. 

3. Track your sleep on a FitBit, Apple Watch, Garmin etc. I have been tracking my sleep this past year on my FitBit Charge 2 and it has been a game changer. FitBits track the 4 stages of your sleep: REM, Deep, Light and Awake. Seeing these metrics has improved my habits to have a more consistent bed time and try to get more REM and Deep sleep, the 2 critical stages of sleep. 

4. No screen time 1 hour+ before bedtime. The blue light from our smart phones, laptops and TVs cuts into our internal melatonin production, which is critical for getting to sleep. Shut it all down at night. Or get some blue light blocking glasses, if you must. I think being on screens keeps your mind firing too much, so you're not relaxing before bed.

5. No stress before bed. Relax. Stress is really not helpful to getting good sleep. Working before bed can be stressful. Instead talk to your family, read some fiction, take a hot bath or shower, or meditate. Chillax for a good hour+ before bed!

6. See a doctor. Get a sleep study. Sleep apnea can kill you. If you are having serious sleep issues I highly recommend you see a doctor as soon as possible. You might have sleep apnea, which can kill you. Sleep apnea is where you stop breathing hundreds of time during the night, so your brain wakes you up to get you breathing again. This is horrible on your heart and your sleep stages. A doctor and a sleep study can save your life. You might need a CPAP machine. Or, there is a new implant called Inspire that works like a pacemaker for sleep apnea. If you're in the Denver area, UCHealth has some great sleep doctors and an overnight sleep study clinic. Note that most sleep studies are now done in the comfort of your own bed. The clinics will train you on a device to take home, sleep one night, and bring it back. This costs only a few hundred dollars compared to a few thousand dollars for an overnight sleep study in a clinic. Your insurance hopefully will cover both, as needed.

7. Sleeping Pills don't really help you. CBTI does. I've read so much on sleep that I've learned that sleeping pills really don't help you get good quality sleep. They can knock you out like a sedative does, but they often don't allow you to get the nourishing REM and Deep sleep stages.  I am sure there are some scenarios where we do indeed need sleeping pills for a short period of time. But your goal should be to get off sleeping pills and CBTI can help big time.

8. CBTI - Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia. CBTI is really what you want to embark on if you have sleep issues. This is a process where a doctor will help you inventory all of your sleep habits or your "sleep hygiene." They will work with you to improve these habits and improve your sleep. This is therapy. And it is a beautiful thing. There is no shame in therapy for whatsoever you're working to improve in your life. Therapy works and can save your life.

9. Exercise helps you sleep better. Staying active helps you sleep better at night. Ideally you want to exercise in the morning when you wake up. However, exercising anytime of the day up until early evening is great. You just don't want to exercise late in the evening before bed. This will be counterproductive to your sleep, as your body is heated up.

10. Eating healthy nutritional meals helps sleep. This is pretty self explanatory. Eating too much sugar can spike your insulin, which can affect your sleep. Or eating rich foods that upset your stomach affect your sleep. Eat healthy for a myriad of reasons, with sleep being one. Limit alcohol too, as it can negatively affect your REM sleep.

11. Don't go cheap on your mattress or pillow or sheets. It is worth it to invest in a great mattress, pillow and sheets.  You are spending a third of your life on your bed, and I personally have found that a better mattress indeed helps with better sleep. I currently sleep on a hybrid mattress of memory foam on top and traditional springs on the bottom. I got a terrific deal on this at Mattress Firm, negotiating 25% off retail price. I also found an amazing curved pillow at a Sleep Number store. The nice thing about Mattress Firm and many other stores is that you can test out a mattress for up to 3 months and then return or exchange it if it is not working well for you.

12. Sleep sound machines are great. I have used a fan for white noise for many years. I've tried white noise apps on my phone, but personally haven't found anything great yet. This past year I used a Dohm white noise machine, which was pretty good but it broke. So, I invested a bit more into this Sound+Sleep white noise machine and I am loving it. 

Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson has 21 practical tips to improve your sleep. If you have any sleep issues whatsoever, start with this book. It's terrific. The book expands on many of the tips in this blog post, and has some additional interesting tips such as the importance of getting sunshine on your skin during the day to improve your sleep. 

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker is a scientific look at the importance of sleep. This book amazed me in every chapter. It explains how lack of sleep literally will kill us.  Protein plaques get built up in our brains during the day and we need sleep to clean out those plaques. If we don't get enough sleep the plaques can build up, which creates significant risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other brain related diseases as you age.

I hope this blog post has been helpful! Please share in the Comments section below any sleep tips or books you would add to this post? Thanks!

Be well,
Mike

p.s. I plan to blog about Work-Life Happiness at least weekly in 2018. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

Men, please read this. Man Therapy. Kevin Love's panic attack. DeMar DeRozan's depression.

Men, let's talk about depression, panic attacks, mental health and suicide. As men, we don't talk about these things. And we need to. NBA's Kevin Love & DeMar DeRozan have done us a great favor by writing and talking about their panic attacks and depression this past month. I'll link to their articles below, along with some other important resources for men regarding mental health and self care below too.

Cleveland Cavalier Kevin Love wrote a blog post earlier this week titled Everyone is Going Through Something, where he details his recent panic attack on the court and his subsequent work with a therapist. Here is a terrific quote from his post: "Everyone is going through something that we can’t see. The thing is, because we can’t see it, we don’t know who’s going through what and we don’t know when and we don’t always know why. Mental health is an invisible thing, but it touches all of us at some point or another. It’s part of life." Please take the time to read Kevin Love's blog post in full at this link. Then check out DeMar DeRozan's interview about depression below.

Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan tweeted on February 17, 2018 at 3:00 a.m. in the morning as he was in Los Angeles for the NBA All-Star game: "This depression get the best of me..."  What followed this tweet was a wave of support for DeMar. He shared in an interview: “It’s one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day,” the 28-year-old Raptors all-star said. “We all got feelings . . . all of that. Sometimes . . . it gets the best of you, where times everything in the whole world’s on top of you." Read more at this link. Then check out the Man Therapy link below.

Kevin and DeMar's openness inspired me to finally write this blog post about men's mental health. Unfortunately I've known too many men friends who have taken their own lives.  I want to share with men that you don't have to go through mental health challenges or addiction or loneliness on your own. There are resources out there. One great resource to explore is a website called Man Therapy, which I encourage men to spend some time on now at this link:  www.mantherapy.org

Men (and women) if you ever feel like you're even starting to think about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 and visit their website at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. 

I'll close this blog post by simply encouraging men to not try to do life on your own, particularly when times get tough. Connect with friends. See a therapist as needed. We cannot do life on our own. We need community. We need each other. Keep going! Don't give up!

Be well,
Mike

p.s. I plan to blog about Work-Life Happiness at least weekly in 2018. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

46 "This I Believe" reflections on my 46th Birthday.

Today is my 46th Birthday. 46 "This I Believe" reflections are below this photo of my 6th Birthday in 1978. Note that this was a 1970s hippy healthy carrot-carob cake with cream cheese frosting and raisins spelling out "Star Wars." :)

This I Believe:

1. Star Wars (1977) is the best movie.

2. My wife is an angel.

3. Family is holy.

4. Food is medicine.

5. David Wilcox music is good for the soul.

6. Life is short. Don't miss it.

7. Colorado is heaven.

8. Daughters are a blessing.

9. Sleep is medicine.

10. Work is love made visible.

11. Be curious.

12. Be kind.

13. God is good.

14. Friends are pure gold.

15. Stay humble.

16. Gratitude is the best attitude.

17. Exercise is medicine.

18. Assume positive intent.

19. Don't worry. Be happy.

20. Habits determine success.

21. Life is beautiful.

22. Life can be hard. Keep going. Don’t give up. 

23. We all have daily struggles. 

24. Books are magic.

25. Goals are good. 

26. Your health is your wealth. 

27. Job searching is an art and a science.

28. Be here now.

29. Keep it simple.

30. Have a bias toward action.

31. Always a student, never the master.

32. The journey is the destination.

33. Do or do not. There is no try.

34. Focus is a superpower.

35. Calm is a superpower.

36. Empathy is a superpower.

37. Fail forward.

38. Grow your emotional intelligence.

39. Nobody else can do your sit-ups for you.

40. Early to bed and early to rise indeed makes you healthy, wealthy and wise.

41. Be brave.

42. The past does not equal the future.

43. Your brain is a muscle. Exercise it.

44. Enroll in "Automobile University" with Audible.com or Podcasts. Learn while you drive.

45. Practice loving-kindness.

46. It's all grace. Amazing grace.

===

Which of the 46 "This I Believe" reflections resonate with you? Please share in the Comments section below. Thanks!

Be well,
Mike

p.s. I plan to blog about Work-Life Happiness at least weekly in 2018. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

Mommy Burnout (Book #4 in 2018)

Moms - and Dads - Mommy Burnout is a must-read book! If you have little people running or crawling around your house you are at risk of burnout or may even be in the midst of burnout right now. Do yourself a gigantic favor and read this book. It is written by Dr. Sheryl Ziegler, a Doctor of Psychology and Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Colorado.

It might seem ironic for a Dad to read and review a book titled Mommy Burnout, but I've known Sheryl's husband, Steve Ziegler, for 25+ years since our CU Boulder days, so I very much wanted to read this book. Also, my wife Marcia Pritchard is a Licensed Professional Counselor, so I enjoy reading parenting books like this and then discussing the books with her. I'll share my top 5 takeaways on this wonderful book below.


1. Mommy Burnout has 10 terrific and relevant chapters. Read through the book's table of contents on the image above, and I have a hunch a few of these chapters and subtitles will strike a chord with you. If so, read those chapters first. This book is structured such that you can skip around to the chapters you most need to read right away. That said, I encourage you to still read the entire book, as you will gain some important insights now for a future potentially challenging parenting season.

2. Each chapter balances real-life stories with practical advice. Sheryl does a great job of sharing relevant stories of Moms navigating parenting challenges, based on the chapter titles. These stories bring great humanity to this book, along with an opportunity for an emotional connection to the chapter's subject. Wonderfully, Sheryl doesn't stop with stories. She brings in several action items for you to consider in each chapter. I found her advice to be immensely practical and applicable. 

3. Dads, Grandparents, and friends of Moms should read this book too. While this book is clearly written for Moms, I think that Dads should read this book because so much of it is relevant to us as parents too. I also think it is important for Moms and Dads to be aligned on parenting strategies. And many Dads are in the primary parenting role while many Moms are in the primary breadwinner role, so "Daddy Burnout" is possible too. Additionally, I do think Grandparents and friends of Moms should read this book because you all can be so helpful in reducing parenting stress and preventing burnout. Basically, if you're an adult, read this book. :)

4. Sheryl invested 7 years of her time in writing this book, and it shows. In the introduction chapter Sheryl shares how this book ultimately took her 7 years to write. This was because she was working as a therapist and raising three kids with her husband. I do think this book is all the better because it was created over time and not cranked out quickly. Sheryl's experience in therapy and as a Mom over time helped craft this into a great book.

5. This $27 book is incredibly affordable therapy. Sheryl makes a great point in her concluding chapter that therapy or medicine may be needed for some parents in the midst of burnout, but community is needed for all parents. I agree that we are stronger together. That said, I think you could spend hundreds of dollars in therapy getting the wisdom that is imparted in this book. (Please note that I do encourage you to get therapy if it is needed. No book can help you navigate the nuances of your specific situation. A therapist can.) Bottom line: this book is worth the investment of your money to buy it and your time to read it.

I hope these 5 takeaways encourage you to buy and read this book. Also, as I type this, Mommy Burnout is currently #1 in the Motherhood category on Amazon's Hot New Releases! 


Are there other parenting books that you've read that you've found helpful? Please share in the Comments section below. Thanks!

Be well,
Mike

p.s. I plan to blog about Work-Life Happiness at least weekly in 2018. I'd be honored if you'd subscribe to my blog's emails on my website at: www.mikepritchard.com/subscribe.html

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