In our fast-paced world, where the lines between personal accountability and external burdens often become indistinct, the quest for a guiding principle to navigate through life’s complexities is more crucial than ever. Among the vast array of philosophical insights and age-old wisdoms that have been offered to steer us through life’s ups and downs, there […]
In our ever-evolving digital landscape, the ability to focus deeply and produce high-quality work is becoming both increasingly challenging and valuable. This is the central premise of Cal Newport's insightful book, "Deep Work," which I recently had the pleasure of exploring. I found the principles of "Deep Work" particularly resonant, offering a fresh perspective on […]
The most obvious form of investment diversification that most people think about is related to their finances. You may be diversified in your stock portfolio or you may own different asset classes, like stocks and real estate. However, I have a much broader way that I approach investment diversification in my business, savings, exercise, and […]
Over the past year I have been introduced to the modern digital divide. Around 2010, I worked with M@IN (Mountain Area Information Network) to install wireless internet service for rural towns in western North Carolina. I stopped doing this work many years ago while I continued my college education. Unfortunately, I learned that the problem […]
In my garden and near the river, the impact of seasonal climate change can be seen. We have had two significant, but not devastating, floods in this neighborhood over the past year. My neighbors, who have lived here for decades, say that this type of flooding typically happens ever few years. Seeing these water levels […]
Almost one year ago, in March of 2020, I put a storage tote on my front deck to allow deliveries to be dropped off while social distancing. This week, that storage bin was upgraded for the new normal. This bench is also a storage box. My wife and I can sit here and watch the […]
It's only the second week of February and I'm already working on a long list of projects to kick off the new year. These are related to my business, my home, and my garden. All of these tasks will be completed, of moved into a maintenance routine, by the middle of April. Business Spring Projects […]
At the end of 2019, I purchased a home on 1.3 acres in Greenville, NC. Since Barbie is attending graduate school at ECU, we had been paying rent for a townhouse near the college. This new home only moved us 10 minutes further from the school and the mortgage was only $50 more than our […]
How do you grow your business and find customers - are you a hunter or a farmer? At the beginning of 2020, I joined the local BNI group in Greenville, NC (you can visit our chapter if you're in the area, or via Zoom during the pandemic). Another thing that happened at the beginning of […]
Like most people, I have set numerous resolutions at the start of a new year - only to abandon those resolutions before the end of January. It is incredibly difficult to create a new habit and stick with it for 365 days without faltering. Even worse, when I do stumble it becomes much easier to […]
