A Life Experiment

I enjoy business. Not that I'm good at it, I just enjoy it. I like the idea that one wins or fails on their merits and ingenuity. I love the spark in a client's eyes when they come in with a business idea ready to get it started. I love reading books about business. I love listening to pod casts about it, too.

And all of this reading, listening, and observing has led me to this conclusion: people that are successful at business are really good at tracking things, and they experiment.

The tracking is something I noticed many years ago. In fact, when my sister was at the very end of her mission in Kirtland, Ohio, she took us through the last tour of the mission sites. When we were in the Newel K. Whitney store I remember thinking, this man just had a knack for business (and he did, prosperity seemed to follow him wherever he went), which means he was probably was good at keeping records.

No sooner had I thought this, than my sister lobbed a record book out from under the counter and said, "Newel K, Whitney kept meticulous records. He noted what everyone purchased in his store." Of course he did. And then he probably stopped and thought about those purchases in terms of what sold better when. What price tended to sell better. I am certain that not only did he keep excellent and meticulous records, but he thought about that data. And that is part of his success as a business person. He is someone I look forward to meeting after I die. 

Today I was listening to a pod cast on Smart Passive Income and it clicked - successful business people also experiment (and track the results of those experiments). Their success comes not just because they are intrinsically brilliant, but they try this and see how it works. Tweak it and try that, and see if it works. Eventually, through this process, they discover what is successful.

This is so brilliant! One of the business owners made the comment that she used to take her failures so personally. Like it was an affront to her personally when something she tried in her business didn't work. Then she changed her attitude and saw it more as an experiment. Some things worked, some things didn't. But when she found she approached it this way, it worked much better for her emotionally. I would imagine, her business evolved much more efficiently with that attitude as well.

I noticed, though, that this attitude of testing is something that some of these successful entrepreneurs apply to their personal lives as well. One entrepreneur I came across gave examples of how he did this. He had a goal of wanting to floss his teeth - which he very rarely did. He tried a few different things until he came upon leaving the floss right next to his tooth brush and committing himself to floss one tooth each time he brushed. He found this to be the experiment that finally worked. He also wasn't successful at getting himself to the gym. After trying multiple strategies, he placed his clothes right by his bed so he would have to stumble over them to get out of bed. This seemed to be the one that finally brought him success in getting to the gym as he wanted. And, true to his tracking habit, he could give the percentage of how much more successful this strategy was than others.

Well, the new year is coming up in one short month and this is going to be my 2017 New Years resolution, to experiment. I have 30 days to thing about it, and if you have any thoughts to offer on how I can implement this, please, I'm very open to comments, texts, e-mails, etc. I think this is going to be fascinating. I really do think that there is a way to success at most things, but figuring it out is challenging.

Experimentation helps us come to truths in science. A lot of times it starts with an educated guess, then try, try, bang your head against a wall, try, try, try again. And somehow in that process, the science community learns from failures, trial and error, negative science, and collaboration until truths are discovered and successfully applied. I can't imagine that this process can't be applied on a personal level as well.

Therefore, 2017 - the year of experimentation - here I come.

Unexpected Surgery

Earlier this year I went up to Nauvoo for a J. Reuben Clark Society gathering.

(Brigham Young's old home. Built by him.)

While I was there, a woman stopped me and said I should get a spot on my foot checked out.

She told me she looked at cancerous spots for a job, and I really should get it checked out.

So I did, thinking it would be no big deal.

A week after seeing the doctor, I had a surgery scheduled to remove the spot.

And was told that it was 70% likely to be cancerous.

I always wondered what it would be like emotionally to go through a cancer scare.

And I think my biggest concerns were - did I live right, and does my family know I love them?

I felt I was doing okay, in my own estimation, in both areas.

Then I started thinking about the practicalities of dying.

Are things properly titled.

Have I arranged everything I need.

Do the titles on the things I own transfer to family members. Etc.

It is a weird place to be.

But so many people spend an awful long time in this space.

This is what my foot looked like after surgery.

You can walk on it - the doctor said.

The next day it looked like this.

And it hurt so bad I could not walk on it AT ALL.

Everything became a huge chore.

Showering.

Breakfast.

Getting out of bed.

My home teacher, Ben, dropped everything to get me some crutches.

Which is the only way I made it to work the next day.

My boss was gone so I absolutely needed to be there.

Isn't it crazy that such a little cut would disrupt my life so much?

I never realize how much I do until I can't do anything.

I will say, every time something like this happens

I realize just how amazing handicapped people are.

Seriously, we should be applauding the Paralympics so much more.

There is no elevator and three flights of stairs where I work.

Hopping up those stairs with my laptop and crutches was not fun.

Some nice girl offered to help me up one time,

Which I especially appreciated because the day before nobody did

and I did really need the assistance.

But, good news. No cancer.

After a month off

And no running.

I'm mostly back to normal.

Running.

Birthday Weekend

My lovely friend Jessica came out to spend my birthday with me!

I've spent her last two birthday weekends with her.

But, in my usual style, I neglected to bring a gift

Although I know she would have appreciated it.

But not Jess.

She came bearing gifts.

She waited with me even though half of our Saturday morning was eaten up with car troubles.

She walked with me to and from the mechanics.

I deleted most of my pictures, but we went to the arch, Crown Candy, out to dinner with friends,

to the Frank Lloyd Wright house

How have I lived here all these years and never been!

Honestly, I don't find Frank's style aesthetically pleasing.

So it was always hard for me to appreciate his genius.

But this tour did such a great job of pointing out just how amazing he was.

The entire building is made up of parallelograms and equilateral triangles.

Even the brick were made in parallelograms.

And imagine the challenge for the contractor to find someone who could make parallelogram bricks!

He is pretty amazing.

We toured other old buildings in St. Louis.

But most of all, I appreciated that she took the time to give me what I appreciate the most:

Good company.

Garden of the Gods: Labor Day Weekend

(I deleted most of my pictures, but this is one I found of the Garden of the Gods)

On Labor Day weekend my friend Ryan invited me

and a few other friends to go to camping in Illinois.

I haven't been camping in a while, so I was totally game.

We saw some breath taking places.

I can't believe this place has been so close to me all this time and I didn't even know!

I have since deleted all pictures except for this one from Garden of the Gods.

Ryan did a great job planning.

Kent brought a pop-up tent he had bought on kickstarter.

I love trips like this because you get to know people better.

Turns out Ryan loves history and is very insightful.

Kent used to own his own horse

And was able to tell me stuff about Alaska (where he is from) I had never even heard of.

And at the end, we were playing cards and eating candy when I saw this family.

I said - those guys are totally Mormon.

The others weren't so convinced.

I was like, I'm so sure I'd bet $20.00 on it.

To my surprise, Ryan threw $20.00 down on the table

and went over to ask them if they were Mormon.

They totally were!

So we made acquaintances with some people from Kentucky.

It was a lovely weekend.

I recommend Shawnee National Forest

to anyone in the area!

Road Trip: Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

This summer I got invited by a cute boy on a road trip.

Seemed like the best of both worlds to me,

so I went.

That, and I have fond memories of Indianapolis.

Last time I was there was for a half marathon.

Some total strangers took us in

and treated us better than a five star hotel.

It was so amazing we were taking pictures of our towels and place settings.

So, I pretty much love all of Indiana as a result.

The Indianapolis, Indiana temple had been dedicated for only a short time

So we went through it.

It was just beautiful.

And so unique.

The guy who put the trip together wanted to see a Midwestern state fair.

Now, I'm not really into state fairs

or farming.

But, it is an experience, and an excuse for a road trip

And I love doing things other people enjoy with them.

So we went.

Unfortunately by now,

I've deleted most of the pictures.

But just imagine - lumber jack show,

fair food.

animals,

Etc.

When we were done with that, we toured downtown and we were all so glad we did.

There were waterways.

And Danny's reenactment of parkour

and a breath taking sunset.

and we went just a little further and found

THIS

The picture does it no justice.

It is massive.

And ancient

And somewhat mystical.

We were all really glad we kept exploring.

On the drive home, we found this weirdness.

A town that tries to have the world's largest - you name it.

They have a catsup bottle.

Rocking chair.

Mailbox.

Whatever works.

It was fun.

Max Got Baptized

So THIS happened.
I couldn't be more thrilled!

 Backstory: Before Max turned 8 his mother and therefore Max stopped going to church.
I got myself assigned as her visiting teacher
and visited her each month
without her ever knowing.
It gave me an extra motivation to keep in touch with a
beloved friend.
And for the next four years, I tried to keep in contact each month as best I could.

Part of Max's frustration when he was going to church as a little boy

is that there were no boys his age at church.

But over the last year or so that has changed and there are quite a few boys his age.

So the timing just seemed right for Max to come and feel connected.

So I invited them to come to a picnic, and they came.

And the boys in the ward came up and talked to him.

And invited him to church and to scout camp.

He came to church the next day.

Went to scout camp that next week.

And started meeting with the missionaries.

And decided to get baptized!

Over the years I tried so many things to help get home teachers into their home

to help and support them,

but it never worked.

On one occasion I tried to get a Spanish speaking home teacher assigned to them.

Instead they assigned the proposed home teacher to me.

I think they misread my intentions.

One time I planned an entire ice cream night with Max and his mother.

And invited their assigned home teachers to come around the same time

dressed in regular clothes

Just as friends stopping by

One of them was very handy.

And their old home was very rickety.

So I told him I would bring up the house.

And that if he would offer to help

She would invite him over.

The plan played out perfectly.

But the home teacher got too busy with school

and never went over.

I understood, but was disappointed that

the otherwise perfect plan was foiled.

We shall see how Max's life turns out.

I hope it turns out well.

He is a smart kid, with a good heart

and one of the world's most amazing mothers.

He can do a lot of good in this world.

And I hope he will.

My Sister Started a Podcast!

My sister Ginette started a podcast!

Listen to it here.