Saturday, June 6, 2020

Body Mass Index, what's it good for?

I have come to terms with the fact that I need to lose some weight.  "Some" is the operative word in that previous statement.  If you ask most people based on our current culture, they would not feel I need to lose weight.  I'm very active.  I run 5 to 6 times a week, work out and try and get at least 16,000 steps each day.  One of the reasons I work out is so I can eat and I don't think I am unique.  But, I'm not 53 and it is not easy to keep the weight off.  

I am almost 6 feet tall.  I used to be 6 ft tall but I think I am now officially 5' 11.75"  but that is another story for another day.  I currently weigh 182 pounds but for me, my optimal weight is somewhere between 160 - 165 pounds. I don't feel as good once I start carrying a little extra weight and I don't like the way I look either.  

I tell you this in order to tell this story.  I told my wife I felt I needed to lose some weight and apparently she was feeling the same.  My wife is in a similar position that based on her age and appearance, most individuals would not call her overweight.  

But once I communicated this shared feeling, she went into motion and contact a friend who had success with a particular program and was now a health coach for said program.

As part of the evaluation process we had to determine our BMI or Body Mass Index.  

BMI was devised in the 1830s by Lambert Adolphe Jacques Quetelet, a Belgian mathematician, sociologist, statistician, and astronomer.  Since there were no calculators or computers, he opted for a simple system to determine a healthy weight. 

But, the problem is BMI exaggerates thinness in short people and fatness in tall people.  Nick Trefethen, a professor of numerical analysis at oxford university believes BMI leads to confusion and misinformation.

My BMI registered at 25 which is considered overweight and if I lost just 1 pound I would be at a normal weight.  Wrestler Steve Austin was 252 pounds and 6'2" during is wrestling career.  His BMI was 32.4 which is considered obese by the BMI scale.

Why people still support BMI is unclear except for its simplicity.  But, its simplicity is also its flaw.  

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Podcasting For A Beginner From A Beginner

When I say this is advice from a beginner, that isn't an
understatement.  My podcast Live To Shoot - Defending Our 2nd Amendment Rights has a total of 21 episodes.  I have been releasing about an episode a week, so it has been about 21 weeks since I started.  My inaugural episode released on January 1, 2020.

There are many reasons why people start podcasting.
  • To build an audience or following
  • To increase your existing audience or following
  • Promote a product
  • Make money
  • Have fun
I started my podcast for some portion of all of these reasons.

The most important thing to do in starting your podcast is TO START!.  Don't waste time trying to build a studio or figuring out the best recording software, you can work on this as you go and you can always change.

When I started, I read a statistic that the average podcast only  last 9 episodes.  I set my initial goal to make it past 9 episodes.  I am not going to lie, but getting to nine episodes was not easy.  When you start, everything is a little harder so just making an episode can take longer.  Also, determining each episode and content was a challenge and actually continues to be a challenge.

My first recommendation for beginners is to map out your first five to ten episodes if possible.  Some podcasters will pre-record their first handful of episodes and schedule their release.  My podcast is more topical and is based a lot on events of the day so that makes in more challenging.  But, I still try and plan on what I am going to discuss and I also have a list of topics that are more evergreen that I can use during a slow news cycle.

Publish, publish, publish.  Keep publishing episodes, even if the episode is only a five minute episode.

Another recommendation is not to worry about the length of your podcast.  The average podcast length is about 35 minutes but if you only have seven minutes of content, then just publish seven minutes.  Seven minutes of quality content is better than trying to create a 30 minute episode of average content.
My episodes are typically 10 - 15 minutes.

Hosting

You will need to determine a provider to host your podcast.  Below are a few of the better ones.

  1. Buzzsprout
  2. Captivate
  3. Transistor
  4. Simplecast
  5. Podbean
  6. Castos
I use Buzzsprout which I recommend.  They offer a free plan that offers most of the same benefits of their paid plans with only a limitation on the number of hours you can upload per month.  Also, they have a limit on how long you can retain your podcasts.  Some of the features they offer are:

  1. Advanced statistics
  2. Podcast website
  3. Custom embedded players
  4. Registered into all major directories
I like Buzzsprout  because they really focus on small to medium podcasters so they provide a lot of training and education to help podcasters create, manage and grow their podcast.

Recording/Editing Software

The two options I would recommend for recording and editing software is Garage Band for Mac users and Audacity for PC users.  They are both free and not too difficult to learn.  I use Audacity since I am a Window user and have not had any challenges.

Microphone

There are a lot of options for microphones.  Below are a few and I use the Audio Technica ATR 2100X.


You can also just record it using voice memos on your smart phone.  The key thing is to just start and don't let things like your microphone or software slow you down.

When I started my podcast, I didn't have any expectations.  I didn't promote it or really tell anyone about it but people started listening.  I have had almost 1000 downloads and they have been steadily growing.  

I hope this is helpful and encouraging.  You don't have to invest a lot of money to start podcasting and you don't have to be a professional broadcaster.  

Just get out there and have fun.












Saturday, May 23, 2020

Fail Fast

I fear failure.  In fact, failure is a motivator and a de-motivator for me.  

I imagine I'm not alone in this but this post is a message to myself.  

This blog is called "Do Hard Things First" and I really try and live by this.  I plan each day or week out by thinking about the hard things I have to do and scheduling them first in the day and if possible, first in the week.  If I have a meeting that I know might be difficult, I will look to schedule it early in the day.  I hate spending my day worrying about a challenging meeting.  I plan my runs for first thing in the morning because if I wait until the end of the day, I will come up with 100 excuses why I don't need to run.

Do the hard things first....

But, the hardest thing for me to do is to fail and I never put it first.  I bury it in cement and put it six feet underground.  I don't ever want to face failure.  

Fail Fast?  That is a mantra that many espouse. 

I grew up seeing failure and very little success.  My father was always looking for the next get rich scheme.  None of these ever really paid off.  But, the ironic thing is my father was a brilliant business person and salesman.  But, he wanted to cut corners by being dishonest, cheating, or stealing.  

Because of his behaviors he never had a job for more than 2 or 3 years.  He either got fired or quit.  This led us to move a lot.  By the time I was 12, I had moved 13 times.  I am always asked if my father was in the military and I wish the answer was that simple.

I grew up feeling that if my father had kept his nose clean and just kept one of his jobs, he would have been a wealthy person.  

I made a commitment that I wasn't going to be like my father.  That included how he was a husband, father, and employee(employer).  This mindset was beneficial and harmful at the same time.  

I listen to the stories of entrepreneurs and I marvel at how many times they all fail.  While the failures might have been painful, they were not deterred.  The successful ones seem to be the ones who embraced it as part of the process.  

“The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.” —John C. Maxwell



While I haven't really ever failed, I don't think I can say I ever succeeded.   I have a wonderful wife, two awesome boys, and a roof over my head.  So, I am very blessed.  I also have a good job that I have been at for 13 years that pays me a good salary, but I have never been satisfied.  I have always had a yearning to do something on my own.

In fact, I started a gun business in 2007 called Live to Shoot.  I had big plans for it but they never materialized.  I haven't been willing to put myself out there for a fear of failure.  

Then in 2014 I entered into the fire and water restoration business with 2 other partners.  I had aspirations of helping people.  While we help people, I am not active in the business and can't exert as much influence to change lives.

I don't know where this journey is going but I intend to try and fail and fail fast.  And that scares the dickens out of me...

I plan on sharing this journey regardless of success or failure. I hope others will join me, encourage me, fail themselves, and hopefully, all will grow in the process..











Friday, May 15, 2020

What is CryptoCurrency?

I have to admit cryptocurrency (e.g. Bitcoin) has been a bit of a mystery to me. 

Simply put, cryptocurrency is digital money.  

So what is cryptocurrency? It's a digital currency. And it's also called the Internet of money. Anybody can use it, you don't need permission from, say the government to be able to use cryptocurrency. And it's actually being considered by many as the future, our currency. 

Cryptocurrency is appealing because it is not issued by any central authority. And so it's theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation. Another great factor about cryptocurrency is that it allows you to pay somebody directly without the involvement of a bank or a corporation. Because today when you're paying somebody if it's not through cash, there usually is a bank or a corporation that has to be involved in the transaction such as PayPal, Apple Pay, etc. And they not only charge you for your time Transactions but they also monitor your transactions. So if you pay the wrong person or for whatever reason, you violate their terms, your account can be terminated. 

We are moving towards a cashless society. And it's better that people have control over their money, rather than a bank or a corporation or even a government having control over it. Another reason why people buy cryptocurrency is that they want to profit from short term gains for long term investment purposes. And also just to avoid supporting the Fiat system (typical government-issued currencies) and the Federal Reserve. 

As of the time of this writing, there are over 2000 different types of cryptocurrencies. And the most popular one, of course, is Bitcoin. It's currently priced at around $9,500. But the good news is that you can buy a fraction of it and there are currently 21 million bitcoins and then that is actually the limit to how many bitcoins there are. So just like gold, there is a limited supply.  But not all cryptocurrency has a limited supply and if you want to buy bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies you purchase them from exchanges.  The exchange I use is Coinbase.com. 

Coinbase is a popular site to buy bitcoin but there are other sites as well.  It is easy to open an account and you could have your first cryptocurrency today. Cryptocurrency is getting more popular as more people realize the profit potential from buying and selling cryptocurrency.

There are some risks with cryptocurrency.

The primary risk is its volatility.  Volatility got out of hand in 2017 when the price of most cryptocurrency skyrocketed above 1,000% and then came crashing down.  

So, as is true with any investment, be sure to do your due diligence before investing.


Sunday, May 10, 2020

Change a life with $38

Nine Starbuck Lenti Frappucino or nine McDonald Big Macs equals $38.  Thirty -eight dollars a month is not much money but it can change a life. 

I have two boys, a 17-year-old, Seth,  and a 14-year-old, Chase.  But, I also have a 16-year-old in Peru, Christian, a 8-year-old in Tanzania, Sumaiya, and a 5-year-old in Indonesia,Gian.





How did I come to have five kids?  Well, obviously, Seth and Chase, are my biological children but Christian, Sumaiya and Gian are my adopted kids.  Technically, they aren't adopted but they are sponsored.  

It was March 2015 and Seth (my oldest) and I were at a men's conference at our church and Compassion International had a booth there.  Between speakers, a representative from Compassion came out and talked about their organization.

What was different about Compassion versus other sponsorship programs to me was they had packets for each child right there.  And they were clear, don't take a child's packet if you don't intend to sponsor them because you will be taking their opportunity to be adopted away.  I looked at my son and said "do you want to go and adopt a child?"  We went to the booth and started going through the packets.  I asked my son "do you think your Mom would like a little boy or a little girl?"  I knew the answer before I asked but he said "a little girl."  But, the problem/opportunity was, I wanted a little boy.  So what to do?  Simple, get both.  So we picked out Sumaiya who was 3 at that time and another boy named Alvarro.  Alvarro recently failed to meet all the requirements to be sponsored so he was replaced with little Gian.  

Fast forward two years and my other son, Chase, and I are at the same conference.  Again, Compassion was there and they did their presentation and we were both moved again to adopt another child.  We adopted Christian at that conference.

Why?  Compassion International is an awesome ministry and they things they are doing in these children's lives is amazing. And, for a minimal investment in these children, we can be a part of it.  Below are some of the things Compassion offers these kids.

These kids get access to 

  • Love unlocks the potential with their hearts.
  • Access to education to defeat illiteracy and provide critical skills
  • Supplements to protect against malnutrition
  • Health care to fight against disease and sickness
  • Christ-Centered Guidance through a local church.
  • Recreational activities to protect from crime, violence, and danger.
The difference they are making in these kids' lives is enormous.  



The other cool thing is you will get letters from your kids.  Below is an example of a letter I have received from one of our kids.



If you do anything today, click on this photo below and sponsor a kid.






Sunday, May 3, 2020

21 Unique Ideas to Get More Done


Introduction 

In our current time, more and more people are working from home.  And, when this quarantine ends, many may continue to work from home.  Your ability to get lots done and stay on task is going to have a huge, direct impact on your lifestyle and happiness. Finish early and you have the option to simply head downstairs, make a cup of coffee and start relaxing! There’s no commute, no boss looking over your shoulder, and no requirement to work set hours (so long as the work gets done). Heck, you could even put that extra time to good use by starting a side project, further developing your skills, etc.

Then there’s the fact that working from home can mean working in your perfect work environment, near to the people you love, and with the freedom to come and go as you please – or even to completely change your work hours!

But if you don’t have the discipline and motivation to actually get work done, then it can be a completely different story. Now you’re more likely to find the experience highly stressful and overwhelming: you might well find yourself with a huge list of tasks that you have no idea how to tackle. The line between downtime and work might have become blurred, and you might be constantly working late, forgetting to shave, and generally failing to maintain a work-life balance.

Read on and you’ll discover 21 productivity tips, hacks, and ideas that can make a huge difference. They have been organized into categories for your convenience!

1. Eat the Frog (Do Hard Things First) 

Eating the frog is an expression that comes from a Mark Twain quote: “If it is your job to eat a frog, then you should do that first thing in the morning. If it is your job to eat two frogs, then you should eat the biggest, ugliest one first.” What this tells us, is that it is sensible to tackle the biggest and most difficult project first. By doing that, you make sure that you have provided the maximum value each day, and you do the hardest work while you have the most energy and resolve.

2. Kaizen 

Kaizen is a Japanese term that comes from the country’s manufacturing industry. This term refers to the process of making lots of tiny changes to a process, in order to see a large cumulative benefit over time.

For example, if your computer currently takes 5 minutes to boot up, and you start it up twice a day, that means you’re losing 10 minutes of productive time daily. Either you could use that time to do something else (make a call for instance), or you could upgrade your computer. Either way, you might now only spend 2 minutes booting up. 

That’s now reduced your wasted time from 50 minutes a week (200 minutes per month) to 14 minutes per week (56 minutes per month). That’s a gigantic difference. Changing the order you complete tasks can have a similar impact. 

3. The One Minute Rule 

This rule states that we should always complete tasks immediately if they will take less than one minute. This removes them from our mind, meaning that they aren’t hanging over us and causing stress. 

4. The 80/20 Law 

The 80/20 law tells us that 80% of your yield will come from 20% of your work. The key to being as effective as possible then, is to identify that crucial 20% that is going to result in the most profit. 

5. Pomodoro 

The Pomodoro technique is a technique that involves setting timers for when to work and when to take a break. This structured approach ensures you get a break (removing the urge to procrastinate) but allows you to carefully define when and for how long.

6. RescueTime


RescueTime is an app that you can use in order to monitor just how much time you spend on each task during the day. They say that “that which is monitored, improves.” In other words, when you see where your time is actually going, you will be given greater control over how to spend said time. 

7. Todoist


Todoist is a to do app. This app makes it very easy to create new tasks thanks to a powerful natural language engine: you can make the tasks by speaking just as your normally would! It also offers a lot of integration with other powerful apps and tools.

8. Apple Watch


An Apple Watch is a surprisingly powerful tool for productivity. Not only does it allow you to get notifications on your wrist (meaning your phone can stay firmly in your pocket), but it can even let you add todo items and more to your wrist, making sure that they are always easily accessible.

9. Notion


Described by some as a “second brain,” Notion is an extremely powerful note-taking app that lets you create web pages, tables, lists, embedded images and videos, and MUCH more. It’s extremely flexible and easy to use, and essentially it can adapt to however you wish to use it.
 

10. Freedom


Freedom is an app that will allow you to block specific apps and websites on your computer. This is powerful stuff for those who find themselves distracted by Facebook or other websites when they’re meant to be working!

Get More Done by Typing Faster


In the digital age, a lot of what we consider 'productivity' happens on the computer. Being productive tends to mean writing e-mails, filling in data entry, and writing copy. In all these cases, typing is our main form of 'output' and that means we will always be limited by the speed at which we can type when it comes to productivity.

Learn to type at the speed of thought then and in theory, you could drastically upgrade your productivity and complete a lot more work in a day. Read on and we will look at how you can learn to type faster.

11. The Right Keyboard


One thing that will right away make a huge difference to your typing speed and output (and thus offer great ROI) is the quality of the keyboard you are using. To type as fast as possible, you should look into getting a keyboard that is comfortable such as a mechanical keyboard. While bigger keys can avoid errors, you don't want to use a keyboard that's too big or you will end up traveling further to reach the keys.

12. Finger Placement


When you next go to type, take a look at your hands to see where they lie naturally before you start writing. Ideally, you should have your thumbs on the spacebar with your 8 fingers on A, S, D, F, and J, K, L, and:. Let this be a guide but not a set-in-stone rule, as you might find this depends on the size of your hands and of your keyboard.

13. Play Games


Playing games can help a lot. One of the best is 'The Typing of the Dead' which is notable for being an actually fun computer game, rather than one of those dull tutorial games that you'll never actually want to play.

14. Dvorak


If you're up for a challenge, then you might decide to try switching to Dvorak. Dvorak is an alternate keyboard layout that is supposed to be more efficient for writing and which is very popular with some coders and writers. It will take a while to learn and the evidence is mixed but if the idea appeals, give it a go!

15. Practice


Most important of all though is to practice. And if you're looking for a fun/convenient way to do that then you could always take up journal writing in the evenings!

Home Office Ideas


Your office is a space where you will be doing your work. It can play a large role in making you either more or less productive, so it is crucial to make sure it is as conducive as possible to your productivity.

16. Get a Plant


A plant can have a big impact on the way an office feels because it introduces something natural into an otherwise very unnatural environment. Not only that, but a plant will also stimulate the release of feel good hormones like serotonin. Among other things, these have been shown to improve creativity by helping us to relax!

17. Make it Inspiring


Filling your office with things that inspire you about your own work is a fantastic way to put yourself in a more productive and creative mindset. When we find work inspiring, that makes it inherently motivating, such that there is no effort involved when trying to convince ourselves to keep working on something.

18. Create Work Zones


A work zone is a space within your office where you can reach everything you need to. This term is often referred to in kitchen décor, but it makes a lot of sense in an office too. You should be able to sit at your desk and easily reach all the things that you need to be able to work with. 

Health and Fitness


Finally, your health and fitness are crucial if you are going to be as productive as possible while working from home. Many people allow their health to deteriorate when they work from home, as they have no requirement to walk or travel. Likewise, a lack of social interaction or sunlight can cause health issues. 

Making sure to stay on top of this can ensure that you have the energy, enthusiasm, and good health to continue doing your best work.

19. Exercise


Exercise is extremely important for those that work from home. This can help to undo much of the damage that is caused by sitting by a desk, and it becomes even more pertinent if you have no commute, and no reason to get up and walk across the room even!

Doing some form of steady-state cardio – such as running, cycling, or walking – will help you to strengthen your heart which can, in turn, prevent early mortality associated with desk work. This will also help to increase your calorie burn throughout the day (your active metabolic rate or AMR) in order to ensure that you don’t gain unwanted weight.

20. Protect Your Sleep


One thing that is very important when working online is to make sure you get enough sleep. This can be interrupted if you struggle to turn off from work and relax, or if you work near the environment where you sleep (avoid this wherever possible).

Getting enough sleep is crucial if you want to start the next day feeling energized and enthusiastic. Some things you can do include making sure that your room is as dark and quiet as possible, while also keeping it a lightly cool temperature. 

Try as well to make sure that you avoid light-emitting devices (like phones) for at least half an hour before bed. These stimulate the release of cortisol and dampen the sleep hormone melatonin, thus making it much harder for us to drift off to sleep.

21. Spend Time Outdoors


Spending time outdoors is one last, final way to ensure that you combat the negative effects of working from home, and therefore boost your ability to focus and work. 

Spending time outdoors not only boosts sleep (which helps us work better as we have seen), but it also increases vitamin D, which helps to regulate important hormones in the body related to focus, energy, and metabolism. 

Fresh air is just as important, while the greenery can actually help to boost creativity and prevent symptoms such as SAD. Another option is to invest in a plant for your desk, alongside a daylight lamp which will produce a similar wavelength to the sun. But nothing beats the real thing!

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Should I Invest In Real Estate

Investing in real estate can be hard.  It can also be very intimidating.  But, is real estate a good investment for beginners
in 2020?  Real estate will always be a good investment. There are many benefits to investing in real estate.  Below are some of the benefits.



Recurring Income


The majority of people invest in real estate for the steady flow of cash they earn in the form of rental income. This passive income is a huge incentive to get you started and buy your first rental property. If you do it properly, your rents should cover your expenses and provide additional monthly income.  If you pick the correct property, you can have a steady flow of income.  And, you don't have to stop at one property.  You can parlay the income from each party and reinvest it in the purchase of a second or third property.


Tax Benefits


Taxes are another benefit of investing in real estate.  The tax exemptions an investor gets from owning rental property can be a major reason why many choose to invest in real estate. For example, rental income is not subject to self-employment tax. In addition, the government offers tax breaks for property depreciation, insurance, maintenance repairs, travel expenses, legal fees, and property taxes. Real estate investors are also entitled to lower tax rates for their long term investments.

Real Estate Appreciation


Real estate investing is not a short term plan or a get rich quick scheme.  But, this is really its strength.  The benefits  of investing in real estate is the appreciation of capital assets over time. In other words, your property’s value will be worth way more 30 years from now, hence why investors are in it for the long run.  It should be noted, that there have been times when real estate didn't increase but these were more driven by poor decisions being made in the market which let to property being over priced.


Inflation Hedge

Another big advantage of  investing in real estate is it is a hedge against inflation. With high inflation, your rental income and property value increase significantly. Real estate investors welcome inflation with open arms because as the cost of living goes up, so does their cash flow.


With all of these advantages how does a beginner invest in real estate?  There are many ways to start investing in real estate, even for someone without much money.




Rental Property


There are a few strategies you can use to get started in owning rental property.  

One method is a technique called house hacking.  It essentially means you’re occupying your investment property, either by renting out rooms or by renting out units in a multi-unit building. This method allows an investor buy a property with up to four units and still qualify for a residential loan.

Another method that is for someone that might be a little more seasoned but still wanting to get involved in rental property.  This requires someone who has already purchased a home and is looking to move or up size.  Instead of selling your current home and using that money for the new home, refinance the existing home, take out some equity and use that equity as down payment on the new home.  Then rent out the first home for some amount that will cover the mortgage, insurance and property taxes.  I did this about 3 years ago and it has worked out great.  Another suggestion is to use a property management company.  They will help you find a tenant and handle all the maintenance items for a small fee.


Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)


REITs allow you to invest in real estate without having to purchase the physical real estate. Often compared to mutual funds, they’re companies that own commercial real estate such as office buildings, retail spaces, apartments and hotels. REITs tend to pay high dividends, which makes them a common investment in retirement. Investors who don’t need or want the regular income can automatically reinvest those dividends to grow their investment further.

Are REITs a good investment? Yes but they can be complex.  Some will trade on exchanges like stock and others are not publicly traded.  REITs that aren't traded publicly can provide more risk because you typically can't sell your holdings but they can offer higher returns.  New investors probably won't qualify to purchase the non-public trading REITs these types of REITs because they usually have minimum income or net worth requirements.  New investors are better to stick with the publicly traded REITs, which can be purchased through a variety of brokerage firms. 

Use an Online Real Estate Investment Platform

As mentioned in Putting Your Savings on Autopilot, there are platforms that allow investors to invest small amounts in stocks.  Acorns  is an example of on of those platforms.  There are similar platforms for real estate.
An example is Fundrise.  This is an excellent method that will allow you to begin investing in real estate for a very small investment.  Their starter portfolio requires a $500 initial investment and you can grow it by reinvesting your dividends (this is recommended) and as talked about in Putting Your Savings on Autopilot, you can also set a monthly amount to automatically invest as little as $100.
This platform has performed well for me over the last 2 years.  I have recorded a return greater than 8% and even during these tough times, I have had a 1.5% return so far in 2020.

Real estate is a great investment and is a really good way to diversify your portfolio.  Utilize these techniques and begin to watch your returns grow.







Body Mass Index, what's it good for?

I have come to terms with the fact that I need to lose some weight.  "Some" is the operative word in that previous statement.  If ...