When the concept of an “Impossible Dream” was first introduced to me, it was my understanding that it be literally impossible. There’s no way to create 17 steps from here to there. It then becomes a place to come from, instead of a goal to get to. Who would I need to be, to be a person capable of this thing? And simply come from that place? One of my favorite exercises when talking...
For the first time since I started my blog, in January 2018, I didn’t write a weekly article last week. That’s over 4 years and over 200 articles, week in and week out, not to mention publishing 2 autobiographical books. As I was thinking about what I might want to write about last week, I was inspired with the thought that the most difficult thing for me to do would be to not write and take a...
I seem to go through fits and starts of wondering “What’s Next?” It’s made more complicated for me because for the first time in my life I’m in the fortunate place of creating from abundance. I have money and resources, and I definitely have the time. I have all the passive income I need from my business ownership. Every time I’ve answered “What’s Next?” in the past, it was coming from a place of...
I’ve spoken a lot about a liberating metaphor I use, that helps stop me from comparing myself to other people. I call it “running my own race”. The best part of running my own race is I always win. The one trap I can still find myself in is “moving the goal posts”. The easiest example of that is around money. Some years ago, I had created a goal for myself called “Freedom 35”. It was a monthly...
Here is a capture of the Ask Me Anything I hosted on January 3, 2022. It was an experiment of me testing myself, showing up in a different way, sharing my wisdom in whatever way it was called upon, and kicking my year off in a strong way. Topics included Blue Ocean Strategy and using “pain” in your marketing, amongst anything and everything else that came up. I was very...
Something I felt very strongly back in the 1990s when I was part of the newly created rave scene was a feeling that we were onto something bigger. That we had the ability to change the world. When I speak to older ravers these days and bring this up, they enthusiastically respond with a “Oh my god, yes!” as they remember that feeling. Unfortunately, that moment in time passed. And then I realized...
So I just completed an incredible achievement. I published a new book. In it, are the best lessons I have to share about how I overcame feeling like a fake. It’s literally the book I wish someone had given me. I couldn’t be more proud of it. I’m sure it will help others. It culminated with a book “release” Zoom hosted by me and attended by dozens of people. I’m equally as proud of that Zoom, and...
At the worst of the depths of my imposter syndrome I felt like Bernie Madoff. I had fooled the world, or at least that is what I thought. It was only a few years ago, as I looked for things to do with myself, I didn’t even feel qualified to judge a high school business competition. Seeing those teenagers in their suits and ties, future MBA students, and here I was, the high school drop out...
After writing for my blog for over 3 years and 170 articles, I have come to some truths about myself. I value peace and freedom in my life above everything.I’m in a privileged place where I don’t have to do anything (I recently started thinking of myself as “retired”).I live a decelerated life.I like using technology, but try to avoid being used by it. That means I don’t use any social media...
“I’ll work for free” was how I got my first job. At age 12 I walked into a newly opened computer and video game store and somehow had the courage to ask for a job. When I was turned down, working for free was my solution. They accepted. I worked for free for the next several months, then below minimum wage (because I wasn’t even at legal working age). I was paid $3.00 an hour, when minimum wage...
Disclosure: Today’s article came about from asking myself these 2 writing prompts: 1) What do I need to hear most right now? 2) What scares me? And then I was inspired to write about my Impossible Dream. I did a quick search of my blog and I see it’s never been written about before. So something in me has held back sharing it openly. I’ve written in the past how a favorite...
I have decided 2021 will be the greatest year of my life. How that will be exactly, I don’t know. It will be incredible because I will make it incredible. I will control the things I have control over, and like the AA prayer, accept the things that I don’t and the wisdom to know the difference. I will live aligned with myself and who I am. I will create from that place. I will do things that...
I started this blog exactly 3 years ago. This will be the 160th article I’ve written for it. When I started it, I was in a dark place and starting the blog was my attempt at trying to figure out “What’s Next?”. I was making millions of dollars and feeling like a fraud. I was really unhappy. I have lived experienced that money does not buy happiness. I knew the status-quo was untenable, and began...
I live a decelerated life where I don’t use social media and don’t chase followers. This blog only gets a few visitors a day. I had decided early on I was going to not use traditional metrics and break every rule there is. It gives me pleasure every time I do something like that. The people that need to find me find me. I love knowing I’m your secret weapon (or that I can be)...
There’s an old school computer programming term called “Close to the metal”. It means you’re working with assembly level languages that the chips and hardware understand, rather than much more easier for humans to understand higher level languages. This was more important back in the day with limited hardware and memory power. You had to squeeze everything you could out of...
A few weeks ago I was inspired to challenge myself again. I needed to up the amperage on “What’s Next?” I asked myself this question: What scares me? After I sat with that for a bit, I answered it with this doozy of a question: Who do I need to be to charge 1 million dollars for 1 day of my time? I was less scared of this idea than excited by it. This is me challenging myself in the right way and...
For the past few years, ever since I made the decision to step away from daily responsibility of the company I co-founded, I have been pursuing ideas of what I thought I should be doing. Basically making the world a better place. Aspiring to be selfless. Helping others. Problem was, after a couple of years of this, I realized none of my ideas were taking root. I’d come up with great thoughts and...
There’s a piece of very colourful art that hangs prominently on my wall behind me. It’s visible when I’m speaking. You might have seen it already. There’s a powerful story about it and how it got there. I mentioned this to a friend. He commented that I have an amazing knack for creating curiosity in people. OF COURSE he now wanted to hear that story. So I recorded this...
“You’re watching me make this up” – I can say this to a stranger now because there is nothing fake about me. It’s been liberating. I’m not faking till I make it. Not anymore. That was a strategy I used effectively for years but not now. I’m showing up as the whole Chris. That is who they are there for. There is no faking that. They’re either going to want more of that, or not want it, and if they...
I’ve been in a holding pattern for a lot longer than covid has been around. My life, generally, is good. Yeah I’ve been searching for “What’s Next?” and have felt something missing for a long while, but overall not much to complain about. These would be referred to as “Quality problems”. Most people right now have frozen their lives and are waiting for it to return to normal. But you, the reader...
As I sat to write this week’s article that famous quote from Back to the Future popped into my head from out of nowhere. It’s the scene from the very end of the first movie. Doc has just returned from “the future” and now he’s taking Marty back to the future. Marty: Hey Doc, you better back up, we don’t have enough road to get up to 88. Doc Brown: Roads? Where we’re going, we...
I’ve been dealing with the “What’s Next?” question for myself for some time. I’ve spent a lot of time writing about it for my blog. I’ve learned many people carry that question with them and it has resonated. Now “What’s Next?” is a bigger question than it’s ever been. With my background, I feel uniquely qualified to help people work...
The doldrums is a sailor’s term for when they are at sea caught in calm, monotonous, windless weather. It’s a term that I’ve learned can also apply to times in your life, and certainly has in mine. The doldrums generally follow exciting times, times of tremendous growth and commitment to your goals. After having achieved some success, things begin to taper off. This is...
For the last few years that I’ve been exploring “What’s Next?” I’ve been very successful at learning what it isn’t. As I test, explore, research, and play with ideas I’ve built a very long laundry list of things I don’t want to do. This includes everything from the fact that I don’t want to go into work somewhere, it has to be done from my...
For so many people, whether or not they will voice this, when asked “What do you want?” the (secret) answer is: “More”. More money, more “stuff”, more house, more vacation, more whatever. The thing is, when you get “more”, the answer still remains “more”. I can remember 10 years ago figuring out my monthly budget. If I could generate...