I have a new office, a new team of coworkers, a new bike route, and a new schedule. at my new office, one of the oddest things has been a particular break room not too far from my desk. I’ll try not to ruin your appetite, so just believe me when i tell you that the funky odor vehmenating from this room is one of the weirdest / nastiest / disgusting smells i have ever encountered on a regular basis. i actually walk 50 yards out of my way on a regular basis to avoid it.

and what’s even more strange, it’s almost like i’m the only one who notices it. when i do happen to walk by it, i see people having meetings in it, or eating lunch, or even just hanging out.

What the?? Am i crazy?

So a few weeks into my job, i decided to bring this up with a couple of coworkers. Come to find out, it does really reek, but everyone has gotten used to it. And the nearest break room is a whopping 200 or so yards away, so it makes do. Odd. The out of this world odor is just taken for granted as inevitable. A rarity?

The more I’ve thought about it, the more i realize this rationale is actually the norm far too often.

It’s easy to get in a routine, go through the habits, and lose our sense. Our sense of smell, our sense of wonder, our sense of compassion.

I take for granted that I slept with a roof over my head last night, in an air conditioned home, on an extremely comfortable bed, next to my beautiful wife, with my amazing and healthy daughter in the next room. I take for granted that I was born into the most educated, wealthy, and opportunity rich society the world has ever known. This list could go on, and on, and on…

Most days I don’t need anything else to comfort, entertain, or help me escape the difficulties of life (first world difficulties that is, ha). What I really need is to have my senses / soul awakened to the love, hate, joys, tears, suffering, compassion, pain and beauty that I so often overlook.

And maybe tommorow I’ll bring some clorox and get to work on that break room. I wonder if anyone will notice?

they are an “innovation firm”, as they call themselves.

bringing high tech, high return on investment innovation to some of the largest companies in the country. they struck me as remarkable for many reasons. one being their unique compensation based on their solution’s earnings. another unique thing about them was there all out, multi hour product reveal extravaganza at the end of each product.

do your self a favor, and read more about them here.

but i want to focus on a different practice of theirs that really stuck out to me.

to stay motivated, focused, and ferocious, they have continual cycles of 100 day plans.

every 100 days, both for each individual, as well as for the company, goals, milestones, and actions are brainstormed and written down. then at the end of that 100 days, everyone, yep EVERYONE is held accountable to how they did against there stated goals.

real goals, actionable items. playing off everyone’s strengths, they are not content to sit on there laurels for even a day.

so being a natural goal setter myself (with my 10, 5, 3, and 1 year goals), i was challenged to step it up even further and try out this 100 day goal challenge.

what type of goals? well hear are a few of mine: 600 miles cycling, 2800 pushups, 700 ab rolls, 15 blog posts, 3 insight post, read 5 books, and a few others

even halfway through, i see how i really missed out on some goals that should be there, and how a few others might have been a bit unrealistic, ha.

but, better to measure, see what’s working and not, and improve; then to daydream and sulk when nothing happens.

today is day 42, and though i half to play a bit of catchup in many of the goals, i’m really glad i’m doing this, and look to continue the experiment.

My current cycle will end on December 8th, and i’d love to have anybody else whose up for it join me starting on the 9th.

it could be goals of cycling. writing. cooking. climbing. loving. doesn’t matter what it is. as long as it takes everything you have. as long as it’s a bit daunting even to think of.

Here’s to grit. Here’s to audacity.

Here’s to changing the world, one day at a time.

i know it. you know it.

we experience it everyday.

so if your reading this. i’m genuinely honored. thank you.

so in a time when there is never a shortage of things to read, watch, or play with, how does an individual, brand, or organization measure their own influence on the world?

how do we know the difference between adding to the noise, or actually contributing to a greater conversation?

a two way conversation.

i know, by just using the over hyped word “conversation”, you might be extremely tempted to stop reading.

but that’s exactly what i’m aiming for when i communicate. and i hope you are too.

though i’m not the best at it. i want to engage, listen to, contemplate, and thoughtfully communicate with others.

so i’m not really interested in a popularity contest, whether measured by twitter followers, friends, retweets, or any other number.

it’s cliche, but it truly is about quality. it has never been about quantity.

but maybe your thinking, it’s really hard to measure quality, especially in the digitally social spheres that we are daily engaged with.

how can we measure the meaningful influence we have? is your brand / organization actually communicating with customers? or just using a bullhorn to annoy the masses?

enter a sweet new website i found recently, http://www.klout.com

though not perfect, i’m finding it really useful and interesting. sure, it’s easy to see that so and so has 1,000 followers, or a brand has 13k followers. But again, how much of that is noise?

i’m excited to see this service, along with others yet to be launched, grow and evolve into a deeper way to look into this tricky subject.

to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not, rich;

to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with an open heart;
to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently,
await occasion, hurry never;

in a word,
to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common –

this is my symphony.

william henry channing

This has been on my mind (and my desktop) for the last few weeks, especially in the midst of the many changes happening in my life (moving cross country, having a gorgeous baby girl, starting a new gig, and buying a first home).

I don’t want stuff / hurry / crap. And I have to remind my self of this awesome. I want time with my bride. I want to hold and coo with my baby girl. I want to invest, love, and enjoy the relationships God has given me.

Therefore other things must be weeded / kept out. That is the tension.