Walk Into the Future

Category: Lifestyle

Articles discussing lifestyle and walking into the future.

  • NACE24

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    “Succeeding in business is all about making connections”.

    (Richard Branson)

    The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) annual conference was held in Phoenix, Arizona this year.  Last year was a defacto home conference since it was on the Disney properties in Orlando, Florida.  Loved the ease of travel last year but NACE24 was one of the best conferences I have attended.

    Why?  It’s all about location and opportunities.  I’m not a huge Disney fan and felt trapped to the property the way the conference was setup.  Also, there’s not a ton of afterhours entertainment for non-Disney fans. 

    Phoenix?  Tons of local entertainment, sports and food are available within a two-block radius.

    Flew out of Orlando airport directly to the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport.  I’ve been to Phoenix multiple times, but it was exciting to venture out west again.  Decided I didn’t need a car so booked the Super Shuttle service to get me to and from my hotel.  I’m a huge Marriott traveler so booked my hotel downtown Phoenix which was only two blocks from the Phoenix Convention Center which is where NACE24 was held.

    Did some exploring on my first day in town and walked around the city to take in the sights.  There were multiple police officers in front of the Footprint Center which is where the Phoenix Suns (NBA) and Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) basketball teams play.  I’ve never been to a WNBA game and was excited the Phoenix Mercury were in town and hosting a home game.  Made my way to the ticket counter and purchased a $20 general admission ticket.  Wanted to experience the environment but not spend a ton of money just to say I was there. 😊  The arena was packed, and the crowd was energized and helped the home team win in a blowout (15 points).

    Left the ball game and headed out to get some food. Found a funky spot called Copper Blues. It’s a restaurant with live music and free comedy shows on Sunday nights.  This was a perfect spot to post up at the bar and take in the culture.  Spent about 3 hours in Copper Blues before heading back to my hotel which was half a block over—things in Phoenix are close.

    NACE24 started on Monday with some preconference sessions and attendee check-in.  No need to rush over but didn’t want to spend a ton of time in the check-in line.  The keynote on Day 1 was Soledad O’Brien formerly of CNN.  She spoke at NACE in Chicago a few years ago and did a fantastic job.  Wanted to attend her session to learn more about her current media role and the value she places on education.

    NACE is all about networking and I was able to catch up with colleagues from all over the country.  Ran into my friend Sean Collins who currently works at FAMU in Tallahassee but used to work for me at Florida State University back in the day.  Connected with NACE Board members—the current CEO, Chair and incoming Chair are all friends of mine.  It was great running into them and planning some future projects together.  The NACE community is a tight knit group, and the incoming Chair has already reached out to me to lead the Sourcing and Nomination Committee—this group is charged with selecting new board members.  It will give me insight on the process and help my efforts for a future NACE board seat—fingers crossed! 😊

    The next two days were filled with networking, checking out vendors and attending after-work parties.  There’s a lot of food, drink and fun at NACE and Phoenix provided a nice backdrop for all these things.

    The final party was held at The Duce in the warehouse district.  One of the vendors reserved the venue and provided food, drinks and live music for NACE attendees.  It was great seeing my colleagues in a different light, and everyone was having a fantastic time.

    NACE25 will be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania next year.  I will get a chance to see my friend, Lauren Apgar again when I get up there.  Excited for NACE25 and seeing my homey! 😊

    Irie!

  • 2024 Rhode Island Half Marathon

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    “Rhode Island is the smallest state, but it has the biggest heart”.

    (Gina Raimondo)

    My Walk into the Future took me back to Providence, Rhode Island for the 2024 Rhode Island Half Marathon.  This was the inaugural running of this race and was advertised as a scenic route through East Providence neighborhoods.  The race was also advertised as completely flat—I’m guessing folks in Rhode Island do not comprehend the term ‘flat’ like we do in Florida. 😊

    I ventured over to Providence when I visited New England back in October 2023.  I flew up on Breeze Airways to explore Hartford, Connecticut and made stops in Springfield, Massachusetts and Providence.  Providence seemed to have a lot to offer so decided to head back there directly since Breeze Airways added direct flights from Vero Beach to Providence/Boston.

    I wanted to explore as a running tourist so looked for half marathons in the local area.  I booked flight and hotel accommodations once I discovered the 2024 Rhode Island Half marathon.  I’ve never run in New England but felt the weather would be good in mid-May and would get me out of the Florida humidity.  Most of my training and road races are in the south and I’m always trying to balance weather, humidity and course conditions.  Rhode Island seemed the perfect getaway to explore and experience good weather.  Check and check on both items.

    Flew out of Vero Beach on a Friday morning so I would not have to rush to attend packet pickup.  Arriving on a Friday also provided additional time to explore the local area and find local food spots.  My hotel was only 9 miles from the airport and in the heart of downtown Providence.  Decided to walk and explore a bit after I checked into the hotel.  The folks at the valet stand were very helpful identifying local eateries they recommended.  Set out for The District because of the variety on the menu and it was less than two blocks away.

    Made my way over with designs to sit at the bar and watch NBA playoff basketball.  The District is a smaller venue and every sit at the bar was taken by locals—guess this is their Friday night hangout spot.  No worries—got a seat at a high top in the bar area and tried one of the local light beers.  Turns out my waitress was running her first half marathon (Rhode Island) on Sunday, and we bonded over talking about training and projected times.  Didn’t feel too adventurous on my food selection so went with wings, fries and multiple beers to help with my carb loading process. 

    Packet pickup was scheduled for Saturday at the local run shop, Marathon Sports.  This shop is in Providence Place, which is a fancy name for a multi-level mall.  Marathon Sports was a short walk from my hotel so decided to use the walk on Saturday to stretch my legs.  Also, wanted to get acclimated to the weather since the temperature was in the low 50s.  Race day weather was projected to be just as cool so wanted to experience the cooler temperatures to ensure I knew how to dress on race day.  Packet pickup was uneventful—wanted to buy some new gear but Marathon Sports did not offer many things I would buy and/or wear.  Got my customary photo during packet pickup and headed off to find more carbs.

    https://www.marathonsports.com/

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    Harvard

    My next adventure was to head north to Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Always wanted to walk around Harvard and this was my opportunity to visit the famed campus and do a walk-about.  Cambridge was an hour drive from Providence so headed that way once I got back from Marathon Sports. The weather was still cool, and it started to rain a bit but not enough to keep me from making my way to Harvard.  The drive up was not bad—no big traffic issues on the way up.

    Traffic around Harvard was thick with cars and pedestrians—looked like others had the same idea as me to visit and explore the campus.  Found parking about two blocks from campus and made my way over to Harvard.  Made a trip to the famed bookstore to pick up some mementos and then did a walking tour to soak in the history of the campus.  Felt great being there and experiencing the atmosphere of the Harvard campus and local community.  Felt like I was in a movie. 😊

    Race

    Got to bed early so I could make my way to the race start line with plenty of time to warm up.  The race start and finish lines were both at Pierce Memorial Stadium.  Not use to starting or finishing a half marathon in a high school football stadium but there was plenty parking so that helped.

    I had to adjust my race outfit to include a long sleeve dri-fit shirt since the temperature was 51 degrees.  Thought I could get away with just an Orlando Track Shack tank top but needed something more on my arms.  My color coordination was off for this race to accommodate the long sleeve shirt and to keep warm.

    The race had a strict runner limit of 2,000 runners.  Not sure we got to that number but there were a lot of runners ready to toe the line.  There were not enough runners for corrals, so everyone just lined up regardless of projected completion times.  I made my way towards the back of the pack so I could gauge the pace of others and avoid congestion during the first few miles.

    I did not have a set finish time in mind but wanted to run faster than my last half marathon in Nashville back in April 2024—mission accomplished!

    I ran consistent mile splits (9:26 – 10:30) for the first 10 miles and slowed a bit after that.  It was not a hot day, but the non-flat portion of the race jumped up after mile 10 and I slowed a bit making my way up the hill.  Still, I had a bit of a kick at the end and crossed the finish line with a smile on my face and a time of 2:16:42—4 minutes faster than the last go in Nashville.  I’m happy to see an improvement and can use this effort to gauge my training for the Chicago Marathon in October.

    Marathon training starts next month.  Excited to begin the journey again towards another full marathon finish.

    I’m sure I will chronicle my training program throughout the summer.  Who’s ready to follow my training program?  😊

    Irie!

  • Make Every Second Count

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    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence”.

    (Vince Lombardi)

    This is a simple mantra but has a profound impact for me moving forward.

    I was looking for a cutting-edge angle to address over 80 staff members to launch our office retreat and emphasize the importance of the services we provide to students, parents, community members and our teammates.

    Yes, everyone knows our clients are the life blood of what we do daily. My goal was to provide a blueprint the collective group could use and implement.

    I’m a huge fan of Jocko Willink and have read multiple books he has written. I also leverage his YouTube channel to learn new things quickly.  His GOOD video is my favorite:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTMDpizis8

    My immediate team has seen the GOOD video multiple times, so I didn’t want to use that one again.  Went back to the Jocko library and watched videos to find something new and fresh for the retreat.  I needed something direct, short, and impactful.

    The Make Every Second Count video is short, but it packs a powerful message.

    https://bit.ly/3Khg4Kc

    We waste time on a lot of things daily but if we focus on the little things then big things happen.  Each second we work with clients is important.  How do we maximize our impact?  One second at a time.  How do we ensure our clients get what they need?  One second at a time. How do we get better daily?  One second at a time.

    One of my favorite authors is Dr. Henry Cloud. His book 9 Things You Simply Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life was introduced to me as part of my graduate program.  This was a required textbook in a Career Development course I took through Liberty University.  It was the first college textbook that I kept for my personal library.  Fun fact, I carry this book with me daily and refer to it on a regular basis.

    Chapter 7 is his Principle 5:  Act Like an Ant highlights this simple concept as a way to make incremental progress.  How do ants build an ant hill?  One grain of sand at a time.  This is very similar to Jockos’ Make Every Second Count concept.  Positive things happen when you stack small incremental steps together over an extended period.  We routinely look towards a finished project but can’t get there without the small steps (grain of sand / seconds) needed to complete the project.

    Not a huge rocket science statement but one that needs to be reinforced daily to ensure everyone understands the importance of steps (seconds) in setting and accomplishing a goal.

    I used Dr. Cloud’s words to change the way I approached my PhD program.  I was always looking towards the end goal but didn’t fully engage in the grains of sand in front of me.  My grains of sand were:  one read page at a time, one chapter at a time, one course at a time.  This mindset adjustment created a better learning experience for me and helped guide me towards my goal of becoming Dr. Calvin Williams.

    I look forward to combining both concepts:  Make Every Second Count and Work Like an Ant to inspire my teams through the rest of 2024.

    What’s your favorite inspiration hack to move forward daily?

    Irie!

  • 2024 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon

    “Nashville, man. That’s the place to be”.

    (Willie Geist)

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    This quote really hits home for me!

    My Walk into the Future leads me back to Tennessee multiple times each year.  April is a trip to Nashville for the Rock N Roll Half marathon and November has me hiking in the Smoky Mountains.

    Not sure when I fell in love with Tennessee, but I’ve got it bad.  I looked at moving to Nashville back in 2017 but never pursued the career opportunity.  My first visit to Nashville came back in 2006 when I attended a Florida Gators versus Vanderbilt Commadores football game.  Got my first experience with Broadway and the Wild Horse Saloon and the rest is history.

    I ran my first Nashville Rock N Roll half marathon back in 2017.  I’ve been back yearly since then—I missed 2020 because the race was cancelled due to Covid-19 and 2021 because the race was changed from April to November as a reschedule due to Covid-19 concerns.  I decided to head to the Smoky mountains as planned instead of running in Nashville in November.

    Fast forward to this year and the return to Nashville was an anticipated adventure for me.  I love the city, the food, the music, and the people.  Broadway is an outstanding place to watch people and hear fantastic live music.  Check, check and check.

    I didn’t enter the race this year with a set time goal in mind.  Just wanted to enjoy the environment, the people and after race party.

    I’m a creature of habit so stayed in the same hotel for the past three years.  It is in the West End and a short walk to the Broadway music scene.  I normally eat in the same places (Midtown Café, Rippy’s Honky Tonk and ACME Feed and Seed).  The Wildhorse Saloon closed in January and is under renovation to become Luke Comb’s new venture.  No line dancing this trip since my favorite spot shut down. ☹

    The weather was forecasted to be warmer than normal—the race normally happens earlier in April but was pushed back a week this year.  FYI—it was not Florida warm but not as cool as I would like considering the hilly Nashville course.

    Toed the line with 23,000+ other runners to test my mental and physical fitness while taking in all the site and sounds of Nashville.  Did I mention I love this place?! 😊

    Finished a bit slower than last year but felt good throughout.  The hills were a bit tougher with warmer temperatures but powered through until the finish line.  Proud of my 2:20:34 finish time. 

    Already planning my return trip next April for another run in Nashville.

    Here’s my trip in pictures:

    (EXPO)

    (Broadway)

    (Race day)

     

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    Next stop the Rhode Island Half Marathon:  https://runrhody.com/event/rihalfmarathon/

    Irie!

  • Five Minute Thursday: Leadership

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    Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

    “The writer is the explorer.  Every step is an advance into a new land”.

    (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

    The Walk into The Future blog continues to serve as a vehicle for my creative expression. I started this blogging process to share my thoughts, travels, and adventures.  I find it easy to write about my adventures and then share with my loyal readers.

    There are days when I don’t think I have the inspiration to write another blog article and then I sit down with a specific prompt and the words just come to me.  I would like to say writing these articles is an easy daily process, but I find myself struggling to generate content that I think others will read from time to time.  I write, edit, delete, and then write again to create something worth reading.  This is not all the time but figured I would share I have writing distractions to keep me away from me cranking away on my laptop. 

    Today is not one of those days! 😊

    I went back to a tried-and-true process of identifying a writing prompt to generate a new concept to write about.  One of the prompts I found a while ago was called:  Five Minute Friday.  The intent is to pick a specific word and then write about it for five minutes to create content.  Well, I modified the prompt into Five Minute Thursday since I post on Thursdays at 11:08 am—did you know that? 😊

    My first prompt for Five Minute Thursday is:  Leadership.

    Leadership is a concept that I began to explore while I served in the Air Force.  We were put through a series of leadership courses (Airmen Leadership School, Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership School, Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy, etc.) where principles of leadership were shared.  The best leaders I worked with all went through these courses, but they had more than course leadership principles.

    Three of my favorite Air Force Leaders:  Chief Master Sergeant Roger Noyes, Chief Master Sergeant Janet Craton and Senior Master Sergeant Rich Gardner—thanks to them all!

    Developing leadership skills became a priority for me and I explored this topic via books, online trainings, and lectures. 

    I discovered Authentic Leadership almost by mistake.  I wanted my dissertation to focus on First Year Experience (FYE) courses for first generation students.  This would have been an impactful study, but my dissertation mentor told me I couldn’t pursue this topic because it was Educational Psychology, and my program was Organizational Psychology.  I hung my head for a few months before we discovered Authentic Leadership, and the rest is history.

    My earlier introduction to leadership while in the Air Force allowed me to blend things I learned from wearing a uniform into my model of Authentic Leadership.  The great leaders I worked with in the Air Force have been integrated into my version of Authentic Leadership as I incorporate their lessons into my current pursuit of leadership.

    Well, my five minutes is up.  I could keep going but will honor the concept of this writing prompt! 😊

    What can you get done in the next five minutes?  Ok, take off!

    Irie!

    “Writing is the painting of the voice”.

    (Voltaire)

  • 2024 Vero Beach Half Marathon

    “I’m not running half of something; I am crushing the whole 13.1”.

    (Pinterest)

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    I started my half marathon journey back in December 2013 as an agreement with an Orlando friend who was an avid runner.  Our agreement was to run the 2013 OUC Half Marathon together and she was going to help me train and guide me through the process.  Sounded great but that never materialized.

    My friend and her family moved to Dallas, Texas after we both signed up for the OUC Half Marathon.  I thought about backing out but decided to press forward and run the race.  I had no idea how to prepare or even complete a half marathon but toed the line and grimaced my way around the course.  I wanted to quit multiple times but didn’t know the area well enough to walk off the course, so I kept moving forward and completed the half marathon.  Everything on my body hurt because I had no idea what I was doing.

    Fast forward and 2024 is my 11th year competing in long distance races.  I had no idea signing up for a random half marathon with a friend would become an anticipated part of my daily life.  I sign up for half marathons now as part of my training program.  I know how to train, hydrate, and recover, which makes my life a lot better once the race is over. 

    One of my favorite half marathons is the Vero Beach Half Marathon.  I have participated in this race three years in a row and envision I will compete every year I’m on the Treasure Coast.

    This race has two bridge crossings within the first five miles, but it is completely flat once you get over the bridge the second time.  I joke you must survive the first 5 miles of the race and then the course comes back to the runners. 

    The 2024 Vero Beach Half Marathon started with cooler weather this year which makes completing 13.1 miles a lot easier.  This is a smaller race with less than 300 runners in the half marathon.  There is not much spectator interactions during this race either.  It almost feels like most folks in Vero have no idea why the streets are closed, or why people are running around in shorts.  People wave and blow their car horns but no music or cheering spectators to get runners energized—but I still love this race. 😊

    I entered this year without a finish time in mind.  I wanted to keep progressing towards the 2024 Town of Celebration Half marathon which was my goal race.  I took a full 10 days away from running after completing the 2023 Garden of Life Marathon back in December, so this was my first double digit run since the marathon.  My physical fitness was still good so wanted to push hard in the first part of the race and then pull back a bit.  Didn’t know if the weather would heat up or not but didn’t want to struggle in the heat if it got warmer.  Luckily, the weather remained cool throughout the race, and I was able to enjoy the miles on a very nice morning.

    Race recap:  I run sub 10-minute miles over the first 4 miles and 10:15 per mile after that.  My fastest mile was during Mile #6 which was 9:40. I still had a lot left in the tank as I finished in 2:15:04 which was faster than my 2023 time.

    Hit the race after-party and had a good local craft beer and snacks.  One of my favorite parts of the day is meeting my friend Beth at Mulligan Beach House for brunch.  This has become a tradition for us and enjoy spending time catching up and drinking beers at 9 am in the morning.

    Already looking forward to next January so I can tackle this race again and then sit at Mulligan’s Beach House with beers on the famed Vero Beach.

    What are you looking forward to?

    Irie!

    Mulligan’s Beach House

  • 2023 House Hunting (Repost)

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    “Home is the nicest word there is”.

    (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

    I moved to Fort Pierce in April 2020 during what we thought was the worst part of COVID-19.  Different time from what we experience today. 

    Back then, realtors and apartment managers were not allowing anyone to enter buildings.  I remember coming down to Fort Pierce to look for a place to live and office staff made me call them on the phone and speak to them while I stood outside—even though I could see them through the glass door.  It was a precaution to keep them safe, but it was a weird dynamic trying to find a place to live. 

    My intention when I moved here was to purchase a house, condo or townhouse but did not feel comfortable trying to purchase something I could not view—guess I am weird like that.

    Found an apartment complex close to my new place of employment and they allowed me to view their model apartment on my own.  There’s plenty of space here, a workout room and close to work.  Still had intentions to purchase something in this area but did not feel a need to rush the process.

    Got the urge to purchase again in the summer of 2022 so decided to put more effort into the process.  Started slowly by trying to identify areas I wanted to live in and more importantly, areas to avoid.  Got active on Zillow to start locating properties but decided to reel in my search to include condos and townhouses.  Decided early on I did not want to take care of my own lawn anymore.  Yard work was cute back in the day when I had a house in Georgia, but I do not want any part of cutting my own yard or weed eating in South Florida.

    Started touring neighborhoods on my own after finding properties on Zillow.  This allowed me to expand my boundaries and get a better understanding of different areas in Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, and Vero Beach.  Put more energy into looking at properties in Fort Pierce and Vero Beach—eliminating Port St. Lucie was easy based on the amount of traffic there.  Keep hearing stories of how long it takes to navigate around St. Lucie West. 

    Reached out to a realtor when I wanted to get more in-depth knowledge and help with the search.  She has been in this area for a while and has a better feel for the process—I needed someone to guide me.  Gave her an idea of what I was looking for to include a price range I wanted to stay within.  She quickly found condos and townhouses that matched what I wanted, and we were off and running.

    I still was not in a rush, so I was able to view multiple properties to see how they fit what I wanted in a new home.  I was very selective on what we viewed since I did not want to waste her time or mine.  She gave me a lot of freedom in this process, so this made it more like an adventure and not a task to complete.

    The breakthrough came while viewing two condos in Vero Beach.  Both looked great online and were in nice neighborhoods, but they did not feel like home.  Asked my realtor to find others and set them up for viewing.  She agreed but decided to bump my price range up a bit and discovered a townhouse in Fort Pierce that was only two miles from where I currently live.

    I never knew there were townhouses in that subdivision—always saw the houses from the road and never ventured in there.  We set up a viewing for this townhouse two days later and made our way over to see it.  This was the first place I walked into, and it felt like it could be ‘home’.  Spacious living room, large kitchen (means nothing really), great space in the bedrooms and a large walk-in closet for me. 

    Fast forward and I put in a bid for $20k less than the asking price.  The seller countered a $5k increase and I accepted.  Got a townhouse listed above my stated price range within my price range without having to go back and forth with the seller.  Took my realtor’s advice on this process and it paid off for me—no pun intended.

    I am using my time to update a few things in the town house before moving in; removed carpet and replaced with wood laminate floors, painting the inside, tile and grout cleaning and a professional cleaning.  Did not have to rush my move-in date since my lease is still active—this worked out where I had time to update the townhouse before physically moving in.

    There are times when patience pays off and this is one for me.  Found a home two miles from where I am currently writing this blog article and I am excited to continue to Walk into the Future.

    What does HOME mean to you?

    Irie!

    “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it”.

    (George A. Moore)

  • Negril Jamaica 2024 (In Pictures)

    “Wah gwaan!”

    Wah gwaan (what’s up?) is a friendly way to greet people while in Negril.  The common saying is an easy way to integrate within the Jamaican way of life and make instant friends.

    Mi deh yah (I’m doing well) is the most common way to respond to Wah gwaan.

    Made my annual trek back down to Negril over spring break for some sun, fun, rum, and reggae.  This year I went down for complete relaxation and to enjoy the Irie vibes.

    I hit my normal food and music spots to maximize my time in Jamaica but made sure I finished reading the two books I had in my book bag.

    Love Negril, irie vibes, reggae, and great food when I’m there.

    Here are some pictures from my latest visit:

    Day 1

     

    Day 2

    Day 3

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    Where are you planning to visit this year?

    Irie!

  • Walk into the Future Prequel

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    “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing”.

    (Benjamin Franklin)

    Merriam-Webster defines a prequel as a work (such as a novel or a play) whose story precedes that of an earlier work.

    Simple enough, huh?

    I had an interesting conversation with a mentee who discovered my first public written work recently.  We were discussing his future work-related options, and I reminded him to slow down and not rush into anything if he was not sure.  This caught him off guard because everyone is always in a hurry to get to the next big things.  I’ve been there too but learned a valuable lesson after I got out of the U.S. Air Force.

    What’s the lesson I learned?  To slow down and enjoy the process.

    There may be a few Walk into the Future readers who may not know the prequel to this blog was my first and only (at this point) book I wrote in 2010. 

    I found myself at a crossroads in 2010 and wanted to take control of things in my life.  The book, What Now?  Take Control  Live Life; Don’t Let It Live You came together as I started to examine things in my life and look for new angles to gain and stay in control. 

    A few lessons from the prequel:

    Enjoy some time off.  Most people think they must rush from one position to the next.  This lesson was written to let readers know they can enjoy some time off without feeling guilty.  Not everyone can afford to be without a steady paycheck but for those who can there’s no need to jump back into the world of work.  My advice is to sleep in a bit, visit with family and friends and find new ways to relax.

    Take a vacation.  I took this lesson literally and started my yearly trek to Negril, Jamaica.  It was a place I always wanted to visit but never made the time.  Not working gave me the perfect opportunity to head down to Negril and discover Irie vibes.  I’ve been going back every year since 2010 and will continue for the foreseeable future.

    Reconnect.  This lesson centerson reconnecting with family and friends.  I recommend using time away from work to reach out to family members and close friends to catch up on life.  We spend so much time at work and sometimes miss out on opportunities to spend time with people close to you.

    Live life.  This lesson provides space to reassess life priorities and use free time to rediscover important things in life.  This can also be a time to find yourself—what’s important to you and what do you want to accomplish?

    There are additional lessons in my prequel and I welcome you to discover them all here:  https://amzn.to/3IktGn6

    Let me know your thoughts if you decide to accept the reading opportunity! 😊

    Irie!

    “I always kept two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in”.

    (Robert Lewis Stevenson)

  • 2024 The Look Ahead

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    Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

    “Goals are dreams with deadlines”.

    (Diana Scharf)

    The Walkinto the Future blog allows me to chronicle thoughts and adventures with my readers.

    Goal setting remains a high priority for me, and I make a point to reset my goals each year.  I was able to hit all my 2023 goals and look forward to a productive 2024.  There are always goals that carryover from one year to the next but decided to add a few wrinkles to my goal plan.

    Travel is a central theme to my Walk into the Future and 2024 is no different.  I’m heading back down to Negril, Jamaica for spring break in a few weeks.  This location makes it on my goals list each year since Negril is one of my favorite places to visit.  Can’t wait to get back down there for the great food, reggae, rum, and outstanding sunsets.  The staff at Samsara do a great job of taking care of guests and treat everyone like family.  The Turks and Caicos is a new destination on my travel agenda for 2024.  I’ve heard great things about the Turks and Caicos and want to experience it for myself.  It would be a new adventure and allow me to explore another part of the Caribbean.  Will target summer travel for this island visit.

    I have an overarching travel goal to visit all 50 states.  I’ve got 38 so far and want to get busy seeing the other states.  I recently signed up for the Rhode Island Half Marathon in May and this trip will allow me to venture north to visit three new states, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.  I crossed off Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island last October.  Ran out of time to hit the other 3 states so a return trip to New England is scheduled.  Will look for an opportunity to visit Arkansas and West Virginia at some point this year.  Got a few western states to visit but will focus on the west in 2025.

    My exercise program remains front and center when I sit down to write out my goals.  I will workout 3 days and run 4 days each week.  My targeted weekly mileage is 30 – 40 total miles which would put me slightly ahead of my 2023 mileage numbers.  My current race schedule is listed below:

    2024 Bridge Buster 5k
    2024 Vero Beach Half Marathon
    2024 Town of Celebration Half Marathon
    2024 Fleet Feet Run for your Heart 10k2024 Sailfish 10k
    2024 Winter Park 10k
    2024 Nashville Rock N Roll Half Marathon2024 Rhode Island Half Marathon
    2024 San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon
    2024 Virginia Beach 10-Miler
    2024 Chicago Marathon
    2024 OUC Half Marathon2024 Palm Beaches Half Marathon

    I’m sure I will find a few additional races to sign up for, but this is what I have so far.

    Reading is another major component of my goal setting process. I set a goal of reading two books (minimum) monthly in 2023 but did not hit my targeted goal. I read quite a bit but never got close to two books per month.  I enter 2024 with the same goal and I’m happy to report I am ahead so far this year.  I’ve made a concerted effort to pick topics I want to explore (leadership, team dynamics) to ensure I stay engaged in the process.  My book selections in 2023 were ambitious but did not excite me so I began to lag in effort—not in 2024.

    I recently purchased a new grill and will look to get good use out of it in 2024.  The grill provides me with healthy options that I will leverage to cook more this year.  I’m not a huge fan of leftovers but can eat grilled food daily—love the flavor.  I will grill or bake twice weekly to ensure I’m getting healthier dinner options—especially on the weekends. 

    Professionally, my goal is to network and identify additional consulting and speaking roles. I’ve found success with local business contracts and want to get a few more.  My Authentic Leadership platform continues to grow, and I want to share it with other organizations. 

    Volunteering in the local community is another goal I want to meet in 2024.  There are multiple options available, and I will get active in 2024.

    Lastly, the Leadership eBook is coming! 😊

    What are your goals for 2024!

    Irie!

    “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hope”.

    (Andrew Carnegie)