Team building – Walk Into the Future

Five Minute Thursday: Mentor

paper boats on solid surface — Photo by Miguel u00c1. Padriu00f1u00e1n on Pexels.com

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself”.

(Oprah Winfrey)

The Walk into the Future blog is back and will give the Five-Minute Thursday prompt another run.

I was surprised to hear from multiple readers who enjoyed the concept and what I put out during my first run with this prompt. Will get a few more topics in with this format.

My second prompt for Five Minute Thursday is: Mentor.

I have been blessed with great mentors in my professional life. These folks have each provided me with guidance and showed me the correct way to move forward in life. Deborah Friendly mentored me at my first Air Force duty station in Fort Worth, Texas. Tony Greene picked me up when I went to Japan the first time. I connected with Rich Gardner in San Antonio while stationed at Randolph Air Force Base. The interesting thing about these mentors is they were all from Florida—just like me. Funny how people cross your path—three of my first mentors were from my home state but I met them in other states and countries. Life is interesting!

I’m still in contact with these three folks and appreciate the knowledge they shared with me.

The mentor I will write about today is Jan McIntosh. He was a Chief Master Sergeant and the top enlisted Personnel Manager in the Air Force. He oversaw Personnel (HR) operations for every Air Force Base in the world. I knew the Chief by name but had no idea he knew me or anything about me.

I met him during my time as an Air Force Instructor at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. I was one of two instructors charged with training computer analysts on a new personnel database that was being integrated Air Force wide. We built the course in record time and then had to train analysts worldwide to ensure operational integrity throughout the Air Force.

Chief McIntosh watched me teach a few sessions and then pulled me to the side and gave me the most important piece of advice I ever received. He asked me if I wanted to know the key to success and I said, of course. He told me the secret to success in life was: Be where you are supposed to be, doing what you are supposed to be doing, when you are supposed to be doing it. A very simple concept but I put this advice into action after he shared it with me, and things really started taking off for me.

Doors started opening for me because I put this simple concept into action. Promotions, better work assignments, financial wellbeing, better health outcomes, and improved relationships all came my way by utilizing this advice.

I use the knowledge Chief McIntosh gave me in 1997 to this day and share with all my tree branches. I also use this information in my work environment to lead my teams—yes, I share these same words with everyone on my team to show them how easy life can be if we get out of our way.

Interesting fact—the advice Chief McIntosh gave me was the ONLY conversation we have ever had. I never saw him or spoke with him again, but I leverage his wisdom daily and consider him one of my best mentors. He came into my life at a time when I needed his knowledge, and he shared it with me freely.

Which mentor impacted your life the most?

Irie!

“Your mentors in life are important, choose them wisely”.

(Bill Walsh)

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)

2024 The Look Ahead

the word goals from wooden letters — 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)

Leadership lessons from the GOAT

“Complacency breeds a blatant disregard for doing what’s right”.

(Nick Saban)

Leadership lessons are available daily. I normally write about my preferred style of Authentic Leadership but continue to seek out new ways to improve my leadership knowledge.

One of my 2024 goals is to read two books monthly. I naturally gravitate to leadership topics and found myself shopping for a new leadership book on Amazon. The algorithm used by Amazon always provides me with recommendations based on my past book selections. There were several interesting books available but the book “The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban” caught my attention because of his continued success and recent retirement.

Always knew Nick Saban was a great coach who won a lot of football games and put a ton of players into the National Football League (NFL). His players ranged from high first round draft picks to solid contributors that spent years as professional ball players. He is known as an outstanding recruiter and an even better developer of the talent he recruited to the University of Alabama.

His ability to recruit players at a high level and then the development of those players were reasons I wanted to explore his leadership style and techniques. Opened the book without any knowledge of how Coach Saban was able to become successful but wanted to learn directly from him on how he led his teams to multiple championships.

The book opened with the concept of building a team framework. This provides a solid foundation for the team and sets the tone needed for success. Coach Saban’s first meeting was designed to inform everyone of his vision for the team and how team members would operate. Recruiting was identified as the life blood of the program, and everyone needed to be on the same page when it came to recruiting players.

He ensured the team understood that there needed to be other leaders in the organization—he set the foundation but needed others to step up their leadership. He created player leadership councils and allowed players to lead each other. He demanded that players get involved in the daily operations of the team activities. This created multiple leadership voices within the team but that all resonated with Coach Saban’s message. This translates to all organizations that want to see staff and process growth.

Coach Saban also welcomed staff turnover in his organization. He saw staff turnover as a way to improve the organization as new staff members brought in their ideas. These new ideas were added to Coach Saban’s routine to enhance his overall message. He lost staff members yearly but was able to regroup and still win multiple championships. His core beliefs remained but he was willing to adjust based on new staff members input and continued to lead a championship program.

Coach Saban was known for The Process which is the system and mindset everyone must follow. Coach Saban stressed winning each play as the goal instead of winning the game. The concept of do your job each play led to the success his team maintained. This focus gave the players a more immediate outcome than simply saying we need to win this game. Win each play over and over and the game will be won—in theory. This translates directly into the work environment for employees. Teams that focus on the next task and complete it well win—sounds simple, huh? The Process can work for us all.

The last concept I will explore is Be True to Yourself. This resonates with me because it parallels Authentic Leadership and the need to be self-aware. Internal moral perspective requires leaders to evaluate themselves daily to ensure they are not doing anything that compromises who they truly are. You don’t have to rant and rave to get staff members to do the right thing. Leaders can remain themselves and not have to try to become something or someone else. You can be a quiet leader and still get positive things accomplished.

There are a ton of other outstanding leadership lessons in this book. Highly recommend this for your leadership library.

https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Secrets-Nick-Saban-Alabamas/dp/1637740832/ref=sr_1_3?crid=OXEKTRCUTPZ2&keywords=nick+saban&qid=1707356155&sprefix=nick+saban%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-3

What are you currently reading?

Irie!

“Success is not a continuum; it’s momentary”.

(Nick Saban)

Operational Gears

close up photo of stainless shift knob — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“Winning requires reaching inside of yourself for that extra gear to accelerate challenges”.

(Orrin Woodward)

How many gears do you have? This may be the first time anyone has asked you that question, but I leverage this daily in my work environment.

Yes, I know people are not machines with a gear shift like cars. I use this concept to identify team members who can handle more responsibilities and help the organization grow.

My goal is to hire 5-gear staff members or work to help current staff members develop additional gears. This is not a simple process considering staff may have already maxed out on the number of gears they possess. The Peter Principle identifies a person competent at their job will earn a promotion to a position that requires different skills (gears). I added the word gears to this definition to highlight my thought process.

A 5-gear staff member in theory will have the emotional intelligence, intellectual curiosity, and grit to continue to get positive things accomplish. My view centers on the 5-gear staff member being able to take in information, process this information and then put it into action quicker than someone with less gears. I view myself as being a 5-gear person and this allows me to take on more responsibility at work and continue to thrive. I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I have an insatiable curiosity that serves me well. Organizations with a large contingent of 5-gear staff members can pivot and grow because of their ability to handle and process information and tasks.

Now, imagine what would happen if an organization was comprised mostly of 1-gear, 2-gear, or 3-gear staff members. Things would continue to get done but the organization’s growth would be limited by the capacity and capability of these folks.

Think back to the gear shift analogy. A vehicle moves the fastest when it is shifted into 5^th gear. It can move in 1^st gear but there will be limitations on the speed the vehicle can travel. Same with 2nd gear, 3rd gear, and 4th gear. The higher you go up on the gear shift the vehicle performs better and you can fully enjoy the ride.

Bring this concept back into the workplace and my theory is this translates to staff members as well. All the gears are needed but to fully engage the 5^th gear needs to be present.

Professional development and training are two key components to gear building. I’m not sure a 1-gear staff member can ever be developed into a 5-gear person, but professional development and training needs to be present to bring out the best in everyone. These programs need to be consistent and prescribed for everyone in the organization. The concepts need to focus on helping staff members improve in areas they are lacking. A healthy dose of self-awareness is needed for the staff to provide a real assessment of their gears and identify ways to develop additional gears.

Self-aware staff members will have a full understanding of their strengths, values, and weaknesses. Building a self-aware staff is a foundational process to increase the gear potential for the staff member and the organization. Imagine the lack of productivity that happens when a 1-gear staff member fully believes they are helping the organization at maximum capacity. This staff member would frustrate their teammates unless they put in the effort to gain and/or display additional gears.

Organizations begin to thrive with higher gear staff members because they have the capacity to bring new ideas and concepts into the workplace. These new ideas provide a new level of growth for the organization and help move everyone forward. Too many 1-gear staff members and things remain stagnant. This is never good for an organization looking to produce at a high level.

So, I ask again. How many gears do you have? What are you doing to gain additional gears in your work environment?

Irie!

“God, I hear you giving me an earful but I’m gonna cruise in 5^th gear until I’m near you”.

(Joe Button)

Student Success Karaoke

Student Success 3

(Prince, Luke Combs and Gwen Stefani)

“If work isn’t fun, you’re not playing on the right team”.

(Frank Sonnenberg)

Work hard and play hard.

How many times have you heard this phrase? Do you agree or disagree?

Well, my Walk into the Future journey provides a perfect dichotomy to both sides of this concept. I continue to seek adventures that allow me to maximize my personal time when I’m not trying to change the world one tree branch at a time.

My work as Associate Vice President of Advising and Career Services allows me to impact a lot of people in positive ways. There are days where I’m not the most popular person in the building based on decisions I must make as part of my daily duties. This is a part of the business and makes my work interesting. No two days are the same.

I leverage my Organizational Psychology knowledge to build a team environment and culture to help the team thrive daily. We have built in team building activities with cohorts to help our communication and ability to get positive results for our clients. We started using the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to enhance our internal communications and build on our goal towards positivity within the workplace. The process to improve culture is an ongoing project and one I put a lot of effort into for continuous improvements.

We started hosting a large Student Success activity during Halloween week back in 2021. That year we put on an 80’s Dance Battle between one of my friends and myself. It started as a simple joke, but the staff heard us talking and decided seeing older guys battle dance at work would be fun. We turned this event into a full fledged 80’s party where staff dress in 80’s gear and we played music from the decade. Fast forward and this was successful and we entertained colleagues from around campus. Never saw so many smiles, people laughing and having fun at work.

Student Success decided to run this idea back for 2022. We graduated to the 90’s with Music Bingo and a modified dance battle. The intent was to engage folks in a different manner and still have music in the process. We drafted dance teams and then had them battle in front of their colleagues to pick a winning team. Our President got involved and handed out prizes to the winning team—we didn’t know he was going to do this. Again, we created and hosted another fun and successful event that got the campus vibing and enjoying time with colleagues.

My VP texted me over the 2022 Thanksgiving break with an idea for the 2023 fun activity. Yes, we started planning the next event a full year in advance. 😊

Her concept was to host a karaoke event and encourage staff to dress as their favorite artist. This sounded good to me but did not fully process how this would work format wise, but we had a full year to bounce ideas and put the program together.

Turns out Student Success Karaoke has been our most creative, ambitious, and entertaining event so far! Did not realize how many folks enjoy karaoke and the ability to dress up at work. We added a few wrinkles to the format where participants had to dress as their favorite artist and had to sing a song by that artist.

We had performances by Prince, Luke Combs, Steppenwolf, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, Sia, Lil Nas X, Radiohead, Salt n Peppa, Gwen Stefani and Run DMC to name a few. Everyone was dressed appropriately and had fun while entertaining the crowd. This was my first-time singing Karaoke, and I was completely sober—no alcohol in sight! LOL. We had folks from every office on-campus in attendance and they all signed up to sing. Some even hit the stage multiple times to show us how talented they were.

We had three local food trucks pull up outside our building and provided folks with multiple lunch options in between our song sets.

Another successful event for the Student Success team! This process may seem simple, but it goes a long way towards building the team dynamics that will allow us to grow and thrive together.

Yes, folks are already asking us what we have planned for next year. No idea at this point but it will be epic—I promise! 😊

What do you do for teambuilding?

Irie!

“Where people aren’t having fun, they seldom produce good work”.

(David Ogilvy)

Career Choices 101 (Repost)

(Image by Orange Fox from Pixabay)

“Don’t chase the paper, chase the dream”.

(Notorious B.I.G)

The Great Resignation is a term that describes the trend of the mass voluntary exit of employees from their employment obligations.

The Great Regret is a new term that describes the feelings of 80% of the people who took part in the Great Resignation.

The quote above is one of my favorites from the great hip hop artist, Notorious B.I.G. He was a lyrical genius, and the quote above can be used as a career metaphor.

My simple translation = find your WHY and career success will follow.

The Great Resignation provided a lot of people the freedom or guidepost to see the world of work in a different way. The new work view provided some with the vision to seek more and bet on themselves with so many new opportunities available. That’s a positive considering I preach to everyone to explore as much as possible. My blog is titled Walk into The Future because I continue to explore opportunities and will not limit my options (work, travel, fun).

There are some folks who viewed the Great Resignation as an opportunity to change their work situation and in some cases cash in more financially. That’s not a problem if the workplace change was made to get the individual closer to doing things they enjoy. It could be a problem if the individual changed careers simply because there was more money available for the new job.

Quick question: How much of a pay raise will it take for YOU to be happy today? Would $5,000.00 or $10,000.00 make you enjoy what you are doing more?

I ask clients and staff this question to get them thinking about what they truly want. Chasing the paper may seem like the logical answer but don’t forget you still have to pay taxes on that paper. Also, an extra $5,000.00 to continue to work in a place you are not happy with does not sound enticing to me. Conversely, leaving a company for a job paying more money may sound just as good but the switch should not be based solely on the money. Refer to the quote above from the Notorious B.I.G.

The best of both worlds would be to find your WHY and build up your skills so that when your dreams come true, the paper (money) follows. Sounds like a simple concept and it can be, but nothing will be simple without knowing/understanding the WHY.

Going to work without a WHY causes a lot of people issues daily. I work with folks who believe that they are not being paid their true worth in the workplace. Some are completing the same duties they have been assigned for 10+ years—no additional responsibilities or growth from them but they want more. Why is that? They have not identified a WHY for their work life and have not built the skills to chase the dream. A larger problem is some don’t even know what dream to chase to find the happiness they seek.

The lack of paper (money) is not really the problem. The problem is chasing something they are not fully invested in and believing additional funds (salary) will turn this around and they will immediately become happy with what they are doing.

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

No WHY equals a form of insanity in the workplace. I coach clients to seek/find their WHY to determine the best course of action for their careers.

Chasing the DREAM can bring the paper. Well stated Biggie Smalls!

What dream are you chasing?

Irie!

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/02/80percent-of-workers-who-quit-in-great-resignation-regret-it-new-survey.html

2023 Run to Stop Hunger 5K

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“As we run, we become”.

(Amby Burfoot)

The month of September was dedicated to getting in speed work by running local 5K races.

I tackled the Run to Stop Hunger 5K in 2022 to test my endurance and work on speed while training for my first full marathon. I enjoyed the race setup, course and participants so decided to leverage this race again this year.

This 5K was convenient to me since it is in Fort Pierce on Hutchingson Island. I used the race as part of my Week #6 training program so I could get some speed work in. Mentally I need a race to make me speed up and racing is a lot more fun than just logging miles by myself. I am not looking for running partners, but the extra motivation racing brings is a welcome change while training.

The race start and finish lines are in the center of the Causeway Cove Marina. I duplicated my warmup from last year by parking on the Fort Pierce mainland and using the Seaway Drive bridge as my race warmup. The bridge was a great way to get my heart rate up and helped me stretch out my legs before tackling the 3.1-mile course.

There was not a huge crowd for this race, but I recognized a lot of the runners present. The Fort Pierce running community is not huge, so I get to see the same folks at most races. I was able to get in additional stretching before we had to line up for the race start.

I didn’t have a set finish time in mind, I just wanted to get some speed work in without injuring myself or anyone else. Mission accomplished on both tasks.

Lined up in the middle of the race corral and decided to just have fun while on the course. The small race lineup did not create a traffic jam as we headed it. This allowed runners to spread out and hit their race pace from the very start.

I targeted a couple runners in front of me as my pacers and leveraged them to propel me forward during the first part of the race. This 5k is a simple out and back course that is completely flat. We run a portion of the race on the sidewalk, so it gets tight when runners turn around to head back towards the finish line.

One of my pacers slowed down around the 1-mile marker and the other decided to hit another gear and left me. I did not attempt that pace since it was not comfortable for me at this point of my training process.

Fast forward and I finished the 5K in 27:56 which is an 8:59 per mile pace. Not fast or slow for me at this point of my training schedule. I still have additional training sessions and races coming up so there’s plenty of time for me to improve my pacing, conditioning, and mental preparation.

I’m using my exercise bike as a warmup prior to my long runs and not as a primary training device. This helps me stretch my legs and creates a solid foundation for my planned runs. I’ve got plenty of time to ensure I’m ready for the 2023 Palm Beaches Marathon in December.

Excited to see how far I can push myself this year.

What are you excited for?

Irie!

2023 Celebration of Running 5k

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The 2023 running season kicked off with the 2023 Celebration of Running 5k in Winter Park.

I have run this race three years in a row and love the experience. It’s August in Florida so the heat and humidity are high, so this adds to the challenge. I don’t run a lot of 5ks but this one remains on my list because it is flat and provides a training gauge for the year.

I never set out to run a PR here but want to test my physical and mental stamina. The race crowd is not too large, so this helps when trying to avoid other runners at the start.

Decided to line up closer to the front pack of runners to give myself room to operate without having to dodge folks. Still amazing that I know runners from when I lived in Oviedo. It’s almost like they don’t know I’ve been gone 9 years now.

My race goal was to go out and find an even pace. The secondary goal was to run faster than last year. I met both of my goals and enjoyed the race from start to finish.

I found a couple of runners with great paces and decided to hitch a ride with them to challenge myself. This was a fun activity since I train by myself. It was great having others around to inspire me to find another gear. Felt good enough at the end to leave my running companions and put in a good kick to complete the 5k. Crossed the finish line in 28:50.

Collected my medal, water, and banana before making my way to the beer garden. Yes, we drink beer at 8:30 am after races. We eat donuts too! LOL.

This was week 2 of marathon training so needed to get additional miles in after the race. Headed back over to the Seminole Cross Trail to complete my training with 6 miles there. Got a total of 10 miles completed on the day.

Made my way back to the hotel to shower and find some real food. Wanted breakfast so went by First Watch close to UCF for a huge pancake, eggs, and bacon. Favorite meal when I eat there.

Feeling good about my training so far and look forward to a fantastic running season. Heading to Virginia Beach again for the 2023 Virginia Beach 10-miler over the Labor Day weekend. Should be fun getting back up to Virgina.

Will ramp up my marathon training when I return from Virginia. Time to lock in mentally and physically to prep for my 26.2-mile challenge in December. 😊

What are you looking forward to?

My Reading Progress

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…The man who never reads lives only one”.

(George R. R. Martin)

My Walk into the Future provides me with the flexibility to add new adventures daily. I continue to view this life I lead to engage my mind, body, and soul. This blog gives me a space to highlight what I am doing, thinking, or getting ready to accomplish.

Goal setting remains a huge part of my success in life, and I look for ways to leverage my goals to help me continue to move forward. I review my goals daily to ensure my energy and focus are consistent to meet or exceed them.

I set reading goals each year in January with intent to read something daily. My daily readings center around Proverbs and a few companion books by Joel Osteen. I started reading Proverbs daily when I lived in Warner Robins, Georgia and this Atomic Habit remains strong. Joel Osteen created a 31-day Proverbs companion book which I utilize when completing my daily Proverbs readings. This little book has helped me understand more and brings Proverbs to life with language for my current Walk into the Future.

My larger reading goal is to read 1 book monthly. There were years where I would be super aggressive with this goal but decided to create a reading goal that provides me an opportunity to stay on track. Please note, just because it says 1 book monthly does not mean I can’t read more, and I do. I am an avid reader and love to sit on the beach with a good book and cold beer to practice this hobby. My love for reading started in middle school and it has not slowed down except when my schedule gets in the way.

The books I select range from leadership, communication, and inspiration topics. These are topics of interest for me so stick to areas I seek growth. I have a couple friends who inquire about my reading selections and have started to read the same books—you can say we have an informal book club going. We discuss the books after everyone has completed them and look for ways to incorporate the content into life and the work environment. This little book club motivates me to stay on track and focus on my reading. It has also provided me with access to books I may have missed on my own. I tend to stick to authors I know but the book club expands my focus and challenges me to explore other authors to enhance my Walk into the Future.

The following books were referred by book club members:

Disruptive Thinking / TD Jakes
Wisdom of the Bullfrog / Admiral William H. McRaven
16 Undeniable Laws of Communication: Apply Them and Make the Most of your Message / John C. Maxwell

FYI—this was my first TD Jakes book, and I was pleasantly surprised by the content and enjoyed reading his thoughts on Disruptive Thinking. It is something we can all practice daily, but it was great gaining new insights on how to move forward in life daily.

I have read multiple books by Admiral McRaven and his wisdom comes through within the context of leadership and helping teams get better.

Lastly, John Maxwell communication strategies can be leveraged in most work settings and enhance overall operations for the team.

I am on pace to meet my stated reading goals and continue to seek additional books to add to my library. This will continue and help me to Walk into the Future.

How are you doing on meeting your goals? What books are you reading in 2023?

Irie!

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