Walk into the Future – Walk Into the Future

Walk into the Future Prequel

Resized_20240307_060055_140010558641119

“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)

2022 Fitbit Stats

bright close up color colorful — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“If you are on the treadmill next to me, the answer is yes…we are racing”.

(Unknown)

My Walk into the Future allows me to experiment with multiple forms of exercise with running being my focus for the past 4 years. Weightlifting was my primary form of exercise prior to starting my Walk into the Future. Decided to adjust and make running the focal point and mix in other forms of exercise to supplement.

I went from lifting weights 5 days and running 2 days to a complete flip. I currently run 4 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday) and lift weights around my running schedule. I recently joined Planet Fitness to ensure I had a good mix of weightlifting options. Invested in an exercise bike back in 2021 so I could continue to get cardio in even when the weather is bad.

Fun fact: I got a free 3-day pass to LA Fitness in September of 2020 that never expired. My paper pass finally got so worn downed that it stopped working two years later. Hence, my joining Planet Fitness because it’s only $9.99 a month—I love a deal! 😊

2022 saw me increase my exercise volume and my total steps for the year. The following stats come directly from my Fitbit 2022 Year in Review:

Total Exercise Days: 257

Top Exercise: Run

Total Steps: 5,101,022

Total Miles: 2,551

Best Step Month: November

Best Step Day: December 11, 2022

56,995 Steps

Average Hours of Sleep: 8.2 hours

I increased my total steps by 400,000+ for the year and total mileage by 350+. Again, these numbers account for every time I exercised: bike, run, treadmill, walk.

I’m concentrating on ensuring I get the proper amount of sleep and plan to continue to positive progress in 2023.

I’m on pace for 125+ training miles in January and will continue to log miles as I prepare for additional half marathons this year.

2023 will be busy with training, racing and Walking into the Future!

Irie!

“If only opening a Vitamin Water could be classified as working out”.

(Jim Gaffigan)

Wilmington, Delaware

Resized_20220515_161525 (1)

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself”.

(Global Castaway)

Dictionary.com defines adventure as an unusual and exciting, experience or activity.

Well, my Walk into the Future provides plenty of opportunities for me to live out adventures.

I wrote about my journey to Atlantic City, New Jersey for the 2022 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half Marathon and time spent with my friend Lauren Apgar.

I also wrote in an earlier post about my refrigerator magnet collection and how I make sure to get one from new locations. My time in the Air Force gave me the travel bug and I have visited 37 states so far. I review my list yearly to identify how/when I can visit a state I have never been to so I can cross it off my list.

Where I’m I headed with this? Great question!

Delaware is about 85 miles from Atlantic City, and you are correct, I had never been to Delaware. I did not know if I would ever be back in this area so decided to venture over to Delaware to explore a bit and then get my refrigerator magnet. My original reason for being in this area was to run another half marathon but decided to take advantage of the proximity to Delaware and get a visit in so I could cross the state off my list.

Made my way back to the hotel after all the half marathon activities and breakfast with Lauren and Reese. Needed to get some rest and get off my feet for a little bit and recharge myself for the next adventure.

I double checked the distance to Wilmington, Delaware one more time to determine if this was an adventure I really wanted to take on. I needed to visit Delaware to add to my states visited list so did some leg stretches, grabbed some water, and got in my rental car to head west towards Delaware—my magnet and adventure awaited. 😊

The route from Atlantic City to Wilmington was a straight shot but needed to drive through Philadelphia to get to Wilmington. Took the Atlantic City Expressway West from Egg Harbour, New Jersey. This route took me directly through Philadelphia and I got a chance to see downtown Philly from a fantastic vantage point.

The Walt Whitman Bridge is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River and leads directly across the state line. The views of downtown Philly while driving on the bridge were great. Wished I had the ability to get a few pictures from this vantage point, but I was driving. You will have to take my word for how spectacular the views are OR visit Philly yourself and drive across the Walt Whitman Bridge. 😊

Traffic was not too bad as I made my way through Philly and then ventured a bit south towards Delaware. I leveraged Google Maps to get me to my destination and had no trouble getting into Wilmington.

I did not have a set adventure in mind but wanted to explore a bit since I made the drive over. Followed Google map directions towards downtown Wilmington to get a better view of the city. The only thing I knew about Wilmington is Joe Biden has a residence there but had no interest in finding this. Drove around downtown a bit and discovered some pretty rough neighborhoods in the city. Never thought of Wilmington having an inner city look/feel but it does—lesson learned.

Decided to find a spot where I could collect my refrigerator magnet and then head back to meet Lauren and Reese for dinner. Found a shopping plaza with multiple stores and ventured into a Hallmark store to search for Delaware souvenirs. Told the salesperson what I was looking for and she directed me to the rack with Delaware swag. She asked if I was interested in the Biden residence and seemed shocked when I said no. Guess visiting the residence is a big thing when people visit Wilmington—magnets are a bigger deal for me! 😊

Got my magnets and headed back towards Atlantic City. Made good time and was able to meet Lauren and Reese for dinner on our last night in the area.

Happy I could get over to Delaware to add to my list of states visited and collect my magnet. I have already signed up for the 2023 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half Marathon so I will be back in the area next year. I have no need to visit Wilmington again. 😊

What adventures do you have lined up for the rest of 2022?

Irie!

“Do more than just exist”.

(Pinterest)

FYI—the 2023 Atlantic City Rock N Roll Half Marathon has been cancelled. The Rock N Roll folks decided not to continue to host the race. Luckily, I made it to Atlantic City in 2022.

Poetic Flow / What Did I See?

Poetry May 2022

(Image by rose-de-velours from Pixabay)

What did I see?

When I looked over the horizon

And tried to see my future

The future said everything will go well

You just need to find you way

Understand the pursuit of happiness

And begin your journey today

Don’t waste your time

Running around without a sense of direction

Chose your path

Live your life

And walk into the future

Make your bed! (Repost)

Books

“Good order is the foundation of all things”.

(Edmund Burke)

My Walk into the Future allows me to pick and choose my adventures and some take me to amazing places. Others find me rooted at home but still bring a level of joy and satisfaction.

I am an avid reader and love to find new books to help me as a lifelong learner. My latest find was the book by retired Admiral William H. McRaven titled Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe The World.

The title is simple enough and gives the reader an understanding of what the Admiral will cover in this book.

I love the fact the book is broken up into short chapters that are easy to follow and integrate into daily life for readers. Admiral McRaven uses things from his life to help highlight the importance of how little things add up to make life move forward.

The book starts with the simple premise of why making your bed daily sets the tone for the day. I understood this fact when I read the book but did not fully gain knowledge until I shared the book with a coworker who reads more books than I do. My coworker assumes since I am retired Air Force the concept of making your bed was instilled in me during my time in the Air Force. He was surprised when I told him I rarely make my bed because I did not see the importance of the act. I am not a slob but making my bed happens when it happens—I did not go out of my way to make the bed before heading to work.

My coworker was shocked with my admission. I can be set in my ways but went back and read the chapter on making your bed to figure out what I missed.

I started making my bed DAILY after reading again to see if this simple act made a difference in my day. The verdict is in—yes, it does!

This simple act appears to be a springboard for a productive day for me.

The flow I have been able to display at work came once I made the decision to start my day with a simple act of organization. Taking the time to make my bed and organize before leaving the house for work or my runs puts me in a better mindset for the day. I arrive at work with a mindset to organize and I can transition quicker once I make it to my desk. This may all be a coincidence but the flow, production, and ability to get more accomplished came once I decided to make my bed.

This is a recent phenomenon for me but exciting at the same time. The ability to make a difference daily is something I take pride in. Making my bed appears to heighten my ability to get this done.

Let’s be clear on this! I fully understand making the bed has not given me a new superpower, but it provides me an opportunity to cross off a daily task early in the day. I view making my bed as the first win of the day and gets me ready to win throughout the day. I love crossing things off my to-do lists and I can get this started before I leave the house.

Therefore, making your bed is an important step for the day! It sets the tone and establishes a foundation for success—give it a try and let’s see what making your bed can do for you!

What are your thoughts on the importance of making your bed? How does it set the tone for the day?

“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned”.

(Benjamin Franklin)

Walking with a positive work environment (Repost)

(Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay)

“Positive work environments outperform negative work environments”.

(Daniel Goleman)

Positive people make positive things happen is one of my favorite sayings to inspire people in my world. I created this as a mantra when I enter a work environment to help my team understand the mindset, we need to get positive results.

I was introduced to Positive Psychology during my course work and it remains with me daily. One premise of Positive Psychology is people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. This could be on a personal or professional level. I like leveraging Positive Psychology within the work environment to show direct reports how our mindset influences work outcomes.

I mentioned in an earlier post, my daily response to how I am doing is to say fantastic. This is not a way to hide my true thoughts or feelings but a way to energize myself. I found by saying I am doing fantastic provides a new level of energy for myself and it can inspire others around me to join in on the fun. The word fantastic is not used very often in daily life so it makes people take notice and encourages them to get on The Energy Bus.

Now imagine if you had a leader who was always negative and never had anything nice to say. How would this person impact the work environment? I am sure this negative mindset would translate to everyone in the work environment and would not be a pleasant place to work.

Leaders must be cognizant how their energy (positive or negative) impacts the work environment. This knowledge will go a long way to build a positive work environment culture to ensure positive things get done daily. Sounds simple, huh?

It takes a while for this positive process to take hold within a new work environment. The speed of this process can be enhanced when everyone is ready to engage. One negative teammate can slow or aggravate the process, but this can be mitigated by the rest of the team pulling in the same direction. A new initiative for me is to follow Rule #6 from The Energy Bus—I have a sign posted that reads No Energy Vampires Allowed in my office in a prominent location. I will point to the sign when the tone of a conversation starts to become negative. I welcome different views and opinions but look to negate negative tone, language, or interactions. It takes time to eliminate the negative, but the goal is to move forward in a positive manner. I struggle sometimes because I want everything to head in a positive direction but also know things take time.

A positive work environment is a place where everyone can thrive, grow, and provide input. We spend a large amount of our lives in the work environment and I strive to create a space where we can work hard, laugh, and enjoy the process. Leaders who understand work does not have to be stressful create a space where productivity can be displayed daily. I have worked in places where people dreaded coming to work and I made a vow to never duplicate these types of environments when I reached the big seat. Well, I have been in the big seat for a while now and smile whenever one of my tree branches reach out and say they want to work with me again.

I am sure not everyone feels this way, but I have enough of these folks to form my own wolf pack. 😊 Still learning and growing but will continue to promote positive work environments because they are productive and fun. Imagine that, fun in the workplace! Guess Google, Microsoft and Apple understand what people want in the work environment. I do not have ping pong tables, yet, but play a lot of reggae in my office. Irie!

What do you see as the benefits of a positive work environment? How do you contribute to ensure your work environment remains positive?

“Positive anything is better than negative nothing”.

(Elbert Hubbard)

Heavy is the head that wears the crown!

crown

(Image by Radfotosonn from Pixabay)

“Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets”.

(Luke 6:26)

My Walk into the Future in 2020 was an interesting journey!

I am sure everyone who just read that last sentence can highlight how 2020 was a unique year to remember—good or bad. We all had to adjust in 2020 due to COVID-19 and these adjustments impacted our daily lives.

One area I needed to adjust was how I lead an organization with COVID-19 work protocols–working from home, virtual meetings and having staff with preexisting conditions. None of these things were on our radar when 2020 started but quickly became necessary talking points in early March 2020 for most of us.

My gravitation to the Luke 6:26 verse came about because even when I am doing great work, I continue to look for an angle to motivate myself to do more. I am not a person to rest on my laurels but look for ways to motivate myself and team to do more. Luke 6:26 stands out to me today because I am happy to report not all men speak well of me on my current Walk into the Future.

I do not make that claim lightly but have found a level of motivation, enjoyment, and humor in this fact. Turns out the people who do not speak well of me are the people who are slackers in their daily work endeavors. It is obvious I take a lot of pride in getting positive things done, correctly and on-time. I have discovered people who do not take pride in their work, who are satisfied with the status quo or who are plain lazy are not fans of people like me.

I enter new organizations with the mission to make a difference daily—amazingly simple concept but one I do not take lightly. I have discovered in my new work environment there WERE several people who were not held accountable for their daily actions. You cannot make a difference daily without being accountable, so these people hear from me they are not meeting my expectations.

Please note, these folks work or worked in multiple departments, so it was not isolated to just one area.

“Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes the wicked incur abuse.”

(Proverbs 9:7)

A funny thing happened when I identified we all need to be accountable in the work environment. Some did not speak well of me! Not saying that to be nonchalant or play it down but I heard someone say they could not thrive in a work environment with expectations. True statement!

I wish I were making this up, but it is true. Imagine being in a work environment and a staff member has an issue with being accountable to the team and overall mission. I have been on this professional journey for 30+ years now and find this a terribly sad state of mind for anyone.

Turns out the previous leadership did not value accountability as much as they should have. It is amazing how much energy is needed within an organization to correct these type thoughts and actions. There have been times new leadership has been questioned but The Energy Bus continues to move forward. Great things are happening and staff who did not have a voice are now able to fully contribute. The new energy is contagious!

I hope there are other folks who do not speak well of me! My work speaks for itself. I was promoted to Administrative Director of Advising and Career Services on July 1, 2021. Must be doing something right, huh? 😊

We will continue to Walk into the Future and do great things! Irie!

Believe Shakespeare perfectly sums up this episode below!

“Heavy is the head that wears the crown”.

(Shakespeare)

Waxing Poetic!

Jetty

Really?

Black Lives Matter you say

Is that real or just a cliché?

Cannot believe we have to scream this everyday

Just to be heard, seen, and protected

From the brutal society trying to stamp us out

The daily body counts continue to rise

With no end in sight, we fall

Does not matter if it is a southern thing

Northern thing or western thing

Black lives continue to be extinguished

With no end in sight

So, I ask again, do Black Lives Matter?

When will you step up to make this true?

Simply saying it with no action makes it a hollow cliché

Something woke to say?

Time for action, some type of display

Marching is fine but there cannot be additional delay

Let us put more meaning to Black Lives Matter

Do it today!

Mastering College to Career—the mentor returns

(Image by Bryan Stewart from Pixabay)

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

(Oprah Winfrey)

My Walk into the Future allows me to explore activities that I enjoy. This concept provides me unlimited access to find new ways to make a difference in the world.

I understand most of my blog articles center on my adventures, travel and things that cross my mind (social justice, current events, etc.) I continue to seek opportunities where I am making a difference and then decide how to highlight those efforts on the Walk into the Future blog. Please note, I do not take notes when I am engaged in an activity—I try to sit down after the fact and then document my thoughts to share with my readers.

I received an email from Daniel Botero who is one of my tree branches. Daniel’s name should be familiar with readers since he hosts the Mastering College to Career podcast, and I have been a featured guest 4 times so far. Daniel has added an interactive mentoring component to his program and invites national guests to speak with his mentees.

Mastering College to Career has grown quite a bit since I last sat down with Daniel in March 2020. He continues to add value to college students across the country by helping them understand how to make themselves attractive to recruiters.

The program helps colleges students LEARN how to build their online presence, resume, and mock interview skills. Surprisingly, COVID-19 allowed Daniel to extend his program since he uses Zoom meetings to check-in with his students.

The email Daniel sent me was a request to join him via Zoom to speak with his students. He did not provide a specific topic but wanted this to be a free form conversation so his students could ask me questions. My roles within Career Services at multiple schools was a targeted aspect of the conversation. Daniel wanted me to share my knowledge on the correct way for colleges students to network with employers to ensure they are visible and viable in the recruiting process.

I made sure to express being visible and viable is the key to transitioning from a college student to the world of employment. This was a bit of a revelation for some of the students because they assume a degree means the transition will be easy. This is a common thought of students everywhere I have been, but it is not true. There are a lot of talented graduates at every college and university, the key to going to work is being visible and viable to recruiters. Sounds simple but students without these key components are not on the radar of recruiters. Daniel’s students were amazed by this statement and quickly wanted to know how they can gain an advantage.

I shared a quick story of a student I worked with at UCF. This student had a GPA that was not high. This student was not a U.S. citizen, so this eliminated them from certain organizations that refused to sponsor students for the hiring process. This student was a native Spanish speaker so English was the second language. These are three huge strikes within the on-campus recruiting process and the student in this example was not feeling good about the chances of gaining employment after graduation. I met with this student, and he explained the things he PERCEIVED to hold him back from getting a job after graduation. I developed the visible and viable concept while working with this student.

I told him he needed to identify organizations he wanted to work for and identify when they were on-campus. He was advised to ensure that each time one of these organizations was on-campus, he would meet with them and expressed his interest working for them. He was schooled on how to ensure the recruiters saw him as someone with potential and not worry about a low GPA. Fast forward a bit and several organizations saw him as visible and viable and offered him interviews. Not only interviews but this same student received 6 job offers prior to graduation—not bad for someone who supposedly had the deck stacked against him.

Can you guess the name of this student? If you guess Daniel Botero, you would be right. The person who learned how to be visible and viable is teaching his students the same skills he learned sitting in my office a decade ago—small world! 😊

The reaction of the students on the Zoom session was a renewed energy. They needed to hear others have struggled with this process and overcame similar doubts. Sharing my knowledge with the students provided a reminder they control their destiny—no one can stop a determined person.

I received about 20 LinkedIn requests from students in this session to connect for future advice on their journey. I gladly accepted the requests and actively help these students anyway I can. I found a higher level of satisfaction by volunteering my time to help these students.

Inspiration Man continues to seek ways to make a difference in the world!

How do you reach back to help others? Irie!

“We all need someone who inspires us to do better than we know how”.

(Anonymous)

Running into the Future—goal within reach

Run article

“Set goals and crush them”.

(www.tresfleeck.com)

Goals continue to be a big part of my Walk into the Future. I sit down in January and write out my goals for the year. I break these goals up into categories so I can track my completion progress.

My weekly physical fitness goals include weight training (2 days), run (3 days) and speed work on Wednesdays. My overarching physical fitness goal is 1,000 training miles in 2021—this includes running and biking miles.

I set 1,000 training miles as a goal to push my training to a new level. This mile marker also helps my motivation since there are not as many races to run in this COVID-19 world. I am always looking for ways to maintain my running edge and adding more miles to my training program appears to be a good thing for me.

Happy to report I logged 615 miles so far in 2021. I have not been consistent with my long runs but routinely get in three quality sessions each week.

Tuesdays: 3 – 4 miles (after work)

Thursdays: 4 – 6 miles (after work)

Saturdays: 6 – 8 miles (morning runs)

My Tuesday and Thursday runs are done when I get off work, so I am not concerned about my run times during these sessions. Working 9, 10, 11-hour days creates a mental drain, but I still make time to hit the road since this helps to recharge me physically and mentally. Some days are a lot slower than others, but I smile because I am out doing something I love. Never thought I would say that, but I would be lost without my running program—it just took me awhile to come to this conclusion.

My Saturday runs are not like my long training sessions when I had half marathons to train for. I routinely crushed 10+ mile runs on Saturdays before my move to Fort Pierce but 8 is the longest distance I hit when running locally. I have not found a route that allows me to enjoy the run while getting in longer distances. I have searched multiple locations, but nothing is available like the St. Mark’s Trail or John Brown Park in Tallahassee:

https://visittallahassee.com/10-amazing-tallahassee-trails-5/

The trail system in Tallahassee allowed me to push my mileage and extend my long runs up to 16 miles on multiple training sessions. I plan to get back to the longer versions of my runs since I am looking forward to getting back to being a running tourist.

I am scheduled to run the 2021 Rock n Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon in September. I have never run this race or visited the city so looking forward to getting back to a starting line to test my conditioning against some world class athletes. My goal for this race is to run another Personal Record (PR) and get under 2 hours for the distance. I was on track to go under 2 hours before COVID-19 hit the world, but I am confident I am going to hit my goal.

My training for Virginia Beach will increase my speed towards the Orlando OUC Half Marathon in December. This course is completely flat so it should provide a fast track to help me hit my goals. This will truly springboard my runs into 2022 as I gear up for a full running season—8 or more half marathons.

A full marathon (26.2 miles) will make it on my goals list for 2022—there I said it so now it is out in the open. Let’s see who is going to run it with me! Come on Laurens! 😊

What goals did you set for 2021? How is your progress so far?

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”.

(Tony Robbins)

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: