Let's Invest Our Downtime

When I started my first agency, we had a client I didn't love. He was a nice guy, and I liked his work, but I thought he was annoying and frustrating, and we ended up firing him as a client. The funny thing is, we probably shouldn't have.

In 2015 I co-founded 48in48. Since that time, 48in48 has had a worldwide impact and delivered more than $25,000,000 in value to nonprofits. It all started with a crazy idea. Could we build 48 free websites for 48 nonprofits in 48 hours? Listen to this episode to learn if we did it (hint: we did) and the leadership lessons we learned along the way. To find out more about 48in48, visit their website here. To read more about Jeff, mentioned in this episode, you can visit his website here. To connect with me, go to adamjwalker.com

I think I'm going to try out James Clear's morning routine. I read a Medium article on it here: https://medium.com/illumination/i-followed-james-clears-morning-routine-for-1-week-here-s-what-i-learned-1bd19f7c5e10 and thought it was really interesting. James Clear's morning routine is pretty simple, though I can't do some of the items in it. It is: 1. Prepare for the next morning the day before 2. Don't set an alarm 3. Drink a glass of water 4. Write three things you are grateful for 5. Meditate for 2-minutes 6. Read 20 pages of a book 7. Do your most important thing first 8. Create when your creative energy is high 9. Don't check email until noon 10. Leave your phone away from you 11. Work in a cool space 12. Sit or stand, don't lay down while working

In this episode I talk about: - On this stream I want to help people: - get more focused and get more done - navigate the inefficiencies of the professional world - grow as a leader, team member, and professional - enjoy life without getting lost in the black hole of work - Who am I? - Husband of 19 years - Father of 5, almost 6 (someday) - Serial Entrepreneur - growing three companies now - previous exit - I've worked remotely for my entire career - I've worked with young, talented teams and helped them grow as professionals - Who I am not - I'm not a self-promoting, self-proclaimed expert on all things - I'm just a guy that obsesses about personal improvement and I want to share what I am learning. - What do I want? - I want to get better every day. - I believe one of the best ways to learn is to teach what you are learning, this is my way of doing that. - I'm on this journey, and I hope to take as many people with me as want to join. - What will I be talking about? - A few things on my list so far: - How I plan priorities by the Month, Week, and Day - The productivity apps I use and why - Everyone should take notes in meetings - why and how - How to time block to get things done - How to avoid meetings the right way - Creating a schedule that allows for maximum effectiveness, and works for your boss - Using the Pomodoro Technique minimize distractions, get things done, and work less - How to avoid toxic productivity - Always bring value - Create systems instead of goals - 5 rules for sending a great email, and 3 times to break them - 5 ways to improve remote work and collaboration today - 3 things teams can do to move toward asynchronous work - What do you want to hear about, or learn about?

There is one moment in my life when fear washed over me more powerfully than ever before. It was a phone call I will never forget.

If you know me at all, you know I have five (almost six), kids. You know  I wear hats and love to be around people. Right now, I’m writing this from my kitchen table, locked in a house with my wife and five kids, and loving it.

As the world has been on lock-down, I’ve been thinking about our time at  home. It’s a burden, but can it also be an opportunity? Sure, it’s an  opportunity to spend time with family, most of us got that on day one.  But, I wonder, is this an opportunity for more? 

We tend to think of facts like concrete, a solid foundation. They aren’t. Facts are fluid because our knowledge is always growing and expanding. “Facts change all the time. Smoking has gone from doctor-recommended to deadly. We used to think the Earth was the center of the universe and that Pluto was a planet. For decades we were convinced that the brontosaurus was a real dinosaur.” - The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date by Samuel Arbesman

In high school, my small business teacher was an enigma. Before I met him, I noticed him. I would see him in the halls and immediately had assumptions about him. The often severe look on his face, combined with his fast walk and unflinching stare, always made him look serious, intimidating, and a bit scary. Then one summer, out of the blue, he called me at home. That call changed everything.

I have been thinking of renaming my thought leadership channels (Website, YouTube Channel, Personal Podcast)  for a while, but I couldn’t find the right phrase. I wanted something  to capture the spirit of how I live daily and the aspiration of how I  want my life to unfold. This is what I landed on and why.