Ep 111 - Next Level: Can’t Be a Beginner Forever

I know it’s rather late to be weighing in on the Kendrick Lamar halftime show, but I had some thoughts and I know it’s better for me to put myself out there than to keep those thoughts to myself. So, in this episode, I talk about Kendrick’s performance, the role of artists as prophets and what that’s supposed to look like.

After overcoming some technical difficulties, here (finally) is the post-race episode following the Abominable Snow Race 2025. I talk about my immediate reaction to my race result and spend some time contemplating what training and competing may look like for me in the future.

After an 8-month hiatus from racing, I’m finally getting back to competing at the Abominable Snow Race 2025. In this pre-race edition of the Output Habit podcast, I recount my history with this particular race and lay out what’s at stake this time around.

When you lose momentum, you can either give up or start over. After losing momentum with my podcast and my content, here is what I’m doing to get it going again.

Our actions today could bear fruit weeks, months, even years from now. We don’t always know exactly what the future results will be for every decision we make or every risk we take. But the more seeds we plant now, the better our odds will be in the future.

Sometimes we prepare ourselves for that big moment, we do everything right…and then we blow it. Many of us know what it’s like to choke under pressure. It never feels good. But there are always lessons to be learned through every experience. In this episode, I reflect on a disappointing performance at the Frontline OCR and share some thoughts on how to process failure and how to use the opportunity to become stronger going forward.

Heading into my race last weekend, I felt a weird mix of emotions. On one hand, it felt like I was playing with house money. I was grateful just to be able to participate because it looked like I might not even be able to race two months ago. On the other hand, I felt like there was extra pressure to make the most of this race because I don’t know when or if I’ll be able to compete like this again. This experience gave me the opportunity to reflect on the temporary nature of this life: nothing lasts forever. Sooner or later there will be a final race. And when it’s all over, I will want to look back and know that I made the most of every opportunity.

This is part 2 from my last episode, “The Disconnect,” about why we don’t follow through on things we know we should do. Ironically, I recorded this episode over 2 months ago, right before my son was born prematurely and transferred to the NICU. Yes, I need to give myself some grace because this has been a life-altering experience, but I also know that I had many opportunities to finalize and publish this episode sooner and I simply didn’t follow through. However, I’m looking forward to getting back into a rhythm again and bringing you new episodes on a more regular basis.

The other day I was asked by a friend: “Why can’t I do the things I know I ought to do?” At some point or another, we’ve all experienced the disconnect between knowing what we should do and actually doing it. Some people seem to have a harder time closing that gap and following through than others. Why is that? Every person and situation is unique, but in this episode, I contend that the primary root of this issue is a lack of belief.

As scary as it may be to start something new, one of the few comforting thoughts you can always fall back on is: “I’m still new at this.” A lot of mistakes can be smoothed over because you’re still considered a novice. But at some point, the expectation is to graduate to intermediate and advanced. Being willing to start something new and go through the process of being a beginner is noble. Staying a beginner forever is not. At some point, you need to level up.