- A. Smith Blog - Leadership in Life
I travel quite a bit these days, and find myself listening to books more than reading through the pages of hard copies. It seems to fit into my workflow better, although I still prefer the feel (and smell) of a good old fashioned book. Plus, even if the content of an audiobook is good, the narrator of a book really makes or breaks it. Don’t you agree?
Anyway, what are you reading/listening to these days?
I recently read this from Ryan Estis and it resonated with me. I think maybe to some extent we all can relate with his words. Earlier in my life I definitely did things at times because I had a chip on my shoulder and had something to prove. Now, I try to do things that make me happy and better the lives of others. Oh, and doing cool, big things is just fun.
The part I do struggle with sometimes is to give generously, while not keeping score. If I’m honest, doing good for those that have hurt me is difficult. Life has a funny way of reminding you of the things you need to work on. These ideas came up with Bob Goff back when he was on the podcast and now again with Ryan’s email newsletter that he sent out this past Sunday.
But most of all, these ideas remind me that motive matters. In our work, in our relationships. Maybe, at times, the motive matters even more than the work itself? The ‘why’ matters more than the ‘what’, because the ‘why’ drives the ‘what’ and even the ‘how’.
Why do you do what you do? Because you desire it or because competition has gotten the best of you and you feel the need to prove yourself to everyone else in the room? It’s a question to at least ponder, I think.
I’ve been quiet on the blog as of late because I’ve been trying to be a good dad and husband, while balancing my career, and everything else in-between. If the beginning of this post didn’t resonate with you, I know that this idea does.
We are all busy with life, racing for the pursuit of better, whatever that means to you. This will look different for all of us, but the idea is the same—that we are all headed in a direction, some direction. And on the road to your destination, remember that motive matters.
I have missed writing here on the blog, but much has happened. We had our beautiful daughter Audrey on July 7th of 2019, and she has changed our lives forever. With two children it was much different, being able to play man-on-man defense, but now we must play zone coverage, having three. We are officially outnumbered…
Not only has my time been consumed with our new addition, but I am also working on my second book on the subject of competition. More on this throughout 2020.
But maybe even more noticeable than my lack of writing here on the blog is my disappearance from social media for the most part over the past year or so. I didn’t want to add to the ever-growing noise, because there’s enough of that. Plus, in the grand scheme of things, who really cares? Sure, I have a few fans, but they email me to see how I’m doing if they need me.
Whether we’re talking about people who share too much on social media or people that try to fake their lifestyle with extravagant purchases, we all have a mental image of social media gone wrong. I became exhausted with the machine that others tell me I need to subscribe to, so instead of competing, I bowed out for a while. I needed a break from it all, as I think we all do. With plastering my life across social media for more than a decade, I merely felt the need to try the opposite to see what results I might produce, and I’m happy with the outcome.
People tell me I need to stay on social media all the time so I grow my numbers so I can sell more books, and so the never-ending cycle continues. I hate feeling that I am part of “the machine”.
Putting my time where it matters most is always my intention, although that’s not always what happens. I now answer email maybe once a week, post on social media maybe once a month, and have been able to write and read more often. Uninterrupted time with family happens more often and has strengthened our bond. Life seems simpler, less stressful, and my mind is less cluttered. I am grateful for peace.
So, what does this mean for the future of my writing, podcasting, etc.? Here’s my official answer for those who are interested: I personally will be posting at least one article per month here on my blog. I will no longer be accepting guest posts here on the blog for quite some time. I will be posting on social media as I see fit, but definitely not as often as I did at one time. And as far as podcasting is concerned, I will start back at some point, and will let you know when that happens.
The main thing that I will be working on this year is my new book and will keep you updated when the time comes. Just know that I really dislike the entire book promo part, and wish that I could write a book and people would know to buy it without me saying anything, but I guess it doesn’t work that way…
Anyway, here are a few books that I read for a second time to begin the new year:
Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
What are your favorite books?
