My Gift To YOU.

During this holiday season, I want you to spend some time and relax. Don't think about work, politics, the economy . . . anything. What do I want you to do? Those things that make life special — spend time with friends and family, read a good book, watch a fun video, catch that movie you've been wanting to see. Every year, I take off the last two weeks of December to do a few things:

• Relax - Sit back, enjoy my tea by the wood stove.
• Meditate - Take time out each day to reflect and be grateful.
• Plan - Brainstorm new ideas for my practice and life.

To help YOU relax, I've linked to some of my favorite books, videos, and music I've experienced this year. ENJOY!

BOOKS

The Graveyard Book By Neil Gaiman In The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman has created a charming allegory of childhood. Check out the Audible version too - read by Neil Gaiman - one of the best narrators around.

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss I love Tim Ferriss' podcast. Even though he has the best guests with incredible advice, I don't have time to take copious notes while listening. This book is a great resource for reviewing the critical things said without having to scroll through hours of audio.

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday A treasure for managing our choices, overcoming self-deception, and learning to act according to the true worth of things while keeping the common good always in view. Caring for the soul in this way makes not only better people, but a stronger society too.

VIDEOS

Innovative Leadership: Scott Galloway (start at the 4:00 mark) One of the World Economic Forum’s Global Leaders of Tomorrow, which recognizes 100 individuals whose accomplishments have had impact on a global level, his video series Winners & Losers, has garnered the attention of viewers globally. If you like this - you can watch this one too.

One Day Builds: Adam Savage Makes Something Wonderful from Scratch Watch Adam build, from start to finish, a stylized box to carry and display his Blade Runner Blaster prop replica. The entire project took less than one day to complete, and Adam narrates this video with commentary about his design and construction methods.

Cam Closer One of the scariest short videos on YouTube today. I love this stuff!

The Birth Of A Wooden House This is a documentary movie uncovering the process of building a wooden house with mostly hand tools from (as much as possible) local natural materials starting from forest till the living space.

The World In 2050 - Dr. Peter Diamandis Co-Founder of Singularity University and Founder of the X-Prize - United States of America - He shared insights on how bright the future looks and what are the trends that will shape the world as we know it in the next 25 years.

MUSIC

Shakey Graves - Roll the Bones - Audiotree Live First Aid Kit - America (Live at Polar Music Prize) Maggie Rogers - Alaska Dan Auerbach - Goin' Home Caravan Palace - Rock It For Me (live at Le Trianon, Paris) Sigur Ros "Untitled 3"

See you in 2017!

Get Ahead & Have Fun At The Same Time.

I coached a client this morning and got them focused and targeted. I thought I'd share it with you: I call it ENERGETIC ENTHUSIASM.

Let's say you have a strict deadline to deliver — 30 days to complete your task. So you have to get off your butt and get it done.

FACT: Dig deep into your well and pull out the energy to get things done quickly. But you also have to couple it with a deep sense of true enthusiasm to ensure you don't run out of steam halfway through.

The bad news: It's hard to start.

It's like a lawn mower in the back of your shed — you need to use it, but you haven't pulled the cord for years. It might take 5-10 minutes of pulling, sweating, and swearing — but when it's complete — it's running and you are off cutting grass.

The good news: It's easy to maintain. Once you start the enthusiasm engine, the energy just flows from all of your pores. Ideas flow, people are caught up in the maelstrom, and you just keep going, going, going.

The only caveat: Stay away from energy vampires. They are (in no real order):

• Gossipy colleagues and friends
• The piles of paper, to-do's, and mess in your office (you need this guy)
• Family members who complain
• The news, media or any resource that thrives on bad news
• Surfing - set a specific time to surf and then get off the web

Energy vampires will sap your energy in no time flat. Keep the enthusiasm cycle moving & keep your energy up. Here are some energy service stations:

• Exercise - do anything, go for a walk, workout, anything - get a personal trainer.
• Music - get your favorite jazzy tunes and listen - iTunes
• Motivational speakers - Zig Ziglar, Anthony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk
• Dance/Sing - move your body and your voice, do Zumba!
• Meet energizing people - say hello to everyone and wish them a great day, go here.
• Spiritual - Go to church/temple/mosque/meetinghouse - commune with God
• Meditate - If you don't know how - check John Mercede out
• Brainstorm with your team or boss - go offsite and think outside of the box

Don't just get a little energy — couple it with enthusiasm. Don't just get a little enthusiasm — bind it with energy.

You won't know what hit you, your career and your life.

What do you do to develop your Energetic Enthusiasm?

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. How did you like this article? Let me know. Are you interested in what I can do for you? Let’s talk. I work with people from all over the world who need to fill up their energy service stations — call me to schedule a complimentary session.

5 Ways To Make Your Commute Bearable.

Commuting sucks. Anywhere you go, if you are on a parkway, highway, or thruway between 7-9 AM, you're probably swearing. You can blame it on anything — accidents, volume, weather — there will always be traffic congestion. You want to go 55, 65, 75 — but you're currently going 5. And the radio is just making it worse by intermixing the 15 minutes of commercials with a traffic helicopter telling you that there is traffic on YOUR route. My average commute (one-way, without traffic) is one hour — so I feel that I have a good handle on what the typical commuter endures every day. By the way, I totally understand about public transportation (I use it too) — but this post focuses solely on car commuting.

Why not work from home? Not every day. You need a few good ideas to help your commute become a bit more bearable. So here goes:

1. Listen to really good music. Most people I know don't plan their ride effectively when it comes to the enjoyment of music. They either just turn the radio on, grin and bear it through the bad music choices/commercials OR they drive around with the same six CD's in their car for the past year.One strategy is to pre-plan your music the night before — either on CD, Smartphone, or iPod — to ensure that you get a freshness and variety to make your ride fun. In addition, try using the shuffle or genius mode on your player to keep the mix of the songs fresh. Finally, if you aren't acquainted with the app Pandora, check it out — it changed my listening habits forever.
2. Read a book. Whoops . . . I meant LISTEN to a book. I find that I 'read' more than I did in college by using downloadable books. Why downloadable? It's soooo much cheaper. Instead of trying to manage 6-10 CD's, the entire book is neatly stored on my Smartphone or iPod.In addition to keeping the exact place where I left off, it allows me to carry it anywhere. And here's the best part — most audiobooks today aren't read by stuffy, upper-crust, gentry — they are now read by the author who adds so much more energy and information to the original book. Check this one out — you'll be surprised.
3. Listen to a podcast. This is my hidden secret of iPods that most users don't know about. There are millions of people and organizations who regularly post incredible podcasts (extended talkshows) on iTunes. They range from music reviews to UFO's, comedy to history — and they're unbelievable.
4. Brainstorm in the car. Go buy a digital tape recorder or use your Smartphone/iPod and begin talking. I find that I do my best brainstorming, strategizing, and thinking in the shower and in the car. Just turn it on and start talking — you'll be surprised what great ideas come out of your rambling. In addition, you can think up to-do lists, or dictate emails that can be electronically transfered once you hit the office.
5. Leave earlier. I know — some of you probably are swearing at this one. You might not be a morning person or your boss wants you to work late. But this is the one that usually cures all ills when it comes to your commute. I leave at 5:30 AM and get to work (95% of the time) at 6:30 AM.If I leave a bit early or on time, I get in 9.5 to 10.5 hours of work each day (I work through lunches). That's between 47-53 hours of work every week — a healthy amount if the boss starts to complain. I might hit a bit of traffic on my way home, but I can deal with it. And if your boss begins to complain about you leaving early, you need to talk to me, I can help you overcome this ridiculous behavior.

Let me know what ways you use to make your commute more bearable!

Slow Down. You Move Too Fast.

Washington DC Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After three minutes a middle-aged man noticed that was a musician playing, he slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 Minutes Later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and without stopping, continued to walk.

6 Minutes Later: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 Minutes Later: A 3-year-old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 Minutes: The musician played continuously. Only six people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

One Hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post as a part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing?

The Marketplace Is Changing - Are You Ready?

Over the past 3-4 years I've been watching massive changes take place in the marketplace. Some people see them, some people don't. Unfortunately, many people still act as if these institutions will go on forever. They actually disagree with me (even though they admit that the institutions are in severe decline) and come up with fanciful scenarios that somehow resurrect their position. So without further ado, here are my predictions that will change YOUR LIFE. (this is a long one - be patient!)

Music Stores

Let's start out with an easy one first. Ever since the first iPod, the writing has been on the wall with these stores. They originally handled the move from records to CD's back in the 80's easily, but now with the advent of much cheaper and faster access to music, their time is running out. As each new generational year becomes avid music listeners and purchasers, they turn more to digital and less to more expensive, less selection, and location-based stores.

The last store I went to (Cutler's in New Haven - a wonderful example of a great music store) had cut their real estate and selection in half. In addition, they had increased their inventory of DVD movies, small gifts, and iPod merchandise.

Prediction: I give this industry five years or less.

Movie Purchases & Rentals

This includes location based stores like Blockbuster and mailed-based companies like Netflix. Let's be honest — Blockbuster is toast. They have been making missteps for years now. And Netflix has been jabbing a shiv in their side to do it. Compare outrageous late fees versus renting the movie for as long as you like? It's not even fair.

Now Netflix is harder. They have a great service, incredible selection, and a broad business model. Ultimately though, the idea of mailing and receiving DVD's will become cumbersome in the light of digital transfer over the web (like they have started to do already). It's just a matter of time when they mail less and less and less.

Finally — DVD sales — it's already started. I was in Walmart the other day and saw that they cut down their DVD sales area and increased their "digital appliances" area. Most of their DVD's are at $5, in alignment with Blockbuster who is selling 5 for $20. These are the death-throes for DVD's. I don't think Blu-Ray will make a huge dent either - people are staying on the sidelines for that one too (I am).

Prediction: 2 years (Blockbuster, rentals) and Netflix mail delivery (4 years). DVD's as a format should take no more than 5-7 years to disappear.

Newspapers & Magazines & Books

This is an easy one - they are dying as we speak. If you can't get a magazine subscription for less than $10, you haven't looked very far. Newspapers are so small — advertisers are running away in droves - classifieds are gone (that was 30-50% of their revenue). The whole idea of printing, distributing, and selling paper when I have an iPhone, iPad, and MacBook - it's crazy. It's yesterday's news (catch this great Daily Show spot) that is being quickly supplanted by digital and video counterparts.

Think of students carrying the iPad - not lugging around all those textbooks. Businesspeople on planes and trains. Vacationers by the pool (whoops - maybe they'll have a waterproof one!).

Kindle. Ubook. iPad. Books . . . buh-bye! Which leads us to Bookstores . . . buh-bye! Which leads us to Publishers . . . buh-bye!  What? Publishers too?

New paradigm - authors hire editors to edit their book. The better the editor, the more expensive the service. No publishers. By the way - the idea that publishers actually 'market' the book - don't make me laugh. They only marketed it in bookstores — and oh yes, they are going away. Authors can build a bully pulpit on social media. Just like Abbey Ryan has done for her paintings on eBay. Check her out.

Prediction: Newspapers - 3 years; Magazines - 5 years; Books & Publishers - 10-12 years

Video Games (sold in stores on disc)

Akin to CD's and DVD's - their time is also short. My family are already downloading games on our iPhones (Madden football) - hopefully the iPad will accelerate the whole process. They've always been overpriced - and companies like GameStop are marketplace rip-off artists who take advantage of kids and willing parents. Hope to see them go ASAP.

Prediction: 5 years

Libraries

This is a tough one to write — but I will anyway (I'm going to hell for this one).

Have you been to a library lately? I rest my case. All kidding aside — libraries are wonderful centers of knowledge — but isn't our home or office computer a center of knowledge too? How many times have you gone to the library to find a book and it's just not there? You can place a hold on it, the person doesn't bring it back for decades, and when it finally does come back and they alert you — and your interest has waned. Libraries have tried to keep up — they've added videos and music and events and cappuccino and still these institutions are desolate (okay - there are some that do pull in the kids - but then they've turned into child care centers). You'll only find the errant senior citizen, transient, or unemployed worker. That's it.

And they cost a pretty penny to build, renovate, staff and run. MILLIONS of dollars. Add that most towns have multiple libraries coupled with every school having a separate library too and you are talking serious adult dollars here.

What would happen if everyone had an iPad? And the town digitized all books for "rental"? You can watch movies and music and do research (most good research today is also digital). Maybe the town invested in free wi-fi broadband for the entire town?

Prediction: 10-15 years tops

I know some of these predictions and assumptions might be way off - and there will be stragglers - but it's fun to put it out there and start a dialogue. So please let me know how you feel!

There's No Speed Limit (Lessons That Changed My Life).

Whether you're a student, teacher, or parent, I think you'll appreciate this story of how one teacher can completely and permanently change someone's life in only a few lessons.

Another Incredible Story By Derek Sivers at http://sivers.org.

I met Kimo Williams when I was 17 – the summer after I graduated high school in Chicago, a few months before I was starting Berklee College of Music.

I called an ad in the paper by a recording studio, with a random question about music typesetting.

When the studio owner heard I was going to Berklee, he said, “I graduated from Berklee, and taught there for a few years, too. I’ll bet I can teach you two years’ of theory and arranging in only a few lessons. I suspect you can graduate in two years if you understand there’s no speed limit. Come by my studio at 9:00 tomorrow for your first lesson, if you’re interested. No charge.”

Graduate college in two years? Awesome! I liked his style. That was Kimo Williams.

Excited as hell, I showed up to his studio at 8:40 the next morning, though I waited outside until 8:59 before ringing his bell.

(Recently I heard him tell this same story from his perspective and said, “My doorbell rang at 8:59 one morning and I had no idea why. I run across kids all the time who say they want to be a great musician. I tell them I can help, and tell them to show up at my studio at 9am if they’re serious. Almost nobody ever does. It’s how I weed out the really serious ones from the kids who are just talk. But there he was, ready to go.”)

He opened the door. A tall black man in a Hawaiian shirt and big hat, a square scar on his nose, a laid-back demeanor, and a huge smile, sizing me up, nodding.

After a one-minute welcome, we were sitting at the piano, analyzing the sheet music for a jazz standard. He was quickly explaining the chords based on the diatonic scale. How the dissonance of the tri-tone in the 5-chord with the flat-7 is what makes it want to resolve to the 1. Within a minute, I was already being quizzed, “If the 5-chord with the flat-7 has that tritone, then so does another flat-7 chord. Which one?”

“Uh… the flat-2 chord?”

“Right! So that’s a substitute chord. Any flat-7 chord can always be substituted with the other flat-7 that shares the same tritone. So reharmonize all the chords you can in this chart. Go.”

The pace was intense, and I loved it. Finally, someone was challenging me – keeping me in over my head – encouraging and expecting me to pull myself up, quickly. I was learning so fast, it had the adrenaline of sports or a video game. A two-way game of catch, he tossed every fact back at me and made me prove I got it.

In our three-hour lesson that morning, he taught me a full semester of Berklee’s harmony courses. In our next four lessons, he taught me the next four semesters of harmony and arranging requirements.

When I got to college and took my entrance exams, I tested out of those six semesters of required classes.

Then, as he suggested, I bought the course materials for other required classes and taught myself, doing the homework on my own time, then went to the department head and took the final exam, getting full credit for the course.

Doing this in addition to my full course load, I graduated college in two and a half years – (got my bachelor’s degree when I was 20) – squeezing every bit of education out of that place that I could.

But the permanent effect was this:

Kimo’s high expectations set a new pace for me. He taught me “the standard pace is for chumps” – that the system is designed so anyone can keep up. If you’re more driven than “just anyone” – you can do so much more than anyone expects. And this applies to ALL of life – not just school.

Before I met him, I was just a kid who wanted to be a musician, doing it casually.

Ever since our five lessons, high expectations became my norm, and still are to this day. Whether music, business, or personal – whether I actually achieve my expectations or not – the point is that I owe every great thing that’s happened in my life to Kimo’s raised expectations. That’s all it took. A random meeting and five music lessons to convince me I can do anything more effectively than anyone expects.

(And so can anyone else.)

I wish the same experience for everyone. I have no innate abilities. This article wasn’t meant to be about me as much as the life-changing power of a great teacher and raised expectations.

A professional musician (and circus clown) since 1987, Derek started CD Baby by accident in 1998 when he was selling his own CD on his website, and friends asked if he could sell theirs, too. CD Baby was the largest seller of independent music on the web, with over $100M in sales for over 150,000 musician clients. In 2008, Derek sold CD Baby to focus on his new ventures to benefit musicians, including his new company MuckWork where teams of efficient assistants help musicians do their “uncreative dirty work”. His current projects and writings are all at sivers.org.