How can I stack the deck in favor of being a good guy?
First, I try as much as possible to get positive influences to visit me.
Second, I’m willing to travel to hang out with people that are what I’d like to become. Back when I was an elite athlete, this drove my travel schedule. These days I travel less but it remains a big chunk of my year.
My family allocates 14 weeks per annum for my travel.
- 4 weeks of that is my wife and me
- 2 weeks is used for continuing education
- 8 weeks is for my own uses – these days split between non-Boulder family visits and personal trips, mainly to ride.
My daughter joins me for two weeks of the above and we do another two weeks worth of in-state travel together.
Pulling it together, I have a job description that gives me 16 weeks per annum of variation from my normal routine.
Before my daughter was 2 years old, this allocation would roll between 30 and 40 weeks per annum. As I’ve simplified my life, and released my expectations for triathlon greatness, I feel more free with less travel.
In considering a trip, I ask myself three questions…
- Are the people that I will see infused with goodness?
- How do the people make me feel?
- If I turned out like these folks, would I be ok with it?
There are plenty of people, and companies, who pass the test. Make a note when you meet these people and keep them in your life.
While its tempting to vacation in, say, Vegas, we are more likely to generate success by keeping the goodness in our lives. For the key relationships (bosses, mentors, clients, peers) visiting on their home ground will broaden your understanding, and keep you humble with your capacity to predict. The on-the-ground situation is nearly always different than I imagine.
The focus on “the good” is an ethical litmus test. I’ve caught myself valuing winning over kindness, an occupational hazard if you’ve spent time in a field (sport) that values relative performance. I’m also prone to errors of judgement due to wealth and beauty.
Choose Wisely.
Feel The Byrn 