Filter Out the Noise | Vol. 54 “In rowing as in life, there are competitors and there are racers. The competitor works hard and rows to his limit. The racer does not think of limits, only the race.” – Jim Dietz Olympic rowing is Great Britain’s most successful event. From 1900, when the sport debuted, …

Houston, we have a problem. A 2013 study from ​IDC Research​ shows that 80% of smartphone users get on their phones within 15 minutes of waking up. A 2023 survey by ​Reviews.org​ updated that statistic to 89% checking their phones within 10 minutes of waking. Most of these people go straight to their inbox or social media once they’ve rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. Why are so many launching their days with “rise and scroll” instead of “rise and shine”? Almost 57% reported that they are addicted to their phones.

This past weekend, I got to know the red harvester ant on personal terms. While cutting mesquite on my property, a few harvester ants fell down my shirt. I could feel one on my neck and one marching down my chest. I swatted the one on my neck. But before I could get the other one, she stung me just above my belly button.

Dr. Albert Ellis was a pioneer of cognitive behavioral therapy. He’s been ranked alongside Carl Rogers and Sigmund Freud as one of the most influential psychotherapists in history. You’ve probably never heard of him. After this, hopefully, you’ll never forget him.

The special effects team built “Bruce” the mechanical great white shark for a freshwater tank in Hollywood. Unfortunately, Jaws would be the first major motion picture filmed in the Atlantic Ocean. The moment fresh-water Bruce dove into the salt, all his circuits got fried. Steven Spielberg now faced the daunting task of making a shark movie without a shark. In fact, Bruce wouldn’t appear on screen until the 81st minute of the 2-hour film.

Our son, Gus, recently joined my wife, Wendy, and me at Brandon Turner’s BetterLife REI Summit in Hawaii. He was shadowing us to complete a high school apprenticeship. And we brought him as an early celebration of his upcoming high school graduation.

Russell H. Conwell delivered one lecture 6,152 times. The former Union soldier was promoted to captain at age 19 after recruiting an entire regiment of volunteers. He later became a Baptist minister and lectured around the world. His most famous speech was “Acres of Diamonds,” a fable about how our biggest opportunity may be in our very own backyard.

In college, I read Jean-Paul Sartre's celebrated play, No Exit. It’s the story of three people consigned to hell. But instead of flames or torture, they find themselves locked in a room together for eternity. This play is where Sartre famously wrote, L'enfer, c'est les autres... “Hell, is other people.” As a committed introvert, I thought Sartre summed up things nicely.

At a recent mastermind, Jason Abrams shared that more and more top teams are bogged down by bloated workflows. It’s tough enough to navigate this high-interest rate, low-inventory market, why are we letting our workflows make it even harder? Some workflows have more steps than the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Unless you’re playing the Rocky theme song while preparing your listing packet, 72 steps is overkill.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Twenty Percenters. You deserve a margarita after weathering all the “May the 4th be with you” Facebook posts yesterday. 

According to a 2019 CampaignMonitor report, the average office worker receives 121 emails a day. McKinsey reported in 2012 that business professionals spend 28% of their time managing email. If you work 50 weeks a year, that’s 14 weeks dedicated to email alone. We all know it’s only gotten worse. What would you do if you could reclaim even half that lost time? Reinvest it in quality lead generation? Go on a vacation? Spend more time with friends and family? It’s up to you. But you have to reclaim it first.