Learning InSpec is completely approachable, and if you follow these tutorials, you'll be writing compliance as code in no time!
Learning InSpec is completely approachable, and if you follow these tutorials, you'll be writing compliance as code in no time!
Mr. Hedgpeth sharing with our 1st graders about coding for Computer Science Week. #GESshineon #hourofcode pic.twitter.com/pfb3JGKjPg
— Grapevine Elementary (@GESStars) December 16, 2014
I talked about the people who made this toy, the producers, and the people who bought it, the consumers. When they grow
up and produce, they’ll produce solutions that use computers in awesome ways. We call that programming. They’ll call it
normal.
I ended the presentation with some myths related to programming:
| Myth | Reality |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| It’s only for video games | Programming is for solving problems. Problems are everywhere, not just in video games |
| It’s only for adults | My son learning [Ruby](https://www.ruby-lang.org/en/) through [Codecademy](http://www.codecademy.com/) and using [RubyMine](https://www.jetbrains.com/ruby/) |
| It’s too complicated | Actually trying to solve a complicated problem _without_ the help of a computer is complicated. Illiterate people think that reading is complicated. This is just another form of literacy. |
| Computers will take over the world and we won’t need humans anymore | Computers do one thing well: do what they’re told. You can’t reduce love, empathy, and character to a set of instructions. Being able to work with other people is essential to one’s development and ultimate economic value to the world. |
My son and I are working through his math homework using Ruby right now. If that goes well I might post a few YouTube
videos explaining it. I think there is a large, untapped group of people who would really be interested in finding
programming literacy from a young age.
I want to think Mrs. Cox’s fourth grade class for the encouraging thank-you notes on the presentation. You guys don’t
know how much those meant to me. I also want to thank [Nancy Hale](http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Domain/2938) for setting it
up and encouraging kids to learn coding.
---
# Learning Chef Book Review
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/learning-chef-book-review/
Discover the world of Chef with the Learning Chef book. Understand and use Chef, including testing techniques and Windows-friendly commands.
A couple of months ago I found myself drowning in the learning curve that was [Chef](http://chef.io). I had great
support from them, but I’m the type of person who needs to know a technology in order to appropriately evaluate it. I
could tell that Chef was a nice technology, but I didn’t know how.
I went through [the tutorials](https://learn.chef.io/), but they weren’t adequate for me to understand the solution.
Then I found the book [Learning Chef](http://amzn.to/1Ajqayd).
Learning Chef is an excellent first step in understanding the Chef universe in order to get started on the right foot
with the tool. I absolutely loved the tutorial, incremental approach
that [the](http://misheska.com/) [authors](https://sethvargo.com/) take to go from running a recipe on your own machine
to running tests on locally available virtual machines.
Which leads me to my other pleasant surprise of this book: it lays out the techniques you can use with Chef in order to
test what you’re doing, so you know that it works. That is what separates Chef from many other solutions I’ve
seen: [they bake testing into the process itself](http://kitchen.ci/). If you’re going to treat infrastructure as code
then you _have_ to test it as a part of your deployment pipeline. Fortunately this introductory book doesn’t skimp on
this core aspect of Chef.
The third great thing about this book is that it is very approachable to those of us who have built their careers
programming in the Windows environment. Every command has a hint at what you would do on a windows box. This really
increased my comfort level with learning Chef by allowing me to learn it in _my own_ development environment.
The book is not for people who want a quick, few hour understanding of Chef to get up and running. For example if I
bring a new team on board with Chef, I probably won’t hand them this book; I’ll probably do a couple of day class with
them to teach them the basics. If they’re the type of person (like me) who wants to dig deeper though and learns by
doing, this book is a fabulous step in becoming proficient at using Chef.
---
# Solving SSL Validation failure with knife
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/solving-ssl-validation-failure-with-knife/
Solve SSL Validation failure issues with knife after moving to a hosted version of the Chef server. Discover short-term and long-term solutions for your blog or website.
After I moved to a hosted version of the [Chef](http://chef.io/) Server, I started getting this problem with knife:
```text
knife download environments
ERROR: SSL Validation failure connecting to host: chef.yourdomain.com - SSL_connect returned=1 errno=0 state=SSLv3 read server
certificate B: certificate verify failed
ERROR: OpenSSL::SSL::SSLError: SSL_connect returned=1 errno=0 state=SSLv3 read server certificate B: certificate verify
failed
```
There are a couple of ways to fix this:
The short-term way is to ignore SSL on your `knife.rb` file with this setting:
```ruby
ssl_verify_mode :verify_none
```
The better and more long-term solution is to add this line to the `knife.rb` file:
```ruby
trusted_certs_dir "#{current_dir}/trusted_certs"
```
And then run:
```bash
knife ssl fetch
```
I then had to ignore the `trusted_certs` file in my git repo.
Thanks to [Matt Stratton](http://www.mattstratton.com/) and his colleagues at [Chef](http://chef.io/) for helping me
find the solution.
---
# A Look Around
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/a-look-around/
Explore the journey of a blogger’s first six months, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned. Discover how the focus shifted from professional to personal topics and the impact it had on readership.
It’s been about six months since [I started this blog](/posts/christmas-with-teamcity) and I
thought it’s time for a retrospective. I’ve enjoyed talking about issues and ideas that have really helped me find new
insight and motivation for where I’d like to go.
If you haven’t noticed, I have had a bit of a content categorization problem that I’ve finally found the answer to. Let
me explain.
The motivation of starting my blog was pretty clear to me from the beginning:
- [Michael Hyatt](http://michaelhyatt.com/) convinced me
in [a podcast](http://michaelhyatt.com/093-10-reasons-every-leader-needs-a-blog-podcast.html) that by not having a
platform for my ideas I was not going to be an effective influencer. The path to scaling influence is through creating
a platform. The easiest way to begin building a platform is through a blog
- I wanted to find a way to find like-minded people who could influence me, and who I could influence
- I wanted to solidify a lot of what I was learning by writing about it and explaining it
I started out early by writing about a lot of professional topics, then some financial management topics. I saw very
quickly that it would not be easy to build a professional oriented platform; the interest wasn’t there. The interest
appeared to be there for the more personal oriented topics, so I went in that direction.
Over the past few months, I’ve written more and more about the ideas and experiences that I have found useful to
accomplish my goals, and my readership has gone down and down. For example in July the readership numbers spiked at
50or so sessions per day. At the moment the spike is more like
20 per day when I publish something.
It’s not bad that 20 or so people are reading the blog, but the problem is that a
good portion of that are my extended family that I could easily (and more persuasively) share a personal conversation.
So it’s clear right now that I need a change in strategy.
I continue to work on deployment both for our hosted and our store products at my company. I’m learning a lot of
lessons, both through management and through learning new products. In fact, I’ve spent more time learning in the past
eight weeks than I had in the past three years combined. I’m really excited about where these ideas will take us, and
want to share it with you.
If you’re one of my readers who won’t care about that topic, I want to tell you two things. First, thanks for reading
and for sticking with me. Second, I’d love to have lunch with you and talk about these topics further. I have a passion
for living life well and think that in order to do that one must get off of the normal path set by us by our culture.
For everyone else, welcome to the new hedge-ops, which asks: how can we operate most efficiently with
management in technology. I’m looking forward to writing about it.
---
# Mornings
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/mornings/
Explore the contrast between good and bad mornings in this insightful blog post. Learn how being intentional and avoiding phone distractions can transform your morning routine, productivity, and overall well-being.
On the bad mornings, I begin by rolling over and checking my phone. I cycle
through [ESPN Dallas](http://www.espndallas.com), [WFAA](http://www.wfaa.com), [CNN](http://www.cnn.com), and look at
my [feedly feed](http://feedly.com/), personal and work email. The work email in particular, since I work with Czechs
who are well into their day, causes me to start thinking about work. My mind races to the world’s problems, the world’s
drama, and problems I’ll need to solve in a couple of hours that began a half a world away.
Thirty minutes later I get out of bed, make a breakfast, talk to my kids, and then I am late for work.
On the good
mornings, [my phone is in another room](/posts/sanitize-your-smartphone-with-republic-wireless). I
wake up, do a [14-minute workout](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shovelglove), read a little on
the [Kindle](/posts/focus-with-the-amazon-kindle) or
the [Economist](/posts/the-economist-keeps-it-real), have some time for
meditation/introspection. I think about my life as a whole and how I’m contributing to my goals today in realistic ways.
I think about how I want to love and serve others in very real and tangible ways. I eat breakfast, and get to work on
time.
I have as much time on the good mornings as the bad mornings. The key is being intentional and staying off the phone.
---
# Right Fit
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/right-fit/
Explore our journey as we navigate a business opportunity, balancing risk and reward, staying true to our values, and seeking the right fit. Inspired by Mark Cuban’s advice.
[Annie](http://www.hedge-ops.com/about/annie) and I spent the early part of this week looking into a business
opportunity that would help us meet some specific goals over the next few years. We were excited, talking late into the
night about the various details of this business opportunity.
Then halfway into our discussion we
realized [it wasn’t going to work](/posts/failure-masquerading-as-success).
Of course, we could have made it work. We could have brought more into the deal and thus introduced more risk. We could
have compromised our values or our goals.
I was reminded me
of [Mark Cuban’s advice](http://blogmaverick.com/2010/08/25/the-best-investment-advice-you-will-ever-get/): get out of
debt and save up 100K in cash.
Why does he give this advice? Because if you have cash that you can invest, a right fit will come along and present
itself. You don’t have to go try to make things work.
I don’t have to force anything. I can stay true to my values. And I should continue to live a simple and frugal
lifestyle. If I do this, the right fit will come along.
---
# A European Education
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/a-european-education/
Explore the differences between European and American education systems in this blog post. Discover how shorter school days and vocational training could potentially benefit students. A must-read for anyone interested in education reform.
Yesterday I was at lunch with a Czech friend of mine talking about education. His daughter just started the first grade
and this week they had their initial teacher conferences. The teacher informed him and his wife that the daughter had a
hard time focusing.
“Of course she can’t focus; they have her there from 8AM to 3PM. I wouldn’t focus at that age either!”
It never occurred to me that there was anything out of place about the duration of the American elementary public
school.
I asked him how long school was in the Czech Republic. He said that first-graders would be out by
11:30
AM. Wow, what a way to solve the problem of so many kids who are diagnosed with ADHD but may just need to run around and climb a few trees.
Our exchange student last year brought some perspective as well. She explained that when kids in Czech are in the fourth
grade, they separate the _academic_ ones from the non-academic ones. The academic ones are prepared for the university.
The non-academic ones are prepared for a vocation.
So instead of forcing a bunch of people into a mountain of student loan debt that puts them in a career or job that they
don’t perform in, we could train them to _not_ go to college, save a ton of money, get back years of earning instead of
going to school, and live much more confident and productive lives.
Instead of labelling kids as being bad because they can’t (unnaturally) sit in a room for seven hours with a few breaks
in between, we could limit the amount of time young students spend in school.
I absolutely love having friends with different perspectives
and [life experiences](/posts/life-is-art). The
American system is not the only good system; it’s not even the best in most things. Without my European friends, I would
never see that.
---
# Two Questions You Should Ask About Your Commitments
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/two-questions-about-commitments/
Reevaluate life’s commitments with two questions: How’d you feel without it? Can you freely reject it? Prioritize for a balanced, fulfilling life.
Lately we have been too busy, and we have had to figure
out [what is working for us](/posts/achievable-contentment)
and [what isn’t](/posts/failure-the-catalyst). Usually when we get this way, our entire lives are
filtered through two questions. I’d like to share them with you to think about what the answers are in your life.
First, make a list of the things in your life that you’re committed to. I’ll wait.
OK, now for each of those things ask, “How would I feel if this wasn’t in my life? Relieved?” Then perhaps it should
be a candidate for either changing or removing it from your life. How you feel when imagining something is gone is the
best way to know if you really want to do something.
Now for the second question: What would be the reaction of others if you _did_ say no? This is a tricky one, because
it shows the long-term health of your relationships.
I can tell my wife, “No, I don’t want to do that. Let’s think of an alternative.” She would respond with love,
acceptance, and we would work something out.
I couldn’t tell my unhealthy church from college that. If you had asked me at the time to imagine it being gone, I would
have sworn up and down to you that I loved it, etc. But then if you had asked me if I was _free_ to reject it, if
I was being honest I would have to say no.
So rid yourself of everything you are relieved to get rid of. Only keep that which you can freely and openly reject.
---
# Focus with the Amazon Kindle
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/focus-with-the-amazon-kindle/
Boost your reading focus with Amazon Kindle: distraction-free, long battery life, and sleep-friendly lighting. Enhance growth and knowledge effortlessly.
I’ve been writing about [focusing on what matters](/posts/life-is-art) lately
by [making good choices](/posts/achievable-contentment) with how and what you consume. Some things
are just a complete waste of time like the [local news](/posts/rubbernecking-with-the-locals).
Other things have a good alternative,
like [reading the Economist](/posts/the-economist-keeps-it-real) instead of going
to [news sites](/posts/escaping-with-the-news).
As I wrote last time, though, in this mobile world that isn’t enough. You have to make sure your smartphone is serving
you and not enslaving you. And beyond that I’m convinced to lead a life of growth and meaning you need to read.
Probably more than you are right now.
So how do we do that? The solutions that come to mind immediately are: on our smartphone, a paper book, or a tablet. I’m
going to talk about a better way to read books: through the Amazon Kindle.
A few years back a friend asked me what I thought about the Kindle, and my opinion to him as of July
16, 2010, was: “_It seems like having a book would be better._” Well, thankfully my friend didn’t listen to my awful advice and bought one, told me about it, changed my mind, and I haven’t looked back.
Here’s what’s so great about the Kindle:
1. _Distractionless:_ yes, that’s a feature and not a bug. I like it that there aren’t pop-ups telling me all about
the emails I’m not reading or the cool Facebook posts that I need to be looking into. I’m here to read. The Kindle
helps me read.
2. _Battery Life:_ I don’t have to be preoccupied with powering the stupid thing while I’m using it. I can read. I
have to charge it every once in a while. It’s not like the power sucking smartphone or tablet.
3. _Position Independent:_ this may seem small to some, but I like reading while I’m laying down. And I get
comfortable holding a book in one hand. Then I read fast and get to the other side of the book. So I have to move to
read the other section. It seems like a small thing, and admittedly a first-world problem, but I love how I can read
the Kindle with one hand laying on the same side for as long as it is comfortable.
4. _Sleep Friendly Lighting:_ I have the Kindle paper white that doesn’t blast light into my eyes and keep me up. I
can do a little nighttime reading with a very small amount of light. It also doesn’t distract my wife.
5. _Borrower Capable:_ I have learned to take advantage of my library’s borrower privileges on the Kindle. This is
easy once you figure it out. I do admit to buying more books than I would have before, but I think that’s a good
thing as long as I read them.
6. _Keeps Your Place:_ I pick up the book and read exactly where I left off. I don’t have to think about it. I just
go.
7. _Read More:_ I’ve read much more than before. If I’m interested in a topic, I can get a book on that topic and read
through it quickly while I have a passion and interest in the book.
8. _Portable:_ I admit to not doing it very often, but if I want to, I can read on my smartphone or even my computer
to continue my reading.
I highly recommend going for a Kindle. You need to read to meet your goals, and in my mind there is no better way to do
so than with the Kindle.
---
# Sanitize Your Smartphone with Republic Wireless
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/sanitize-your-smartphone-with-republic-wireless/
Optimize phone usage with Republic Wireless: affordable plans, Wi-Fi data, and reduced distractions. Prioritize real-life connections over screen time.
The invention of the iPhone will probably be one of the key technological events of my lifetime. It changed the game
from quirky Blackberry kind-of-phones, to a new experience that delivered a whole set of new capabilities in people’s
lives. It has
changed [the businesses I serve](/posts/ten-takeaways-from-the-last-10-years-at-radiantncr) and
will continue to change our lives for years to come.
Once I finally got an iPhone it took over my life. This coincided with the birth of my children, so I spent a lot of
time on the iPhone while they were at the park, or sleeping, or messing around at our house.
Then I realized that I will never get those moments back.
I realized that the promise of convenience and greater efficiency does not line up
with [my personal goals](/posts/achievable-contentment) because my personal goals are
to [live a life of meaning, love, and connection](/posts/life-is-art), especially with my family.
To put it more simply, I was on my phone and ignoring my family.
What to do about this? I considered going away from a smartphone. That didn’t seem possible because there were times
when it really did serve me. I tried to make a few rules like, _Stop ignoring my children_, but those didn’t seem to
work when the siren song of Facebook and email came singing.
On top of that, I was spending over a thousand dollars a year on this habit that wasn’t serving me.
Then I learned about a better way: Republic Wireless. With Republic Wireless, I bought a phone for
$300\* and now
spend $10 a month on my mobile phone. I get data through Wi-Fi, which, by the
way, exists at home and at work. I don’t get data on the way home from work. If I’m traveling, I get the option to
change to the $25 a month plan that has data. I can even change it back to the
$10 plan when I get home and only pay for the
$25 plan prorated for the amount of days I used it.
This means that I don’t instinctively go for the phone when I’m out and about. It’s a tool; it’s not my master. It also
means if I need it to direct me somewhere I can type in directions before I leave when I’m on Wi-Fi, and the smartphone
will get me there.
I feel like I have the best of both worlds. Combine that with my $10/month
landline, I now have no excuse to be on my phone ever. It’s an accessory. It’s not my whole life. Now I can live with
the best elements of it and leave the rest alone.
If you’re interested in freeing your life from the insane addiction from the smartphone, you can get
$10 off of Republic Wireless (as well as give me $10 off on my bill) by
going [here](http://rwshar.es/6lhy). Enjoy!
- You can get them even cheaper for $99 for an off-contract phone. Do the math,
and you’ll save a bundle while being able to spend less time on your phone. It’s a win-win!
---
# Facing the Ultimate Distraction and Often Losing
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/facing-the-ultimate-distraction-and-often-losing/
Facebook promises social connections but often reduces face-to-face interactions. While it keeps us updated, it might be diminishing genuine conversations.
It was around 2008, and I heard about this new way to interact with people in your
world. We were at a family gathering, and I started talking about this great application I had found called Facebook. My
sister-in-law was delighted that we had finally caught up with her and that we were all going to join in this wonderful
new thing.
Those were the days when we were all so clueless about social media that Facebook had to cue us to post stuff, with
“Michael is…” and then you wrote your thought into the text area. So the posts were things like
“is enjoying my [s-day](http://www.nosdiet.com/)” on August 23,
2008, and “is getting ready to go to India” on September
25 2008 (almost exactly six years ago).
It’s been great. I’ve stayed connected to people and shared in the lives of others in a way that I would not have
before.
I have a confession to make though:
I have a very conflicted relationship with Facebook. To understand, let’s filter the last few posts I’ve written on
through the lens of what it promises and what it delivers:
| Category | What it Promises | What it Delivers |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Traditional News](/posts/escaping-with-the-news) | Your world doesn’t matter as much as all of these important people doing important things. Know about them so you can influence them | A visceral and frustrated passion for things over which you have no control |
| [Sports News](/posts/sports-news-soap-operas-for-people-who-make-fun-of-soap-operas) | The game will be much more fun if you know _everything_ there is to know about it. So know the gossip and facts behind everything you are watching so your hobby can become your life! | Paying way too much attention to sports is a substitute for real growth and changes in your life. |
| [Local News](/posts/rubbernecking-with-the-locals) | This is _your world_, these are _your neighbors_, this stuff can happen to you. So you better pay attention before your lack of attention can cost you dearly. | None of this affects your life, it’s just used as a distraction. |
| Facebook | This really is your world. We’re serious this time. This really does affect you. Why would it not? These are your friends! So pay attention so you can live a more informed life pertaining to your world around you | This replaces smalltalk which in reality will hurt your relationships with others, not help |
Hopefully that illustrates it for you. The promise of Facebook is so alluring: this is a situation in which being
informed can really pay off. After all, this is your life! The problem is there is not a very easy way to filter out the
noise within Facebook to get to the reality. And the second problem is that even when people are informed about your
life through Facebook, when you finally meet face to face _there is nothing to talk about!_
You read that correctly. Facebook, rather than making you _more social_ actually makes you less social. You already
know the things about people that you used to talk to them about to gain interest. So over time you talk to people in
smalltalk less and less. Over time, you are less and less social.
So this is my conflicted relationship with Facebook. On the one hand I like being in tune with friends and family. On
the other hand, that comes at the price of a lot of checking and time. I’ve considered over and over giving it up all
together. But as my brother
says, [leaving Facebook is the adult’s equivalent of running away from home](http://weknowmemes.com/2011/11/quitting-facebook-is-the-adult-version-of-running-away-from-home/).
I wish I had some answers for you on this one. On paper this is something I should give up, but somehow I keep coming
back to it over and over again. Maybe in a year I’ll have a good balance. But right now I don’t and I just wish the
whole thing would go away. Maybe that means I’m ready for a break.
---
# You Have Time
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/you-have-time/
Shift your mindset: Instead of lacking time, prioritize what truly matters. Eliminate time-wasters like excessive news consumption to focus on personal growth.
I’m taking a break from [my hatred of all things](/posts/rubbernecking-with-the-locals) news to
take a step back and write about _why_ I’ve been so negative in these recent posts about the news.
I’m not against entertainment. I think it serves a valuable role in our lives. I like watching a football game or
hearing about things that are none of my business. It’s a lot of fun.
I just no longer fool myself into thinking that it matters. It’s just entertainment. This isn’t life or death.
When I read books, so I can grow into a better person, that takes time. When
I [ride my bike](/posts/engineering-travel) to work every day instead of driving a car, that takes
time. When [I read](/posts/focus-with-the-amazon-kindle), spend time with my family, volunteer,
that all takes time. And our first reaction to changing things up in
order [to live out our values is](/posts/life-is-art): I don’t have time. I disagree.
You have time.
Yes, I said that right. You have tons of time.
Not having time means that you don’t have time to consume the news.
Not having time means that you never watch TV for anything ever.
Not having time means that you don’t get a full night’s sleep.
Not having time means that you never do anything that doesn’t involve feeding or sheltering your family.
You have time.
My time waster is the news. I used to spend literally hours a day reading and thinking about it. Yours might be
different. Whatever it is, see it for what it is, put things in perspective, and focus on what really matters.
The question is not: When will I have enough time to do what matters?
The question is: When will I stop doing what doesn’t matter, so I’ll have enough time to do what matters?
That mindset change will change your life.
---
# Rubbernecking with the Locals
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/rubbernecking-with-the-locals/
Explore the phenomenon of rubbernecking in the context of local news consumption. This blog post challenges you to evaluate the value and impact of the news you consume daily.
We’ve all been there.
Bumper to bumper traffic. Lights ahead. An ambulance speeds by in the shoulder lane.
We inch by for a few minutes, and finally make it to the accident. Then something inevitable happens:
_What happened!?!?! I need to brake and see what happened! Are they going to be OK? Do I know them? Is
there…blood?_
Rubbernecking.
This is exactly what is happening in the local news. I’d like to give you a test to take right now:
1. Go to your [local news site](http://www.wfaa.com).
2. Count how many articles that fulfill these criteria:
1. You will remember them a month from now
2. You didn’t hear about them from another source
3. They will affect your life in some way
I just did this as of this writing, on September 5. I counted zero articles. I think that you might come up with a
similar amount.
What’s going on here?
We like knowing that no matter how bad things are for us, or how crappy our day is, there are at least a few people on
the news that have it worse.
What value does this serve us? Logically speaking, absolutely none. This is a worthless activity. It isn’t
even [entertaining like sports](/posts/sports-news-soap-operas-for-people-who-make-fun-of-soap-operas).
It has no significance in the lives and livelihood of all but a very small number of people.
So I’m trying to wean myself off of my local news addiction. I’m not replacing it with anything. I’m just stopping. I’ve
had varying degrees of success over the past few months, because I love reading the local news.
It’s worthless.
I hope to fully believe that one day.
---
# Sports News: Soap Operas for People Who Make Fun of Soap Operas
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/sports-news-soap-operas-for-people-who-make-fun-of-soap-operas/
Explore the parallels between sports news and soap operas in this blog post. Discover how sports news often focuses on drama and intrigue, much like a soap opera, and why it’s important to remember it’s just entertainment.
In the past I used to listen to _The Ticket_ every day on the way to and from work. I would follow the local teams
through ups and downs. When the Dallas Cowboys won their only playoff game in the last almost twenty years, I was
turning on The Ticket to hear their analysis. When the Mavericks won their World Championship a few years ago, I
celebrated with my friends on the Ticket.
Then I realized something:
Sports News is even more worthless than _Real_ News.
Yes, you are hearing me correctly. I [just finished](/posts/escaping-with-the-news) outlining
everything wasteful and dumb about sites like CNN and Fox News, but I’m saying sports
news is even worse than that. The difference: at least in _real_ news we are talking about people’s lives and
well-being. In sports, we are talking about a game using the same medium and tone that we talk about people’s lives and
well-being.
A couple of observations really hit this home for me:
Sports news _loves_ the soap opera story. It’s funny to think that way, too, since so many sports fans are
uber-masculine and would never admit to enjoying soap operas as entertainment. A few examples (as you read these in the
tone of a media obsessed teenager talking about a soap opera):
Did you hear
about [Ron Washington](http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/11471420/ron-washington-quits-manager-texas-rangers)? He
_resigned_ today as manager of the Rangers for personal reasons. Jon Daniels says it _isn't_ about drugs. But who
knows? I wonder how the players are feeling?
Did you hear about
the [number of penalties being called in NFL preseason](http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/nfl/rumors/post/_/id/24032/will-refs-pocket-flags-in-regular-season)?
I wonder if, like, the NFL will call those during the _regular season_? This might like
change the whole game.
Did
you [hear that Wes Welker](http://espn.go.com/blog/denver-broncos/post/_/id/8501/wes-welker-roundup-everything-you-need-to-know-about-his-suspension)
is _suspended_ for _four games_ for taking drugs? I wonder what drugs they are?
What is all of this about?
Just like the news, this is about sucking people into intrigue over things that don’t matter, so they’ll be sitting
there when the advertising comes on. It’s about selling you stuff you normally wouldn’t buy.
Does the nature of Ron Washington’s resignation matter? No.
Is there any effect that you can have on the number of NFL penalties by reading the
article? No. No effect. You. Are. Wasting. Your. Time.
Does it matter what Wes Welker did or did not do? To him and his family, it means he makes a few hundred thousand less
from multiple millions. To us, it means nothing.
It means nothing.
Let that sink in, sports fans.
This is entertainment. It’s not your life. It’s not your family. It’s not your livelihood.
It’s a business run by people who make a lot of money tricking you into thinking it matters.
With that in perspective, by all means go to a game or watch it on TV and enjoy. But
leave it at that, and find better things to do with your time. Over time, even that will begin to fade away.
---
# The Economist Keeps it Real
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/the-economist-keeps-it-real/
Discover why The Economist is a superior news source in this blog post. Learn about its international focus, lack of distractions, and balanced reporting. Ditch the drama of mainstream media today.
Over the past year I’ve grown to see [the absolute insanity](/posts/escaping-with-the-news) of
following the news on normal news sites like CNN or Fox News. You might be thinking that
I have no clue what is going on in the world. I do value being an educated person who knows about world events.
I have a secret weapon that helps me get this insight into the world without driving myself crazy day to day.
It’s [a paper subscription](http://www.subscriptionaddiction.com/magazines/subscription/the-economist-magazine-magazine.jsp)
to [The Economist magazine](http://www.economist.com/). Here are seven things I love about having a paper subscription
to The Economist:
1. _International._ It’s not focused on Americans only. I get more of an insight into the world than the typical
American news outlets.
2. _Soap Opera Free._ It doesn’t try to get me sucked into idiotic stories about how people are going to react to this
or that, or worse what a celebrity was doing last Friday night. I want to be an educated man who knows world
events…not a celebrity gossip connoisseur. The subscription keeps everything serious and leaves the rest out.
3. _Distraction Free._ When I read the magazine, I don’t see emails popping up. My kids don’t think I’m playing video
games. They know I’m reading a serious news magazine. And when I put it down, I do something else. I don’t get sucked
into ten hours of mindless video watching. This is a feature and not a bug.
4. _Not Republican or Democrat._ I love it that I get out of the false American dichotomy of Republican and Democrat
with the magazine. It has no interest in getting me to be _more_ one way or another. It just calls it like it sees
it. Which is probably more of a Libertarian bent, but honestly it’s difficult to tell sometimes. And that’s how I
would like to take my news. I don’t want to be told what to think. I want some facts and fair analysis and I want to
think about it myself.
5. _Weekly._ I don’t think that the appropriate news cadence should be any more frequent than once a week. If
something is important I’m going to find out about it. I don’t need to spend every day reading the news. It just
doesn’t matter that much. So the fact that the Economist is weekly is perfect for me.
6. _Guilt Free to Skip._ This isn’t a _feature_ of the magazine as much as it is for me. If I had a weekly
subscription and didn’t read _any_ of it, I still think it would be worth it. Why? Because it kept me from the hours
per day of distraction I had been getting by going to news sites. So the Economist can be skipped just fine.
7. _Diversified._ It’s not just a political magazine. It also has stuff on business, technology, science. It has
special features that bring you up to speed on a topic in depth.
I have subscribed to the Economist for months now and absolutely love it. I highly recommend you ditch your current news
habit and buy an Economist subscription. I did some searching and found a deeply discounted
deal [here](http://www.subscriptionaddiction.com/magazines/subscription/the-economist-magazine-magazine.jsp). Try it and
you’ll be hooked. If you run into me personally, I’ll be happy to give you a copy, so you can see what I’m saying; just
ask.
---
# Escaping with the News
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/escaping-with-the-news/
Explore the impact of news consumption on our lives and emotions. This blog post challenges the relevance of political news and encourages readers to question how news affects their daily lives.
I was having a great time at a party at my house recently, when a friend of mine who is quite conservative started
talking to me
about [the Benghazi incident of September 2012](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Benghazi_attack). He
went on and on about how outrageous it is.
I respond, “I just don’t see how any of this is important or relevant to my life.”
With an outraged tone, he responds with eyes wide open in outrage, “You don’t think _Benghazi_ is
important?”
To my life? No, I don’t. In fact, I can take that a step further: the news, especially political news is designed to
get people to get outraged over things that are not in their power to change or influence. This state of frustration
and anger puts them in a place where they are willing to buy more things in the advertisements, which is good for the
provider of the outrageous news. But for the person who is consuming it, it is the very definition of a waste of time:
spending time on something one doesn’t find enjoying, can’t do anything about, and causes them to act in ways that are
outside their values. This is insanity!
I’d like to propose we ask a question about every news article that we consume from now on: “How will my life change
as a result of me knowing this information?”
I propose the answer is, for the most part, “none at all”.
To illustrate, let’s comment on some CNN> and Fox News headlines as of the date of first
writing this, July 26, 2014:
| Story | How will my life change as a result of me knowing this information |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Rockets fired; Israel-Hamas truce appears over](http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/26/world/meast/mideast-crisis/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) | None. The rockets likely won’t make it to North Texas. There is no election today to influence our political establishment, and political leadership in the U.S. seem to be aligned (for the most part). |
| [U.S. evacuates embassy in Tripoli](http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/26/world/africa/libya-us-embassy-evacuation/index.html?hpt=hp_t2) | None. I am in North Texas, not Tripoli. I have nothing to be afraid of by whatever is happening there. |
| [Joe Paterno Feared Wrongly Accusing Sandusky, Son Says](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/07/26/joe-paterno-feared-wrongly-accusing-sandusky-son-says/?intcmp=latestnews) | None. I am not nor do I have any friends who are a part of this case. While it is a tragedy, me knowing about the state of mind of one of the participants of the case, who is now dead, will have no bearing on the outcome of the case whatsoever. |
| [Officials cite marijuana as reason for rise in Denver homeless](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/07/26/officials-cite-marijuana-as-reason-for-rise-in-denver-homeless/?intcmp=latestnews) | None. I live in North Texas, not Denver. I do not use marijuana. I suppose if I did this news article wouldn’t change my mind about it. There is no marijuana vote on the Texas ballot today for me to vote on. |
| [Some in CIA ‘torture’ report denied chance to read it](http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/07/26/some-in-cia-torture-report-denied-chance-to-read-it/?intcmp=latestnews) | None. I am not subject to torture or defining what torture is in the coming months as far as I know. In fact if I were to be tortured, I’m not sure that this report would have anything to do with how I would be treated. |
| [Fast food workers vow civil disobedience in wage fight](http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/07/26/fast-food-workers-vow-civil-disobedience-in-wage-fight/?intcmp=latestnews) | None. I don’t work at McDonald’s. I also don’t eat there very often. I suppose if their wages do go up, the price of a Happy Meal will eventually go up, thus creating an unexpected surprise on the rare occasion that I go to McDonald’s. But we’re quite a ways from this: they are vowingcivil disobedience. Nothing has actually happened. This affects my life in no way whatsoever. |
Let me give you a little guarantee: If you play this game for a few days on the news sites you are visiting, you will
very quickly be awakened to the reality that this all is a complete and total waste of your time. You are a pawn in
someone else’s game to get you to buy stuff. There actually isn’t news on almost every day. And when there is it can
be summed up in a ten-second brief description.
So let’s stop investing so much time in _news_ and make some _real_ news in our own lives.
---
# Escaping
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/escaping/
Discover how to live in the present and escape the distractions of modern life in this insightful blog post. Learn how to focus on what truly matters and stop running from your real life.
I get home [from work](/posts/ten-takeaways-from-the-last-10-years-at-radiantncr) and am I
daydreaming about a feature I need to add to my software as my son tells me about [Minecraft](https://minecraft.net/).
I finally have a few moments of free time and spend them reading about movie stars and wars on the internet.
At work, I have something really important to work on, but I read the latest tech news instead, and I get involved in a
long conversation with a colleague about office politics.
What is going on here?
I think it’s simple: real life is lived right here and right now with the choices you make. It’s not at work when
you’re at home. It’s not with movie stars. It’s not in office politics. It’s not even on Facebook. It’s in your own
choices _right now._
Our problem is that many of us don’t like or are scared of the choices we have in front of us. If we were really honest
with ourselves we’d have to admit that we just don’t want to deal with our _true_ lives. We really want an escape.
So I run away from my present choices and go somewhere else.
At home, I go to work or to the lives of famous people.
At work, I move away from important decisions to politics or the unimportant.
When relating to others I am preoccupied with my Facebook or Twitter status.
Or I keep thinking about how everything will be better in the future once my plans come to fruition.
This is insanity.
Do you want a [beautiful life](/posts/life-is-art) of meaning and purpose?
Stop running away from it.
To do this you’ll need to set up a lifestyle that blocks out those distractions that keep
you [from what truly matters](/posts/achievable-contentment). You’ll need to figure out how to
ignore the news. You’ll need to figure out how to stop checking your phone like a crack addict every five minutes.
You’ll have to learn how to live a life that is present in what is happening _right now_ in _your life_.
This is the journey I’m on, and I’m by no means perfect at it. We’re in this together.
What are you running from? And what are you using to distract yourself from what really matters?
---
# The Default Script
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/the-default-script/
Explore the concept of ‘The Default Script’ in our society and how it impacts our pursuit of happiness and meaning. Discover why this script may not lead to fulfillment and learn alternative ways to live a meaningful life.
We want our lives to be [a work of art](/posts/life-is-art) and reflect the beauty and meaning of
our values. Most of us in search of meaning in our lives will naturally absorb our culture’s script for us:
> _To create a beautiful work of art, you must feel good. To feel good, first you must make good money. You need to go
> to school and then get a good, stable job._
>
> _Once you get the job, start maximizing convenience. Pay for things you no longer want to do, including mowing the
> lawn, making meals, washing your car, fixing your house, going to the store. You work hard, so you don’t have to do
> these things._
>
> _Also, make sure you are as comfortable as possible. Get a nice big house you can be comfortable in, a nice, new car
> with leather seats that feel great, and stop at the ice cream store and give yourself a treat that makes you feel like a
> kid again. You deserve it because you work hard._
>
> _You won’t be happy unless other people respect and want to be like you. So when you get a car, get something that
> will show everyone how hard you have worked. When you go on vacation, make sure it’s something totally awesome that will
> show how you have great taste and can afford the finer things in life. You want to be the best you can be. You’ve worked
> hard for this._
>
> _You need to be happy. That’s what life is about. So make as much money as possible and spend that mainly on three
> things: convenience so you can focus on the things that really matter, comfort, so you won’t be distracted by annoyances
> and pain and can focus on enjoying life, and respect, so you can be validated that you have done something meaningful
> with your life._
What’s wrong with this? Well, nothing if it works. The problem is, when we think through this approach we don’t actually
see anyone reaping its benefits. Instead, we see millionaires that need more. Actors who are on drugs. Affairs. It’s an
absolute mess out there. There’s never an end. There’s never enough.
This isn’t a good way to create a life of meaning and value.
It’s a great way to sell stuff though.
This script does nothing about the biggest human problem: no matter how much you have today, you always need more.
Once you realize that, the above description becomes
silly. [You’ll never have too much convenience](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEY58fiSK8E). No matter how much comfort
you have, you know people who have more and that makes you feel…uncomfortable. There will always be someone who
gets more respect than you do. Your needs are _insatiable._
This is unavoidable.
The solution? Accept insatiability as a fact of life, dealing with it on a regular basis, and you will have a shot
at sanity. How do you do this? Keep reading to find out.
---
# Life is Art
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/life-is-art/
Explore the concept of life as a work of art in this blog post. Discover how simplicity, purpose, and tranquility can shape your canvas, and how every life is a unique masterpiece. Inspire and be inspired to create a beautiful life.
Earlier this year, I was pretty excited about some [drastic changes](/posts/achievable-contentment)
we had made in our lifestyle. Whenever I’m excited about something, I must tell someone and my friend at a dinner party
at my house was no exception. I excitedly pointed out all the ways that simplicity has led us to a life of greater
contentment and tranquility.
I could sense my friend becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
“Well, not everyone can live that way.”
My friend assumed that I view life as a science; that there are certain rules that _must_ be followed and a right and
wrong way to do things.
I completely disagree with that notion. To me life is more like a work of art. You have a canvas on which to paint
decisions, consequences, and ultimately meaning. Every life is as different as every work of art.
When a painter presents her painting, she is expressing herself in a unique way that is unlike anyone else. The painter
has _her_ way of painting. To her, it _feels_ like the right way, because, of course, she did it that way. Another
painter may do it totally differently. A wonderful and mysterious thing happens in the gallery: each painter admires
the brilliance and beauty in the other’s work of art.
So I am creating a work of art that I hope to be beautiful and meaningful.
I’m not creating a life of the entrepreneur who spends her nights and weekends creating a groundbreaking service that
improves the lives of millions of people. But I can appreciate her work of art.
I’m not creating a life of the philanthropist who travels the world to find a way to cure malaria worldwide. But I can
appreciate his work of art.
I’m not creating a life of the video game developer who works for two solid years to create a game that captures the
imagination of a teenager who stays out of trouble because he has something to do when he’s out of school. But I can
appreciate his work of art.
I’m not creating a life of a hospice nurse who works the night shift helping dying patients find dignity and meaning in
their final days. But I can appreciate her work of art.
I’m creating a life of tranquility, meaning, and purpose. I do this through simplifying life in every facet, achieving
in the marketplace through a fearless pursuit of adding value, and creating margin in my life to build a legacy with
those around me, especially my family.
This is my work of art. This is the journey I will share with you.
It isn’t the only way.
But I want it to be beautiful, and I want to share it with you because I hope we can inspire each other to make our
lives a beautiful work of art.
---
# Getting Things Done Action Plan
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/getting-things-done-action-plan/
Discover how to implement the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology in your life with our step-by-step action plan. Learn to collect, process, prioritize, delegate, and review tasks effectively. Start your GTD journey today!
So you’ve been reading along, and you
want [to implement GTD](/posts/mind-like-water) for yourself,
but you don’t know where to start. I’ve been there before. More than once. I’ve started, then stopped, then started
again. What do I tell people to do?
_First, Collect Everything._ Go through your entire life: your email, mail, closet, garage…everything. Put it
all in an inbox. Make a list of everything on your mind and put _that_ in your inbox. You want to get everything out of
your mind and into your system. Now that you have it all in once place, you’ll:
_Get All Inboxes Empty._ Take everything off the top and process it as we went over in the process post. No
exceptions. You may not pay that bill right now (but if it takes two minutes you should), but you’ll have it in your
system to do it later.
_Decide Your Yes._ you now have a big list. You were saying “no” to quite a bit of that list, so it’s not going to be
any different from what it was before. Only now you’re going to be conscious about it. So what do you want to do
someday?
What do you want to do now? What are your focuses? Put the things you want to focus on in a list with your name. I have
a michael list.
_Share and Delegate._ Do you need to do everything? If not, create another list and share it with that person. Talk
with them about your joint goals and get agreement on what to do next and when. Set due dates and follow up. I have a
“home” list for home projects with my wife, and a “money” list for financial stuff that needs to be done with my wife. At
work, I have a list for every project I’m working on and share with the people who are on that project. Not everyone
updates or is involved, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how receptive people are to having a project plan right
there for them to think about.
_Review Regularly._ Set recurring tasks in [Checkvist](https://checkvist.com/) to review your lists or a calendar if
you don’t think you’re going to check it. Reviewing is key to the GTD methodology so do
something that will get you looking at it.
_Keep Saying No._ Every day you’re going to say no to stuff. You should get comfortable with that. The minute you
think “I don’t want to do that today” and it’s due today, change or remove the due date! You have the power to make
Checkvist show reality, and by all means let it show you reality! Don’t settle with wishes when reality is just a
few edits away.
I hope you get as much out of GTD and Checkvist as I have. I’d love to hear how your
implementation goes if you’re convinced that you need to try this. I’m convinced that
GTD isn’t about the tool and so you can implement it any number of ways. However, Checkvist is the best one out there, hands down!
---
# Mind Like Water
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/mind-like-water/
Discover how to achieve a ‘Mind Like Water’ through the Getting Things Done (GTD) system. Learn to react appropriately to life’s challenges and boost your productivity.
The result of [Getting Things Done](/posts/productivity), when implemented properly, is _Mind Like
Water_. When I first heard the term, I thought it meant, “peaceful, still, quiet.” That’s pretty silly though because
water is in many _other_ states as well, just as often!
What _Mind Like Water_ really means is that you _appropriately_ react to your world. If a small pebble is thrown into a
pond, it makes a small splash. If a large boulder is hurled into that same pond, it’s going to make a huge splash. This
is how our minds should work.
The problem is we get tricked into reacting to pebbles as if they are boulders. How to get out of it? Let’s review
the system:
- _Collect_ helps you know that you can get to it later, and focus on the things that are happening now.
- _Process/Organize_ helps you get the small things off your plate, so you can focus, and organize the large things
into actionable steps you know you will come back to later.
- _Review_ is the essential piece where you start trusting that you will indeed remind yourself of things that you
thought of before and take appropriate action. So for now, relax and focus!
Do you see a pattern? Everything in this system is oriented around you forgetting about everything around you and
focusing on the next important thing. When a big thing comes along, you collect it, process it into your system, and do
it. You appropriately react to it.
All the pieces of the system must be in place for you to reach this state of tranquility and productivity. And I only
reached it when I used [Checkvist](https://checkvist.com/), because that was the only system where I could get a good
review workflow going and it is so adaptable because of its free form structure and keyboard centricity.
The strange thing about GTD is the lack of focus on organizing what you do. Other
systems will focus on prioritization, or assigning an _A_ to the most important things. With Checkvist and
GTD, once you organize your outcomes into actionable steps, and trust that you don’t have to keep juggling a million things, _what you need to do becomes obvious._ What do I need to do today? Let me review my lists and the most important thing will pop out at me. I’ll say “no” to all the rest by delegating them or saving them for later.
There is no need for priority codes.
There is no need to make it bold, or red, or flashing.
The system will work, and will tell you what to do. So get to work and get something done!
---
# Review the Glue
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/review-the-glue/
Discover the secret to achieving your goals and staying organized with our review of the Checkvist system. Learn how to effectively process and review tasks for improved productivity.
It happened to me over and over again.
I got sick and tired of being disorganized, of missing things, of not meeting my goals. “I am going to make a system.” I
wrote everything I need to do down in a to-do list. I made sure my emails get processed correctly.
And a few weeks later it was as if none of that ever happened.
Why did this happen to me over and over again? Unlocking this secret was the key to actually implementing Getting Things
Done.
Here’s the key: your system won’t work unless there is a place in it for you to review what you have processed.
Think about what we talked about earlier regarding your cluttered mind. You can’t tell your mind, “Stop thinking about
that, I’ll get to it later” unless it can trust that you _will_ get to it later.
Think about the empty inbox. Are you _really_ going to put that important email in the @Actions folder if you don’t
trust that you’ll keep it there? No. What you’ll do instead is keep the _important_ emails in your inbox because,
really, you don’t have a review system in place.
This is where [Checkvist](https://checkvist.com) really shines for me. I review items in Checkvist two ways:
_Due Dates._ If I need to get something done within a certain amount of time, I’ll set its due date. Every day I’ll
check the “Due” screen (shortcut dd) and make sure I’m not missing anything. I’ll even set due dates on items that I
_commit_ to doing by that time. For example no one is forcing me to read a book by August 1, but I put that as a due
date to tell myself that is my goal.
_Review Repeating Task._ I set up a task called “Review _\[list\]_”\* for every list I have that recurs as often as I need
to review it. For example, I have a “Review money” task that recurs every Sunday and Wednesday with financial tasks on
it. This is “Due” those days, so it will shows up in my due list that I’m checking from the above point. This way I only
have to remember: every day look at my due list, which will tell me that I need to review my list.
That’s my system. Other people can schedule meetings with themselves but that never worked for me. I need to review the
areas of my life more regularly than that. And, as one who has tons of projects going on both personally and
professionally, I have an even more complicated workflow that I’ll share in a future post regarding my reviews. But the
above system I think works as well as anything.
The bottom line is make sure you have a system to review things, or else you don’t have a system.
- Hint: When you set up the review task, type `Review [lst:` and the list will pop up. Select the list, and you’ll be
able to navigate to the list with the gg shortcut.
---
# Process and Organize
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/process-and-organize/
Discover how to effectively process and organize your tasks for better productivity. Learn the steps to transform your ‘stuff’ into actionable tasks, achieve inbox zero daily, and maintain sanity in your life.
When I get home from work, I always go to my mailbox, take a few letters off of the top of my pile, open them, and put
them back in the mailbox for later.
Said no one ever.
It’s interesting to me though that is exactly what people do with email. This is insanity.
In order for you to have sanity in your life, you need a system that tells you, “What of my life have I put in my system
to act on later, and what do I need to do, so I can take action on them at the appropriate time?”
This is the process and organize phase of Getting Things Done.
Here’s how I do it: I go to each of the collection places I set up in the Collect Phase (physical inboxes, evernote, and
email accounts), and follow this workflow:
1. _Is this actionable?_ Is there anything I need to do with this at any conceivable point ever? If not I should
delete it or store it for reference, but my experience with this item is _gone forever_. I will never see this again,
and it will not invade my life ever again.
2. _Can I do it in two minutes or less?_ If I can then I do it. There’s no sense of creating a to-do list item for
Reply “Yes” to email, “Are you coming tonight?” That would be silly. So keep it simple and get stuff out of the way
that will just overload your system.
3. _What actions need to be taken for this to be done?_ It’s not enough to say “Pool care” in your list. You have to
have your list contain _actions_, not just stuff. The action might be “Call the pool care company to schedule a
filter cleaning.” Or it might even be “Search for a pool care company to help me with filter cleaning.” _It’s
not \_stuff_, it’s actions.\_
4. _Add the actions into [Checkvist](http://www.checkvist.com)._ I add whatever comes to my mind to finish what the
item in my inbox represents into Checkvist. At first, I recommend just having a _To Do_ list in Checkvist and make it
complicated later. You are dumping everything into that program because that is going to be your one-stop-shop for
getting things done.
5. _Archive the item._ It doesn’t stay in the inbox. Archive it. Move it to a folder. Whatever. But you will never see
this again unless you need to. In this system there is a clear distinction between _what is processed_ and _what
needs to be processed._
Some more notes about this system:
_I process my items from the top down, with few exceptions._ This is important because in this workflow, you aren’t
_doing_ anything; you’re just processing your items. If you think, “I don’t want to get to this because it will take too
long to do.” Well in that case, add the item to your list! I have an @Actions folder for these situations, so I know I
can go to the email and write in a long response.
_My email inbox has zero items in it at some point every day._ You think I’m crazy, I know. Believe me, once you do
this workflow, you won’t ever go back. I’ve been told by people higher up than me that the email gets unbearable and
that my workflow is impossible. I’d like to think that it isn’t. I’ve already started forwarding emails to people on my
team with short responses: “Yours” or “Let me know if I need to do anything.” Most threads I’m copied on aren’t
important. So I think that this should apply to everyone, and you _have_ to know what it is you need to get done in your
life to have sanity in any way.
The key to processing is translating _Stuff_ into Actions. I can tell when someone really knows
GTD by the items on their to-do list. “Set up blog” becomes “Buy domain on BlueHost” and “Set up Genesis Theme on blog” and about fifty other things. How much faster do I burn through the fifty specific, actionable things, than my “Set up blog”? Honestly, for me “Set up Blog” goes nowhere, because “watch episode of Biggest Loser” is much more actionable.
Do you think inbox zero will work in your situation? If not, why not?
---
# Collect for Sanity
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/collect-for-sanity/
Discover how to declutter your mind and life with our effective collection system. Learn to organize your thoughts, tasks, and worries for later, freeing you to truly focus.
We are inundated with stuff. Stuff we need to act on. Stuff we need to remember. Stuff we need to worry about later.
Most of us are stressed out with the amount of stuff in our lives. What to do about it?
The system outlined in Getting Things Done starts with collection: there needs to be a system in your life for putting
things that need to be processed later.
So when you’re driving down the road and think of something, what is your system for collecting that for later? When you
get a bill in the mail, but don’t want to pay it, what is your system for that?
Without this system your mind will always be reminding you about everything. And you will never find peace. You will
constantly be running from thing to thing and never able to say to yourself, “Relax, I’ll get to it later.” Because
your mind knows you won’t, because you don’t have a system for it.
Here is where I collect things to be processed later:
- _Inbox at home._ All my mail, bills, go here
- _Inbox at work._ All my physical meeting notes, receipts go here
- _Evernote._ all my digital meeting notes go here
- _Gmail Inbox._ All my personal email goes here
- _Outlook Inbox._ All my work email goes here
If I want something to be processed in my life, they _must_ go here. If I put them here, I can forget about them,
because I have a system to deal with them.
One thing I haven’t figured out a system for yet, but want to: daydreaming away from my computer. For this system to
_really_ work, you have to empty your mind of all your stuff into a system. Anything that you ignore will come back over
and over again. In the process phase you can say _no_ to those things, but the key is that you tell your mind, “Forget
about it. It’s in the system. Trust me.” This frees you up to _truly focus._
Right now I have no system for when I’m thinking in the car and realize, “I need to organize my closet.” Normally I
forget about it by the time I arrive at my destination, and my mind gets stuck in a loop.
The obvious solution to this would be my phone, but a lot of times it’s locked and difficult to get to. Another solution
might be a portable recording device. I think I might experiment with that.
Has anyone come up with a good system for dealing with these times when you’re away from your inboxes or computers?
---
# Planned Thinking
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/planned-thinking/
Discover the power of planned thinking in boosting productivity and reducing stress. Learn how the Getting Things Done (GTD) system and tools like Checkvist can transform your work and life. Follow along for practical tips and insights.
In 2012 our efforts to add automated integrated testing to our central
Point-of-Sale product were showing great results.
We [were finding 20—40%](/posts/measure-for-reality) of all defects found in the software, many of
which were found within hours of those defects being introduced by the developer. It took years of hard work to get to
this place, and I was feeling good about our accomplishments.
But there was a problem.
I was running everything on adrenaline.
I was working extra hours, reacting to everything, and doing the next best thing to be done. But I was neglecting other
huge things. It was review time and my boss wanted me to take my capabilities to another level. His advice was among the
more valuable I’ve had in a review:
“You need to stop at least once a week and think about things. You just need to stop and think.”
My goodness, he was right. And I knew better than this. Years ago I read the book Getting Things Done
(GTD for short), which revolutionized how I did things. My problem was that I hadn’t
developed a system for GTD principles. In the last year and a half I’ve focused on
growing this area. I’m so excited to share with you my system, because I think it’s a great one that illustrates the
concepts in GTD that I have only recently taken to the next level. If you read the book
you get a good overview of the system. I don’t believe you really understand it until you see a system in practice.
The center of my GTD system is [Checkvist](http://www.checkvist.com). I met the creator
a Checkvist a little over two years ago at Jetbrains when I was discussing TeamCity with them. Kirill was taking notes
in Checkvist and copied me on it. I didn’t take the tool seriously until after the review at the start of
2013. This tool is the single biggest reason for my success in the last
18 months. I can’t imagine life without Checkvist. In fact, this blog is managed through Checkvist and helped me create a workable plan that I could execute on.
There are five phases of Getting Things Done that I will cover in detail in four posts:
- _Collect:_ how do you take the things in your life and put them in places that you know you’ll get to when you have
time?
- _Process/Organize:_ Now that you have time, how do you take the things you have collected and put them in a system
that you trust you will come back to later?
- _Review:_ what is your system for coming back to the things you’ve put in your system?
- _Do:_ when you’re going to do something, what is your system for knowing what is best?
If you haven’t yet checked out Checkvist. I encourage you to do so and follow along in the next couple of weeks to get
yourself organized. I’m here to help!
---
# How Growth Got Me Organized and Productive
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/productivity/
Michael shares how intentional growth transformed his productivity using the GTD method and Checkvist. Emphasizing the power of continuous learning and organization.
> If you keep learning and growing every day over the course of many years, you will be astounded by how far it will
> take you.
As I read this in the introduction of John Maxwell’s
book [12 Indisputable Laws of Growth](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599953668/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1599953668&linkCode=as2&tag=hedgeopscom-20),
I realized how low my expectations were. At first, I didn’t believe Maxwell. My focus at the time was more on
keeping it together and making the _next logical step_ than on reaching a destination I didn’t previously think was
possible.
But I took Maxwell’s advice and have focused on growth ever since. I’ve read books. I got a mentor. I pressed into my
work and made things happen. I built my team, so it isn’t just me anymore having to do the major things; it is _we_.
After two years of intentional growth, I can see Maxwell’s wisdom firsthand. I have grown so much in these two years
and feel like I’ve only begun.
The biggest area of growth is with my _productivity_ and _organization_.
The other day I reviewed everything that was going on and took an action on one of my many projects. I went to talk with
person, who was on the phone, so I stopped to say hi to a friend of mine. He was questioning out loud how much my team
had taken on and how it seemed impossible. Two years ago it would have been impossible. But now it is working, because I
have focused on growing as a leader and because I have focused on creating a system within which I can manage what needs
to happen in my life.
This week I have six different projects at work going at the same time (and one project itself has three different
subprojects). At home, we are going through an amazing amount of change that is planned based on our newfound desire
for [contentment](/posts/achievable-contentment). On the surface it feels like I have five
different jobs.
Fortunately, I have a secret weapon I use to keep my sanity: [Checkvist](http://www.checkvist.com) and the Getting
Things Done methodology. This will be the focus of the next couple of weeks. But for now, open your mind to the
possibility that if you intentionally grow over time, you’ll be able to do things you previously thought weren’t even
possible. All that’s needed is that you start.
---
# July Blog Update
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/july-2014-update/
Explore the latest July blog update where I share my journey in Taos, New Mexico, my reflections on past blog series, and plans for future content. Join me on my quest for intentional, contented living.
This week I’m in Taos, New Mexico with my family and have been thinking a lot about things. I thought it would be a good
time to share with you more about where I’ve been, where I’m going, and what you can do to help me.
## A Retrospective
When I planned out how I would start my blog, I planned five different series of posts, four of which have been
published:
_Introduction:_ This shares some of my core values and lets you get to know me a bit. I naturally gravitated
toward [contentment](/posts/achievable-contentment) and
the [appropriate definition of success](/posts/failure-masquerading-as-success). These topics have
still remained very interesting to me and were fun to write. I think these posts are probably the closest to where I
think this blog is headed.
_Lessons Learned on my Install/Diagnostic Utility project:_ This coincided with speaking about it. These posts weren’t
very popular; the [safety net](/posts/safety-net) post barely hit the top twenty. I had thought
that there might be some more interest in the work-related sphere for lessons learned/etc., but there hasn’t been.
_Finances:_ Next I wrote about our financial story, which has played a big part in my character development in the
last five years. This series was the most popular one, largely because I shared it on
the [You Need a Budget forum](http://forum.youneedabudget.com/discussion/31368/success-story-posted-on-my-blog). It was
fun to write, especially when I write about the philosophy and mindset _behind_ making good financial decisions. I don’t
read very many people writing about that, and think I may have insights in that area that can help people. The most
popular posts in this series are also the most popular posts in the first two
months: [the introduction to the story](/posts/failure-the-catalyst)
and [how I got a month ahead with YNAB](/posts//month-ahead).
_Lessons learned on my long-term Autopilot project:_ This coincided with speaking about it to our User Summit in
Huntington Beach. The lessons I’ve learned have been valuable to me and I enjoyed sharing them, but my audience shrank
during this series. This highlights a key surprise from the first couple of months: I haven’t been able to get any
traction or response from what I do professionally. If I talk broadly about what I do professionally, people enjoy it,
but the more detailed I get the less response I get from it. That’s a strange reality that I want to understand more
deeply, but I won’t do an entire series related just to a work environment before I know that it will be well received.
_Getting Things Done:_ The next series I will write about how [Checkvist](http://checkvist.com) has helped me
implement the Getting Things Done system and has increased my productivity to previously unimaginable levels. I’m really
excited about this series because using this tool has created a breakthrough for me that has truly been revolutionary.
## My Purpose
I write this blog for four reasons:
1. I want to create a network of people who want to grow and intentionally live a better life.
2. I want to grow as a writer and a speaker because I enjoy helping others win.
3. I want to help the vendors who have made me successful, giving back to those who have given so much to me.
4. I want to explore which of my ideas and passions resonates with an audience, so I can know which paths my career can
take me.
So far I have learned a ton and have enjoyed the work that has gone into this.
## The Future
I can already tell by how this first two months have gone that I want to write more about intentional, contented living.
I’ve read a few books on this and will unpack it in August and beyond. I’m seeing by the response that these types of
posts are the most helpful to people, and they are the most fulfilling for me to write.
## What do I want from you?
1. _Subscribe to my email updates._ This is on the right side of the posts and is the easiest way to be a regular
reader.
2. _Tell people about posts you like._ It’s really encouraging to see responses in social media/etc., so the more you
do this the more you support what I’m doing and encourage me. Use the icons on the bottom of each post to easily do
this.
3. _Comment/Respond._ If you’re an early reader of my blog, and you like what I’m writing, you’re an important part of
what I’m doing. If you like something, please tell me through a comment
or [contact me](/contact). If you don’t like a particular post or idea, tell me that too! It’s
helpful to be able to hear from you.
I’d love to hear from you one way or another: _What about the first couple of months have you enjoyed the most? What
would you like to read more about?_
---
# Solve Problems by Isolating Them
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/solve-problems-by-isolating-them/
Combining problems complicates solutions. Simplify by isolating issues, whether it’s project tasks or choosing between Legoland and Six Flags.
My kids have been drawn into the world of Legos. They love [Ninjago](http://www.lego.com/en-us/ninjago)
and [The Lego Movie](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1490017/).
It turns out there is a [Legoland Discovery center](http://www.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/dallasfw/) nearby. The other
day they went to a birthday party there. The kids had an absolute blast. Legos, legos everywhere. It was totally
awesome.
It also turns out that we have a [Six Flags](https://www.sixflags.com/overtexas) nearby. Fast roller coasters. Every
amusement park craziness imaginable. We spent last summer doing that, and let me tell you, mom and I really got sick of
it. But the kids absolutely loved it. They even wanted to do it again this summer.
So DFW area: lego land: check. amusement park:
check. [lego amusement park](http://california.legoland.com/)? That will be a trip to California and
$4,000 please.
It’s interesting how the solution to a problem gets a lot more complicated and a lot more expensive when you combine
it with another problem. I come across this a lot at work. I ruthlessly go through a project and eliminate anything
that isn’t needed, because I want to ship it as quickly as possible and I know every little thing just adds to the time
and complexity and makes the project that much more unrealistic.
So are we going to the LegoLand California Resort? Only if we have to. :)
---
# Immunity
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/immunity/
Build problem immunity with systems that prevent recurrence. While not all issues vanish, consistent efforts lead to growth and unexpected solutions.
We finally figured out a bedtime routine.
But the kids were late to school every day.
We figured out how to sit down every night for dinner.
But we were spending too much on groceries.
It’s a reality we all face: no matter what you
do, [some other problem comes up to wreck everything](/posts/failure-the-catalyst). And the same
was true for my project that was dedicated to improving the quality of our software.
When we started, we focused mainly on making sure there was no problem with how an order was created, the receipt was
printed, and the financials were calculated. We had prioritized this correctly; getting these three things right is
critical to our success.
Once we had ramped up our solution, we saw a _lot_ of problems that we were able to catch before shipping our latest
releases to anyone. We saved ourselves and our customers a lot of headaches that our competitors and their customers
were likely suffering through.
But over time, those problems decreased and the system seems to now have an immunity to these types of issues. It’s not
a phenomenon I totally understand, but is one I’ve heard of from others in the industry.
Our newfound immunity also hadn’t made us immune to _every_ problem. The problems we _weren’t_ focused on were still
there.
We hadn’t focused on how software is installed at the site and that the correct environment was set up. So the software
could be rock solid, but if the environment is off, we’re in trouble. It will likely never end, but it’s a fun journey
to iteratively create immunity through automation in the system.
My advice with problem-solving is create a system that makes you immune to having the problem again. So get a month
ahead of income so you never overdraft. Or put all your bills on autopay, so you never miss one. Or every Friday take
your spouse out for dinner. But don’t expect all problems to go away entirely. Keep working at it, and you’ll grow
beyond where you imagined, solving problems you didn’t even think you were capable of taking on. It’s a wonderful
journey.
---
# Ten Takeaways from the Last 10 Years at Radiant/NCR
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/ten-takeaways-from-the-last-10-years-at-radiantncr/
Reflecting on 10 years at Radiant/NCR: Value creation, embracing tools, prioritizing sales, and gratitude have been key. Always focus on delivering real solutions.
“Five thousand, four hundred and thirty-two dollars and twenty-three cents”
“Yes…”
“Five thousand, four hun…”
“Yes, we will take your home next Tuesday if you don’t pay us five thousand, four hundred and thirty-two dollars and
twenty-three cents.”
“I’m…”
“I’m sorry there’s nothing else we can do for you”
“Yes, you will lose your house next Tuesday if you don’t pay us fi….”
“Yes, thank you.”
This was where I had found myself in the spring of 2004. For some reason, I
thought it was a great idea to accept a developer position at a Law Firm that specialized in foreclosures. In some
cosmic twist, they sat me in the cubicle next to the lady who was delivering the bad news to people. All day.
I had to get out of there. But to where? A recruiter had told me about this place that was a
[_real_ software company](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_Systems) that created a
POS>for restaurants called Aloha. I was done being the IT department. I wanted to be a part of a _real_ software company. So on July 12,2004, ten years from tomorrow, I started working at Radiant Systems.
I arrived ten years ago a mid-level software engineer whose confidence was shaken by all the foreclosures I had to hear
about, and a rough few years of post-Y2K job market.
Looking back, I’ve grown so much. Here are ten takeaways from the last ten years at
Radiant/NCR:
1. _Speak Up._ Early on I developed an opinion on what needed to change about my team’s situation, and I spoke up and
did something about it. This fueled even more change, and gave me a reputation for leadership, which opened up so
many opportunities.
2. _Make a List._ When I started, I worked with a friend that always made lists, and I thought that was strange at
first. But then I realized my colleague always got stuff done quicker than me. So I made a list, and got stuff done
as well. People aren’t organized because they are dorks that like inane details; they’re organized because it works.
3. _Do it Right, But Do it Fast._ I’ve been passionate about doing things well for a long time. But I realized early
on that the only way to do this is to get fast at developing software. I needed to take advantage of tools that I had
available to me and get smart about getting things done, so I could have time to get it right.
4. _Tools Matter._ I don’t need to be a super-genius to be effective. Really I just need to use the right tools, and
let my teams and company for that matter use those tools to be more effective. That way I win, everyone wins, and we
can be more focused on the problem at hand. That’s why I love tools. It’s a win for everyone.
5. _Don’t be Religious about Process._ Early on I was very religious about being agile, doing test-driven development,
whatever. I’ve realized over the years that it’s much more valuable to use those frameworks as starting points to
solve the problem in front of you. If you solve problems, you get things done, and create a profit for your company.
It seems so elementary that one should make more money for one’s company than they cost, but the honest truth is the
degree to which you do that is the degree to which you will have flexibility on everything else: money, what you work
on, flexibility.
6. _Be Patient._ I can think over the past ten years of so many times when things weren’t going well, or where I
wanted something to change so badly. Eventually it did. Like I say above, if you create value, that value is
rewarded. So focus on the value, not on the drama or the desire to change everything overnight.
7. _You Live with the Past Forever, so get the Present Right._ I am at a conference in Huntington Beach this week and
was at breakfast overhearing two of our users argue about the proper approach to a weakness in a product…that I
created seven years ago. It was a strange feeling that I had so much impact on these people so many years later. What
I’ve learned over the years, is that you have to live with the past for a long time, especially when you move
projects and can’t influence the product directly, so get it right today because you never know what tomorrow will
bring.
8. _Value is Immune to Change._ In the last ten years, I’ve been through the worst recession ever, an acquisition from
Radiant to NCR, and numerous other business cycle downturns and upswings. In every
one of those, I’ve thrived. Why? Because I’ve focused on bringing value to my employer beyond what they pay me. If
one is valuable, change doesn’t matter. Even if the company folds, that value can be transferred elsewhere. So I
don’t worry about change; I worry about value.
9. _Without Sales, Software is Dead._ There is a sales guy at this conference who is the center of attention. He’s
laughing, drinking, yucking it up with the customers. And they love it. For years, the software engineer in me
despised it. “He doesn’t know the first thing about software” I would tell myself. I’ve learned recently though that
without sales and marketing, software is only an idea that dies quickly. Software _needs_ to be sold, and that
usually happens by people who actually had friends in High School. Sales is a valuable aspect of software and must be
rewarded.
10. _Show Gratitude._ I’ve had my share of ups and downs in the past ten years. But when I look back, these ten years
have completely changed my life. I couldn’t have gotten there without John Pearson, Vince Severns, Jeff Hughes,
Jimmy Fortuna, and Honza Fedak helping me through, and the numerous team members and other leaders who have believed
in me. I’ve come a long way since I was grimacing next to the lady explaining the foreclosure to the poor soul on
the other line. I’ve been very open with people about how great this journey has been for me.
---
# Problem Owner is Solution Owner
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/problem-owner-is-solution-owner/
For solutions to be effective, they must be in the hands of those facing the problem. Understand your audience’s needs for true traction and success.
The room was standing room only. I was playing _[Welcome to the Jungle](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1tj2zJ2Wvg)_ as
loud as my company-issued laptop would play. There was a considerable buzz in the room.
I was [speaking at a conference session](/speaking) entitled _The New Diagnostic Utility_. This
wasn’t a Get Rich Quick with Flipping Real Estate conference session. This was The Diagnostic Utility.
What was so jarring about this experience was the lackluster response I had gotten to this tool up until this point. The
idea came [from a colleague](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolemillspmp) that dealt with diagnosing environmental
issues in sites. She and her team were excited about it. I understood the need. But no one else seemed to be enthused.
Why not?
The conference I was at was full of people who install our software at restaurants all over North America. They had
issues that needed to be diagnosed. The title _The Diagnostic Utility_ was translated to them like _Save Yourself Hours
of Time Making Sure You Did Everything Right_. This was the [safety net](/posts/safety-net) they
needed. Their attendance and enthusiasm confirmed it.
This is probably the most valuable lesson I’ve learned this year: a solution is only effective when it
is _in the hands_ of the one that has a problem. Not the one that _knows_ about the problem. Not even the one who is
_losing money_ on the problem. The one who has the problem.
So when your kid doesn’t want to get to school on time, the solution is waking up earlier, but it’s only effective when
your kid _wants_ to be on time to school to avoid a consequence.
When a project is proposed but the people who own that process don’t believe there’s a problem, you don’t do the
project.
When you’re getting frustrated that a customer isn’t responsive enough to your solution, perhaps they don’t see there is
a problem, and perhaps you need to find another customer.
That was the case for The New Diagnostic Utility. Once I found the right audience, everything fell into place.
---
# Measure for Reality
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/measure-for-reality/
Success requires tracking and sharing key metrics. Without measurement, even great achievements go unnoticed. Regularly evaluate and communicate progress.
Buffalo Rib-eye, medium at [Reata](http://www.reata.net/fort-worth-restaurant.html) with a glass of cab. That’s what I
get when I’m ready to celebrate.
We had finally sold our house and knew we needed to jump on the next one. On the first day of looking, we found a house
with a lot of potential and decided we wanted to make an offer. When the offer was accepted, we got babysitting for the
kids and headed to Reata to celebrate. Then I got a text. Look away, look away! Another one. My wife is more important
than this phone. Another one.
A friend of mine wanted me to come work with him.
The offer was very attractive and tempting. But I didn’t take it for a number of reasons, one of which was that I felt
like my work wasn’t finished at my current job.
Then the next two weeks were hell at work. Negativity. Failure. Struggle. Wondering to myself if there will every be
anything but negativity, failure, and struggle.
I was fed up and needed to get honest with myself, so I went to [Esparzas](http://www.esparzastexas.com/home) and mapped
out how I could get out of the situation I was in over a few margaritas.
Let me let you in on a little secret of mine: every three months, I go to a restaurant, have at least two margaritas,
and write out what I’m happy about, what I’m not happy about, and what I’m going to do about it. This particular day I
was not happy about the fact that I turned down a great offer and didn’t have a wildly successful project at the time
that made that decision feel worth it.
The problem I uncovered that day over a few margaritas was that we were doing some great things but those great things
weren’t _measured_ and _reported on_. So to outsiders, especially senior management, those great things didn’t exist.
What I needed to do was measure the outcomes we were creating, and then share those measurements with the stakeholders
on the project. That would turn _is this ever going to work?_ into _this is working, but they have a few issues right
now._
In a few months, we created a daily report that showed the project’s output _every day_ for the runs that happened
_every day_. This was a game changer for my project, and for my job. Now I look for any way to measure what outcomes I’m
creating because I know no matter how good the outcome is, if it isn’t measured, it doesn’t exist.
To wrap up the story, I made the right decision with staying with my company. The project just needed some advertised
regular measurement. Once that was in place everything changed. And my friend left that job six months after he made
that offer, due to fighting over which direction to take their product. A year after that the project he was on was
cancelled.
---
# Embrace Difficulty
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/embrace-difficulty/
Face challenges head-on for success. Embrace daily routines to overcome difficulties, turning daunting tasks into manageable ones. Confront, don’t avoid.
It was an impossible project and I was scared. The fact
that [the world was ending](/posts/christmas-with-teamcity) was the least of my concerns. We have
software that is so flexible and configurable that it was impossible to fully test all the combinations of options our
customers could run. My leadership at the time asked us to mitigate this by recording everything that happened at a
restaurant and playing it back internally on prereleased software to make sure everything behaved the same.
I can’t overstate how I felt: this problem scared the crap out of me. So much could go wrong, and so many issues to
figure out. How would I get the software started? How would I know when/if the simulation was running correctly? What
about all the other automation projects I had heard about over the years that had been cancelled due to lack of results?
Would this project (and my career with it) be the next one thrown on the scrap heap when management realizes how
impossible it is?
I had to step back, step away from my fear, and think of a good strategy. We were facing a difficult problem. The
process we would come up with was likely to fail. A lot. Instead of running _away_ from that failure, we needed to
embrace it. We needed to welcome it with open arms. Because if we didn’t face the failure head on, _we would never get
past it_, and we would fail.
So we created a system where we ran any automation we had _every day_. In fact, this is how we do it today, with over
150 restaurants running in a virtual environment and over
4,000 small scenarios. We do it every night. Do we have to do it every night? Technically no. But we embrace the difficulty of it by doing it every night, so we get quick feedback of the problems and keep it on track.
People still argue with me over whether we _have_ to run this every night. I’m fine with that; I know it seems silly at
times. But I think it’s key to our success: we embrace the difficulty by doing difficult things all the time, so we
can learn how to deal with them and make them not difficult anymore.
Here are a few other examples of embracing the difficulty in a system:
| When | Embrace Difficulty By |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Doing Laundry | Doing it every day |
| Budgeting | Starting every month and facing reality |
| Blogging | Keeping a month ahead and posting at a regular pace |
| Learning to Cook | Cooking a regular meal on a day of a week |
| Keeping the Family Close | Eating dinner together every night |
What have you avoided that you need to embrace in order to overcome it?
---
# Engineering Travel
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/engineering-travel/
Shift from consumerism to contentment by rethinking travel. Opt for walking, biking, and consolidating car trips. Embrace local living for a healthier, happier life.
This year our family has been [focused on contentment](/posts/lowering-expenses-with-contentment)
over consumerism. It all started with realizing that our children believed the lie that stuff was going to make them
happy. Where on earth would they learn that behavior? It was probably from that school they went to. No, as we looked
further they learned it from us, because we were living that way as well.
When we started focusing on contentment, we realized it was a part of our whole lives. This wasn’t about just saving
money on groceries and not eating out. Everything we did was a topic of conversation. And thus, the topic of travel went
up, and we went through a bit of a transformation on how we see it. As I did
in [an earlier post](/posts/engineering-laundry), I’ll walk you through what I did and hope you get
some ideas about how you can find more contentment in your travel choices.
## Inherited System
The system we had gone with was similar to what most people in suburban middle-class America do:
1. _We drove wherever we wanted._ If we needed to go to the store, we drove. If we needed to go to Maryland, we drove.
There was never a question _if_ we should be using a car. We drove.
2. _Travel was a fixed expense._ Travel expenses (gas, repairs, insurance) to us were almost the same as our mortgage
payment. We just accepted the amount and moved on.
3. _Fuel Economy was a medium priority._ When we shopped for cars, we took fuel economy into consideration, but we
didn’t make it a priority. We had two cars that would fit our entire family in them, but of course we didn’t need
that.
We did have parts of our system that were a bit different from the norm:
1. _We live and work locally._ We are less than a ten-minute drive from my work, our church, the kid’s schools, and
grocery shopping. This was a huge priority to us when we moved a couple of years ago.
2. _We drive used, paid off cars._ We’re OK with the car not being a status symbol. We’ve always driven non-luxury,
used cars.
These last two elements are critical components for the new system outlined below.
## Problems with the System
When we started looking at our lives and budget holistically, we saw a few problems with the system we had been living
by:
1. _We had a sedentary lifestyle that was setting us up for health problems._ I had a desk job. Anytime we wanted to
go _anywhere_ we went and sat on a metal-encased couch that launched us down a paved road. I was gaining a few pounds
every few years. I went to the gym sometimes, but it was hard to fit it into my busy schedule.
2. _We had a consumptive mindset._ I’m convinced
that [a key to contentment](/posts/achievable-contentment) must be to
think of yourself as a producer instead of a consumer. If you feel _entitled_ to consume, then nothing is ever good
enough. When I produce as much as possible, the times when I do consume are wonderful, gracious experiences. Our
system made us 100% consumers of our transportation, via the car.
## New System
Our new system makes us producers as much as possible and leads us to a healthy lifestyle:
1. _We walk or bike within five miles of our home._ We don’t allow ourselves to get in a car if we need to go down to
the grocery store; we bike. And, a magical thing happens: we get exercise! It’s such a transformation when fitness
becomes a part of your life rather than a scheduled activity. What about the kids? They bike too! We have to focus
on safety the whole time, but we do and they make it.
2. _We consciously use the car_. When we are going to use the car to go somewhere _more_ than five miles away, we ask
ourselves, “do I need anything else?” We try to consolidate trips because _getting in the car is a special activity_.
If I’m going to launch a couch down a paved road, I better have some good reasons for doing so.
3. _I periodically work from home._ A day or two a week, I work from home. We’re creating an office for me, but for
now I work at the kitchen table, or if the kids are there, I ride my bike down to the library. This helps me get
focus to think about things, but it also keeps everything local and manageable.
4. _I bike to work._ I have been biking to work 80% of the days I work there.
5. _We have one car._ I’m selling my Camry, and we’ll only have a Sienna minivan. We really only need to take the
family around in one car, so why do we need two? We don’t!
I absolutely love this new system. It has to be wrapped up in a mindset that convenience and comfort aren’t the most
important things in life. This is definitely a more inconvenient and uncomfortable system. But those weren’t our goals;
contentment and production were our goals. Living and working locally and minimizing our use of the automobile has left
us more contented and productive than ever!
---
# Increase Income by Negotiating
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/increase-income-by-negotiating/
Boost your income by negotiating your salary. Chapman’s book teaches that everything is negotiable, emphasizes intentionality, and the power of silence.
When one [gets serious](/posts/move-the-needle-with-dave-ramsey) about meeting their financial
goals, the obvious immediate
focus is [to lower expenses](/posts/lowering-expenses-with-contentment). If you want to get out of
debt, stop going to
Starbucks. And find a way to be content with not having it anymore. But there is another side of the equation as well:
your income.
Back in 2010 when I shifted my personal finance perspective, I decided to get
serious about my income as well as my expenses. And I thankfully found the
book [Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0931213207/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0931213207&linkCode=as2&tag=hedgeopscom-20&linkId=W6BC6IOM726IEVJK)
by [Jack Chapman](http://www.salarynegotiations.com/).
The book changed my thinking in three important ways:
_Everything is negotiable._ Stop looking at things as fixed. They aren’t. You need to create more value for your
company, and they will be willing to pay you more. Negotiate for the value that you are creating, and by all means _work
your butt off_ to create the value. But don’t just passively go through life accepting whatever is given to you.
Negotiate.
_Be intentional._ Don’t let performance reviews happen to you. Be intentional. Be clear about your goals and work with
management to accomplish them. Don’t just accept what they’re telling you, but press in and make sure that they respect
you.
_Stop talking._ When negotiating, the one who talks is the one who is losing. Be simple about your goals and stop
talking. This is the part that I struggle with the most. [I can’t stop talking](/speaking).
This turned a perceived static situation I had no control over into a dynamic situation where I increased my value to my
employer and in return over time increased my income. It takes a while, but if your goals are realistic and if you work
hard, you’ll get there. I know as a manager I love managing people who are intentional and motivated to work hard to
create an outcome. I’ll always take that person over an unmotivated lazy person who is fine with their salary.
---
# Lowering Expenses with Contentment
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/lowering-expenses-with-contentment/
Discover how adopting a mindset of contentment can help you lower expenses and meet financial goals. Learn from our journey with YNAB and Dave Ramsey.
When [YNAB](/posts/you-need-a-budget)
and [Dave Ramsey](/posts/move-the-needle-with-dave-ramsey) entered our lives, we became an
unstoppable force to meet our financial goals. Our original debt payoff forecasts were beat by a mile, largely because
we got serious and focused all of our time, energy, and money to debt payoff. We had met some really great goals and
were feeling great.
But there was a problem. After we met our debt payoff goal, the angels did not descend from the heavens and make
everything better. And there was still an insatiable appetite for more stuff. The only difference was that now I had
more money to spend on getting that stuff. It was like we had finished a long diet but did nothing about our love of ice
cream.
So we got more stuff for a few months. And I felt the same. Dave Ramsey has a saying, “Live like no one else, so that
later you can live like no one else.” We had lived like no one else, so that later…we would get depressed about
how meaningless it all is.
Here’s the problem: you’ll never win with discontentment. You never find enough. You’re always wanting more. So in the
long run, the _sacrifice now_ will not lead to peace and balance later, because you’re training yourself for
discontentment. Let’s illustrate this in other areas of life:
| With | Live like no one else looks like | But contentment looks like |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Dieting | I’m going to join crossfit and do that multiple times a week, and eat Paleo and judge everyone else who doesn’t as idiots | I’m going to learn how to enjoy the calories I really need, appreciating that I’m swimming in a sea of cheap calories that kings of old didn’t have |
| Work | I’m going to make this happen and work Saturdays and drive everyone to do the same…;this is going to launch my career into the stratosphere | I’m going to really think about what and how I’m doing things, and make sure I do the right things with the right team, and do those things well |
| Marriage | We’re going to go to counseling, a marriage retreat, and then sit down every night and talk | I’m going to give her a break and serve her and try to not control her |
| Money | If I get an extra job, I can pay off my debt and get an expensive car ten years from now | I don’t need an expensive car. Or all this stuff. I’ll stop buying stuff and find that I have a lot of money left over that I can save. And wow, I’m happier! |
Sometimes the middle column is called for. But only temporarily, because discontentment leads to discontentment. It’s a
never ending cycle. And the only way to get to where you want to go is through contentment. You may need to spend a few
months moving the needle. Great. The focus though should be on finding contentment in your life, and creating a margin
of time, money, and focus that will help you accomplish your goals long-term.
---
# Move the Needle with Dave Ramsey
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/move-the-needle-with-dave-ramsey/
Dave Ramsey’s extreme approach to debt focuses on psychology over numbers. His method emphasizes short-term sacrifices for long-term financial freedom.
We had [a failure that was the catalyst to change](/posts/failure-the-catalyst) and
[a tool that would help us change our relationship with money](/posts/you-need-a-budget). Now we
needed to get out of debt. We needed to get serious. We
needed [Dave Ramsey](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595555277/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1595555277&linkCode=as2&tag=hedgeopscom-20&linkId=O5HAQUNJLACSUUTX).
Full disclosure: our household has kind of moved away from some of Dave Ramsey’s ideas since
2010 when we went all-in with his program. I’ll get into why in the next post, but for now I want to write what I appreciate about him and how he presented personal finance to us in a way that got us serious about getting out of debt.
Dave Ramsey doesn’t do debt. He hates it. To him, the only reason one should get into debt is to buy a house, and he
doesn’t even fully recommend that one. Most people think he’s extreme.
Ramsey’s genius is that when it comes to being in debt, being extreme is exactly what is called for. The numbers aren’t
the reason people aren’t getting out of debt; the psychology is. So when you get out debt the Dave Ramsey way, you sell
everything. You don’t eat out. You think about it every day. You work extra. Maybe an extra job.
You get sick and tired of being sick and tired.
The principle here is _Move the Needle_. Sometimes it makes sense to get crazy and move the needle in some area of your
life. Make a change happen, possibly at the short-term sacrifice of other things, so you don’t quit. Once you accomplish
something, quitting it is no longer an option.
So if you’re needing to make a change and gut it out in the short term in order to create the environment where you can
win in the long, term, have at it! I know with getting out of debt, this is the only way to go in order to actually do
it. If you try to nickel and dime your way out of debt, you’ll never get there because you’ll get distracted and go
after something else.
When we got serious and decided to move the needle with getting out of debt, all the pieces fell into place, and we got
out of debt really quickly.
The problem is when this becomes a way of life. At some point, you’ll need to stop moving the needle. More on this in
the next post.
---
# Month Ahead
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/month-ahead/
Discover how to break free from living paycheck to paycheck with our guide to getting a month ahead in income. Experience the benefits of financial simplicity, peace, and clarity with our practical steps.
You’re at the mall, it’s the 12th of the month, and you want to buy sunglasses. Do you have the money? If you’re living
paycheck to paycheck, it depends on whether the mortgage will come before or after your paycheck. It might also depend
on your checking account balance. This is normal for many people.
This is also insanity.
The best thing [YNAB](http://ynab.refr.cc/C9FV2R2) did for us is it encouraged us to
get a month ahead in income (they call this [Rule Four](http://www.youneedabudget.com/method/rule-four)). Paychecks we
receive in June pay July’s expenses. But for most stuck in the paycheck to paycheck rat race, the idea itself seems like
a fantasy.
We were there, definitely, but we got obsessed with getting a month ahead because we wanted to experience its benefits
of simplicity, peace, and clarity. Here’s how we did it:
1. _We Took Advantage of Bi-Annual Three Paycheck Months._ Luckily, January 2010
was a three paycheck month. We budgeted every month for two paychecks, so we were already halfway to our goal the
very first month. If you’re paid biweekly, every six months is a golden opportunity to get ahead.
2. _We Drew a Line in the Sand._ Before we started using YNAB,
[we had used our credit card](https://hedge-ops/posts/failure-the-catalyst) and were in the process of paying it
off. Normally that would have been our top priority, but instead of working on that, we made those off budget
accounts and set them to the side and paid the minimum. This rerouted some cash that was planned on paying off a
credit card balance to being a month ahead. This is how I recommend approaching YNAB:
what’s in the past is in the past; focus on creating a system that will work for your future and everything will fall
into place.
3. _All Margin Went to Rule Four._ We had a few hundred dollars a month that we had extra every month. Sometimes it
would go to something fun or to meet one of our goals. When we implemented YNAB,
_all_ of our money went toward this one goal.
4. _Moved End of Month Bills to the Next Month._ We paid our car insurance every month. I called the insurance company
and had them move the bill to be due from the 28th to the 2nd of the next month. To them, it’s a few days. But in
YNAB, it gets you out of the current month and into the next month…and closer to being a month ahead.
5. _Planned for a Lean First Month._ We put everything into getting a month ahead, so it was OK if we didn’t have the
_full_ set of monthly income for our first Rule Four month. We just needed to cover the necessities, and let a month
pass. At that point we would be a _full_ month ahead on income. This is the time to have one of those _I won’t buy
anything_ months!
6. _When we were close, we cautiously overrode Rule Three._ Over the years I have really grown to appreciate the
wisdom of [Rule Three](http://www.youneedabudget.com/method/rule-three): every month start over and budget the money
you have available. Don’t worry too much about making every month perfectly balance. When you override Rule Three by
carrying a negative category balance, you run the risk of having to focus on your account balances, and you lose many
of the benefits of the YNAB system. When we were just getting started, and within
hundreds of dollars of being able to make it through February on January’s income. We had to prepay our portion of a
family vacation that would happen in the summer. Rather than wait another month or two to meet our goal, we had that
category carry over a negative balance for the next month. We had done the steps before so there was no risk that our
balances would get too low.
Now that we’re a month ahead, if we’re at the mall, and we want to buy something, we check the category balance. We
don’t care about when the mortgage payment will go through, when I get paid, or the checking account balance. All of
those variables have been removed because we are spending last month’s money this month. Now that we have clarity on
just focusing on the category balance, we put our energy into making better decisions. And that for us has made all the
difference in helping us go wherever we want to go financially.
---
# You Need a Budget
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/you-need-a-budget/
YNAB, a user-friendly budgeting software, emphasizes goal-setting, real-life adaptability, and planning for surprises. It’s a game-changer for personal finance.
I experienced [a financial tailspin](/posts/failure-the-catalyst) that got my attention enough to
make some serious changes in my life. I needed to assemble a team that could help me meet my goals. A friend of mine had
told me about budgeting software that he had loved that fit with how I liked to budget. I hadn’t
taken [You Need a Budget](http://ynab.refr.cc/C9FV2R2) (YNAB, pronounced why-nab)
seriously until then, but now was the time to dive deeper into this tool to see if it would fit my needs.
What I found was a great software tool created by a team that cared more about serving people and changing lives than
making money. This is a critical piece of being on my team: you must be more dedicated to serving others than to
enriching yourself. And the small team that created YNAB was dedicated to service over
self. This software has changed my life in so many ways; I feel indebted to them to do whatever I can to make them
successful.
So what is so good about this software? A lot, but I’ll focus on four aspects:
_Simple Enough for Everyone._ This was a requirement for me. I needed [Annie](/about/annie) to be
involved, and she isn’t a finance guru. YNAB presents budgeting in such a simple way
that non-finance types can understand it
with [minimal training](http://www.youneedabudget.com/support/training-and-education) and make it happen. Annie’s
involvement in our goals has been critical to our success.
_Focus is on the Right Goals._ In other budgeting programs, you’re focused on account balances or fitting your life in
the system. YNAB has great systems for keeping you focused on where you want your money to go, and forgetting about the
timing of bills or keeping everything balanced perfectly. So now we think about what our goal is and how to meet that
goal, month to month. And then we forget about it and live our lives.
_It’s Reality Focused._ I was helping a friend set up YNAB, and he said to me, “I want
to wait until next month to start this, so I can buy a couple of iPhones.” I informed him that buying iPhones was as
simple as allocating hundreds of dollars into a category and then spending it. YNAB
doesn’t force you into a perfect situation or month. Those don’t exist! You simply tell it what you want to do with your
money. That can even include blowing a lot of money on electronics; it’s up to you!
_It Plans for the Unexpected._ it’s not expecting you to perfectly plan every cent and then rush to the software
whenever something changes. It lets you easily change your plan, or just wait for the next month, where the available
money will be adjusted to how well or bad you did the month before. A solid system must plan for noncompliance to the
plan.
Four and a half years later, YNAB is helping us meet our goals just as it did in the
beginning. It is our constant companion through life, always helping us bring together our intentions and our actions.
If you’re looking for something to help you meet your financial goals, you owe it to yourself to look
at [YNAB](http://ynab.refr.cc/C9FV2R2).
---
# Failure the Catalyst
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/failure-the-catalyst/
Failure can be a catalyst for positive change. While setbacks sting, they often pave the way for growth and success in various life aspects.
“We don’t take credit cards, only cash.”
It was November 2009, and I was locked into _Project: Have a Third Child_. Part of
the deal I made with [Annie](https://www.hedge-ops.com/about/annie) is that we could offset some of the hardships of
having another child by doing some things for ourselves. This translated partly into changing our half bath into a full
bath and completely redoing the furniture and decorating of our master bedroom.
As with most home projects, reality quickly surpassed our budget. That was OK. I was going to use my credit card.
Never mind that I promised myself I would never use it in this manner…;this totally frivolous remodeling project
was an emergency! I would pay it off, I promised. I just needed to get through this.
[My plumber](http://www.viperplumbing.com/) dug a hole in our foundation, extended the toilet drain to what would be the
shower, and charged me a hefty sum to do it.
And he only took cash.
As did [the tile guys](http://mastertilesetter.com/) and [the painter](http://paulhedgpethpainting.blogspot.com/). Crap.
The inevitable occurred. I overdrafted our checking account and our finances went into a tailspin that took us a few
weeks to get out of.
My wife and I awoke to how totally out of control and useless our current financial system had been. Some major changes
were on the horizon. But these changes had a beginning in failure. At the time failure seems so terrible, so awful, that
nothing good can come out of it. But in reality failure is often a catalyst for change.
| When you fail by | it is the catalyst for |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| losing your job | putting yourself on the right path to meet your goals, with the options wide open |
| a marital separation or affair | finding or abandoning your true commitment to that person, which means there will no longer be a lukewarm relationship |
| a project failure at work | understanding what will not work, so you can pursue what will work either for you or your organization |
| gaining weight | reanalyzing your relationship with food and an active lifestyle and making changes |
Failure feels terrible at the moment, but it really is a wonderful blessing because it is the only catalyst I know of
for real success. I haven’t yet been able to believe this enough to make failure suck any less, but it sure is nice to
know while I’m going through it.
---
# How I Applied Engineering Skills To Laundry
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/engineering-laundry/
Learn how to apply engineering principles to simplify your laundry routine. Discover a new system that reduces sorting, encourages ownership, and brings a sense of completion to this never-ending chore.
As we grow as engineers, we start to see how engineering principles relate to
[all areas of life](/posts/life-is-art). Implementing principles globally helps all areas grow.
When [Annie](/about/annie) asked me to take over the laundry, I decided to approach the problem as
an engineer:
## Inherited System
The system I inherited went something like this, for our family of five:
1. Each room on the second floor has a clothes hamper (all of our sleeping rooms are on the second floor). When cleaning
the room, put the clothes in the clothes hamper.
2. If you’re on the first floor, put the clothes in the laundry room which is on the first floor.
3. Once a week, on no particular day, take all the clothes from the rooms and pile them in the laundry room.
4. Sort the clothes into loads of whites, colors, and towels.
5. Wash and dry the clothes (this takes two days).
6. When the clothes are dried, put the clothes that are to be hung up flat on top of the dryer. Put the clothes that are
in dressers in a bag that hangs on the wall, one for each person. There is also a bag for kitchen towels and bathroom
towels.
7. At some point take all bags upstairs, and put the clothes away in dressers.
8. At some point hang up the clothes.
This entire process would begin as it was ending. In other words, laundry ended up being a never-ending mess of
never-doneness.
## Problems with the System
I looked at the system not as a household chore but as a system that I could maximize using principles I use at work. So
looking at it that way, what were the problems with this system?
- _Excessive Batching._ Everything was piled up and done at once, and there was no flow. When there is so much work in
progress, you can’t optimize the system because there are too many variables in it. It’s like trying to cook
Thanksgiving Dinner…all at once. There has to be a clear process in place and simplicity at every step for any hope of
true optimization.
- _Excessive Sorting._ Laundry was sorted at least two times within a large set. There was a separation of _all the
laundry_ into loads and another separation of _all the laundry_ by who owned the laundry. This was especially
difficult with the kids, whose sizes are remarkably similar and ever-changing, even though they insist it’s totally
obvious that the shirt belongs to one or the other.
- _Lack of Ownership._ My wife was doing all the work. None of us wanted to do the job. So we were leaving valuable
contributions from me and my sons on the table, which led to…
- _Despair from Lack of Closure._ The system didn’t give you a sense of being _done_. In software terms, there was no
_release_. It was just always going.
## New System
I did some internet searching and [came across an article](http://lifeasmom.com/2013/04/kids-can-do-laundry.html) that
was extremely close to what I have implemented. It addresses all the problems stated above. Here’s the system:
1. Every person in the house gets their own laundry basket except for the parents who share theirs. Every person is
responsible for putting their own clothes into _only_ their own basket.
2. There is a basket downstairs that towels and linens go into.
3. Every basket is done by its owner on a particular day of the week. Someone helps too if that’s needed. Our schedule
4. is:
| Day | Basket | Owner | Helper |
| --------- | -------------- | ------------ | -------------- |
| Monday | Parents | Mom | Dad |
| Tuesday | Oldest | Oldest | Dad |
| Wednesday | Towels | Dad | Mom |
| Thursday | Middle Child | Middle Child | Dad |
| Friday | Youngest Child | Dad | Youngest Child |
## Benefits of the New System
We’ve done this system for a week now, and wow has it made a difference! Here’s why:
- We’ve broken the whole system down into smaller, manageable chunks. That way there is a sense of progress, completion,
and lack of despair. Since the laundry room is clean (other than a basket with towels), it is a place where you can
create an outcome relatively quickly and get out. You’re done. There’s not a big scary laundry monster in there to
kill you.
- Sorting has been drastically minimized. Now when we wash the youngest child’s clothes, it’s extremely clear whose
clothes are when they come out of the dryer. This knocks off the total time we spend on it.
- Everyone owns laundry. It’s not something that only Mom does. And she gets to do the part that is most important to
her (her own clothes), so we win by me not accidentally shrinking her brand-new sweater.
The problem that one might have with this system is that you are doing laundry _every day_. But a different person is in
charge of it, and it’s a manageable amount. It seems to be working out well for us so far.
The great thing I found through this process is how well management principles relate to so many other areas of life.
That’s one of the things I want to explore in the future: taking wisdom from one area of life and applying it elsewhere.
---
# Surprise
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/surprise/
Prioritizing the grand vision can overshadow the power of surprise. In strategy, unexpected moves can be game-changers, leaving competitors scrambling.
In [the last post](/posts/the-grand-vision) I wrote about a mistake I made where I focused too
much on The Grand Vision and not enough on solving small problems. At the time, I felt that accomplishing The Grand
Vision was going to be awesome and would save the world, and would mean that there would be a parade for my entire
team, and cheering, and wonderful speeches given for us all. It will be glorious, except, now I realize I totally
screwed it up:
I left no room for surprise.
Surprise is when someone’s expectation is suddenly shifted into a totally new place in an instant. Surprise has a way
of changing the game immediately and causing your competitors to scramble.
When your competition expects an outcome, they have time to spin it as no big deal. Your flaws (and there will be flaws
if you ship it) will be the surprises, not the big game-changing outcome that you created. People adjust to the _new_
reality over a period of months, when in fact the reality hasn’t even changed.
This lesson will be central to everything I do for the rest of my life. If I am trying to create an important outcome
that makes a difference, I should focus _first_ on creating the outcome. If it is as important as I think it is,
surprise will be my ally.
---
# The Grand Vision
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/the-grand-vision/
Improving processes requires balance: while having a grand vision is essential, focusing on immediate, impactful solutions is equally crucial.
Late last year I started a new project that was dedicated to improving our delivery process and tools. I spent a few
weeks talking to people throughout our organization about what the problems were and how we can best address them. And
then I came up with _The Grand Vision_.
The Grand Vision was an awesome elevator speech where I drew quadrants and arrows, talked about the main problems I was
seeing and how to bring them together into one, totally awesome, unified structure that Would Save The World.
In one of the meetings, a key leader I respect said to me, “That’s ambitious.”
“Thanks,” I replied.
_It wasn’t a compliment_.
The lesson I learned is that it’s important to map out the process and see how what you’re doing fits into the entire
goal. _But it’s also important to solve problems immediately that have a quick return on investment._
This kind of thinking happens all the time:
| Ambitious | Should be |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| I’m going to get rid of all sugar in my house and go _gluten free_ | On Fridays I eat donuts that people bring in the office. In June I’m not going to eat any. |
| I’m going to get a gym membership with personal training and wake up every day at 5:30AM and get _ripped_! | I’m going to bike anywhere within five miles of my house and do 20 push ups a night |
| We are going to a full week marriage conference in Aspen, Colorado so we can get our marriage back on track | Let’s go on a date and not look at our phones |
It’s so easy to avoid the really tough problems in front of you by dreaming a big dream. I think many of us like to
think if we can’t do it all, then why do it at all? The real battle is won when we drop that all or nothing thinking and
get something done…_today_.
When have you let the grand vision distract you from what really needed to be done right then and there?
---
# Safety Net
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/safety-net/
Improving software updates for restaurants is challenging. The key? Before risky changes, build a safety net to ensure quality and desired outcomes.
Late last year I began seriously working on improving how we deliver updates to our software to restaurants. One of the
most interesting parts about my job is how many aspects of technology become incredibly difficult when you have a Chef
twenty feet away instead of a data center technician in a lab coat. Updates are no exception: the operation of the
restaurant itself is at stake, and we must get it right.
So how do you improve something like that? Believe me, this was something that was keeping me up at night. The problem
is the huge amount of risk involved in anything going wrong in the restaurant operations, but at the same time the huge
operational benefit improving it.
The insight we found was that before making a change that has risk, build a safety net to ensure that the change will
have the desired effect. Build quality into the system, and you’ll be able to make the needed changes to the
system. Otherwise, you’re dead when the first problem hits, and you’ll never recover.
This insight relates to so many areas of life and business:
| When doing | create safety with |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Software development | automated unit and integration tests |
| A budget | living on last month’s income |
| A healthy marriage | going on a date and having fun together |
| A college class | a study group |
| A business idea | seeing if it can be profitable on the side |
A safety net is a critical aspect of any system I create today. The bigger the risk involved, the more I strive to
include safety in the solution we create.
What safety nets have you created in your solutions? Have you ever created _too much_ of a safety net?
---
# Generosity with the Unexpected
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/generosity-with-the-unexpected/
Setting aggressive yearly goals is vital, but unlisted objectives like fostering team efficiency with tools like TeamCity and git and promoting generosity drive true success.
Every year we sit down and create a specific set of goals for my projects. The
[goals are always aggressive](/posts/measure-for-reality), and every year we wonder to ourselves
how we are going to do it. Most years we spend the first few months trying to come up with a strategy for even making
the goals possible. This is by no means an easy endeavor.
And [achieving the goals](/posts/achievable-contentment) on this list is extremely important to me.
But it doesn’t tell the whole story.
What is not on the list is just as important to my future as what is on the list.
For the past five years _Getting a team set up on [TeamCity](http://www.jetbrains.com/teamcity/)_ has never been an
explicit goal. Neither has _introduce and administrate [YouTrack](http://www.jetbrains.com/youtrack/) to increase the
maturity and efficiencies of teams._ Or _introduce [git](http://git-scm.com/) as a superior version control alternative
to TFS and Subversion._ But to me, these things that don’t make the list are major contributors to my success because
they foster an attitude of generosity.
I don’t believe success happens without generosity. Plans never explicitly state “be generous to others and solve
problems.” But those who follow this path end up being supported by those whom they served, being served in return. I
think this is a secret to my success: [serve others generously](/posts/christmas-with-teamcity),
which builds a community of generosity of which I am also a recipient.
In contrast, the one who is stingy and focuses only on that which will advance one’s own interests will end up hitting a
ceiling of productivity. At some point those around her are alienated, aren’t growing enough to contribute at higher
levels, or aren’t properly engaged in the vision of growth that is required for success to be achieved.
I have a standing invitation for anyone to put thirty minutes on my calendar to get Continuous Integration, issue
tracking, or distributed version control set up on their project. Even though it isn’t on the list of my explicit goals,
it is my pleasure to make the world a better place, and, in turn, it indirectly helps me reach my own goals.
---
# Releasing Control
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/releasing-control/
Entering marriage counseling with expectations, I learned from Les Carter that true success isn’t about control but serving and understanding others.
“Thank God we’re in marriage counseling so my wife can finally get her crap together.”
A thought that most people have when they enter the marriage counselor’s office. I came into the office that day
of [Les Carter](http://www.drlescarter.com/), with [my wonderful wife](/about/annie), ready for
some change. I had a list of things. She was this. She was that. Why can’t she just…?
As we started I heard a similar tone from my wife. She had a similar list, where only the subject had changed. He is
this. He is that. Why can’t he just…?
“OK, OK,” I thought. “I can play this game. So the one with the highest score at the end wins. I will _definitely_ have
a higher score at the end of this one, honey, don’t you worry.”
But Les wasn’t playing that game. Les gave us a nugget of wisdom that is now a mantra for us:
> The more you try to control, the less you are in control. The less you try to control, the more you are in control
Les was touching on a key element of success: it’s not about creating the perfect level of control, so you can have
everything your way. It’s about serving, helping, and loving others. It’s about making others around you successful.
Somehow when this happens, you end up having more success and control than ever. But it’s never about the control
itself.
This can be applied in many ways:
| When you want | You must |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| a good marriage | Chill out and let your spouse have some space |
| To be a good parent | Give them freedom to be themselves, which does include structure, but also includes having their own personalities and interests |
| A project at work to succeed | Enable those around you to be the best they can be and believe in them as you let them work |
| Financial security | Accept that there will be ups and downs and you won’t know when those will be, so it’s best to be a long-term investor who doesn’t bail whenever the market is in trouble |
---
# Failure Masquerading as Success
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/failure-masquerading-as-success/
Chasing the ideal college experience, I took on debt for a year of fun, only to realize true success impacts all life areas positively.
I didn’t have the grades I should have had in high school. My parents didn’t have anything saved up for college when I
turned 18\*. By living at home, under my mom’s insurance, and getting support from
my dad, I was able to end my Junior year of college with a few thousand dollars of student loans and no credit card
debt.
But that wasn’t enough. I _needed_ to have a successful college life.
I began believing that there was a real risk that I was going to look back at my college life as a failure. People in
college are supposed to experience community, friends, fun, unfettered learning. Living with mommy and having a job was
seriously impeding those goals. I had only one year to make things right. So I did what any idiotic
20-year-old would do: I quit my job waiting tables at an upscale restaurant in Dallas, moved into a dorm, and maxed out my student loans and credit cards to make it happen.
During the next fourteen months I had a lot of fun. I hung out with interesting people, was in walking distance to most
of my life, and expanded my mind through books and interesting classes. Based on the terms I had set out for myself, the
year was a success.
I’ll be honest with you: I spent many years paying off the tens of thousands of dollars I borrowed in that
fourteen-month period. The years of debt repayment that followed brought home an important truth:
> What felt like success for those fourteen months was really failure masquerading as success.
When success is real it flows to all areas of life, not just on the area that has the focus. It also flows into the
future, not just the present.
> When financial success turns a healthy, compatible, and loving marriage into a hate-fest, _that’s failure
> masquerading as success._
>
> When success at work turns colleagues from respect and honor to anger and disdain, _that’s failure masquerading as
> success._
>
> When success in marriage creates isolated, ignored children, _that’s failure masquerading as success._
>
> When success on my project this quarter leads to years of rework and confusion, _that’s failure masquerading as
> success._
I believe success does have tradeoffs. There are _failures_ that always _accompany_ success: having dinner with your
family might mean someone else who doesn’t need to do that will get promoted instead of you.
But I don’t believe that a wise definition of success has collateral damage. I believe a life of peace and balance
is possible. Anything else quickly becomes failure masquerading as success.
- What they did do though is tell me over and over again how important it was for me to go to college, something I am
thankful for to this day
---
# Achievable Contentment
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/achievable-contentment/
In a quest for career growth, many chase titles like ‘Software Architect’. Yet, true success isn’t about the next promotion but finding contentment.
“You’re doing great here, and you’re an asset to what we’re doing. We think you have a bright future with us.” My boss
was obviously
happy [with my performance](/posts/ten-takeaways-from-the-last-10-years-at-radiantncr) and was
telling me about it in no uncertain terms.
“That’s great, and I appreciate it, but when will I get promoted to Software Architect?”
I wanted more than anything at that point in my career to be a
[Software Architect](http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2010/snapshots/1.html). The title comes with
respect, a great salary, and a leadership position within a software development organization. Most people who knew
my goal never questioned its efficacy.
…But I now see that it was the wrong goal.
A good goal is one that delivers what it promises: contentment and happiness.
The contentment I envisioned after getting the promotion very quickly became discontentment wrapped around another,
bigger goal. All of a sudden I wanted to be a Senior Software Architect. And then more. And more. This is insanity.
There is a better way: goals that lead to contentment. Some examples:
| You’ll never be content with having | But you will be content with |
| ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| The next promotion | Doing work that matters and being fairly rewarded for it |
| A big raise | Spending less than you make, whatever it is |
| A new luxury car | A car you can afford |
| The spouse of your dreams | A marriage based on love, acceptance, and peace |
In the left column, everything seems so deceptively simple. “All I want is a Mercedes.” Well, yes, but what happens
when you get the Mercedes? What _then?_ The left side is one in which you never end up at a destination. You are
always striving, always anxious, always gunning for the next thing.
The left column is a series of steps in life that all follow a commonly accepted pattern of “going for the next thing”,
but arriving nowhere important. These goals ultimately lead to misery and despair once one inevitably finds this out.
What’s strange is that no one questions this path to success, even though there are so many examples of burned out,
depressed, unhappy people who have followed it.
A better definition of success is on the right side. These are achievable goals, not in a few years but right now. The
goals aren’t as measurable, and those around you won’t notice them as much as they would a new Mercedes. However, they
deliver what they promise: achievable contentment.
Success is achievable contentment through goals that have an end to them. The end of a truly success-oriented goal
isn’t _another goal_ It is contentment and peace.
What are your goals? Where will they lead?
---
# Christmas with TeamCity
URL: https://hedge-ops.com/posts/christmas-with-teamcity/
In Christmas 2008, amidst global uncertainty, I utilized my vacation to set up Continuous Integration via TeamCity, transforming our product’s development.
It was Christmas 2008, and the world was going to end. We didn’t know if there
would be an economy or even civilization. And I had two weeks of vacation to end the year. I had an
18-month-old who was mostly occupying himself with Christmas toys, and [Annie](http://www.hedge-ops.com/about/annie) was two months away from having my second child. I didn’t really want to take the vacation, but the policy at the time was _use it or lose it_, so I took it.
I could have done anything with those two weeks.
I chose to set up [Continous Integration](http://martinfowler.com/articles/continuousIntegration.html) for one of our
largest products through [TeamCity](http://www.jetbrains.com/teamcity/).
This was something I was passionate about. I
had [read the literature](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026772IS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0026772IS&linkCode=as2&tag=hedgeopscom-20&linkId=RJ6US3SXFLCWDTR5)
on how transformative Continuous
Integration had been to organizations. This product was built twice a day by a homemade tool called `bmcon.exe` and
some batch files. If the build broke, dozens of people stopped everything to try to get it working, with no clear
feedback mechanism for knowing what went wrong, who did it, and whether it was being worked on.
It was my moral duty to fix this.
And it so happened that those working on TeamCity were going to take their Christmas
holiday…[on January 7](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_Russia).
They were Russian. So I took it upon myself to monitor the email and get the build working over the Christmas holidays.
I remember on Christmas
day [I was conversing with](http://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/TW-6471) [Eugene Pentrenko](http://de.linkedin.com/in/jonnyzzz)
across the world about how to deal
with the complexities of TFS pulling thousands of files and then building them\*.
Years later, almost all of our products were built with TeamCity (though today we have moved
to [GitHub Actions](https://github.com/actions)).
It was central to our journey of modern development. And it all started one Christmas years ago when I had a _moral
duty_ to do something.
In the
book _[Selling with Noble Purpose](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KPM424/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B008KPM424&linkCode=as2&tag=hedgeopscom-20&linkId=52YQPMBZ7Z4IMUKU)_,
[Lisa McLeod](http://www.mcleodandmore.com/what-is-selling-with-noble-purpose/) leads the reader through an exercise
where the reader thinks about situations where one makes a difference with customers, in a different way than other
people, while loving what they are doing. When I went through this exercise I was reminded of this story. Through the
exercise I found my noble purpose:
☞ I share tools and insight for success
This is what truly excites me, and why this blog exists. I want to share the tools and insights I’ve found to succeed.
I want to help those who have given me tools and insights that have made me more effective by spreading them to others.
And I want to properly define success, so I can make sure to follow the path that will lead me there.
In the next few posts, I’ll talk about key elements of _true_ success. Success is one of those things that seems easy
to see in others, but never seems recognizable in ourselves. I think I’ve found a few reasons why this is.
_You can’t see it in the issue I link to above but Eugene was emailing me and went above and beyond, after his normal
hours, to resolve the issue._
---