What should we do when someone criticizes us? As long as the criticism isn’t petty, vicious, personal, or otherwise way off base, we should take it to heart. It’s only by carefully considering what a critic has to say that we’re able to become better. Of course it’s hard to do this, since we need to have both self-confidence and humility to acknowledge that we may be misguided. It’s understandable that our first reaction to criticism is a refusal to consider the critic’s points. Nevertheless even the most expert among us can have room for improvement. We can’t maintain excellence or hope to improve if we refuse to work on ourselves, which means, in part, taking criticism seriously.

Now I’m not perfect, but learning how to take criticism has made a big difference in my life.  Before I went on a mission for my church, I was 100% unable to even hear criticism, much less accept it and try to change myself because of it.  I had a leader that really brought some heat down on me, and I don’t know what changed, but I didn’t instinctively react defensively as I would have before that, probably because I knew that he only had the best of intentions.  Because I was able to listen, I became a much better person and a leader.

I still have a long ways to go, and it’s tough to accept criticism, but you’re always better off for it.  Now I find myself swinging almost too far on the pendulum the other way.  Now I can’t seem to get enough honest feedback from other people, though that’s partially because sometimes I come across as not wanting to hear it.  My current goal is to fix my non-verbal cues so that I’m more approachable.

My dad is one of the coolest guys I know and I respect him a ton.  That being said, I now know that he has ‘made it’, since he is the proud owner of a Wikipedia entry on himself.  Wikipedia is incredible.  Hopefully someday I will be worthy of my own entry.

The bizarre thing about the whole situation was that they didn’t take any more of our computer equipment. They stole a lot of computers from our neighbors, and they actually unplugged one of our computers and put the monitor on the ground, but didn’t end up taking it. They just took my laptop, plus two cell phones without their chargers. All in all, we got very lucky, but it is still a bummer to have to deal with a stolen laptop. I’m not sure what our insurance policy is, and whether or not with the deductible it will be worth it to even try and deal with.

We got broken into last summer too, but that time they only got into our basement. Both times they threw a bunch of stuff around and made a general mess. The police think that it was the friends of the tattoo parlor next door. Hopefully they can track down the stuff.

I just wish that they’d tear down the building next door because it attracts the worst crowds. It’s been a drug house, and the police have thrown out miscreants multiple times over the past couple years. The owner won’t sell the building, but he won’t maintain it either. It’s frustrating that his lack of attention is costing so many thousands of dollars of damage to the surrounding tenants, yet he doesn’t have to pay for any of it. I just hope that his building is condemned by the city so we can be free.

I can’t tell you how much procrastination I have been a part of in my life. The biggest problem that I have with procrastination is falling behind. As soon as I get the slightest bit behind, I immediately begin to put off whatever task it is, and the longer I wait, the larger the pile and the less I want to finish it. It’s so much easier to let myself be distracted by whatever email or task pops up, and I justify it because it’s often a fire that needs to be put out. It’s a self-sustaining problem, because I never get ahead and I’m always putting out fires, and when it gets too intense, I get mired in the muck of indecision and end up not accomplishing any of my tasks.

The funny thing is that that same problem pops up again and again, whether related to weight loss, daily scripture reading, playing video games, and anything else that requires a sustained effort as opposed to occasional huge pushes. Everything in my life would be improved if I could just figure out how to overcome procrastination.

How do you keep yourself ahead of the game? I’d love any good ideas on how to stay afloat.

1. Make and follow through with tasks by:
• Separating them into three categories – daily, mid-range (weekly-monthly) and long-term. Right now, I have long-term goals cluttering up my task list, so it is difficult for me to focus in on the urgent items. It also is depressing to never clear out the list. I am going to clear out the daily list every day.
• Daily Planning Session – Determine how and when I’m going to accomplish my daily tasks.
2. Determine a set routine that includes everything I want to accomplish daily
• Prayer / scripture study
• Planning session
• Working out at 24 Hour Fitness
• Blogging
• Sleeping
• Service
• Cleaning home and office
• etc.

If anybody has any suggestions on methods to achieve the two goals above, I’m all ears. Managing recurring small tasks has been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember. Even when I played Starcraft years ago, I hated building tons of little guys that you had to keep managing and replenishing. My strategy was to build an overwhelming force of battleships, and hopefully take over the map in one fell swoop. Just like my game strategy, I usually put off little things until I feel inspired to do them all at once, then there is a long wait until that inspiration happens again.

My goal in doing business isn’t just to make money or to build a company of lasting value. I love to learn and grow personally, and I love to see and help others to unlock their potentials. My feelings on the subject are best expressed by Marianne Williamson, though this quote is often inaccurately attributed to Nelson Mandela.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

As for the content of this site, I haven’t really decided specifically what I’ll focus on, though entrepreneurial business ideas and ventures will probably take center stage. I currently own and am the CEO of Seatability (www.seatability.com). We sell the best bungie chairs in the world, the only ones with flat bands instead of uncomfortable round cords. I love doing business because it combines my passion for competition with the requirement for continual self and business improvement.

Other possible blog topics include sports, especially Brigham Young University (BYU) football, current political hot topics, especially as they relate to China, cool new gadgets, and occasionally church topics.

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