One Word or Phrase for 2024 (1-3-24)

Happy Wednesday and Happy New Year!

I hope you had fabulous holidays filled with joy, love, and peace. We will kick off 2024 with a focus on identifying a word/phrase that will be your north star for the year.

At the beginning of every year, I take time to reflect and choose a word or phrase that will be my north star for the year. I’ve found it helps ground me versus getting lost among setting too many goals. To identify my one word/phrase I ask myself things like: What went well last year that I want to continue? Where could things have been better? What do I want to achieve? How do I want to feel about things? What do I want to give more focus and energy toward this year? What do I want others to notice and say about me?

In 2024 my phrase is intentionally invest. This is all about making sure I’m being intentional about how I spend my energy. In any given facet of my life, there is A LOT that I could do. There are dozens, if not hundreds of different challenges I could tackle and areas of my life where I could try to grow. Since there are so many, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel like I must solve all of them. In the past, this has led to me spiraling and spending energy in too many disparate places to make the impact I want to make. Have you ever felt like that? With this in mind I chose the phrase intentionally invest to remind me that I need to pause and think about where I truly need to invest my time and effort to achieve the outcomes I want. If I take a moment to pause and think, out of all of the different challenges I could tackle, there are only a handful that I should or need to work on in each phase of life. Whether it’s health, work, social, or financial aspects of life, if I’m clear on my goals then there are usually only like 2-3 things I need to get right in order to be successful. Intentionally investing is my nudge to remember that I need to be clear on the outcomes I want, select the investments that will get me there, and continue to make consistent daily deposits so I can reap the rewards of compound interest over time.

The challenge: What is your one word or short phrase for the year? What is your north star?

Bonus: On top of choosing a theme, I also build a vision board to print and keep in a visible spot at home. The picture from this week is that vision board.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Open Letter to 2023 (12-6-23)

Happy Wednesday,

The year is coming to a close. I’ve enjoyed sitting near my Christmas tree and letting my mind wander for a bit. Here is my open letter to 2023, and the lessons it gave me.

Dear 2023,

How are you doing? By the end of 2022, I felt like I was crawling over the finish line just trying to make it. 2023, you were different. You were a much-needed breath of fresh air. You were good luck, new chances, and exciting achievements. As we end our dance together, I’m thankful for the wind you put in my sails, and I feel ready for the next adventure.

My mantra this year was “protect my peace”. I’m so proud of myself, because I did that better this year than I have in years past, and because of this I was a better version of myself in all aspects of life.
I’m in this interesting moment where I can see my kids for who they are and catch glimpses of who they might grow up to be. I’m so proud of them for embracing who they are. I have no idea what they will do when they grow up, but if they continue down this path, I know they will be good humans. What could matter more than that?
It’s amazing to see the power of being around people who get you. Part of the reason why my kids are flourishing is because they are finally starting to find their people. People who accept them and embrace them for all of their nerdiness and who they are. I’ve cried happy tears a few times just thinking about this.
Not only am I in love with my wife, I’m in awe of her. I’ve watched her growth so much this year and she inspires me to be a better husband, dad, friend, and human.
Whenever I felt lost, it was because I had fallen out of the rhythm. I just had to remind myself that all I needed to do was start dancing again and the rhythm would come find me. That may not make sense to anyone else, but it’s clear in my mind.
Building the foundation and infrastructure in any situation is hard work, AND worthwhile work. A house is only as strong as its foundation.
Sometimes strength is being able to do something to solve the problem. Sometimes strength is sitting there with someone, beside them, sifting through their pain and emotions with them, and knowing the most compassionate thing you can do is listen and not flex your muscles.
I performed what might be my favorite poem I’ve ever done at work- Fitting In, Belonging, and Glass Slippers. I look at that guy on stage performing, and while I don’t always feel he and I are the same, I hope that the people around me see glimmers of him on a regular basis. (And I know how weird this sounds. That guy on stage might as well be a different person, and is always the best of me.)
My goal at the beginning of the year was to finish a marathon length obstacle course race. I knew it would be a major stretch, and I did it. (Technically, the course designer messed up and made it 29 miles instead of 26.2, but who is counting besides my body that day 😉) It was exhausting and a great reminder that there is a lot of grit inside I can tap into. In 2023, I survived the races. In 2024, I hope to continue racing and celebrating what my body can do.
I was fortunate enough to earn a promotion this year. It’s not the promotion so much as it’s feeling seen. It’s feeling like all the hard work, all the grinding, all the times I found a way to make something out of nothing, all the setbacks, were seen and valued. I realize that when I don’t feel seen I tell myself stories, and none of them are ever positive.
Speaking of getting a new job, the work and the opportunity fill my cup so much. So much of the role is aligned to what sparks joy in me.
The new job also humbled me a lot. I’ve never been in a situation where there was so much I didn’t know or understand. I continually had to remind myself it was okay to not always know and that it was okay to be open about not knowing. If I had a dime for every time I’ve said, “I’m not exactly sure how the tech works, but we need it to do X”, “I don’t think I’m following, can you explain that again?”, or “I’ve never done this before, so I need you to walk me through it.” I could probably retire. Seeing the warm faces and looks of understanding from the folks on the other end of those phrases makes my heart smile.
Whoa! That was a lot in 2023! Thank you. I’m closing this year feeling energized and hopeful for more brightness and exciting adventures in 2024.

The challenge: If you haven’t taken the time, take a few moments to reflect on 2023 and the lessons and emotions it gave you this year. How will these shape you moving forward?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Lifting and Different Kinds of Success (5-3-23)

Our last entry was about using proper form to help us be stronger and more efficient. This week is about lifting and different kinds of success.

A few of months ago, I wasn’t making any progress in my physical health and lifting journey. I wasn’t gaining strength. My body composition was staying the same. I didn’t feel any better. I was doing my best at the time, but not getting anywhere. I felt like an unsuccessful failure. Then, I took a step back and realized that life was throwing a lot at me right both personally and professionally. In the midst of all of that crazy, making the progress I wanted to make would have been impossible. I came to appreciate that while I may not have been moving forward at that exact moment, the fact that I wasn’t losing ground was a win. Despite all life was doing, it wasn’t pushing me back. It may not have been my ideal goal, but maintaining was success in those circumstances.

What does this have to do with anything? Often, we picture success as crossing the finish line in first place, and anything short of that is failure. After all, as the guru Ricky Bobby once said, “If you ain’t first, you’re last!” As a result of this thinking, we often feel like if we aren’t achieving our ideal of success then we are not worthy. That’s how I felt during that month. Have you ever felt that way? In these moments, it’s important to step back and realize that victory can take many forms. Success isn’t always about winning the race. Sometimes, success is just finishing the race. Sometimes, success is finding a way to keep moving forward. Sometimes, success is not getting knocked back. Sometimes, success is finding a way to get back up after being knocked flat on your butt. Depending on what you’re doing, and the hand life is dealing you at the moment, success can look very different. We need to accept that AND accept that we are always more than enough.

The challenge: Are you giving yourself the grace to understand what success looks like in the moment?

Bonus: I woke up this morning and I’m sore and exhausted, so my lifting success today is going to be taking a rest day 😉

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Performing a Personal Quarterly Check-in (3-22-23)

This is a one-off entry about taking the time to do a quarterly review in business in life. This is inspired by a blog I wrote last year around this time.

I don’t know about you, but I feel my meetings this week have all went like this, “Let’s talk about how X went in Q1. Here is the performance. Let’s take a moment to celebrate some of our wins. Now, what gaps do we still see? We need to start addressing those gaps now, while we still have time. What plan can we put in place and what actions do we need to take to gain/keep momentum?” It didn’t matter if the topic was brand performance, tactic creation, finances, or executing on the plan for the rest of the year. For whatever reason, now seems like a perfect time to take a moment to pause, evaluate, and figure out what we need to do next.

What does this have to do anything? While this is great for work, we could apply this same thinking to our personal lives as well. What are some of your goals for 2023? How did you do with them in Q1? Have you stopped to CELEBRATE your progress? SERIOUSLY, I hope you are celebrating something. If you are reading this, I know you’re doing something cool. Whether you are doing something small or large, you’re definitely doing something worth celebrating. After you get done celebrating, what gaps do you see? How can you address them NOW, so you can see the payoff later this year?

The challenge: Will you take the time to do a quarterly check-in? What changes will you make to set yourself up for the rest of the year?

Bonus: Here is my review based on the dimensions in my life I set goals for. Hopefully, it sparks a thought or two for you.

Protecting my Peace (B)- This is my overall goal for the year. This is about ensuring I’m making the time to take care of me and putting the right boundaries in place. Things did get busy at times in Q1. However, I’m proud of myself for prioritizing sleep, saying no to certain things at work, and taking steps to release the stress of day-to-day life. I just need to focus on taking care of myself.
Career (A)- The goal is to feel like I’m delivering magic. I feel proud of my start in Q1, and I feel valued right now. I delivered on some great projects and partnered with some amazing folks to deliver an awesome National meeting, strategy, and IVA. For me, it’s all about keeping up this momentum. I can do this by being crystal clear on my priorities and carving out some time to whiteboard and think through a few things before shifting hard into execution mode.
Physical Health (B-)- The goal is to make sure I’m taking good care of myself, so I can do the things I want to be able to do. I did good on the sleeping, and I’m proud of myself for completing my race in January. I have two gaps. One is better fueling my body in a healthy way on a more consistent basis. I probably stress ate more than I should. Good news is that I’ve kicked my Diet Pepsi habit, and now am starting to find a groove. The other gap is I need more upper body strength, so I can complete more obstacles. I need to do more pull-ups and work in grip training. I have a plan for that, just need to execute.
Financial (C)- The goal is to hit our financial savings goals. We haven’t fully established what those are, so will need to do that before I can take action.
Family (B)- The goal is to feel like an amazing husband and dad. Parenting has just been hard for a wide variety of reasons with a slew of challenges my wife and I are still trying to figure out how to navigate. If you’re a parent, you’ve probably been here. Also, over the past month, I’ve put in a lot more hours at work (especially on the weekends), which has upset a little bit of the work/life integration. I’m hoping to better balance that out, so I can focus more on connecting with my family.
Fun/Social (A)- The goal here is to plan out vacation days. Everything is booked for the year, and I’m looking forward to family trips, a fishing trip, and some “race”cations.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Legos and the Importance of Details and the Big Picture (1-25-23)

This week we are going to kick off a series inspired by Legos. We’ll start by reflecting on building and the importance of both the details and big picture.

I have always been a fan of Legos. When I was a little kid, I would play with the basic building blocks for hours making robots, houses, and airplanes. When I was a teenager, I had a room filled with various Lego technic cars and motorcycles, Star Wars ships, and more. You can imagine how excited I was when I received a super awesome Lego set for Christmas. I put on some great music and went to work building. The picture to the left is my work in progress. I’m guessing you wouldn’t have been able to tell what it is on its own, because you are so zoomed into one section of the build. Luckily for me, I had the picture on the box showing me the final product and the instructions that could get me there. Finished product is the image on the right 😉

What does this have to do with anything? This story is about taking time to understand how the details ladder up to the bigger picture. It’s a great metaphor for pausing for a moment to step out of our small world to look at the larger world around us to ensure the details and big picture are connecting. Do you ever get lost in your own small world? I know I do. Sometimes this happens at work. I get so lost in the day-to-day details of keeping the train running that I don’t pause to look at a map to ensure the train is going in the right direction. This happens in life outside of work too. I get so lost in the day-to-day grind that I don’t realize that the things I’m doing every day in the moment may not be leading me to be the version of myself that I want to be.

This story is also a metaphor for being able to take a big picture vision and operationalize it. If Lego didn’t break down the Batman portrait into steps, I would not have been able to build it. How often have you had a large goal and not been able to figure out how to make it a reality? That happens to me, and it’s usually been because I didn’t take enough time to translate my goals to specific actions.

The challenge: How are you leveraging and connecting the big pictures and the details?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Open Letter to 2022 (12-7-22)

As the year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting (by my Christmas tree 😊). Here is my open letter to 2022 and the lessons it gave me.

Dear 2022,

How’s it going? If 2021 was a year heading in the right direction, you were a constant barrage of curveballs and challenges.

My theme this year was “Channel the Chaos.” I don’t know if I could have picked a more accurate theme. Maybe I’m a prophet. #Embrydamus
I felt like a lion tamer for most of the year. Instead of lions, I did my best to tame internal processes, random fires, and a slew of challenges. Anyone else feel this way? I was bitten and clawed along the way, but still here. Persevering matters, even when it’s ugly.
Speaking of persevering, 2022 continued to teach me grit. I feel like I spent 49.9% of the year getting knocked down, and 50.1% of the year standing back up, shaking off the hit, and leaning in again. This seemed consistent whether it was at work or at home. I don’t think those are the ideal percentages, but as long as I get up one more time than I was knocked down, it’s a win. Next year I’m hoping to be more at 30/70 or something 😉
My goal every year is to do magic, to do something so incredible that the only explanation for it is sorcery. In my best moments this year (as a husband, dad, friend, employee), I think I had magic and then some. In my best moments I felt like I was a wizard, seeing all the elements come together. Even though those moments were fleeting, they were beautiful.
Every year I gain a deeper appreciation for health. This year I gained a deeper appreciation for how intertwined mental, emotional, and physical health are. I cherish these things on a new level and will fight harder to keep them.
I was reminded of how amazing my family is. I don’t know of too many people stronger than my wife and kids. How blessed am I to have them? In so many ways my wife is the model of the parent I want to be, and my kids have so much more resilience than I ever would have possessed at their age. #blessed
Growth is a tricky thing. You don’t always see it or feel it as it’s happening. I learned to not confuse the lack of feeling growth with the lack of growth. If I’m being super honest, I didn’t even see or think about my growth at work this year until yesterday during my end of the year conversation when my boss started pointing stuff out to me. I was too blinded by surviving the grind to see it.
At the beginning of the year, I had a goal to do 4 obstacle course races. I did 5, including my Spartan Trifecta. May not be a big deal to some folks, but it was a stretch goal for me. It reminded me of how strong I can be physically, mentally, and emotionally. We always have more strength than we think we do.
Not meeting your original goals is not the same thing as failing. Sometimes circumstances change, and the definition of success in new circumstances might be different than what it was in the prior circumstances. You can only play the cards you are dealt. Sometimes playing a good hand with bad cards is more impressive than playing a great hand with good cards, even though it won’t always be recognized as such.
I was stretched so thin this year that I always felt I was falling short and failing people, and this hurt my soul a bit. At the same time, just because I felt I was failing everyone didn’t mean everyone felt I was failing them. I learned to be careful of the stories you tell yourself, because even if there is truth in them it doesn’t always mean they are true.
People are beautiful. Also, people can have ugly actions. I try to tell myself that when people act in an ugly way, it’s because they are hurt and afraid. It helps sometimes, but not always.
Good people are all you really need to get through tough things. As long as you have a few good people in your life you are set.
Life is measured in moments. I can’t tell you what I did most days of the year, but there are some moments that stick out as clear as day.
I’m looking forward to taking time to recharge, adding some fuel to my internal fire, and getting my shine on in 2023.

Those are things going through my head. Yours might be similar or different. Whatever you’re feeling is okay. Your feelings are your truth.

The challenge: If you haven’t taken the time, take a few moments to reflect on 2022 and the lessons and emotions it gave to you this year. How will these shape you moving forward?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Why are our Challenges Challenging? (11-30-22)

I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving. We are winding down for the year, so the next few entries will be things to think about as you wrap up. This week is about reflecting on why our challenges were challenging this year.

As you might know, obstacle course racing is my new hobby. Let me be clear. I’m not good at these races. I fail a lot of obstacles and I’m slow. With that said, usually I can get up and over the 6-foot wall obstacle with little difficulty. I have the strength and skill to do that one (other obstacles, not so much 😉) Recently, I completed a race in Arizona. When I got to the 6-foot wall I struggled a few times before I got over it. I started thinking about why I had an issue with something that I can normally do on the first try. I realized a few things. Usually, the 6-foot wall is one of the first obstacles and happens early in the race around mile 1. Also, I was used to races in the Midwest where I was running on dirt and grass. This particular 6-foot wall came around mile 3, after I had completed other obstacles and spent a fair amount of time running on loose sand. Clearing the 6-foot wall on its own is challenging, but doable. Clearing the 6-foot wall after getting through a series of challenges BEFORE I ever got there, made it more difficult because my legs and body were more tired than usual.

What does this have to do with anything? As we finish the year, we likely will have some kind of end of year discussion. During this time, you’ll likely be asked to talk about your successes as well as the areas where you struggled and could improve. When you think about those areas where you could have improved, spend time thinking about why it was difficult. Was it difficult because you didn’t have the knowledge or skillset to do it? Or was it something you normally could have done, but it became a challenge since it came after so many other obstacles that popped up in your path? As I reflect, there were some things I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, because they were new to me. There were other situations where I had the skills and talent to handle them well, but since they came at the end of a slew of barriers, I didn’t handle them as well as I could have. As you can see, these are two different root causes for why you could struggle with something, and each root cause has its own set of solutions. I know I’m continuing to reflect on what I can do to improve in each instance.

The challenge: Why did you find certain things challenging this year?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Getting Back into Rhythm vs. Choosing YOUR Rhythm (10-3-22)

It’s been a long time. I’m back from an amazing trip feeling recharged and full of wonder. With that in mind, I have a blog entry that I felt was best shared on a Monday morning. It’s about getting back into rhythm vs. choosing your rhythm

Yesterday as I was mentally preparing to go back to work after 2.5 weeks of vacation, I said to myself, “Starting tomorrow I’m going to need to get back in the swing of things. I’ll have to get back into that rhythm.” Then I paused for a moment and asked myself, “Am I sure I just want to go back to the old routines and rhythm of doing things?” Some of the old habits, routines, and rhythm were great, but others didn’t serve me well. Before plunging headfirst into the way things used to be, I needed to take a moment to decide what I would like to carry forward and what I’d like to adjust.

What does this have to do with anything? Maybe you’re coming back from vacation. Maybe you’re coming back from a weekend. Either way, right now you are likely in front of your laptop or smartphone getting ready to dive into the week and get back to the rhythm of doing things. Before you dive in, is this the rhythm you want to be part of? Are there any tweaks or changes you’d like to make to what you are part of and how you are doing things? Now would be a good time to think about those and figure out how to evolve your rhythm.

The challenge: How will you find the best rhythm for you?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Wifi, Signal Strength, and Meaningful Connections (8-3-22)

Last week was about rethinking impossible. This week the words that inspired me come from a computer alert about Wi-fi and stronger connections. I was working on my computer on my back patio, trying to get caught up on everything, when the below message popped up and struck a chord with me.

I looked at it for a moment and my first instinct was to say, “Thanks Captain Obvious!” My second instinct was to say, “I’m not that far away from the router.” Then, I had a mini epiphany, which just goes to show that sometimes inspiration comes from strange places. As I looked at the message, I started substituting words.

“The strength of your connection between you and the people you care about could be improved by moving closer to them.”
“The strength of your connection between you and yourself could be improved by moving closer to who you are.”

You might be wondering what this has to do with anything. If I’m being entirely honest, work (and life for that matter) has been kicking by butt for the past few months. The expectations are high, and the pressure to meet them (whether external or internal) is even higher. It’s a flurry of early mornings, long nights, fire drills, and last-minute pivots. It’s been sprinting and sprinting and sprinting with little rest. Have you felt like this lately?

With all of this, I’ve felt myself getting lost in the swirl. It is kind of like being on a boat where each wave took me further and further from shore. Suddenly, you look up and realize how far you have drifted away, and that you need to get back. That pop up from IT was the nudge to get back to shore. My mini epiphany made me pause and realize that I had moved AWAY from the people/things that make me whole, and I needed to focus my energy on moving CLOSER to the people/things I care about (myself included). After all, life is all about having meaningful connections with people and things you love. It was just the nudge I needed to step back and refocus after a chaotic few months.

The challenge: Who or what do you need to move closer to?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Quarterly Reviews in Business and Life (3-30-22)

This is a one-off entry about quarterly reviews in business and life.

It’s hard to believe that the end of Q1 is tomorrow. The first quarter is always integral to the success of the year for a few reasons. First, the momentum generated in Q1 is often what carries the business to its goals for the rest of the year. Second, if things aren’t quite going as well as the company hoped they would there is still time to make changes. With this in mind, the moment Q1 officially ends, businesses across the country will begin analyzing their books to see how they are doing. They will calculate sales and growth. They’ll look at selling, general, and administrative expenses. They’ll look at their investments and evaluate ROI. As they perform these calculations, they’ll ask 2 simple questions. How are we tracking toward our goals? Are we investing our resources wisely? From there, they will adjust things as needed.

What does this have to do with anything? What if we applied the quarterly review process to our own lives? What if we spent just a few minutes asking ourselves the two questions outlined earlier (How are we tracking toward our goals? Are we investing our resources wisely?) If you paused a moment to do this, what would you find out about yourself? How might you adjust things?

The challenge: Will you take the time to do a quick quarterly review? What adjustments will you make after doing one?

Bonus: Here is my mini-quarter review based on the dimensions in my life I set goals for. Sharing in hopes that it might spark your reflections.

Career- (B+) The goal is to feel mastery and magic in my role. I’m tracking toward that, but not there yet. Q1 was a hard grind, but I’m feeling good about things and have momentum taking me into Q2. I’ve learned a heck of a lot and contributed in meaningful ways. As I look at Q2 I know my personal career success will hinge on my ability to prioritize and on my ability to take care of myself (Physical Health) so I can perform. On the prioritization front, I’m blocking 2-5 every Friday to make sure I pause, plan, and prioritize. Each week I’ll focus on 3 things I HAVE to get done.
Physical Health- (C+) The goal is to get stronger and feel energetic. I’m a bit of a mixed bag with this goal. I’m on track with my goal of completing an obstacle course race every quarter with one done in January and one coming up in May. That’s a huge positive. However, while I’m doing good on the physical activity front, I had about a month during the meeting cycle timeframe where my nutrition and sleep were non-existent and I didn’t do the things I needed to do to process stress. I have to do a better job on those fronts. For me this all comes down to finding and sticking to a routine.
Financial- (B) The goal is to hit our savings/investment targets. Things are going well here. I’ve found that if the money isn’t in my account I can’t spend it. Every year we do a lump sum save, so we can hit that goal. The majority of the money we plan to save for the year has already been moved into the right accounts/investments and my financial advisor is telling me I’m in good shape. With that said, we can do better by not spending money on all the small things that quickly add up.
Family- (A) The goal is to feel like I’m being an amazing husband and dad. I feel I’m doing great in this area. I’ve been really focused on being present and patient in all things. I feel I’ve made some great improvements here. As a bonus, my wife and I have date nights set up for the rest of the year, which is awesome! Side note, you know you’re married with younger kids when your date nights often turn into going to a bookstore, picking up Yats, going on walks, and just low key chilling with no responsibilities.
Fun/Social- (A) The goal here is to plan and take all my vacation days. All of my vacations are booked for the year! Almost everything is planned. I just have to go on them now!

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry