Hello again! It has been quite some time since I have been able to write and connect with you all.

For me personally, October was a whirlwind of a month and I am so grateful for all of it.

Especially because this week marks the start of a new chapter for me and October gave me the opportunity to spend time with some of my favorite people and work on some of my most passionate work before I make the transition into this next phase of my life.

Some of the items throughout the month included...

Working on Wisconsin Tech Month with the Milky Way Tech Hub.

#Culturefirst Milwaukee with some of the most amazing people.

Love all of y’all!

So, what is this next chapter all about?

That is a great question. Honestly... It is something that I am still trying to fully answer. But as I start to live this experience this very second, I think I have a pretty clear answer to what this is all about for me.

For starters, for well over a year now, I have had this desire and an inner voice telling me to go explore beyond the walls of where I have always called home, Wisconsin.

Not sure why or how this voice became so loud, but it continued to grow as Perennial grew and it was something that could not be ignored.

Actually, now that I write about it, this voice seemed awfully similar to the voice that was telling me to go "all-in" into Perennial Culture over 3 years ago. It's this interesting feeling that you know you need to do something, not really sure what will happen, but deep down it's something that cannot be ignored.

I have only experienced this voice a few times in my life, and when I didn't listen, I was often met with deep regret. And when I did listen to it, the universe tended to reward me for taking action on it.

Fast forward a year later, I begin to fully listen to this voice once again and start the transition into this new chapter.

This new chapter started with me selling all of my stuff in my apartment, down to my most valued items, moving back home with the old roommates (my family), to now packing everything I own into the back of my blue 2017 Toyota 4-runner, and hitting the road. 

Packing that 4-runner made things feel awfully real... A bit too real. A healthy mix of excitement for what could be and a healthy mix of fear of also, what could be... Again, a very similar feeling to when I took action upon the voice to go all-in into Perennial Culture.

Anyways, why did this voice exist and what is this next chapter all about?

I think I am still answering this question, but I have a strong sense that this is about living in partial solitude.

You see, my entire life, I have been surrounded by only things that I know. From grade school to high school, to living in Milwaukee, there was always this environment of comfort and community. Something I am deeply grateful for. Having such a surrounding is something only a few get to experience and I understand the privilege to be born in that situation.

That being said, I have never experienced being alone. To be truly on my own in an area where I know no one.

That's why I sense that the universe and this voice's message are for me to live in partial solitude.

To give me the time to reflect and grow within. To visit my own relationship with myself. To think, and find clarity and peace around beliefs and negative emotions that still live within me. To journal, meditate, read books, become a stronger independent thinker, uncage my mind, learn acceptance, be extremely productive, and have deep self-exploration.

To use this as a time to slow down… to really slow everything down. Why do I always feel this anxiety to rush and get to the next thing... When sometimes, I haven't really been present enough to feel and experience the current thing. This is a time to slow these moments down and live them. Breathe into them. To feel them!

It feels kinda funny the way I am doing this actually. Where I had to go "externally" outside of Wisconsin in order to go "internally" within myself.

This is when I really learned what this chapter is all about...

This chapter is an adventure of me, 

FREE ACTIVITY: "The Four Keys Of Me"

Since this is an "adventure of me," I wanted to also provide you with a clarity exercise that might help you go on your own adventure of me. An adventure of YOU!

This clarity exercise is all about how you think about tomorrow and what you do to stay connected with what matters today. This helps keep you engaged, growing, and fulfilled over the long haul. The thing about clarity is, it isn't something that you just “have,” it's something you have to generate. And the ways to generate clarity are by asking questions, researching, trying new things, sorting through life's opportunities, and sniffing out what's right for you.

Going through these practices, you will generate clarity and know the answers to certain questions such as; Who am I? What do I Value? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What are my goals? What's my plan?

These seem basic but having these questions answered can greatly affect your life.

The Four Keys Of Me:

To set you on the right path to going on your own "adventure of me," we are starting you with this practice called the four keys of me.

Myself - My Developments - My Relationships - My Contribution

Myself: One thing to “know thyself” but you must also “imagine thyself” - a future better you that you want to become.

Some people may think about themselves a lot, but that doesn't mean they will be better performers. A lot of the time when people are reflecting upon themselves, they are doing so in a negative way. They are being overly critical and imagining themself in a negative light. That is what makes the difference with high performers - they imagine a positive version of themselves in the future, and then they actively engage in trying to achieve that.

• Describe how you’ve perceived yourself in the following situations over the past several months - with your significant other, at work, with the kids or team, in social situations with strangers
• Now ask “Is that who I really see myself being in the future? How would my future self look, feel and behave differently in those situations?
• If you could describe yourself in just three words - that would sum up who you are at your best - what would those words be? Why are those words meaningful to you?
• Put those words on your phone as an alarm to go off several times per day.

My Relationships: You need to be clear on how you want to treat other people. Must know who you want to be, and how you want to interact with others. Seems like common sense, but let's see if its common practice in your life:

• Before you went into your last meeting, did you think about how you want to interact with each person in the meeting?
• Before your last phone call, did you think about the tone you would choose to use with the other person?
• On your last night out with your friends, did you set an intention for the energy you wanted to create?
• Do you actively think about how to be a better listener, how to generate positive emotions with others, how you can be a good role model?

To make the best out of situations you need to ask yourself a few primary questions right before interacting with people like:

• How can I be a good person or leader in this upcoming situation?
• What will the other person need?
• What kind of mood or tone do I want to set?
• As you start answering and becoming aware of these types of questions in your social interactions, you will become more and more interested in how you want to be remembered - thinking about your character and legacy. “How do I want those I love and serve to remember me?”
  
  

My Developments: High performers are clear about the skill sets they need to develop now to win in the future. They don't draw a blank when you ask them “What three skills are you currently working to develop so you’ll be more successful next year?”

High performers make time in the day/weeks/months to learn and develop stronger skill sets. There will be an hour blocked out for online training, another there for executive coaching, another for reading, and yet another for a hobby. Top performers build a curriculum for themselves and are actively engaged in learning. These blocks of time that they put aside for learning are always scheduled to develop specific skill sets.

A big important aspect of these scheduled learnings is they are all focused on areas of interest and is specific to their overall growth. They aren't scattershot learners. They've honed in on their passionate interests and set up activities or routines to develop skills in those areas. Have to be clear on the skills you want to develop and how your schedule/routine represents that.

• Look to the future
• Identify key skills
• Obsessively develop those skills

3 steps to uncover what skills to learn and to set yourself up for success:

• Think of your primary field of interest and write down three skills that make people successful in that field have.
• Under each skill, write down what you will do to develop it. Will you read, practice, get a coach, or go to training? When? Set up a plan to develop those skills, put it on your calendar, and stay consistent
• Now think about your primary field of interest and write down skills that you will need in order to succeed in that field five to ten years from now. In other words, try to imagine the future. Keep those skills on your radar, and start developing them sooner rather than later.
  
  

My Contribution: Top performers look to tomorrow and consider their service to the world. They care deeply about the difference they are going to make for others and in the future in general. This allows them to cater today's activities to delivering those contributions with heart and passion. The details of how they treat others or approach their work truly matter. How this ties together is in this question: “How can I serve people with excellence and make an extraordinary contribution to the world?”

The opposite to this: When someone becomes disconnected from the future and their contribution to it, they underperform. - They have nothing to be excited about tomorrow so they stop caring about the details today.

“What will provide the most value to those you serve?” This is a question you must obsess about. Need to consistently think about how to add value, inspire those around you, and make a difference.

Becoming clear in this area will help you eliminate things that don't matter. More of asking, what matters now, and how can I deliver it.

Underperformers and unfulfilled individuals often are too focused on self over service. They give more time to think, What do I want now? Then “What do those I service want now?

Closing...

Gaining the answer to these questions will set you up on the right path toward success and fulfillment. Clarity is associated with greater confidence, overall happiness, and assertiveness. 

My deepest hope is you get to go on your own adventure of me. Something I think we all deserve.