Bill's Lifestyle Blog

Do what's difficult - thoughts on emotional labor.

Sometimes it’s not the amount of tasks that need to be completed. Sometimes it’s not how complicated the tasks are to be completed. Sometimes it’s not the fact that you don’t even know where to start. Sometimes the challenge is the fact that we are scared of doing something. We’re afraid of the outcome. Will this work? We’re afraid of the conflict this will bring. How are they going to…

Splash as Long as You Can

Have you ever watched kids playing in the water? At the beach. At the pool. At the park. In the backyard or the bathtub. Kids never seem to want to get out of the water. They want to do one more lap, one more jump, or one more splash. I think we can learn alot from watching kids having fun. Especially when they’re playing in the water. I caught myself saying to my daughter recently as the bath…

Advice for College Students

Two of my former student employees have reached out for recommendations recently. It has been about a year since we last worked together, so I was happy to oblige and excited to catch up with them about what they have going on now, how their studies are going and what they want to do after graduation. Listening to them talk about the uncertainty and excitement of graduation reminds me of when I…

Birthdays are fun. Whether your the one celebrating others or they are celebrating you, it’s nice to be able to share special occasions with people you care about. As a kid, it’s probably one of the days you look forward to or think about for, I’d say, about 360 days a year. The other five days where they are not thinking about their birthday are probably Christmas, the last day of school, the…

Sociology. Psychology. Theology. Literature. Philosophy.

These are noble pursuits of education and thinking and all contribute to our understanding of people and the systems they create. These fields of study help us understand the how and why of the way things are, each from its own perspective.

Sometimes liberal arts degrees have a bad reputation for college students trying to figure…

Wake up. Walk the dog. Feed the dog. Make coffee. Pack lunch. Eat breakfast. Get ready. Drive to work. Work. Drive home. Spend time with family. Dinner. Bed.

Routines make it easy to know what to do or what’s coming up next or how your day will generally flow. This is especially true for babies and kids. In order to help them feel safe, routines are great for helping kids understand the world…

Hardware versus Software - thoughts on human bodies and minds

It’s been a while since I’ve purchased a new computer. I did get a new work laptop a couple of years ago and it was fun looking at various computer stats and how various parts and upgrades contribute to performance. What kind of hard drive, how much RAM, what kind of processor, what kind of screen do you need and for what purpose. There is a noticeable difference in the screen of a graphic…

American Pale Ale – Batch #1

On January 25, 2016 my life changed. I brewed my first batch of homebrew. It was a “beer in a box” type of kit that comes with all the ingredients you need except for a stock pot used on the stove. That year for Christmas I received a Brooklyn Brew Co American Pale Ale package and that’s what got me started on a journey I’ve been on for more than four years now.

Homebrewing is a fantastic…

The Tooth Fairy.

The Easter Bunny.

Santa Claus.

Each of these characters were as real to me as my parents and brothers were real. I remember clearly the day I realized these characters were not actually real, they were only celebrated cultural icons. I believed in these creatures. The truth did not matter, however, because these characters gave me hope, inspired me, gave me something to…

Systems: A Work From Home Perspective

Systems are beautiful things. When setup properly and with regular maintenance, systems allow things to keep moving and ensure safety and productivity. Systems enhance our daily lives and improve the conditions around us, even in ways we might not have expected.

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, many people have found themselves working from home, or worse, not working at all. I myself have…

Systems are only as good as the people that use them. But systems are how things scale and grow and create new opportunity.

Something I think about every time I get in a car and drive is how transportation systems work in our society. Street lights, stop signs, lane lines, off ramps – all these things work because most people follow the rules most of the time. That’s a system – an organized…

12 Favorite Books and One Thing I Learned from Each

1-Wrestling Sturbridge by Rich Wallace

This was the first book that I remember actually reading, actually finishing, and actually really enjoying. It was about the struggle of growing up and figuring things out. I liked that it was a life metaphor revolving around sports and middle school.

2-Good to Great, Jim Collins

I learned about Level 5 Leadership and that great executives take…

How to Sell Out

Its not easy, but it is a simple formula. No, I don’t mean give up your morals or sell your soul to the devil. I’m talking about how to sell all the seats at your games or events….how to get the place full of people who are pumped and excited to have a great experience. Before we jump into the formula, I will preface this in saying that the formula works better when you have a solid mission,…

What I Learned from a Month Off of Drinking Beer

I’ve been really focused on learning more about the connection between my body and mind and how to be healthier from head to toe. This isn’t just a new year’s resolution, it’s something i think about all the time. Most of us know what healthy means and most of us do unhealthy things even though we probably know we shouldn’t. But even when we try really hard to focus on being healthy, sometimes…

The hardest part of being a leader, is being accountable to yourself. Being accountable to yourself when you’re all alone and feel like no one is watching.

In front of other people you’re motivated, you’re inspiring, you’re thoughtful, you’re everything you need to be for other people.

But who are you when no one is watching?

Who are you when you’re by yourself?

Who are you when…

10 Ways to Improve Traveling in Coach that Could Make People Happier

A couple years ago I read a book that brought forth the idea of coming up with lists of 10 things. Everyday the task was to come up with ten things about various topics as a way to spark creativity, critical thinking and thoughtfulness. The book gave a bunch of examples of different topics and I just recently came across my notes from way back when. This post is my response to one of those ideas.…

Mission, Vision, Goals, Values

I am someone who is very connected to mission and purpose, goals and objectives. The day-to-day procedures are important, but ought not to be without a compass guided by vision, lived by values and driven toward purpose and mission. Even if those end goals are lofty and years ahead of where you are now, I feel lost unless I’ve got some greater purpose to strive for and achieve. It’s important to…