#SFTP in the Time of COVID-19

Photo by Greg Conderacci

The days of our years are three score years and ten...

-- Psalm 90

A year ago, when I reached the full biblical lifetime of 70, I thought I’d share the life lessons of my advanced age.  After all, I had been born in the first half of the last century.  I had survived the 60s – twice.

But the procrastinating old journalist in me “sat on the story,” hoping for a better “angle.”

Well. It’s. Here. Now.

Photo by Gregg Landry

The great stuff I had missed earlier in the 20^th century – The Great Influenza and The Great Depression – I get to experience all at once. I don’t even need my ever-narrowing attention span.  It’s like binge-watching The History Channel while drinking Red Bull.  Very 21^st Century.

Okay, so here’s The Big Life Lesson: Share the Frigging Toilet Paper. Totally. Like #SFTP.

Think about it. Exactly how much toilet paper do you need? In what way are you better off if you use twice as much a day?  Go ahead, look in your closet. You have plenty, don’t you?

Now look around and apply the Share the Frigging Toilet Paper Principle. Some people have enough for several lifetimes.  Others have little to none.  The SFTP Principle applies to all kinds of paper: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, loans, checks and, of course, cash.

Thanks to COVID-19 there’s been some “paper losses.” In other words, a lot less paper to go around. And a lot more people have little to none.  So, I’m going to share while I can.

I mean, hey, I’ll be 71 in a couple weeks.  Two of my college roommates died last year and another just had open heart surgery. The coronavirus is smacking its microbial lips every time I step out the door.

For my last birthday, my family did a wonderful thing. They set up a special fund called “Shifting Gears” to divert my birthday present “paper” to folks who really need it: the homeless and hungry served by Our Daily Bread Employment Center. I’m sending money there and you can, too. If you’re looking to share some of your “paper” with people who desperately need it, there’s no better way. Just click on this link: cc-md.org/shifting-gears. 

Thank you for SFTP!

Saving Lives…Millions at Time

             

-- Source: Global Polio Eradication Initiative

            Do you know someone who would like to change the world?

            One of the most powerful ways to do that is through public health policy.  And one of the best places in the world to study that is Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The school motto, “Protecting Health, Saving Lives – Millions at a Time,”  has been demonstrated over and over again since its founding in 1916.

            The school has just produced this great video on its Department of Health Policy and Management, which is the largest in the country.  If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about public health policy, I invite you to share this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31t2itUi4bc​

            Full disclosure: I’ve had the privilege of teaching there for several years and you might see a glimpse or two of me in the video!

Women’s Voices…And a “Blue Tick Hound”

           

Lee Conderacci getting "unstuck" in "Blue Tick Hound"

             At a time when national attention focuses on women and power, a key question arises: where do women get the energy to overcome the inertia that traps them in the old, male-dominated models?

            Playwright Audrey Cefaly explores this dilemma in “Love Is a Blue Tick Hound and Other Remedies for the Common Ache,” her award-winning collection of four short plays making their local debut in Baltimore and Washington.  It’s a refreshing part of the 2018 Women’s Voices Theater Festival, a cooperative effort of 30 theaters in the area.

            Although the plays are about women, it’s easy for both genders to identify with “stuck.” All too often, even when our “comfort” zones are very uncomfortable, we back away from the challenge of moving beyond them.  “Blue Tick Hound” tenderly treats the fear and pain – and the fun and love – involved in the journey.

            Offered by Rapid Lemon Productions, “Blue Tick Hound” is appearing at Baltimore's Theatre Project January 12-21 and at Washington's Trinidad Theatre (Capital Fringe) February 9-17.  For more information and tickets, click here.

            And, speaking of good energy, my talented daughter Lee directed one of the short plays and acts in another!

           

John Fuoco: Living with a First Finisher

             

John Fuoco -- Photo by Andrea Matney

            John died Saturday night.

            It wasn’t unexpected.  He’d been fighting the cancer gnawing at his lungs for a half dozen years. 

            But to me, John Fuoco wasn’t dying. He was living. Cancer had many times pushed him to the brink and every time he had pushed back.  Long after others would have given up, John lived.  He lived through the unspeakable torture of countless procedures and chemotherapies.

            He lived to ride his bike, to treat hundreds of his patients, to attend his children’s weddings, to see his grandson born, to love his wife, and to inspire hundreds, perhaps thousands, of us. 

            Only a few days ago, he and I were swapping hopeful texts about riding together again this summer.  Now, we will, but only spiritually.

            Before cancer, John was one of the best ultra-distance cyclists in America. He won races stretching hundreds of miles. He rode among the best in the world’s oldest bicycle event, the 750-mile Paris-Brest-Paris. He held the record for riding across Pennsylvania.

            After cancer, he applied his incredible energy, strength, sense of humor, and discipline to defeating his disease.  Toward the end, he told me he was “failing,” a term of art in his medical profession. 

            To me, John never failed.  In his favorite long-distance cycling sport, Randonneuring, there is no “winner” or “loser.”  But there is a “first finisher.”  And that’s what John was. 

            In life, like on the road, he finished ahead of the rest of us.

                         

Keeping UP! -- The Four Kinds of Energy Every Board Needs

            Is your board running out of gas?

            Often, the key to a successful organization -- for-profit or non-profit -- is the energy of the board.   If you’re concerned that your board is low on “get-up-and-go,” check out this short blog post on the subject for the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Energy Rx for a Loooong Year

            

            If 2017 is shaping up to be a challenging year for you, here’s a chance to listen to a free podcast that features some helpful energy management tricks and tips.

            Peter Margaritis, author of Improv is No Joke (and host of the podcast with the same name) recently interviewed me about long distance bicycling -- and how its secrets apply to the workplace.

            We had such a good time, we’re planning two more podcasts after this.  Hope you enjoy it, too.

            You can find my interview on the website, on iTunes, or on Google Play.

New Year’s Resolution Dilemma: Will You “Pack” 2017 Tighter?

          I just listened to an interesting TED talk by time manager Laura Vanderkam.  Her message: there’s plenty of time in the week…we’re just not using it as well as we could.  Her conclusion: we could reorganize to pack more stuff into our schedule. 

            Maybe you’re thinking of doing that in 2017. 

            I don’t necessarily disagree with Laura.  But her talk illustrates the time manager’s dilemma: how do we keep cramming more “stuff” into an already crowded schedule?  Her talk completely misses a central issue: what if you don’t have the energy to exercise, take a class, read a book or play with your kids when you have the time to do so?

            One of her key points -- in a crisis, we make time -- supports my contention that we should focus on energy management over time management.  When we face a crisis, the adrenalin generates the energy we need.  Often, we “rise” to the occasion. But not everything is a crisis.  How do we generate more energy to get more done?

            There are lots of ways to do that, as outlined in my book, Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy. 

            Here’s one idea, that marries both scheduling and energy.

            It’s not just time; it’s timing.  If we look at our energy flows, we can schedule tasks when we believe we’ll have the most energy to do them.  For example, we could tackle that important report first thing in the morning when we’re mentally fresh.  We could do the laundry in the middle of the afternoon when we’re in a post-lunch, low-energy food coma.

            As you make your New Year’s resolutions, if you’re worried about finding the time to do them…think energy instead! 

           

Want a Little FREE Post-Election Energy?

Photo by Bill Beck

Whew! The election is finally over.

            Now, it’s time to recover and recharge the batteries.

            One way to do that is to download a FREE copy of my ebook, Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy.

            You can get it by following this link to Amazon from November 8 to 12 only.  Just say you want to “buy” the book (NOT “read it for free”).  The “price” should be zero.  

         If the link doesn’t work, paste this in your browser: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-UP-Supercharging-Your-Energy-ebook/dp/B01G5TUKQ8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1478451163&sr=8-1

Want a Post-Election Energy Boost?

            

Here’s just the cure for that “morning after” feeling the day after the election: how about joining me for a high energy breakfast at the Center Club November 9?

            The Susan Katz Advantage and the Maryland Association of CPA’s Business Learning Institute invited me to share some of the personal energy tips, tricks and tactics from my new book, Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy.

            These are the same strategies I used to a bicycle across the US last year in just 18 days -- averaging more than 150 miles a day.

            What could you do with that kind of energy?

            The continental breakfast includes networking time with more than 100 other professionals and an autographed copy of my book.

            DATE: Wednesday, November 9, 2016

            TIME: 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

            LOCATION: The Center Club, 16^th Floor, 100 Light Street, Baltimore.

            REGISTER: By November 1, 2016 for early bird rate of $45; $59 afterwards.

            It’s a perfect way to recover your energy after watching the election returns!  Sign Up NOW to reserve your seat.  If the link doesn’t work, paste this into your browser: https://www.macpa.org/product/blisk-leadership-speakernetworking-series/

Hungry For Change? 35 Years of ODB

           

Sr. Josanna Abromaitis 1944-2005

Thirty-five years ago, Sister Josanna Abromaitis SSND swung open the doors of a little storefront soup kitchen in Baltimore and invited about 100 hungry men and women in for a hot lunch.

            Today, on the anniversary of her death, Our Daily Bread is Maryland’s largest and most famous soup kitchen, having served more than 7 million meals over almost 13,000 consecutive days.  The program, which once served lunch to the Pope, has transformed thousands of lives, including both its guests and the 10,000 volunteers that make it possible. 

            Catholic Charities of Baltimore is celebrating Our Daily Bread’s anniversary with a free poverty forum October 26 at Loyola University of Maryland from 7:00 to 8:30 pm.  “Hungry for Change: How Our Daily Bread Transforms Lives” will feature Prof. Kathryn Edin of Johns Hopkins, author of $2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America, and Sr. Patricia Chappell, Executive Director of Pax Christi USA.

            There will also be a panel with Harold Smith, former Catholic Charities Executive Director who conceived of the program, volunteers, and former guests who have experienced ODB’s transforming impact.  Since I was lucky enough to play a role in the founding of the program, I’ll be Master of Ceremonies.

            To register for the free program, please visit cc-md.org/ODB35.

What's a "Business Hour"?

           

             In the 21^st Century, energy is more important than time.  At least, that’s what I argue in my courses and my book, Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy.  As proof of that concept, I offer you the “business hour.”

            After a recent business trip, I contacted Hilton Hotels about a possible problem with my bill.  In response, I got an email that promised, “We take your feedback very seriously and will do everything possible to resolve your concerns in a satisfactory manner as quickly as possible.”

            And then, after that hype, they added, “Please allow us 72 business hours to resolve this matter for you.” 

            Here’s the BIG question: does that mean three 24-hour business days or does that mean nine 8-hour hour business days (or up to 13 “calendar” days)? 

            Of course, I asked them in a return email what they were talking about. No response yet…that will probably take 72 business hours, too.

            The truth is, we really don’t care how long your process takes; we just want it done.  Now.  That takes energy. In the 20^th Century, you called somebody and they fixed the problem.   In the 21^st Century, we get “time excuses.”

            Here’s an even more ludicrous example from the same trip.  I made the grievous error of buying a snack on a United Airlines flight.  The attendant swiped my card but…no receipt.  I was told I could get that online.

            Well, after ransacking the United website, no luck. So I sent an email to their euphemistically-named “Customer Care Team” asking how to find my receipt.  They promised, “we will address your email and respond back to you shortly.”

            They then explain that “shortly” is “generally within 10 to 14 business days.” 

            It takes the “Customer Care Team” more than two weeks to find their way around their own website?  Of course, we know how long it should take The Friendly Skies to answer my question: less than five minutes. 

            But that’s five minutes of human energy. And by United’s careful calculus, their energy is much more important than my time. 

            As we used to say in geometry class: QED.

What’s on the Other Side of “Tired”?

             “I’m too tired,” the young woman said.  

              Since she was part of a talented group of younger leaders (and about half my age), the statement stopped me.  I remembered my father’s persistent comment -- “When I was your age, I didn’t know what tired meant” -- but I didn’t say that.
            “When I’m tired,” I replied, “I usually go for a nice 30-mile bike ride.” 

            That drew some quizzical looks from the crowd.  Yet all of us have discovered that, at times, we can go from tried to energized…in a matter of seconds.  That’s because “tired” is often a choice. 

            We think we should be tired, perhaps after a long day.  Then a friend calls and we’re ready to play.  Long distance cyclists know that you can “change your mind” about being tired…and go on for many more miles “on the other side of tired.”

            Franciscan Richard Rohr says “Pain is the rent we pay for being human, some say; but suffering is usually optional.”  We all get tired; sometimes, we choose to shut down long before we need to do so.

            Not a bad concept for Labor Day.

Deer? Oh, DEAR!

             Chess grand master, author and new riding buddy Jesse Kraai shares this rather dramatic video of a deer/bike interaction.

            It’s every rider’s nightmare, especially this time of year when cool evening rides coincide with the deer’s favorite time to wander…

            I’ve had couple of friends meet deer this way and it is no fun.  I try to enjoy watching them in the fields rather than letting them become ANTs (automatic negative thoughts) that might limit my riding.  It’s all about good intellectual energy!

NO Computers in Class?

“Should computers be barred from the classroom?”

            That question triggered a spirited discussion the other day at a faculty meeting at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  Prompted by a Wall Street Journal story headlined “I’m Banning Laptops from My Classroom,” professorial opinion ranged from “computers MUST be in the classroom” to, well, me.

            Since I started teaching several years ago at Bloomberg, ranked the #1 public health school in America, I have flatly prohibited any 21^st Century technology in my class.  No laptops, no smart phones, and no iPads or assorted “tablets.”

            Although I spell this out in my syllabus, few students bother reading a syllabus, and so there is usually shock and awe at my first class of the semester.   I have to dole out paper and pens because many students no longer carry such ancient writing implements.

            Interestingly, several of my students were in the faculty meeting and they spoke out in favor of computers…in some classes.   Nobody was nervy enough to suggest computers should find their way into my marketing class.

            Why do I ban these devices that have essentially become one with our bodies?  Here’s what the author of the Wall Street Journal piece, Rutgers law professor Stuart Green, said he experienced when he walked to the back of his classroom while a guest lecturer taught his class:

            “What a revelation to see what the students are up to. While virtually all of them have open laptops and most are taking notes, many seem more intent on emailing and texting, posting on social media, reading news sites, shopping online, or looking at YouTube videos. I recently saw one student systematically checking out law-firm websites for summer-associate salaries. Another spent an entire class streaming an NHL hockey game.

            “If this is what the students are doing while I’m sitting behind them, observing the class, I can only imagine what they’re doing when I’m up front, lecturing.”

            What do you think?  Computers in the classroom -- or not?

To be continued…the impact of technology on our energy.

Want A Free Midsummer Energy Boost?

            You can now download for free the ebook version of Getting Up! Supercharging Your Energy.  My new book details the strategies of my popular energy seminars that will help you reduce stress, accomplish more and improve work-life balance.  But hurry: the offer is only good until August 4 at 11 am EDT.

            The book’s focus on energy management -- and not just time management -- can help you, your team or your organization dramatically increase performance.

            Lots of books promise better performance…Getting Up! proves it.  Using its energy techniques, last year I rode a bicycle across America in just 18 days -- averaging 150 miles a day.  Not bad for a 66-year-old with a heavy training, consulting and teaching schedule!

            What could you do with that kind of energy?

            You (and your employees, friends, clients and family) can download the Kindle version of Getting Up! (normally $5.99) for free only until this Thursday at 11 am at

https://www.amazon.com/Getting-UP-Supercharging-Your-Energy-ebook/dp/B01G5TUKQ8

            Have a higher-energy summer!

Life Imitates Long Distance Cycling

            PAC Tour is a great way to spend 18 days…if you’re planning to write a book on energy …because life imitates riding across the country.  Just ask Einstein, who knew a bit about energy.  He said, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” And, on PAC Tour…

§  Each day brings its own challenges;

§  The external obstacles, like mountains and traffic, are unchanging and uncaring;

§  The internal obstacles are tougher: pain, exhaustion, anxiety, confusion, discouragement, irritation, distraction;

§  Sometimes, you ride with friends; sometimes, you must ride alone;

§  You must decide how to spend your energy; how to save it; how to recover it;

§  It’s a little dangerous;

§  Tomorrow, you ride again.

            At 66, Medicare card in my wallet, I became the oldest rider to complete this event since it began in 1995.  Some folks think it’s pretty impressive that an old fart like me could ride that long and hard.  In this book and my courses, I’m going to argue that it’s no big deal compared to the amazing things YOU could do with more energy.

            To learn how to do that, stay tuned or check out my website, http://www.MorePersonalEnergy.com.  Or, buy my book, Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy.

Energy Lessons the of Long Road: The Challenge of Elite PAC

          

         The question “Who are you to write about energy?”  flicked through my mind as I stood in a San Diego motel parking lot in May 2015, working hard on Getting UP.  Fifteen other cycling lunatics and I were set to embark on Elite PAC Tour. 

            Humbly promoting itself as “The Toughest Two-Week Bicycle Tour in the World,”  Elite PAC is the brainchild of Lon Haldeman and Susan Notorangelo, two former Race Across America champions and holders of coast-to-coast cycling records.  The pair’s company, PAC Tour, has shepherded more than 80 rides across America over three decades.

            Elite PAC is a 2,700-mile-plus dash from San Diego, California to Savannah, Georgia in just 18 days -- or an average of about 150 miles a day.  Designed for the strongest and most manic distance riders, it is not for the faint of heart.  Short of Race Across America itself, it is the ultimate test of a road bike rider’s cross-country energy and endurance.

            The United States is a big country, full of mountains, deserts, endless farms and un-remitting tar-and-chip-covered rough roads.  It demands UP over and over again.  To ride Elite PAC, I would have to work at Getting UP every time I got side-swiped by a speeding logging truck and in every pelting rain storm.  I had to Get UP to fight blast-furnace headwinds and to nurse my rickety knees over saw-tooth hills.

            To read how I did that, stay tuned.  Or, buy my book, Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy.

My Getting UP! Energy “Chops”

Racing in Alaska

                    “Who are you to write about energy?”  would be a perfectly good question for you to ask. 

            I am not:

§  An Olympic gold medalist;

§  A coach of Olympic gold medalist;

§  A promoter who has hired a coach of an Olympic gold medalist to sell diet supplements, exercise equipment and yoga vacations.

            I am like you:

§  Not as young as I used to be;

§  Dealing with the stress of too much to do and too little time to do it;

§  Striving to bring balance to a demanding life and career.

            One difference between us is that I may have way more energy than you do.  And I’d like to tell you how you can get more energy yourself -- so you can do amazing things, better manage stress, and improve balance in your life. As I have told thousands of others in my energy seminars, you don’t have to be Einstein to figure this out. And you don’t have to buy anything.

            Except, of course, unless you want to buy my book, Getting UP! Supercharging Your Energy.

            Stay tuned to this blog and we’ll explore the amazing world of high energy!