Do you remember the first time you encountered a Kindle? After their release in 2007, these digital reading devices starting popping up in airports and waiting rooms, changing how we read and think about books. I remember looking at my bookshelf, imagining how incredible it would be to carry those thousands of pages of printed…

When I grow up I want to be a man of few words Like the frame around a picture Or the timber beams arching over the dance floor Who never seek the spotlight or the focal point Content, they quietly stand Creating a wide and open space A world for your imagination And colour and…

Tomorrow These might be known as the early days Or the good old days Or the aching-for-tomorrow phase Today Remember the scent in the autumn breeze The sound of the geese’s wings stretching over the trees Their last brilliant expression fading with falling leaves These are the hues that will paint tomorrow’s memories

Autumn has arrived in full here in Manitoba. I’m daily reminded of the changing seasons during my morning running routine. While I was running during the mid-summer sunrise in August, I now lace up my shoes and head out into near-freezing temperatures and pitch black darkness at the same time of day in October. But…

The 80/20 rule is frustrating, but often rings true. The majority of any project is easy, but it’s the last 20% that will take the majority of your time. And sweat. And tears. Yesterday I sanded down more than 80% of my deck with a big drum sander and made quick progress. Today I looked…

Many writers I respect recommend a practice of daily writing. The daily drip helps you improve as a writer and slowly works on you and your readers. I admire people who publish consistently, every day, and have gone through seasons of trying this practice on for size, but it’s never been a consistent practice for…

I went to a half-day leadership conference last week, where a bunch of big successful business leader types got up and shared their secrets to success. I usually enjoy conferences like these. Sometimes experienced leaders have a way of clarifying your thoughts or giving insight to a certain problem which help direct your next step…

Hello, Cynic Good to see (what I can see of) you again Glad to hear your ideals are still intact, your expectations still unmet by every person, place and thing And that you have resisted the urge to become attached to anything that will surely let you down in the end But I have a…

“Pay attention to what you pay attention to.” – Amy Krouse Rosenthal Attention is more valuable than ever before. Today we face a flood of distractions from billboards, shiny screens, and worldwide web of information. In the midst of a deluge of information, we scramble to focus enough time and attention on the projects, responsibilities,…

“Deep work” is that place where you’re free from distraction and able to fully engage in your work for a length of time. To be in a state of “flow”. I’m trying to come to terms with the current fact of my context: deep work is nearly impossible when you have small children. Any project…