I have a rule I try to follow. If I wake up after 4 AM, I don't try to go back to sleep. I get up.

Not all rest and relaxation is the same. Some is very rejuvenating, and some is not. Some is downright tiring. If you're going to rest be sure to rest in a way that really recharges you. Otherwise, you're just wasting time.

One year from now, it will be September 2nd, 2021. Where will you be?

It's easy to get caught up in the uncertainty of covid and our current political situation. It is difficult to plan for next month, next week, tomorrow. But next year, one way or another Covid should be under control (estimates I see show a rolled out vaccine by summer some time). Politics may cause major shifts and disruptions, but likely not severe enough to upset the fundamentals of our economy and society.

So, where will you be in a year? Where do you want to be? What goals do you have?

Most importantly, what are you doing today to prepare for that?

I know. A lot of people are just trying to survive. You might be out of work. You might have issues with the kids. You might be dealing with Covid directly. Who can think about next year when you have to think about today?

You can. I assure you that you can. In fact, if you focus on September 2021, you'll find September 2020 easier to handle. Why? Because everything you're struggling with now will fit into a larger story and purpose. Survival is exhausting when it has no purpose.

Do more than survive today. Take the first steps today so you can thrive tomorrow.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, or you get it but you just don't know how to do it, let's talk. Click the link to setup a ten minute call.

https://calendly.com/mwhitehouse/10min

I was asked for advice the other day. A friend hired a contractor to do some work and it needed to be redone. He ended up spending hours ripping it out and had to pay someone else redo it. The first contractor gave him some money, but not enough to cover his costs and time.

He asked me if he should try to take it to small claims court or post negative reviews or what.

I told him to let it go. It's over. The work is done. It's less than $1000.

I told him to take all the energy he'd waste chasing after "justice" and put it into his business. He'd make far more than $1000 with all that time and energy.

Sometimes you just have to let things go. Let karma take it's course. Why carry all that negativity?

Don't let them build a nest in your head. You have better things to do.

The best revenge is living well. So let them suffer in their mediocrity while you continue on to excellence.

I often see Saturday and Sunday as two more days that I can get work done, but yesterday, I took the day off. My daughter has seen fishing videos on YouTube and she really wanted to try it.

My sister and brother-in-law love fishing and were willing to teach her, which left me sitting by a lake on a nice day relaxing.

You can become too focused on your business. You can hustle too hard. I say often that as an entrepreneur you are like a high performance machine. You can run a high performance machine hard, but when it times to go down for maintenance, you've got to do it or else you're going to have a broken machine.

I encourage you to take a day off every week. Smell the roses. Go fishing. Go golfing. Hang out with the kids. Do something to remind yourself what you're working for.

Want to talk more about your business and how to achieve order which will allow balance? Set up a call at www.guywhoknowsaguy.com.

this weekend for the first time in a long time. There was no Sea Lion Show but there was Sea Lion Viewing, which I thought was quite a show in itself. Like the whales, the sea lions enjoy hamming it up for an audience. The frolick and play and show off. I always liked the produced show they did, but it was also a lot of fun to watch the impromptu show.My daughter and I visited the

The attendant kept apologizing for the show not running and saying that they hoped to have it reopened soon.

I saw it quite differently. Without Covid, we would never have had the opportunity to see this really unique performance, and I hope it continues after Covid.

We have been forced to rethink everything, and many very positive things have come of it. Organic Sea Lion Show. Outdoor dining everywhere. People becoming engaged in their schools and jobs like never before. Remote working. Mass adoption of video calls. Wearing masks when sick to avoid contageon.

In my own life I've reconnected and connected with so many people simply because I've been in the digital space more intentionally.

There are many things we look forward to when Covid is past, but I hope we'll keep the good when we dispose of the bad.

The world will never be the same... I hope.

Want to talk more about how you can make the most of the changes in the world, let's talk. Visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and click the button to schedule a call.

I just completed my Yellow Belt test at Mystic Dojo - Yamashita International Karate. Yellow Belt is a relatively low level, so I'm still learning basics.

During the test, I got to watch the higher ranks test as well. They are impressive. They are quick, strong, powerful. As I was watching, I realized how much work it must take to get there. While the lower ranks were told to sit, the advanced ranks continued on for more than an hour. Kicking. Punching. Doing kata and bunkai. It looked exhausting.

Part of me said, "I don't know if I want to go that far. That looks hard."

But the other part said, "That's why we're here. That looks awesome."

Has this ever happened in your life? Have you pulled back because something seemed too hard? Too much school? Too much work? Too much risk? To much fear?

You know what the crazy part is. Most times, when you push past that fear and actually do it, the result turns out to be more awesome, and the pain so much less than you expected.

Want to talk about how to focus on the awesome? Visit https://www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and click the button to schedule a call.

Is your brain overwhelmed? Then you're in good company. There's so much information that we can't keep track of a 1/10th of what comes at us.

If you want people to retain your message, you need to make it simple.

Short. Clear. Concise.

The messaging around Covid has been confusing and overwhelming, so people can't absorb it.

Is your business the same way? Keep it down to three simple things. Not 5, not 10, not 15. Three. That's what they can remember.

I just completed my Yellow Belt test at Mystic Dojo - Yamashita International Karate. Yellow Belt is a relatively low level, so I'm still learning basics.

During the test, I got to watch the higher ranks test as well. They are impressive. They are quick, strong, powerful. As I was watching, I realized how much work it must take to get there. While the lower ranks were told to sit, the advanced ranks continued on for more than an hour. Kicking. Punching. Doing kata and bunkai. It looked exhausting.

Part of me said, "I don't know if I want to go that far. That looks hard."

But the other part said, "That's why we're here. That looks awesome."

Has this ever happened in your life? Have you pulled back because something seemed too hard? Too much school? Too much work? Too much risk? To much fear?

You know what the crazy part is. Most times, when you push past that fear and actually do it, the result turns out to be more awesome, and the pain so much less than you expected.

This is what I do. Help people work past the fear to find the awesomeness of what they could be. If you'd like to talk more about this, visit www.guywhoknowsaguy.com and click the link to book a call.

As a business person, should you be sharing your political opinions?

I'm here with another video I recorded this past weekend with my wife in Vermont. We can go to Vermont because New London County has good Covid numbers and so does Vermont. We took all appropriate precautions and were able to operate safely.

Back to the question... Should you be sharing your opinions?

By default, I say no*. But there's an asterisk there because I have seen some businesses do so quite successfully.

First, you have to understand that if you share your politics, you will alienate some people. You will also earn the affection of some people. You will alienate more than you enamour.

For example, there's a restaurant where the owner and staff espouse views that I agree with. I've never eaten there. It's not in a convenient location for me.

is a local pizza shop that fills up at peak times and probably does better because the owner shares her politics.If your business only needs a small group of customers to be successful, and if you are willing to filter your clientel to be primarily people who agree with you, then it can certainly work. On the other hand, if your business needs massive numbers, then getting into politics can be damagine. Hobby Lobby and Chik Fil A are mass market businesses and it costs them revenue to espouse beliefs.

Ben and Jerry's has always had a social agenda, and that is why they, as one of a zillion small ice cream companies, have achieved national prominence. Their fans like their ethos beyond their ice cream.

If you are going to share your politics, don't do so lightly. Don't just share some memes you think are funny. Really take it seriously. Think about topics and share your thoughts. Share facts. Connect with organizations that support causes you care about and support and endorse them. Don't do it half way. All in, or all out. And if you're unsure... all out.

If you'd like to learn more about if you should include your politics in your business, and if so how to best do it, comment "politics" below, and I'll connect with you.

Have you ever bought something on vacation you never would have bought at home?

Another video from my trip to Vermont this past weekend, which we were able to take due to the good work of the fine people of New London County keeping our numbers low and our neighbors safe.

Shops like the Mercantile Store I took this video in do well because of context. They take advantage of the joy that people have on their trip and their desire to bring it home with them to sell fun little items.

In this case context creates value. What context do you present your business in? Do you just dump it out there, or do you position yourself in a place of value so that people engage you like they do with the Mercantile Store?