The Up and Comers Show

Taylor Reynolds was referred to by Adam as "the smartest dude I know", and in this interview you will see why.

Taylor is currently a student at Washington University in St. Louis, MO where he is studying American history. He is not only an intellectual, but also an entrepreneur and has begun several ventures already at a young age.

In this interview, we delve into an array of topics ranging from parenting, to the comparison of Christianity and other worldviews, to following your dream versus the bottom line, to problems faced uniquely by Millennials, and much, much more.

For the full show notes, visit theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/taylor

Taylor Reynolds was referred to by Adam as "the smartest dude I know", and in this interview you will see why.  

 

Taylor is currently a student at Washington University in St. Louis, MO where he is studying American history.  He is not only an intellectual, but also an entrepreneur and has begun several ventures already at a young age.

 

In this interview, we delve into an array of topics ranging from parenting, to the comparison of Christianity and other worldviews, to following your dream versus the bottom line, to problems faced uniquely by Millennials, and much, much more.  

 

For the full show notes, visit theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/taylor

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a special episode to debrief Adam's trip to Geneva and catch up with our personal lives some before we settle down this weekend to give thanks for all God is doing in our lives. We talk about travel, culture, setting goals, picking yourself back up after disappointment, and other super important shtuff.

If you want to see the pictures from Adam's trip, check out the full show notes here: theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

This is a special episode to debrief Adam's trip to Geneva and catch up with our personal lives some before we settle down this weekend to give thanks for all God is doing in our lives. We talk about travel, culture, setting goals, picking yourself back up after disappointment, and other super important shtuff.

 

If you want to see the pictures from Adam's trip, check out the full show notes here: theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/thanksgiving

Why habits are important Habits are what make up our lives, and the reason LOOKING at them is so important right now is because we are at the Up and Comers stage of life. If we don't focus on what defines our life, we will fall into one of two alternatives:

1. Detachment and surrender - "do my time"; "the system can't be changed"; "don't have enough responsibility to make an impact"; minimal effort required to cash the paycheck - mentality
2. Overly ambitious and scatterbrained - "get rich quick"; "follow your passion"; application without solidification (sustainability)

Developing "right" habits (ones based on longterm goals and time-proven wisdom) And it all must be tied to your ultimate purpose/meaning in life!

• "How you do anything is how you do everything."
• When it is disconnected, the habits will eventually die off

The definition of habits Merriam Webster — "7 a : a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance b : an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary" The Description of Habits: how they shape the way we live our personal lives Thane's Habits

• Reflection (journaling specifically; started out during professional golf as catalyst for growth and has become a keystone for all ares of life)
• Meditation (my mind is constantly going/planning; this practice has provided the most "unseen" benefit throughout all of life - allows me to be more fully present)
• Fitness/Exercise (generates energy, positivity, motivation, and longevity in all areas of life - even helps improve sleep!)
• Purpose-driven pursuits (connecting all I do to my "why" - aka the gospel)
• Starting and ending the day in God's Word

Adam's Habits

• Reading Bible in AM (keystone bcs foot soak, reading theology, studying the original languages all come too)
• Pray on the way to work (keystone bcs it gets me in that mindset and I schedule my day with God in mind)
• Clearing out inboxes in AM (keystone bcs I plan day in calendar and to-do list software, adding in emails to respond to, and review what I did yesterday; as well as saving articles for review for newsletter, which I do in downtime at work; asking myself the Ben Franklin question)
• Read after supper (25 pages per day min outside of seminary, which gets jumpstarted then (vs tv))
• Journal at night (to review, asking myself the Ben Franklin question)
• Exercise (walk, yoga, weights, etc. which is keystone to maintaining diet and health focus)

Persuasion: GET STARTED For the full show notes, check out theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/habits

Why habits are important   Habits are what make up our lives, and the reason LOOKING at them is so important right now is because we are at the Up and Comers stage of life.   If we don't focus on what defines our life, we will fall into one of two alternatives:

1. Detachment and surrender - “do my time”; “the system can’t be changed”; “don’t have enough responsibility to make an impact”; minimal effort required to cash the paycheck - mentality
2. Overly ambitious and scatterbrained - “get rich quick”; “follow your passion”; application without solidification (sustainability)

  Developing "right" habits (ones based on longterm goals and time-proven wisdom)   And it all must be tied to your ultimate purpose/meaning in life!

• “How you do anything is how you do everything.” 
• When it is disconnected, the habits will eventually die off

    The definition of habits   Merriam Webster — "7 a : a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance b : an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary"
      The Description of Habits: how they shape the way we live our personal lives   Thane's Habits    

• Reflection (journaling specifically; started out during professional golf as catalyst for growth and has become a keystone for all ares of life)
• Meditation (my mind is constantly going/planning; this practice has provided the most “unseen” benefit throughout all of life - allows me to be more fully present)
• Fitness/Exercise (generates energy, positivity, motivation, and longevity in all areas of life - even helps improve sleep!)
• Purpose-driven pursuits (connecting all I do to my “why” - aka the gospel)
• Starting and ending the day in God’s Word

  Adam's Habits  

• Reading Bible in AM (keystone bcs foot soak, reading theology, studying the original languages all come too)
• Pray on the way to work (keystone bcs it gets me in that mindset and I schedule my day with God in mind)
• Clearing out inboxes in AM (keystone bcs I plan day in calendar and to-do list software, adding in emails to respond to, and review what I did yesterday; as well as saving articles for review for newsletter, which I do in downtime at work; asking myself the Ben Franklin question)
• Read after supper (25 pages per day min outside of seminary, which gets jumpstarted then (vs tv))
• Journal at night (to review, asking myself the Ben Franklin question)
• Exercise (walk, yoga, weights, etc. which is keystone to maintaining diet and health focus)

  Persuasion: GET STARTED     For the full show notes, check out theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/habits

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." - Amelia Earhart Definition

• Decision-making is..".In psychology, decision-making is regarded as the cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or a course of action among several alternative possibilities." (Wikipedia).
• Decision-making is either...
  • 1. The gut-level response we have to choose one path over another (System1).
  • 2. The active, critical-thinking process of applying wisdom to several options in order to find the best one (System 2)

Research

• Start with WHY
  • What's the purpose?
  • Famous Decisions:
    1. JFK's team deciding to have the top down on his car that he rode through the streets in - which led to his assassination
    2. Rosa Parks deciding toast down on a bus and jumpstarting the civil rights revolution
    3. MLK's speech - deciding to go off his notes and talk about "I have a dream"
• The psychology of decision making
  • Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman. System 1 vs System 2 thinking.
  • We make decisions based on what we perceive as best and that is either an active perception (kaneman) or passive. Actively being aware of our biases is crucial
• How we go about actively making choices
  • Get active
    • Don't settle for status quo...which will be a conglomerate of how your family and friends make decisions. Get active, stop apathy. Own your choices.
  • Determine your defaults
  • Determine other influences
    • Biases like advertisements, confirmation bias, etc.
• (Re)Designing our Defaults
  • We have to redesign our lives so that we make better decisions by default
  • With bigger decisions, we need a framework for judging that becomes our default. We have to measure the options we have by the truth and our sense of self and calling.
• Defining our Process to making a decision
  • Decision-Making Framework (From TRG blog posted last week)
    • Remove self from individual moment and look at big picture
    • Eliminate emotion as much as possible (and replace with rational logic)
    • Seek counsel, but don't give up the decision-making responsibilities
      1. Must seek counsel from the right people - experts, and those who have your best interests in mind
      2. The best advisers will never make the decision for you
    • Trust your gut! (Arguably the hardest part)
      1. If you have wrestled with the decision for long enough and still don't have a clear answer, you will have a gut reaction (usually from early on in the process) that, if well-informed, will almost always be the right decision.
      2. "The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." –AMELIA EARHART
    • Never Look Back!
      1. The only place to move towards after making a decision is forward!
      2. http://www.thaneringlergolf.com/blog/2016/10/18/the-summer-of-2016

For all the resources and a full breakdown of the episode, check out the show-notes here: www.theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/fyco

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.”  - Amelia Earhart     Definition

• Decision-making is..".In psychology, decision-making is regarded as the cognitive process resulting in the selection of a belief or a course of action among several alternative possibilities.” (Wikipedia).
• Decision-making is either...
  • 1. The gut-level response we have to choose one path over another (System1).
  • 2. The active, critical-thinking process of applying wisdom to several options in order to find the best one (System 2)

Research

• Start with WHY
  • What’s the purpose?
  • Famous Decisions:
    1. JFK’s team deciding to have the top down on his car that he rode through the streets in - which led to his assassination
    2. Rosa Parks deciding toast down on a bus and jumpstarting the civil rights revolution
    3. MLK’s speech - deciding to go off his notes and talk about “I have a dream” 
• The psychology of decision making
  • Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman. System 1 vs System 2 thinking.
  • We make decisions based on what we perceive as best and that is either an active perception (kaneman) or passive. Actively being aware of our biases is crucial
• How we go about actively making choices
  • Get active
    • Don't settle for status quo...which will be a conglomerate of how your family and friends make decisions. Get active, stop apathy. Own your choices.
  • Determine your defaults
  • Determine other influences 
    • Biases like advertisements, confirmation bias, etc.
• (Re)Designing our Defaults
  • We have to redesign our lives so that we make better decisions by default
  • With bigger decisions, we need a framework for judging that becomes our default. We have to measure the options we have by the truth and our sense of self and calling.
• Defining our Process to making a decision
  • Decision-Making Framework (From TRG blog posted last week)
    • Remove self from individual moment and look at big picture
    • Eliminate emotion as much as possible (and replace with rational logic)
    • Seek counsel, but don’t give up the decision-making responsibilities
      1. Must seek counsel from the right people - experts, and those who have your best interests in mind
      2. The best advisers will never make the decision for you
    • Trust your gut! (Arguably the hardest part)
      1. If you have wrestled with the decision for long enough and still don’t have a clear answer, you will have a gut reaction (usually from early on in the process) that, if well-informed, will almost always be the right decision.
      2. "The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." –AMELIA EARHART
    • Never Look Back!
      1. The only place to move towards after making a decision is forward!
      2. http://www.thaneringlergolf.com/blog/2016/10/18/the-summer-of-2016

 

For all the resources and a full breakdown of the episode, check out the show-notes here:  www.theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/fyco

Answer to email question:

1. Discipline trumps motivation (and especially if you're NOT type A)
   1. Hebrews 12:3-13
2. Thus it comes down to creating the structures for success, and here are some helpful ways to do that:
   1. 1. Start by journaling - figure out the things you know you need to do but aren't yet doing
      2. Think through/brainstorm what the obstacles are that are hindering success
      3. Then craft a game plan for overcoming those obstacles
      4. Finally, publicly communicate it in some way (accountability partners, talk to a mentor about it, talk with friends you see a lot about what you're trying to do, etc. etc.) - helps us follow through because we all long to be consistent with what we say
      5. And then, as Jocko poignantly stated - DO THE WORK!
3. At the end of the day, you are what you tell yourself you are. Meaning, we largely operate on the narrative that we are telling ourselves (if you say you aren't a motivated person, you won't be motivated). You won't wake up one day and suddenly be motivated or disciplined, but, as you work on convincing your own mind of a new truth, you will slowly but surely creative a mindset of motivation, discipline, and a greater belief in your own capabilities!

Adam's Topics

1. Why Grind? Find your why.
2. https://medium.com/@rudehunch/sentences-where-the-word-coffee-has-been-replaced-with-the-healing-power-of-crystals-7526ddb8eff4#.icqs195bx
3. The Wealth Principle by Randy Alcorn review
   1. http://center.spurgeon.org/2016/10/11/4-reasons-spurgeon-died-poor/
4. Is voting for Trump Idolatry?
   1. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/october-web-only/speak-truth-to-trump.htmll

Thane's Topics:

1. Update on selfishness and what habits I have been working on forming

1. The return to California and what problems/challenges that presents

To read the full show-notes, visit: www.theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/caliprobz

Answer to email question:

1. Discipline trumps motivation (and especially if you’re NOT type A)
   1. Hebrews 12:3-13
2. Thus it comes down to creating the structures for success, and here are some helpful ways to do that:
   1. 1. Start by journaling - figure out the things you know you need to do but aren’t yet doing
      2. Think through/brainstorm what the obstacles are that are hindering success
      3. Then craft a game plan for overcoming those obstacles
      4. Finally, publicly communicate it in some way (accountability partners, talk to a mentor about it, talk with friends you see a lot about what you’re trying to do, etc. etc.) - helps us follow through because we all long to be consistent with what we say
      5. And then, as Jocko poignantly stated - DO THE WORK!
3. At the end of the day, you are what you tell yourself you are.  Meaning, we largely operate on the narrative that we are telling ourselves (if you say you aren’t a motivated person, you won’t be motivated).  You won’t wake up one day and suddenly be motivated or disciplined, but, as you work on convincing your own mind of a new truth, you will slowly but surely creative a mindset of motivation, discipline, and a greater belief in your own capabilities! 

  Adam’s Topics

1. Why Grind? Find your why.
2. https://medium.com/@rudehunch/sentences-where-the-word-coffee-has-been-replaced-with-the-healing-power-of-crystals-7526ddb8eff4#.icqs195bx
3. The Wealth Principle by Randy Alcorn review
   1. http://center.spurgeon.org/2016/10/11/4-reasons-spurgeon-died-poor/
4. Is voting for Trump Idolatry? 
   1. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/october-web-only/speak-truth-to-trump.htmll  

Thane’s Topics:

1. Update on selfishness and what habits I have been working on forming

1. The return to California and what problems/challenges that presents

 

To read the full show-notes, visit: www.theupandcomersshow.com/episodes/caliprobz