The Minimalist Oracle of Omaha

Scott Dinsmore died young.

But his story is not one of tragedy. About 6 weeks ago, on the face of Mount Kilimanjaro, Scott Dinsmore died while living his life in the exact sort of way that he inspired thousands of others to live and love their own. He died doing something he loved in pursuit of a lifelong dream. He dared to set huge goals and, in doing so, risked failing quite publicly. But this is just one of the ways in which Scott Dinsmore “walked his talk.”

Among the many powerful legacies he left is a story he shared of an encounter with a friend of Warren Buffett’s personal jet pilot. It has changed the way I think about and pursue my goals, and it is simpler than you might think.

The Two Lists

One day, Buffett approached his long-time pilot, Steve.

“The fact that you’re still working for me, tells me I’m not doing my job,” remarked Buffett, only half joking. “You should be going after more of your goals and dreams.”

Steve asked his boss for more specific advice and was told Continue reading

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How to Bend the Space-Time Continuum in Your Favor

BTTFIIdateHappy Back to the Future Day! That’s right, Doc Brown, Marty McFly and Jennifer Parker arrive today. Residents of Hill Valley beware!

And what better day than October 21, 2015 to contemplate the space-time continuum. No, not the mathematical model that joins space and time into a single idea, representing space as three-dimensional and time as the elusive “fourth dimension,” and making time travel theoretically possible. But a more practically useful space-time continuum, for which Continue reading

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The Secret to Becoming an Expert

You have prepared to act. The time for thinking and planning and evaluating has either passed or it has not yet arrived. Your desk is clean. Your computer, open. The page, blank. Your phone is poised to connect you to wherever and whomever you want. You are on your way to showing up. And you have sent the tiny gremlin in your head out for groceries.

Or so you thought. Continue reading

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Act Now. Think Later.

There is value in envisioning and sketching out a plan. There are times and places for thinking, contemplating, and even losing track of time in aimless wondering. But what is the cost of thinking before we act?

You cannot think your way into a new way of acting, but you can act your way into a new way of thinking.

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In the past two years, I have given a lot of thought to how I can add value to people’s careers and lives. I have devoted hours upon hours to the contemplationLostInThought1 of what an authentic, values-based business might look like. I have wondered about (and internally debated) the merits of writing and blogging to educate, connect with, and promote my business to the kind of person who would most benefit from my help. I have subscribed to podcasts and newsletters, read books and articles, and studied the ways that other difference makers have impacted the lives of their clients and audience.

But when it comes to accomplishing a goal, creating something new or positively impacting another person’s life, I have found that thinking about my intended action not only fails as a proxy for the action, it reliably delays it. Continue reading

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