Performance Reviews

Stoic Quote of the Week

Think of the life you have lived until now as over and, as a dead man, see what's left as a bonus and live it according to Nature. Love the hand that fate deals you and play it as your own, for what could be more fitting?

-Marcus Aurelius

What I learned this week:

I am wrapping up recording my Green Beret Leadership Program (GBLP) this week. I find it somewhat ironic that as I go through a program that I created, I am revisiting things in my own life and how I approach leadership of myself, my family, and my tribe. This week, the lesson that really jumped out at me was on self-performance and after-action reviews (AARs). As I went through the section talking to the camera, which is a whole other experience, it made me think about what I do in my life and how I not only measure my performance but review the performance. Outside the military, people would call this self-reflection. I call it an AAR, and most times, I use the old-fashioned 'hot wash' on myself. After I finish recording a section, I like to take a moment and reflect on my performance. How'd I do? What went well? And what could I do better next time? In this case, the improvement cycle is a very short turn because I move right into recording the next section, allowing me to be in an immediate feedback loop for my performance for this activity. That's OK for something that is immediate and finite, like recording a program. What about the rest of my life? How do I reflect, AAR, on decisions I make and actions I take? So many times, I blow on to the next thing and don't even consider it. Then there are other times when I pause and say to myself, remember next time, say this or do that. But I don't truly close the loop. Closing the loop is taking that moment to not only 'hot wash' your actions but capture them. Then I take the next step, reviewing my comments about what I should improve and sustain next time. When you take that few minutes to do that, you're learning, and improvement speed increases. When the speed of improvement increases, you aren't just improving by 1% a day; you are accelerating beyond that. Imagine how much quicker you can obtain your goals and achieve your vision!

Planning thought of the week:

Everyone loves to plan, or really everyone loves to come up with solutions. What we all move past and tend to wave off after implementing the plan is how can we do it better? What actions can we take to do the planning phase better? Doers like myself are the worst at this because we want to move on to the next problem to solve. But aren't you solving another problem when you pause and reflect on what can be done better? Add some time into your planning cycle to review how the process went.

Business idea I heard about or thought of:

There are many homemade opportunities to improve living and, truthfully, save money. I think of all the off-grid things I see as I begin planning the cabin I'll build at the ranch. We forget that these so-called 'off-grid' things can also be used on the grid! I've been looking at homemade wind generators requiring no more than a trip to You, and You Pay to grab an alternator and engine fan. There are some other items you'll have to get, like regulators and inverters, but look at the minimal cost and the savings on your electric bill add up. (I don't know about y'all's, but ours has nearly doubled in the last year). This is an opportunity for someone with some mechanical desire to recycle car parts to put energy back into the grid one car alternator at a time. I can think of a handful of people I've known over the years who could start this business to succeed. I don't know about y'all, but I won't turn down a $20-100 reduction in my electric bill!

Veteran opportunity of the week:

I know where Adrian and I are going when we hit our end of life, the VA Hospital and nursing home in Walsenburg, CO. But do you have a plan? This article and video from the VA will help you learn more about what benefits you have available to you and your caregiver when this part of life comes. Here's the link.

Someone I met this week:

I reconnected with a friend of mine at a breakfast event last week. I laughed to myself because his comment to me was, I haven't been here in a while; this is a much bigger crowd. I laughed because it had been just as long since I'd been at the event. As Chris and I caught up on our business happenings, I was reminded how committed to our local community he is. Here's a guy who has three, maybe four, very successful exits from businesses he's founded and who continues to give back to his tribe and community. Not only does he still show up at random networking events, but he also created and hosts pitch nights for local startups, and he gives back by mentoring entrepreneurs; a former Special Operator is one of them right now. One of the things that makes a community a great place to live is people like Chris, who don't just look at the community as a place he sleeps and buys groceries. He sees it as his tribe and wants more people in that tribe to succeed.

Link to current The Cam & Otis Show podcast episode, Ep.234 SEE & ACT-Scott Kinder DOL Coach. Please note that we updated our show's webpage to https://www.youtube.com/@thecamandotisshow.

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