Surface Area of Luck

read on:?https://game0n.beehiiv.com/

read time: 10 minutes

Welcome to Game On, a weekly newsletter where I share my journey as a former collegiate athlete, e-commerce operator, husband, father, and man of faith.

This Week’s Agenda:

• Inspiration: Surface Area of Luck - Sahil Bloom
• Word of God: 1 Timothy 4 & 6
• Mandatory Movement: Workouts to get after this week
• Lessons I’ve learned this Week

Where’s My Head At - Inspiration

Last week, I got to see Sahil Bloom speak at The Post Summit. One thing he shared with the group was each person’s “Surface Area of Luck.” He said, “Your habits put you in a position where luck is more likely to strike. By putting more and more ‘magnets’ of effort into the world, you increase the likelihood that you find yourself seemingly lucky.”

I’ve used this idea for years but never knew the words to describe it.?I mentioned last week?how I’d cold-emailed Mugsy off of my first-ever order, fast-forward five years later, I’m now running all things operations. I spent most mornings at the Under Armour gym from 2013 to 2017 trying to get executives and directors to respect me enough to grab a coffee and form a relationship. Now, a few of those people follow this newsletter. I’ve attended networking events, grabbed coffee with hundreds of people, I’ve taken calls and meetings with countless connections in various stages of my career. All this to not only add value to them but also to increase my visibility should opportunities arise.?

I had an internship at Under Armour right out of college, I started from the bottom as a Help Desk Intern. I got that internship because I was one of the only athletes in the IT department and did everything I could to stand out in a career fair. Once I had the job, I knew I had to work there full-time following graduation. As the end of the internship got closer, I made a point to connect with each Director and VP in the IT department to ask how I could help in my final weeks. After the meetings, I wrote a note to each leader, and I later learned that one of those letters landed me my first job… a small amount of effort for a massive return.

Sahil emphasized a few actions to improve the likelihood that opportunities come your way:

• Sending cold emails or DMs daily (playing a numbers game)
• Surrounding oneself with optimists
• Engaging in activities that increase visibility and networking (e.g., LinkedIn)
• Building deeper connections and relationships

Given how well this has worked in my career so far, I’m looking to do the same with this newsletter. If I can help increase your “luck” in any way, I’d be happy to help!

Feed the Spirit - Words From God

1 Timothy 4:8 says, "For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come".

1 Timothy 6:6-8: "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that”

I was lucky enough to meet Ronnie Baker at The Post Summit. Ronnie is a fellow member of the Post, a follower of Christ, and an Olympian in the 2021 Tokyo Games who placed 5th in the 100m Dash.?

His latest podcast?talked about finding contentment, something I’ve struggled heavily with as my athletic days are behind me. My default mindset is to pursue my goals and define a vision all while balancing life as a Husband and Dad of three. Finding peace in each moment and being able to feel content in today when you feel there is so much to accomplish is hard. Athletes are wired to never feel content, the second you let up, you will be passed.?

But God doesn’t want us just focused on the body, he wants us to seek a different contentment, one that is good to others, loves and cares, a contentment that finds joy in the simple moments of each day. Using these verses like Ronnie, I am reminded to not just exercise my body, but my spirit first and foremost.?

Movement is Medicine

Running: I’m attempting to get back into running consistently. I ran 250 miles in two months back in May & June, but it took a serious toll on my hip flexors. I’m starting to feel the itch to get back on the road a few times a week. Here was this week’s run:

1 mile EZ Warm Up Zone 3 Heart Rate; .1 mile walk/rest

1 mile at 10k Pace; .1 mile walk

1 mile at sub 10k Pace; .8 mile cool down

Lifting: I’m getting after a workout today with a neighbor, who writes a great newsletter for Dads (S/O?dadday.co/) Here’s what we have planned:

30 rounds Alternating

4 Pull Ups; 4 Burpees; 4 Wall Ball; 4 Dumbell Snatch (60#)

Should be spicy!

Who’s Taught Me This Week

My Wife & Kids:?LISTEN!

Coming off a few trips the last couple of weeks, my mind has been sporadic trying to get back into the rhythm of work. I can get so consumed by the work I am doing in the moment that I completely zone out of what’s going on around me. The girls gave me a gentle reminder that if I’m in the room, I need to put down the phone or shut the computer and LISTEN!

Health Experts from The Post Summit:?Energy will soon be trackable

We sat through a panel about the Future of Health and listened to industry experts talk about cutting-edge technologies coming to the public soon. They talked about trackers and our ability to personalize our data, and one of the more interesting topics was around energy and vibration. They talked about devices that will read our energy levels through vibration, seeming coming from our thoughts and mindset and measure that against our stress levels and health. Proof that thoughts are powerful and framing ourselves with the right mindset and people can lead to better lives.

My behavioral coach:?Consistency over Intensity

I tend to embrace intensity in too many areas of life as a badge of honor or taking the “hard road.” My coach stressed that rather than being occasionally great, a better approach is to ditch intensity in the short term and just find consistency in action. Whether its daily reading or writing, moving, praying, bedtime, or putting out a newsletter, consistency lasts way longer than short bouts of high intensity.?

If you got this far, thanks for reading - shoot me an email if you liked the new format and what other topics are of interest. If I can help you on your journey in anyway, let’s jump on a call!