Why Do Values Matter?

By Steve Pavlina

The main benefit of knowing your values is that you will gain(gān) tremendous(trəˈmendəs) clarity(ˈklerədē) and focus, but ultimately(ˈəltəmətlē) you must use that newfound clarity to make consistent decisions and take committed action. So the whole point of discovering your values is to improve the results you get in those areas(ˈe(ə)rēə) that are truly most important to you.

Values are priorities(prīˈôrədē) that tell you how to spend your time, right here, right now. There are two reasons that priorities are important for our lives.

The first reason is that time is our most limited resource; time does not renew itself. Once we spend a day, it’s gone forever. If we waste(wāst) that day by investing our time in actions that don’t produce the results we want, that loss(läs,lôs) is permanent(ˈpərmənənt). We can earn more money, improve our physical bodies, and repair broken relationships, but we cannot redo yesterday. If we all had infinite(ˈinfənət) time, then values and priorities would be irrelevant(əˈreləvənt). But at least here on earth, we appear to be mortal(ˈmôrdl) with limited life spans, and if we value our mortal lives, then it’s logical(ˈläjək(ə)l) to invest them as best we can.

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The second reason priorities matter is that we human beings tend to be fairly(ˈfe(ə)rlē) inconsistent(ˌinkənˈsistənt) in how we invest our time and energy. Most of us are easily distracted. It’s easy for us to fall into the trap of living by different priorities every day. One day you exercise; the next day you slack(slak) off. One day you work productively; the next day you’re stricken(ˈstrikən) with a bout(bout) of laziness(ˈlāzēnəs). If we don’t consciously use our priorities to stick(stik) to a clear and consistent course, we’ll naturally(ˈnaCHərəlē) drift off course and shift all over the place. And this kind of living yields(yēld) poor results. Imagine an airplane that went wherever the wind(wīnd) took it – who knows where it would eventually(əˈven(t)SH(o͞o)əlē) land? And the flight itself would likely be stressful(ˈstresfəl) and uncertain(ˌənˈsərtn).

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https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2004/12/living-your-values/

The Boston(ˈbôstən) Athletic(ˌaTH(ə)ˈledik) Association(-SHē-,əˌsōsēˈāSHən)

ABOUT US

Among the nation’s oldest athletic clubs, the Boston Athletic Association was established(əˈstabliSHt) on March(märCH) 15, 1887 under its first president, Robert F. Clark(klärk), and with the support of leading(ˈlediNG,ˈlēdiNG) sports enthusiasts(enˈTHo͞ozēˌast), entrepreneurs and politicians(ˌpäləˈtiSHən) of the day. According to Article II of the B.A.A.’s 1890 Yearbook Constitution(ˌkänstəˈt(y)o͞oSHən), their objective was to encourage all manly(ˈmanlē) sports and promote(prəˈmōt) physical(ˈfizikəl) culture.

“There is no more important part of our mission than that. It’s to help people be as fit and as healthy as they want to be.” - Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Chief(CHēf) Executive(iɡˈzekyədiv) Officer

In 1888, the B.A.A. completed(kəmˈplēt) its magnificent(magˈnifəsənt) clubhouse in Boston’s Back Bay(bā) on the corner of Exeter(ˈegzitər,ˈegzətər,ˈeksitər,ˈeksətər) Street and Blagden Street, on the present-day site of the new Boston Public Library. In addition(əˈdiSHən) to such facilities(fəˈsilədē) as a gymnasium(jimˈnāzēəm), bowling(ˈbōliNG) alley(ˈalē), billiard(ˈbilyərd) hall(hôl), Turkish(ˈtərkiSH) baths(baTH) and tennis(ˈtenəs) courts(kôrt), the Association also owned a shooting range and a country club. Active sports of the day included boxing, fencing(ˈfensiNG), water polo(ˈpōlō), and athletics.

The club held its first organized track and field competition(ˌkämpəˈtiSHən) in 1890. The Association chose a mythical(ˈmiTHək(ə)l) unicorn(ˈyo͞onəˌkôrn) as its symbol(ˈsimbəl), which remains on the Boston Marathon(ˈmarəˌTHän) medals(ˈmedl) to this day.

Ten years after it was established, the B.A.A. held the 24.5-mile B.A.A. Road Race to conclude the B.A.A. Games, a springtime athletic competition. The Boston Marathon, as the race(rās) would later become known, was held on April(ˈāprəl) 19, 1897 with a starting field of 15 runners. Ten participants(pärˈtisəpənt) finished the inaugural(inˈôg(y)ərəl) run, which began in Ashland(ˈaSHlənd), Mass., and the race to Boston has been held in every subsequent year. In addition to its indisputable(indisˈpyo͞otəbəl) position as the world’s oldest annual(ˈanyo͞oəl) marathon, “Boston” is widely(ˈwīdlē) regarded(rəˈɡärd) as one of the world’s most prestigious(preˈstējəs, preˈstijəs) road races. The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots(ˈpātrēət)’ Day (third Monday in April). The centennial(senˈtenēəl) Boston Marathon was on April 15, 1996 and drew one of the world’s largest field of finishers (35,868).

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https://www.baa.org/about/about-us

Unbound(ˌənˈbound) Merino(məˈrēnō)

OUR STORY

Unbound Merino was founded by three lifelong best friends. In high school we got our first real taste(tāst) of travel when we made art prints depicting(dəˈpikt) our favorite bands(band) and sold them on the road to make enough money to get from one concert(ˈkänˌsərt) to another.

Following a rock band around America was an adventure(adˈvenCHər,əd-) that paved(pāv) the way for an addiction(əˈdikSHən) to experiencing the world. While living abroad(əˈbrôd), we discovered better and more effective ways of doing things with each trip(trip). We quickly became travel hackers(ˈhakər). Seeking out new ways to take the hassles(ˈhasəl) out of travel.

Unbound Merino was created with that same spirit in mind – to solve a problem we’ve had in our own travels. Turns out, hauling(hôl) around luggage(ˈləgij) was just no way to see the world.

Unbound Merino was dreamed up and tested(test) while on the road. The more we traveled luggage free, the more we realized that this was the only way to travel.

Now, our mission is to bring that discovery(dəˈskəv(ə)rē) – that sense of freedom, spontaneity(ˌspän(t)əˈnēədē, ˌspän(t)əˈnāədē) and adventure – to people all over the world.

Our purpose is to help make your travel that much more rewarding(rəˈwôrdiNG).

To minimize(ˈminəˌmīz) the burdens(ˈbərdn) of travel, so you can maximize(ˈmaksəˌmīz) the experience of your trip.

https://unboundmerino.com/pages/about-unbound

The next big thing in fashion(ˈfaSHən)? Not washing(ˈwäSHiNG,ˈwôSH-) your clothes(klō(T͟H)z)

“We risk(risk) turning the customer off by making them feel like we’re suggesting they be less hygienic(hīˈjenik, hīˈjēnik). We’re going up against years of cultural(ˈkəlCHərəl) conditioning(kənˈdiSHən) here.”

By Elizabeth(əˈlizəbəTH) Segran

I have a confession(kənˈfeSHən) to make: I’ve been wearing(ˈwe(ə)riNG) the same black T-shirt every single day for two weeks now and I haven’t washed it yet. Anybody who knows me will realize this is very out of character(ˈkerəktər). I’m a laundry(ˈlän-,ˌlôndrē) addict(ˈadikt). I get inordinate(inˈôrd(ə)nət) pleasure(ˈpleZHər) out of transforming my toddler’s(ˈtädlər) mud-(məd) and applesauce(ˈapəlˌsôs)-covered(ˈkəvər) clothes into freshly(ˈfreSHlē) laundered(ˈlän-,ˈlôndər), neatly(ˈnētlē) folded(fōld) piles(pīlz). And yet, I may hold off on washing this T-shirt for another few weeks. It miraculously(məˈrakyələslē) looks (and smells!) like it was just cleaned. This $65 T-shirt is made by a startup called Unbound(ˌənˈbound) Merino(məˈrēnō), founded in 2016, that creates wool(wo͝ol) travel clothes that can go weeks without being washed.

Unbound is part of a broader(brôd) wave(wāv) of startups designing clothes that require less laundering. An eco-friendly brand called Pangaia(pinˈgayə), which launched late last year and already counts celebrities(səˈlebrədē) like Jaden(jādən) Smith and Justin(ˈjəstən) Bieber as fans, creates $85 seaweed(ˈsēˌwēd) fiber(ˈfībər) T-shirts that are treated with peppermint(ˈpepərˌmint) oil to keep the shirts fresher longer between washes. The brand estimates(ˈestəˌmāt) that this will save about 3,000 liters(ˈlēdər) of water over the course of a lifetime, compared to a regular cotton(ˈkätn) T-shirt. Then there is menswear(ˈmenzˌwe(ə)r) label Wool & Prince(prins), which creates everything from $128 oxford(ˈäksfərd) shirts to $42 boxer(ˈbäksər) briefs(brēfs) out of wool, all designed to be washed infrequently. Last year, the company launched a sister womenswear brand called Wool& that makes dresses(dres) that can be worn(wôrn) for 100 days straight(strāt) without washing.

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https://www.fastcompany.com/90359188/the-next-big-thing-in-fashion-not-washing-your-clothes

Cryotherapy(ˌkrīōˈTHerəpē) means standing naked(ˈnākid) in a chamber(ˈCHāmbər) at -240(manə) degrees(dəˈɡrē). We gave it a try.

By Christen(ˈkris(ə)n) A. Johnson(ˈjänsən)

Back in my days as a Division(dəˈviZHən) I women’s basketball(ˈbaskətˌbôl) player, many post-training sessions and practices(ˈpraktəs) ended with dips(dip) in the cold tub(təb).

We’d muster up the energy(ˈenərjē) to strip(strip) down to our compression(kəmˈpreSHən) shorts and slip into the shallow(ˈSHalō) square(skwe(ə)r) pool, with temperatures(-ˌCHo͝or,ˈtemp(ə)rəCHər) typically(ˈtipik(ə)lē) around 30 degrees Fahrenheit(ˈfarənˌhīt). About 10 minutes later, 15 minutes on the brutal(ˈbro͞odl) days, we’d emerge(əˈmərj) from the water, feeling OK enough to do it all again the next day.

As adulthood(əˈdəltho͝od, ˈadəltho͝od) has tried to turn me into a NARP (Non-Athletic(ˌaTH(ə)ˈledik) Regular(ˈreg(ə)lər,ˈregyələr) Person; yes, this is what student-athletes(ˈaTHˌlēt) call you behind your back), I’ve learned that even though my workouts have become shorter and less intense(inˈtens), I still need to properly(ˈpräpərlē) recover(riˈkəvər).

I learned about the growing trend of whole body cryotherapy, a somewhat controversial(-ˈvərsēəl,ˌkäntrəˈvərSHəl) treatment technique in which the body is exposed to extremely(ikˈstrēmlē) low temperatures for a limited time, and thought it would have similar effects and benefits as the cold tub.

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https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/ct-life-cryotherapy-health-trend-cb-0610-story.html

Complainers(kəmˈplān)

By Derek Sivers

When you hear someone complaining, here’s what it means:

They know what’s wrong, but don’t realize they can change it. (They think they’re powerless.)
They know what’s wrong, but are too lazy to change it. (They’d rather sit and complain.)

On the personal side, being a friend, I hate(hāt) this. Because it’s a lot of work to make complainers realize they can change things. They always push back with all the reasons they can’t, which just reinforces(ˌrēinˈfôrs) the two points above.

On the business side, being an entrepreneur, I love this. Because I know I’m powerful and can change anything. Because every complaint(kəmˈplānt) is an opportunity. It’s fun to invent(inˈvent) solutions to problems, turn ideas to reality, and watch my creations make the world a little better.

Then afterwards, on a personal note, I can say, “There! See? Told you it could change.”

https://sivers.org/complainers

continuing(kənˈtinyo͞o) the charge(CHärj)

retirement(rəˈtī(ə)rmənt)?

well-meaning friends lovingly suggest retirement to me:
sometimes with a plaintive(ˈplān(t)iv) question of when I’ll take that path,
sometimes a sureness of advice that it works so well for them
that they want me to be open
to the possibilities that fit(fit) who they are so well,

right now, I feel a rightness in my work,
a sureness that who I am hears a calling,
and still has the wherewithal(ˈ(h)werwiT͟Hˌôl, ˈ(h)werwiTHˌôl) to answer it well,
I see my school as a city upon a hill
within which the light that is in us can shine bright(brīt),
as long as I can still see the kids, the staff, the mission(ˈmiSHən),
and meet(mēt) it all with my own light,
my own mirror(ˈmirər) to gather and help focus the rightness,
I want to continue the charge,
I want to share my salt as long as it still has its savor(ˈsāvər),

for many, retirement allows travel(ˈtravəl),
for me, I can already find the way out, mostly in the summer:
Wyoming(wīˈōmiNG), Iceland, California, Canada,
even Hawaii and New Zealand(ˈzēlənd) once during the school year,
plus vacation(vāˈkāSHən,və-) time in the Smokies(ˈsmōkē),
where I don’t want to live,
for I don’t want to grow accustomed(əˈkəstəmd)
to what should reveal(rəˈvēl) every day as wonder,

deep in the night
I worry about how long body and mind will hold,
how long spirit(ˈspirit) can deny(dəˈnī) the dying of the light,
for as long as I hear the calling,
and can find true ways to act on that calling,
I plan to continue to help school, student, and staff
find the ways forward into the empowerment(əmˈpouərmənt)
that all of us want for our young.

by Henry H. Walker

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2019/06/continuing-charge.html

Working in Unusual(ˌənˈyo͞oZH(o͞o)əl) Places

By Steve Pavlina

I recently read that Malcolm(ˈmalkəm) Gladwell wrote most of his book Blink while away from his desk. He wrote at coffee(ˈkäfē,ˈkôfē) shops, restaurants, and other public places.

I’ve only done a little of this myself, but I’ve always found it a valuable practice. If I feel stuck(stək) in a creative(krēˈādiv) rut(rət), working in a public place is a great way to get new ideas flowing(ˈflōiNG).

…

Oddly(ˈädlē) it’s sometimes easier to concentrate(ˈkänsənˌtrāt) when I’m surrounded by distractions(dəˈstrakSH(ə)n). I think the reason is that I know they’re distractions, so I can tune(t(y)o͞on) them out more easily. But in my home office, I’m surrounded by unconscious(ˌənˈkänSHəs) distractions — the kinds of things that seem important but aren’t. When you go out and leave your computer and internet connection behind, you can’t succumb(səˈkəm) to routine distractions as easily. If you bring only one kind of work with you, like a pen and paper for brainstorming(ˈbrānˌstôrm), you can’t easily kid yourself that you’re working when you aren’t. You can’t simply claim(klām) to be working merely(ˈmi(ə)rlē) because you’re at the office. The line between working and not working becomes much sharper(ˈSHärpər).

Try spending at least a half day away from your usual work environment. Walk around, eat at interesting places, and just sit for a while. Change your scenery(ˈsēn(ə)rē) often. Bring some simple work where you can carry all the materials(məˈti(ə)rēəl) in your pocket(ˈpäkət), like a pen and paper for brainstorming.

If you can’t take the time away from your office to do this, then do it for yourself on one of your days off. Take a list of decisions(dəˈsiZHən) you need to make, and consider them one by one as you walk. Set some new goals. Write a personal mission(ˈmiSHən) statement.

Great ideas don’t always come knocking(näk) on your office door. A day outside can help scramble(ˈskrambəl) those stale(stāl) inputs and get your creative juices(jo͞os) flowing again.

https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/06/working-in-unusual-places/

The Power of One Push-Up

Several simple ways of measuring(ˈmeZHər) a person’s health might matter more than body weight(wāt).

By James(jāmz) Hamblin(hanˈblin)

The numbers used to assess(əˈses) health are, for the most part, not helpful.

There are the vital(ˈvīdl) signs: heart and respiratory(ˈrespərəˌtôrē, rəˈspīrəˌtôrē) rates(rāt) and body temperature(-ˌCHo͝or,ˈtemp(ə)rəCHər). Sometimes blood(bləd) pressure(ˈpreSHər). These are critical(ˈkridək(ə)l) in emergencies(əˈmərjənsē). If you’ve been stabbed(stab) in the chest(CHest), paramedics(ˌparəˈmedik) want to know no numbers more than these.

But in day-to-day life, the normalcy(ˈnôrməlsē) of those numbers is expected(ikˈspekt). It doesn’t so much grant you a clean bill of health as indicate that you are not in acute(əˈkyo͞ot) danger(ˈdānjər). What if you just generally want to know whether you’re on pace(pās,ˈpäˌCHā,ˈpāˌsē) to live(liv,līv) an average life or longer?

The most common numbers are age and body weight. The U.S. health-care system places tremendous(trəˈmendəs) value on the latter(ˈladər), in the form of body-mass(mas) index, or BMI, a simple ratio(ˈrāSHēˌō,ˈrāSHō) of weight over height(hīt). BMI is used to define obesity(ōˈbēsədē) and “overweight,” and so to stratify(ˈstratəˌfī) risks(risk) in insurance(inˈSHo͝orəns) and health-care industries. This number has come to be massively(ˈmasivlē) consequential(ˌkänsəˈkwenCHəl) in the lives of millions of people, and to influence(ˈinflo͝oəns) the movement of billions of dollars.

Despite(dəˈspīt) all this emphasis(ˈemfəsəs) on body weight, the ability(əˈbilədē) of BMI to predict(prəˈdikt) mortality(môrˈtalədē) and disease(dəˈzēz) has been called into question. Its inadequacy(inˈadikwəsē) is famously(ˈfāməslē) evident(ˈevədənt) in examples such as the human(ˈ(h)yo͞omən) muscle(ˈməsəl)-mound(mound) Dwayne “The Rock(räk)” Johnson(ˈjänsən) qualifying(ˈkwäləˌfī) as obese(ōˈbēs). BMI also ignores(igˈnôr) the health problems among the “skinny(ˈskinē) fat(fat)” (or “overfat” or “normal-weight obese”).

Health is more strongly correlated(ˈkôrəˌlāt) with body-fat percentage(pərˈsen(t)ij) and distribution(ˌdistrəˈbyo͞oSH(ə)n) than with overall weight, but getting an accurate(ˈakyərət) measure of one’s muscle-to-fat ratio is not especially(iˈspeSHəlē) simple—and still draws(drô) focus to body image in ways that can introduce its own risks(risk) of eating disorders(disˈôrdər), depression(dəˈpreSH(ə)n), social isolation(ˌīsəˈlāSHən), and all manner of things that may be more dangerous than body fat itself.

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https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/06/push-ups-body-weight-bmi/592834/

My on-again, off-again relationship with anxiety(aNGˈzīədē) has taught me a lot

By Nina K. Moore

Dear Anxiety,

We’ve been together for a long time now. I’m 40 and we’ve dated on and off for years – since my twenties. We even played together occasionally(əˈkāZHənl-ē) as kids.

To be honest(ˈänəst), I never saw relationship material(məˈtirēəl) coming from you. I thought we’d long outgrown each other and it took me by surprise when you asked me to go steady(ˈstedē). I wasn’t looking for a relationship at the time. I was a new mother(ˈməT͟Hər) coping with chronic(ˈkränik) conflict(ˈkänˌflikt) and the demands(dəˈmand) of running a single-parent home. You came on stronger still when I tried to take some space and return to work.

Everyone – family, friends and professionals(prəˈfeSHənl) alike – said it was normal to have you around given my circumstances(-stəns,ˈsərkəmˌstans). After all, you have a reputation(ˌrepyəˈtāSHən) for being attracted(əˈtrakt) to stress. But when you held me so tightly(ˈtītlē) every second of the day and began to infiltrate(inˈfil-,ˈinfilˌtrāt) my dreams at night, I knew this was no ordinary(ˈôrdnˌerē) romance(rōˈmans,ˈrōˌmans).

You never did say why you chose me. I didn’t even think I was your type. I had always thought you went for the worrier(ˈwərēər), the unadventurous(ˌənadˈvenCHərəs). But I am gutsy(ˈgətsē) and outgoing. I don’t sweat(swet) the small stuff. Is it my trauma(ˈtroumə,ˈtrô-) that attracts you? Except that many have endured(inˈd(y)o͝or, enˈd(y)o͝or) far worse and you don’t give them a second look. Maybe you were impressed with my demanding teaching career(kəˈri(ə)r). Or is it that I live in a big bustling(ˈbəsəl) city? Perhaps it was more of a chemical(ˈkemək(ə)l) attraction. There was my head injury(ˈinjərē) in that car accident(ˈaksədənt) when I was a teenager(ˈtēnˌājər), but something from so long ago couldn’t have piqued(pēk) your interest, could it?

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-my-on-again-off-again-relationship-with-anxiety-has-taught-me-a-lot/