Birthday Edition of the Sunday 7; the Sunday 65...

Welcome to my Birthday Edition of the Sunday 7; the Sunday 65...

Today (Saturday) is my 65th birthday. I don’t really talk about my age much, as people often have preconceived notions about how someone my age should look or act, which is not helpful. But on this day of becoming 65 years young — and reaching middle age :) — I thought I would do a different kind of newsletter: 65 thoughts/reflections/life advice/Brandtisms to live by. 

I offer these, for whatever they are worth to you, and if you like, to share with friends, family, social media, whatever. It is, well, my birthday offering to you.

In no particular order, here are 65 items on my 65th birthday… 

1. Be consistent: it sounds easy, but it may be the hardest thing for someone to do.

2. Develop a routine, especially in the morning.

3. If you can, find a “need to do” thing that you do first thing in the morning, without distraction from phone or internet; it will set you up well for the rest of the day.

4. Knocking off some good work and a good workout in the morning will make anything on tap for the rest of day easier.

5. Let the mornings be reflective, before the rest of the day becomes reactive.

6. Remember: you control your phone; not vice versa (at least not yet).

7. A good conversation with someone can be hijacked by one of you picking up the phone, even to show something to the other. Keep it down.

8. Don’t worry so much about goals and measurements, just try to be .001% better today than yesterday

9. Discipline is not something to fear; it is something to aspire to for a better life. Discipline creates freedom.

10. What many of us want the most professionally is neither money nor fame nor prestige. Rather, it is autonomy and freedom: to do what we want when we want with the people that we want to do them with.

11. Happiness is basically “not wanting”: contentment with who you are and who you’re with.

12. The “I’ll be happy when I get the next job/promotion/car/house/jewelry, etc” crowd will never be happy.

13. Life is never a straight line; it’s a meandering path full of forks in the road. Trust your gut whether to take them.

14. Allow for serendipity in your life; it is telling you where to go

15, Wear sunscreen; your skin will thank you in the future.

16. There’s nothing in life that compares to being a parent and having unconditional love for your children. It gives you that most powerful emotion: feeling “I got you” no matter what.

17. Dogs are the best; happy to see you unconditionally.

18. Be wary of people who don’t like pets.

19. Avoid people who seem to always seem to have drama; life is too short to absorb that.

20. Two or three close friends are more nourishing than a hundred not-so-close friends.

21. To figure out who is closest to you, think about who you would contact first if you had really good or really bad news.

22. When entering a career, have a good answer to these questions: What makes you different? Why you?

23. I’m always impressed by the people who do the things that others are unwilling to do.

24. Anyone can be intense; surprisingly few can be consistent.

25. Intensity and emotions always fade; consistency does not.

26. The best product comes from those who are earnest, who do the work because it is who they are, not for money, prestige or fame. It is intrinsic in them.

27. Music is such a gift; we can all choose our soundtracks for our life.

28. I admire musicians and all artists who work tirelessly at their craft because, simply, they love it.

29. I admire athletes, especially former student-athletes, and often favor them in choosing people to work with. They invariably have excellent time management and discipline skills.

30. Sometimes I do track workouts and see people of all ages pushing themselves through their reps around the track. Not for any reward or recognition, only their self-satisfaction; it’s inspiring.

31. There’s always someone smarter, fitter, wealthier and better looking than you. Focus on what’s in the mirror, for comparison is the thief of joy.

32. Remember that social media is curated views of people’s lives; it’s not real life.

33. I’ve been around a lot of famous athletes, and the ones I remember most are not because of what they did in athletics. Rather, it is how they treated people around them, at all levels.

34. Busy is a choice. You’re not “busy;” just prioritize certain things more than what you say you’re too busy to do.

35. Write: it doesn’t have to be good or for anyone in particular; just write. Talking is pretty easy; writing is harder, but it promotes clear thinking.

36. When you’re young, it’s ok to do things just for the money, even if it doesn’t suit you. When you’re older, doing things just for the money usually turns out poorly.

37. It’s amazing how so few people can’t do the easy stuff: show up on time, be dependable and reliable, someone people can count on. Show up, it’s amazing how so many don’t.

38. A true sign of a boy turning into a young adult is when he wants to get his hair cut without his parents forcing him to get one.

39. Everyone has a code; you just need to figure out what that person’s code is.

40. Our most precious resource is our time; use it wisely.

41. So many spend so much time on things that don’t matter; spend time on the few things in your life that really matter.

42. I think people spend way too much time on the news, some having cable news shows on all day or night. The news doesn’t change much; get a quick sense of it and move on.

43. I’ll get a quick update on the news when I’m around a radio at the top of the hour and that will be enough for the day (or a couple days). 
44. I really enjoy podcasts, listening to them and doing my own. They allow for unimpeded content, and can learn while on the move. I’ve never actually “watched” a podcast, but listened to thousands while running, biking, hiking, cleaning, walking the dog, showering, stretching, etc.

45. So many, it seems, have lost their way with diet and exercise.

46. I don’t believe in abstinence with junk food or alcohol; I just think they shouldn’t be regular things for anyone.

47. I have a couple of daily non-negotiables: writing and some form and exercise. Once those are done and dusted, my day feels lighter.

48. One easy life hack: don’t drink your calories. You have plenty with your food.

49. Another easy life hack: turn off all notifications, badges, buzzes, dings, etc. from your phone. So simple, and such a game-changer.

50. Age is just a number. I know 40-year-olds who act like they’re 70 and 70-year-olds who act like they’re 40. We all have to get old chronologically, but we don’t have to grow old.

51. The days of people working for 40 years and then one day going into retirement are (or should be) gone. Do things that excite you later in life, they don’t have to be “jobs,” but they do have to require effort and activity.

52. I have several jobs, all that I like, in part so don’t have to have a “real job.”

53. I don’t know what the full impact of AI will be, but it highlights what we should all know: find a way make yourself different. AI can’t replace unique insights and differentiated knowledge.

54. Except for maybe a few times, when I was sick and shouldn’t have been exercising, I’ve never felt worse after a workout than I have before a workout.

55. We are social beings and need interpersonal interactions. But we also need solitude. Work to balance both of those.

56. I find good interview questions to be ones like “Tell me the best and worst moments of your life” “What excites you?” “What is one thing about you that when you tell your friends, they are surprised to hear?”

57. Mood follows action. When you’re stuck, don’t ruminate, don’t procrastinate, just do, even if it is poor quality. Get going.

58. Don’t live in the past; it’s gone, always be pointing ahead. Sure, reminisce and remember, but move ahead. After every success or failure, it’s one way. Onward.

59. I never read things I’ve written after they’re published. I never listen to my radio or podcast interviews. I never watch clips of myself on TV. Good or bad, they’re history. Onward.

60. I like the beach, but only in small doses. But I can bathe in mountains and nature endlessly.

61. Seeing my sons thriving as hard-working and compassionate souls, and happy and thriving in their chosen fields, are my greatest joys.

62. Runners, when they’re not running, are among the laziest people around (I know).

63. Age brings the realization of the value of nutrition, sleep and, well, just chilling the f*** out.

64. Most of anxiety and stress is anticipatory; thinking about things that are ahead. Focus on the present, and in most cases that thing in the future was not as bad as you feared.

65. Do hard things. Not all the time, not every day. But enough to create a mindset of “this sucks, but I’ve been here before. I’ll get though it.”

My Podcast

 In continuing the different kind of offering in this reflective time, I turned the table in this week’s podcast and allowed two of my Villanova Law students to interview me about my career, advice on getting into sports, etc. I think you’ll like it:

My 65 Challenge Workout today...

Here is what I am doing today (I hope) for my 65th Birthday Challenge:

6:50 Mile

 Then

 65 Pushups in two minutes

65 Sit-ups in two minutes

65 Inverted Rows in two minutes

65 Lunges in two Minutes

 Then 3 Sets of

 65 Second Plank

65 Second Wall Sit

65 Air Squats

65 Seconds of Mountain Climbers

 Then 5 Sets of

 65 Yard Sprints

65 Yard Farmers’ Carries

 Then

 65 Minute Bike Ride through the Mountains

Wish me Godspeed…

Thanks for indulging me here, hope you liked the unique edition this week. Let me know any feedback you want to share as well, to [email protected].

Have a wonderful week…

Andrew