Work Hard Play Harder

I'm a firm believer in the saying that heads up this post. I work hard, so I can play harder!

To me that means giving everything I have at work, so I know the job's done right, then taking the time to just relax and let life show me what wonders it has hiding away at the lake, or on the hiking trail, or in the parking lot at a DCI show. Whatever it might be that I'm doing to unwind, I make sure I go full throttle. No other way to really enjoy it!

By far, my favorite two activities to unwind are fishing, and going to University of Akron football games! And I realized there's a lot of things about both of these that ties into the workplace.

Fishing- Trial & Error, Problem Solving, Creative/Abstract Thinking, Free Thinking, Determination

Football- Teamwork, Loyalty(fan loyalty that is), Strategic Planning, Leadership Skills, Hard Work & Practice, Determination

So when I'm relaxing, I'm actually working?! Wait a second.......... I thought work stayed at work, home stayed at home. I've realized that that will never happen. My friend Nate Riggs was just telling me before a meeting we had, "I have to turn it off when I'm with my kid." Referring to trying to unplug the work mind and plug in the family mind. Not that easy, so I've just started letting the two carefully compliment each other. I like to use the time when I'm down at the lake fishing to work through problems in my head, to think about new concepts or solutions.... to "Reboot" by solving every variable not accounted for while I was on the clock while I relax.

It's a careful balance, but it works. I catch a few fish, but solve a lot of problems and develop a ton of new ideas all at the same time. Hooray for multitasking.

Something Called Pride

As a former member of the University of Akron Marching Band(also known as Ohio's Pride) I remember clearly watching a video my first year member, Something Called Pride. The videos kinda lengthy and I don't want to link it here but feel free to google it. The idea, that pride is one of the most powerful tools to an organization like the marching band. But it has a new role in the world we're building from the ground up right now, as we speak, as you read my blog..... the age of social media. To steal from Set Godin, the age of social tribes.

I didn't want to focus on Ohio's Pride today, that's a subject for another time. I wanted to talk about a student organization called the AK-Rowdies. They are the official student fan section for the University of Akron Teams. They are a notoriously strong spirited bunch who's motto last year(during the opening season at their new football stadium) was, "New Stadium, New Rules, Get In, Stand Up, Cheer Loud, All Game, Every Game."

The thing that inspires me about this group, besides their obnoxious use of face paint and how loudly they scream, is their relentless loyalty to their team. They're proud of their team.... no matter what the score. Last year, my beloved Zips finished their football season with a crumby record of 3 & 9. But the Rowdies were there every game, no matter what.

These kids don't back down to larger schools, to bad weather, to a losing score, they're proud of their team and they stand by them time and time again. A saying they stick to, "I Bleed Blue & Gold." And it makes me wonder, do you stand by your team? No matter what the cost, are you proud of what you're doing? These kids are, I know I am. Pride can be viewed as a fatal flaw depending on who's telling the story. I think it works equally as a strength and a value to be smiled upon.

Are you proud of your "team?" Think about it....