CLIPPING CHAINS

August 12, 2019August 12, 2019

Fear: Here’s How It’s Holding You Back

Do you ever pass on requesting vacation because you fear your work ethic will be called into question?

Do you avoid international travel because everything seems so different?

Are you convinced that crime is getting worse, so you should take more drastic measures to protect yourself and your family? Crime has in fact fallen sharply.

Above are just a few examples of how fear dictates our actions and inactions on a daily basis. Frankly, every week I fear that you, dear reader, won’t like what I write here. Boy, I sure hope you do. But are we letting our lives pass us by because we fear the unknown?

August 5, 2019August 5, 2019

Taking Action: Moving Beyond Inspiration

This week I’m reposting a guest post previously published over at Collecting Wisdom on the pitfalls of not taking action. The site is now restructured and the guest posts were removed, so I wanted to host this one here. I liked it the first time, and after a re-read, still do. I hope you enjoy.

July 29, 2019August 6, 2019

On Being a Slave to the Schedule

I must admit: I’m more than a little obsessed with keeping a schedule. When I started this website, my plan was to post semi-regularly, but with no specific frequency in mind. It took no less than two weeks for me to fall right into my old ways, landing a militaristic regimen of a Monday 7:00am MST posting schedule. So, is that a bad thing?

July 22, 2019August 6, 2019

Early Retirement: Is It the Solution?

Alrighty then, let’s get back down to some brass tacks, shall we? I originally started this website in a heartfelt effort to get folks thinking about their finances. And what was the bait? It was our story of a potential early retirement. So how is our plan coming along?

July 15, 2019August 6, 2019

Rob Pizem: Fighting the Good Fight

For those of you new to this site, The Interview Series is a way to highlight those in the world of climbing who view life through a different lens. These folks have found a way to balance life’s passions amidst a whirlwind schedule of family and work obligations, not stopping to consider the easy way out. Rob Pizem does it. And then he does more.

July 8, 2019May 6, 2020

I Was Really Fat Until I Fixed It

There was a time when I was fat.

Not “athlete fat,” where you’d like to drop five or ten pounds — I’m talking about obese.

As I write this, I weigh 148 pounds. In Peak Blubber days, circa 2001 (age 17), I weighed approximately 240 pounds. And there was no muscle to speak of.

Over a 10-15 year period, I eradicated nearly 100 pounds of excess mass from my body — and along with it— the shame, disgust, and self-loathing from my mind.

July 1, 2019August 6, 2019

Examine the Routine: The Mindset

The mind, and therefore our outlook on life, is instrumental in forming our habits. The modern world often forces us in to a routine, some of which are important — say, brushing our teeth. But in a world where technology and automation free up increasingly more hours of the day, our down-time routines make or break our potential for learning and growth.

Let’s imagine two different potential routines. Each routine represents the post-work activities of a young professional.

June 24, 2019August 6, 2019

Dave MacLeod: Life Outside the Box, Part 2

Ok folks, we’re back with Part 2 of the interview with Dave MacLeod. If you haven’t already checked out Part 1, please do so here.

June 17, 2019August 6, 2019

Dave MacLeod: Life Outside the Box, Part 1

Today I’m thrilled to bring you the first in a two-part series from the climbing and training legend, Dave MacLeod. Dave has an impressive and varied climbing resume, including countless top-tier first ascents, F9a sport routes (5.14d), V15 boulders, Scottish XII mixed routes, and E11 trad. Dave is nails strong — mentally and physically — and that’s no accident of good fortune. In this interview, Dave offers a glimpse into what makes him tick, and why it’s essential to live life outside the box if we desire exceptional results.

June 10, 2019April 3, 2020

Digital Minimalism: Give Me Back My Brain

We’ve all seen the dramatic shift to mobile technology in the last decade. This explosion of digital information is making us freaks and zombies. I’ve just finished reading Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport. The message here to get back our brain is so important that I started writing this post before I even finished the book. And I’ll be the first say: I struggle to optimize my digital life. So, I come to you humble and broken from my own digital beat-down.