Who pushes you?
We all need a push sometimes to be our best. Who pushes you?
It was early morning and I ran two miles at 9:04 per mile. That’s a good minute and a half faster than my usual pace. I ran the same course, with the same gear, in the same conditions as usual. The difference? I ran with a buddy.
Running with a friend pushes me to run faster, harder, and longer. There is something about having someone at your side that makes you want to do better, for you and them. And sometimes, there is even that motivation to beat them that helps as well.
I find this is true in every area of my life. One of the reasons that Jeff and I are such good friends is that we push each other. Several times a year, I’ll get a text from Jeff that I know is going to push me. It usually says something like, “Hey, give me a call when you can, I have an idea.” Jeff’s ideas (pushes) are often challenging and always rewarding. From his pushes, I have:
Co-founded a nonprofit that is making a massive impact on the world.
Ran barefoot across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Created a habit of getting up earlier than any human should (though not as much these days).
And many more crazy things I can’t think of at the moment.
Come to think of it; maybe I need some creative ways to push Jeff!
Being pushed by someone makes me perform better, do more, and be a better version of myself than I could otherwise be on my own. I’m glad there are people in my life that push me. Who is pushing you?
This was originally posted on my blog here.
Great Reading for Nonprofit Marketers
10 Proven Tips to Supercharge Your Online Fundraising Campaigns - The best tip in this article is to, “Customize your donation amounts to align with donor behavior.”
5 Email Marketing Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic - The best one in this list, have empathy for your audience. So many marketing mistakes happen due to a lack of empathy.
This Cold Email Template Minted Its Creator Over $100 Million a Year - This is the cold email template the founder of WP Engine used to grow his company. It’s short, informative, and empathetic (see above comment). We can learn from this.
Understanding Why People Buy $4000 Shoes Will Change Your Marketing Strategy - This article helped me think about marketing to people’s unspoken needs. No one needs $4,000 shoes, but someone might need the status or confidence that comes with wearing them.
Too Much Focusing Is Draining. Here's A Better Strategy - We are all zoomed and screened out. This article has some great methods to deal with it.
This week I’m thinking about: Adoption
We are in the process of adopting a second son from China. But, due to COVID, it’s been delayed indefinitely. I wrote a blog post with some background and thoughts on it.
Check out my Podcasts
Tech Talk Y’all - A technology news podcast.
This week we talk about how NFT’s are a bit of a pyramid scheme, new updates to Zoom, and Prince Harry’s two new jobs.TogetherLetters - A podcast about our new startup www.togetherletters.com.
This week we talk about how email is here to stay, and how social platforms will become more and more like disparate systems.
Other Interesting Reading
Here are a few other articles that I found interesting this week.
Star Wharton Professor Adam Grant: Work Should Finish at 3 p.m.
3 Habits From Bill Gates’ Daily Routine You Can Adopt Now - I confess, I’ve heard of the 5-minute scheduling method, where you book out your whole day in 5-minute increments, but it sounds like a nightmare to me personally.
Mesmerizing Photographs of Historical Figures With Their Direct Descendants - This is pretty amazing. Some of these great great great descendants look exactly like their ancestors!
That’s a wrap!
Did you find anything helpful here? Pay me back by sharing it with someone. Thanks for reading!