Cake

It may not seem like it, but you wouldn't want cake at every meal, or probably even every day. At a certain point, probably sooner than you think, you'd start to feel sick, the sweetness and heaviness just sitting in your stomach. But beyond that point, part of what makes the cake so delightful, such a treat, is that it isn't something you're eating all the time. Those things don't have the same attraction, the same pull to them that rarer items do. Expectation and longing can play a huge role in how we experience food, too. Think about it; when you have a craving for something, it's often something you haven't eaten in a while, right? And, while it depends on how well it's made, it probably tastes even better than you remember it many times.
So resist the urge to eat cake all the time. Your body will thank you.

"I Need..."

It's easy to tell ourselves "I need XYZ to be able to do this," or "I can't do it without ABC." It gives us an easy out, a way to procrastinate. Because, hey, we just don't have what we need.

But the truth is, there is always someone out there doing more with less. Less knowledge, less infrastructure, less support, less permission. But because of the way they see the world, they aren't waiting for any of that. They strive to do the best they can with what they have. With that type of approach, what might you be able to get done? Then when you get what you "need," what else will you be able to get done?

Balance

Impossible if you want to truly excel in one area.

Essential if you strive for "normalcy" (whatever that may be).

There is a time for both. Up to you to decide when that is.

Resilience

“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” The stories we tell ourselves shape our world and our actions. The people who don’t like us, the people who obviously want to do us harm or damage us in some way.

But what if we’re wrong?

What if we wrote the story based on bad intel? We caught them on a bad day, they’re only doing their job, we’re not as great as we think. All are possible.

Most often, things happen; they don’t happen to us. This is a bitter pill for some people to swallow because they want to believe that everyone is out to get them. If only everyone weren’t such jerks, they’d be successful.

In actuality, I think most would be shocked to find that very few people think highly enough of you to go out of their way to hurt you.

I think sometimes we build up these external enemies to distract ourselves from the true enemy – the one that lies within. We end up our own worst enemy far more often than anyone else possibly could be. And what we often excuse as an inability to get things done is more often an unwillingness to push through the pain, suffering, uncomfortability, or whatever else may be standing in our way. Most often, it’s not another person or group of people.

It’s easy to excuse our inadequacies, our failures, our mistakes. I can spend extra money on that trinket; I’ve worked hard for it. I can have this whole pizza; I’ve worked hard for it. The truth is, all of these come with a price that has to be paid – this isn’t good or bad, merely a fact of life. What matters is if you’re willing to pay that price going forward. You don’t have to be perfect in life. It’s an unreal expectation, but it merely means you have to be able to accept the consequences of your actions.

Don't Argue with Idiots

One thing I've realized in the last few years (that I wish I'd realized many years sooner) is to avoid arguments on the internet (or in real life, honestly). Simply put, most of the time, the person you're arguing with is not going to change their mind. They are not looking to change their mind. They are looking to prove they're right.
One statement I've come to love is "don't argue with idiots." I think it could more accurately be termed "zealots," as I think most of the time it is not someone who is inherently idiotic, but simply tied emotionally to an ideology.
That said, I think a strong case can be made that the term "idiot" can be applied when we fail to recognize objective truth and cling to our preconceived notion in the face of evidence to the contrary. Objective truth is hard to find sometimes, but when reality stares us in the face, we have to be willing to change our beliefs.
Unfortunately, however, humans, as a species, are not good at:

1. Changing our minds on long-held beliefs
2. Making decisions which are in our best long-term benefit

Conor McGregor, after defeating Nate Diaz in their second fight, noted that "we win or we learn." It's a nice sentiment, but the fact is that we usually "lose" because of long-term habits we've developed. It's unlikely we'll be able to simply change these in a short period of time, especially if they've resulted in a number of successes for us. Was the failure a fluke? Were the successes? What kind of a plan do we have in place to progressively change our behavior? We can't expect ourselves to simply stick to a plan through the unavoidable ebbs and flows without a disciplined plan to which we can cling.
I realize this post has taken a number of turns, and I'm not sure it even flows together coherently. But in the end, the point is thus:
Be ready to acknowledge that what you know is wrong. But if you know it's right, don't waste your time trying to convince others if it's clear they don't want to learn. Use that time to analyze other long-held beliefs, or developing strategies for improvement. All we have is time, and it's best used to better ourselves, in an effort to better others.

Us vs. Them

It's so much easier to paint "them" as less than us - less intelligent, less moral, simply...less. There's no possible way that we don't have the high ground. If we didn't, well, surely we would change our ways. But we also know that's not the way it works. 
It's much easier to simply attack the "other" and paint them as something less than human. As soon as we allow ourselves to empathize with them, and realize that, like us, they are simply accumulations of their experiences. It would also require us to add nuance to our perspective, and not paint the world in black and white.
In Under and Alone, William Queen writes about his aunt dying while he was undercover inside the Mongols motorcycle gang. His aunt was essentially his mother, as she had raised him. After coming back from her funeral, he noted that none of his fellow ATF agents or others within the bureau offered him condolences. Conversely, every member of the gang offered their condolences, hugs, and sincere statements of love. These hardened criminals, the supposed dregs of society, showed more love, support, and compassion than the supposed best. Does this make them good people? Probably not. But it does show that we cannot simply paint a person, much less an entire group, as entirely good or entirely bad. There are shades of gray everywhere.

“If I can add some nuance and complexity and some context and compassion. If I can get people to think about walking a mile in the other guy’s moccasins, or pretend like you want to, I can feel like I’m adding something that is unusual. When people say it’s so refreshing, you wonder why it’s refreshing to try to see the other person’s view point? Shouldn’t that just be how we are?” –Dan Carlin

Today is the Day

This is what we tell ourselves. Today is the day I get in shape, or eat better, or don't get distracted, or get all my stuff done. Whatever it might be. We forget it's a process. Nothing happens all at once. Success comes in spurts; in fits and starts. But we have to have a process to achieve it. We don't suddenly wake up one day and say, "this is the day I run a marathon!" No, we plan for it, we train for it, we build up to it. So if you have something you want to do, something you want to be, start working toward it. Don't expect to wake up one day and just "be."
Interestingly enough, Sam Hinkie lost his job as the GM of the Philadelphia 76ers by creating "The Process." In the NBA, more than any other major professional sport, one player can change the fortunes of a franchise, due to the dynamics of the sport and the fact that only 5 players are on the court at once. This one player has to be truly great, but they can have a massive impact if they are. And the reality is that, short of being located in Florida and already drafting one superstar, you are unlikely to lure that one great player to your organization through free agency.
So Hinkie began "The Process" of ridding the Sixers of players who would only serve to keep the team in the equivalent of basketball purgatory. Maybe just good enough to sneak into the playoffs (or just miss them), but never going very far, but not being among the worst teams in the league. The fact is, to get that franchise-altering superstar, you nearly always have to draft him, and most like very high; usually in the top 5 picks (yes, some exceptions exist). Regardless, the process was sound, but also painful as it included a lot of losing.
But in the end, while Hinkie lost his job, Philadelphia is now positioned with not one, but 3 potential stars. They took a lot of heat for the direction they took, but the fact is that it worked. While you can't be certain that your process will work, the important thing is that you have one. Start working toward what you want to be, and what you want to achieve will follow.

If It Looks Right

"If it looks right, it flies right!" This comes from the great sprint coach Charlie Francis. As a coach, one thing you must have is an eye for appropriate movement mechanics which will permit high performance. But what if your eye is incorrect? Or what if what you deem to be "right" is incorrect? Fortunately, technology has made it easier than ever to utilize video to scrutinize technique and make changes in-session, as well as using video as a feedback mechanism for the athlete. As far as making sure what you're looking at is correct - always be in a constant state of scrutiny of your current beliefs. Evaluate why you think what you do and, if there is evidence to the contrary, scrutinize that, and change beliefs as necessary.
As always, you have to make sure that what you are using as your model is correct. Track and utilize relevant metrics. What you deem relevant today might not be what you deem relevant tomorrow. But use what you know now, and make changes when the time comes.

There Are No Side Effects

Years back I remember reading a post from Dr. Bryan Walsh stating that "there are no side effects, there are only effects." It was in regards to the evil pharmaceutical companies (please note some amount of sarcasm on my part) and the fact that their products will list "side effects," when, in reality, those very things are not side effects at all. They are effects of the drug.
We minimize those unsavory things we don't want to consider as a part of the whole. Drugs, personality traits, you name it. For instance, steroid users stack their drugs to minimize the "side effects" of aromatization and estrogen production. These are not side effects of testosterone use. These are effects. But because they are not the reason someone takes the drugs, they are labeled "side effects." This doesn't mean we should just live with them, but call them what they are.
The very same is often true of personality traits. The very same personality traits and types that produce great results in many areas also often end up sabotaging those same people, or those around them. Don't misunderstand me - this isn't a PSA against extremism in personality or action. To truly reach great heights in nearly any endeavor, balance is generally not an option. But realize that it will most likely come with a cost. These costs are not side effects. They are effects.

Process & Outcome

We often set our sights (outcome), with little attention paid to the steps necessary to get there (process). Process goals are absolutely vital as they provide the road map for attaining the goals. But what if the map is flawed? What if there is unforeseen road construction or detours? How do we address these? Our process goals should be flexible enough, and our plan should have sufficient KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to indicate when a change of course is necessary. And sometimes, depending on the life event, an alteration of outcome goals may be in order.
The hardest of all may be striking the appropriate balance between performance and process. Without process, there is no performance. The systems, the outlines we set up in order to guide us will help us reach that end result (assuming they are correct). But we ultimately have to perform. If we don't reach the end result, what good was the process? Use both to audit your decision making and adjust as you go. You'll get a better feel for what works and what doesn't, if you're paying attention to the right things.

Excellence & Misattribution

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit." -Will Durant

I, like many others who have used this quote, had always attributed this to Aristotle, but it turns out that it was actually written by Will Durant when writing about Aristotle, nestled between quotes by the philosopher. Thus, it can be easily surmised how the misunderstanding occurred. But I digress.

At it's heart, we try to apply this often to our jobs or perhaps to changes in lifestyle as it relates to health, performance, weight loss, etc. But what about how we treat others? Can't we try to be excellent at that? Making it a habit to treat everyone we encounter with respect and kindness; not just the people close to us or the people who "matter"? I think that would make a pretty excellent world.