Daily Intent

Santa Barbara, CA
“You got to fight boredom.”

Peyton Manning in an interview Sunday night said this was one of the most important bits of advice he received. It has worked out.  He has found ways to stay focused.  After 12 years in the NFL, he has surpassed, in wins, the greatest Colt quarterback of all time, Johnny Unitas. 

This comment brought me back to a moment with my dad when I was 12 years old.  He was driving me home after one of my baseball games, which always led to sports analysis.  What stood out this time over others was his comment on boredom.   “You see Jeff most people find baseball boring.  From the surface, it is a slow paced game with often very little scoring.  But those that know the game, those that love the game, understand the intricacies of what could happen with each pitch.  They dive deep into the details.  This is when baseball becomes really fun.”

In every profession, even ones that fall in line with our true passions of life, there are periods of boredom.   And they must be overcome in order for us to experience consistent greatness.

With anything, we must first recognize our state of boredom, then choose to change our frame of mind.

It is interesting to make note, the word boredom didn’t come into the English dictionary until the late 1800s.  Did people not get bored?  Did they not have an emotion for boredom before the Industrial Era?  Would they have been able to recognize the state of being?

Anyhow, as we see with Peyton Manning, his ability to consistently stay entertained and, thus, focused on the details, has led to his Hall Fame career.

Sure he can throw a ball farther, harder, and with more accuracy than most.  But even still there are many others that have played the game that will never reach his potential despite being more athletic than he.

We all know people better than us at respective activities, but we come out the victor because the other person couldn’t stay disciplined and focused.  In short, they got bored, and we won.

I encourage you to make a concerted effort over the coming weeks to take on those things in your career that bore you.  Take an extra few minutes to analyze them.  Analyze situations to see if there is a new way of looking at them, a new way of approaching the task, a possible way to enjoy it all.

You may even find “Craig”, your coworker next to you loves the task which brings you great boredom.  Ask Craig what about the activity brings him joy and/or energy.

Now back to my paperwork…Anyone have ideas on how to make this fun?
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I thank many of you last week for writing back to me fantastic opinion pieces on the subject of “Brand You”.  Please continue to do so.  I learn a great deal from the replies.  …Don’t be surprised if I contact you in the near future to see about quoting you or even making a post on my blog, www.dailyintent.com.  My sincere thanks.
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Buzzword: Clean Sheeting
“The fraudulent act of purchasing a life insurance policy without disclosing a pre-existing terminal illness or disease. This type of fraud is often done with both the knowledge of the purchaser and the agent involved.

In cases of clean sheeting, the policy is often sold shortly after it is purchased in a viatical settlement, but the money received is a lot less than what a legitimate settlement would yield. This is because there is a higher chance that the fraudulent policy will be rescinded. This type of fraud provides huge gains for the person who buys out the purchaser because he or she is able to buy the policy at a large discount, somewhere around 10% of the policy’s face value. “  -Investopedia.com

…My client is an insurance fraud investigator.  It has been fun hearing the stories and learning what crazy schemes people attempt to pull off.  This stuff happens all the time.

  Six Points to Ponder:

   1. Markets Up. Most seem in disbelief over the consistent trend upward, however the markets continue marching - The Dow is trading up at 9830, S&P 500 at 1072 and the Nasdaq is up to 2148.  Oil is up too, $72/bbl.
   2. Flat Fed Meeting.   Their two day meeting is expected to conclude with rates remaining at current levels and economic growth continuing to be held back by the tightening of credit.
   3. Climate Ownership.   Obama spoke to the UN today focusing his speech on all countries working toward economic progress with the climate in mind.  No longer can we make excuses and point fingers.  We must work together.
   4. Italy Tries Nepotism.  In efforts to cut costs, the country’s largest employer, the postal service, is offering opportunities for older workers to cede their contracts to their heirs.  Only in Italy would they promote nepotism.
   5. iPhone Apps Near 100K.  Users are loving their iPhones and so are developers.  To date 81,161 apps have been approved.  296 on average per day.  At this rate, they’ll top 100K in November of this year. 
   6. Football Follys.   USC National Title hopes got nipped in the butt by the Dawgs, yet Trojan Alum, Mark Sanchez, took down the Pats.  The Seahawks looked like the SeaChickens in their loss to the 9ers.  The Dodger are in prime playoff preparation mode.   

Positives:

    * Midway through the worst performing month, in historical standards, we’ve seen the markets press forward.  When trying to make sense of increasing stock prices as unemployment hovers near 10%, I like the analogy of overcoming a cold.  The majority of investors have concluded the worst of the cold is over.  No longer do they need to stay in bed, get excessive rest, and miss work.  There is enough energy to start getting things done, taking action.
    * Bernanke and his crew at the Fed have some tough decisions to make.  His expertise in Great Depression economics gives me confidence he’ll navigate our ship through the storm.  I expect his comments to note cautious optimism.
    * Many expanding countries like to note their right to pollute the planet on their way to economic progress.  The United States and all other developed countries did.  Obama addressing this issue was important.  We have affordable technologies and shared information, the internet, to creatively create opportunities for even more affordable technologies.  These countries don’t need to pollute while making great progress.  The extremely cheap cars coming out in India are a perfect example.
    * “Oh, I love technology, but not as much as you, you see.  But still I love technology.  Always and forever.” - Napoleon Dynamite.  81,000 iPhone Apps!  The things you can do with these apps are remarkable.  Looking for a restaurant close by?  Use an iPhone App.  Mark your score on hole 15?  Use an iPhone App.

Negatives:

    * Like any debilitating cold, it is necessary to take great precaution even after rising to one’s feet.  Your equilibrium is still slightly off.  Your body continues fighting the intruders, expending more energy than normal.  There is high concern for a relapse, thus we must proceed cautiously when trending upwards with these markets.
    * Watch oil prices as China updates their demand figures.  China pulling back sparks caution.  They appear to be doing so slightly.  Demand for oil is one indicator of many that shows us where investors believe overall global progress (demand) will be in the near future.
    * Seriously?  Nepotism promoted.  In a country where government, business, and religion are intertwined, it is only fitting nepotism would be a way of solving the budget crisis.  I look forward to the follow articles and opinion pieces.
    * iPhones have yet to exist for Verizon customers.

Local:

The Yogic Path to Peace and Happiness - Inspire SB
Where: University Club
When: Wednesday, September 23, 7:15pm
Cost: $5 suggested donation
Why:  Take a moment for your conscience.  Reflect on being more focused, more present.  Prepare yourself for a successful Fall.

Live and Be Well,

Jeff Bochsler